3 MedTech Innovations for a Good Night’s Sleep

Engaging the Vestibular System – those little hairs inside the inner ear that respond to movement and allow us to balance on one leg – ETH Zurich doctoral researcher, Alexander Breuss is furthering the development of the “Somnomat Casa”. The autonomous robotic bed monitors sleepers implementing easy, swaying, and back-and-forth motions that mimic how parents rock their babies to sleep. In a non-invasive, alternative to medical intervention, Breuss is about embark on a voluntary study in which he will install the Somnomat Casa in the home of the 11-year-old mentioned earlier. In a step toward personalized medical devices, Breuss programmed the bed to reflect both the motion and auditory queues that mimic the train travel that so easily lulls the young child to sleep.

Breuss and his colleagues in the Sensory-motor systems lab are also further developing the intelligent sleep apnea beds, ISABel I and II. Both beds contain software specifically designed to literally, but voluntarily, “listen in” on sleeping subjects. The beds use unobtrusive sensors (radar, sensor mattresses, and microphones) to detect apnea events. While snoring is often present in sleep apnea patients, during the “apnea” phase (i.e., the time when the intervention should be triggered) the patient’s airflow drops and breathing (including the snoring) pauses. The robotic beds then elevate the sleeper’s torso or induce a sideward turn by inclining one of half of the bed.

The future of sleep could entail a new suite of wearable mobile technologies. SleepLoop is a flagship, multi-disciplinary research collaboration headed up by ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich to “enhance health using mobile technologies that improve and deepen sleep in various stages of life...” Deploying mobile technologies has enabled large-scale research that supports deep and regenerative sleep outside of the confines of the lab and inside the bedrooms where we sleep best. At night, SleepLoop uses the Tosoo wearable to record brain activity and deliver an auditory tone during periods of deep sleep. The tone enhances the synchronization of neurons and induces an even deeper and higher quality of sleep.

ETH Spinoff, Tosoo AG has developed a high-quality, configurable, and wearable system that supports diverse sleep research groups participating in SleepLoop. The Tosoo technology aims to improve deep sleep through an innovative combination of sleep brain waves recording and personalized acoustic stimulation in real time. Laura Ferster, Tosoo’s Product and Technology Design Engineer reports that the team is currently working on the clinical validation of the approach for people affected by Parkinson’s disease with University of Zurich’s Center of Competence, Sleep & Health Zurich.

While working on wireless communication technologies at ETH Zurich, Soumya Dash realized that his work could also be used in tracking, measuring, and diagnosing sleep disorders. Exploring this idea, he visited a sleep lab, where the abundance of cables and sensors hooked up to the patients was painful for him to see. Driven to improve people’s lives, Dash’s interactions led him to a skilled and passionate set of co-founders, including Max Sieghold and Marc Rullan. “Sleep is…” they thought, and came up with Sleepiz AG, an ETH Spinoff. Today, Sleepiz works with physicians across Europe. The team also offers their technology and services to the public through their apnea screening platform. Anyone with an interest in sleep issues can book a screening. Sleepiz provides a contactless device to place next to their bed that measures, monitors, and transmits sleep data. The team offers a complete analysis of the data, a follow-up consultation, and a report that participants can take to a health practitioner.

Using machine-learning algorithms and low power electromagnetic waves, Sleepiz AG not only developed a revolutionary and patient-centred approach for diagnosing sleep apnea, but also launched Europe’s first completely contactless monitor for medical vital signs, which received a CE Class IIa certification in accordance with the new European Medical Devices Regulations in 2021.