Australian medical technology company Optalert says it has developed test for sleep issues that takes just 10 minutes on a smartphone. The Owl Eye app was developed with data from Monash Medical Centre, the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, and the Institute for Breathing and Sleep (IBAS. Optalert says the app is able to detect sleep issues such as sleep apnoea with an accuracy of 96.6%.
The simple test relies on a unique biomarker discovered by Optalert. As people with sleep issues often receive less oxygen as they sleep, their eyelid coordination during waking hours is impaired. Optalert’s test uses the Apple iPhone’s forward-facing camera to capture the subtle eyelid movements that result from this lack of coordination, using a proprietary algorithm to identify signs of sleep issues.
Prof. Matthew Kiernan AM, the CEO of Neuroscience Research Australia, says, “Wearable and app-based technologies are transforming how we approach sleep, and brain health more generally. These technologies provide continuous, personalised data that helps in identifying sleep issues, and thereby promote treatments of underlying conditions that affect the brain.”
This is an area Optalert has been researching for many years. The company develops systems for detecting when drivers in cars and heavy machinery become drowsy.
Approximately one in five Australians are estimated to be affected by a major sleep disorder, with conditions estimated to cost $56.5 billion each year making increased awareness of sleep health vital to the health of Australians and our economy.
Development of the algorithm involved testing a group of people with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) confirmed by polysomnography, the gold standard in OSA diagnosis, and a control group with no identified sleep conditions.
While many sleep conditions can be detected with a smartwatch fewer than one in five Australians wear such a device. But with smartphone penetration at a far higher level, Optalert’s test is far more accessible and doesn’t rely on any specialised equipment.
Optalert says that by building the test for the iPhone – a device owned by more than 50% of Australians – sleep health testing is more accessible and delivers an accurate result quickly and easily.
Anthony is the founder of Australian Apple News. He is a long-time Apple user and former editor of Australian Macworld. He has contributed to many technology magazines and newspapers as well as appearing regularly on radio and occasionally on TV.