The Sleep Apnoea Trust estimates that around ten million UK adults are affected by OSA, yet only around 700,000 are diagnosed. Image credit: Tero Vesalainen via Shutterstock.

The UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended Acurable’s wearable AcuPebble device to support the remote diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA).

AcuPebble SA100 comprises a small sensor that users attach to the base of their neck before falling asleep to record the sounds generated by their respiratory and cardiac functions.

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The recordings are wirelessly transferred to a mobile device and uploaded to a secure cloud platform. From there, signal processing algorithms are applied to automatically extract the parameters used to diagnose sleep apnoea and provide healthcare professionals with a diagnostic report via a web application.

The device received a CE mark in 2020 and 510(k) clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2021.

OSA causes people to repeatedly stop breathing during sleep. Left untreated, it can lead to life-threatening complications including heart attacks, diabetes, and dementia. The condition is also one of the main causes of car accidents.

The Sleep Apnoea Trust estimates that while around ten million UK adults are affected by OSA, with four million experiencing life-changing symptoms such as excessive sleepiness during waking hours, only around 700,000 are currently diagnosed.

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According to NICE, waiting times for sleep tests on the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) have been rising in recent years, with most services overwhelmed by the demand. The public body’s recommendation means that NHS patients can now be diagnosed using the technology, which NICE expects will result in increased rates of diagnosis and treatment, reduced treatment waiting times, and mitigate the need for overnight hospital stays and the uncomfortable wiring traditionally used for sleep apnoea diagnosis.

Acurable CEO and founder Esther Rodriguez-Villegas said: “Our hope is that more patients will be diagnosed using AcuPebble, freeing up clinician time to focus on treatment, and reducing the number of people who remain undiagnosed and at risk of more serious health complications.

“Medical technology like AcuPebble has the power to create a more efficient healthcare system that benefits both patients and clinicians, and it’s exciting to see bodies like NICE endorsing such devices for at-home testing.”

To date, London and Seville-based Acurable has completed two venture financing rounds, bringing its total funding to around $22m.