With the patent, it appears that Amazon wants to introduce a non-invasive method of addressing obstructive sleep apnoea. Image credit: Sundry Photography / Shutterstock.

Amazon has filed a patent for what it describes as an automated sleep assistant in the form of a smart pillow aimed at treating obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA).

According to the tech giant, existing solutions to address OSA such as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines and implantable devices used as therapeutic interventions, are overly expensive, inconvenient, and unsuitable for all users.

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Amazon’s patent filing says its non-invasive system may comprise an audio input device for capturing sounds and utterances made by users while sleeping to analyse sleep patterns indicative of OSA, one or more sensors to detect movement, and inflatable air bladders to provide haptic feedback and adjust the pillow’s position.

Electronics in the system’s base unit may include memory-storing executable instructions and a machine learning model to analyse data from the device’s sensors to provide appropriate haptic feedback.

For example, if the pillow’s sensor data indicates there has been a change in the position of a user’s head as they sleep. This may indicate a potentially adverse sleep-related event, so the base unit connected to the pillow may apply one or more external haptic forces to the user. These include inflating air bladders in the pillow to generate a rocking motion and help a user’s head lift or tip to a specific angle that opens their airway.

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Amazon’s filing says the smart pillow may also be used to address other sleep disruptions such as muscular sleep disturbance and snoring.

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According to GlobalData analysis, the market for neurological devices was valued at $12.5bn in 2023 and is expected to reach a valuation of $20.9bn by 2033.

Amazon has been establishing a growing presence in the healthcare sector and completed a $3.9bn acquisition of One Medical in 2022. In June 2024, the company rebranded its telehealth clinic to Amazon One Medical.

Elsewhere in the field of sleep apnoea, Inspire Medical Systems received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in August 2024 for its neurostimulation device for OSA treatment and Huxley Medical received 510(k) clearance for its SANSA sleep apnoea diagnostic patch.