Sleep Study Data Validity Indicator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current portable data recorders for sleep studies lack feedback to patients, making it difficult for them to determine if sufficient valid data has been collected, leading to inconvenient and costly repeat studies.
Innovation Solution
A portable apparatus with sensors for collecting flow and oximetry data, coupled with a controller that determines the validity of the data and provides a status indicator, such as a visual percentage representation, to inform patients of data sufficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a portable data recorder is used for unattended sleep study, then patient convenience and privacy are improved, but the patient cannot determine if sufficient valid data has been collected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism by providing a display that shows patients the amount of valid data collected during the sleep study. The display presents information such as the number of apnea events, hypopnea events, and total study duration, enabling patients to understand whether sufficient data has been gathered for a valid diagnosis without requiring clinician intervention.
2Loss of information
If the portable data recorder provides detailed data feedback to the patient, then patient understanding of data sufficiency is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes visual display elements that can change states to indicate different data collection statuses. The display shows graphical representations of data sufficiency, such as progress bars or colored indicators that change as valid data is collected, providing intuitive feedback without requiring complex text-based interfaces or sophisticated processing.
3Device complexity
If the patient waits until data analysis by clinician to determine data sufficiency, then device simplicity is maintained, but time is lost due to repeat studies
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary evaluation of data sufficiency by automatically analyzing the collected sleep study data to determine whether it meets the minimum requirements for a valid diagnosis. The system pre-calculates metrics such as the number of required apnea and hypopnea events and compares them against study goals, allowing patients to assess data sufficiency before returning the device to the clinician.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and associated method for collecting data for a sleep study. The apparatus includes a sensor adapted to collect data relating to a parameter of a user of the apparatus over a period of time, and a controller operatively coupled to the sensor. The controller is adapted to: (a) receive configuration information specifying a predetermined amount of valid data that is required for a sleep study to be deemed valid, (b) receive the data relating to the parameter and determine an amount of the received data that is valid, and (c) cause a study status indicator to be output by the apparatus based on the amount of the received data that is determined to be valid and the predetermined amount specified in the configuration information.