Samsung Partners With Stanford Medicine for New AI Sleep Apnea Feature

What You Should Know: 

– Samsung Electronics and Stanford University today forms a research collaboration with Stanford Medicine aimed at developing health solutions leveraging Samsung’s recently FDA De Novo authorized obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) feature. 

– The initiative, announced on World Health Day, underscores the critical role of sleep in overall well-being and marks a significant step towards proactive healthcare through pioneering research.

Advance Sleep Apnea Detection and Beyond

The joint research project will be led by Professor Robson Capasso as the principal investigator and Professor Clete Kushida as the co-principal investigator. The study is specifically designed to explore potential avenues for further enhancing Samsung’s Sleep Apnea feature, with the goal of providing even more robust support for sleep health through timely and effective interventions.

Looking ahead, the collaboration will focus on expanding the capabilities of the current detection feature. The ambition is to move beyond simple identification of OSA indicators by harnessing the power of AI for continuous daily monitoring and ultimately, comprehensive sleep apnea management. This advancement aims to empower users with cutting-edge sleep tools that can significantly contribute to improving their overall health and quality of life.

Samsung’s Sleep Apnea feature, currently available on the Galaxy Watch, is designed to detect signs of moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea. This feature previously received authorization from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) through the De Novo pathway – a first-of-its-kind authorization – following earlier approval by Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS).

Sleep Apnea Feature Approved by ANVISA

In a testament to its global impact, the Sleep Apnea feature has also recently received approval from Brazil’s National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA). This latest authorization will make the feature available to users in Brazil starting in late April, expanding its reach to a total of 29 markets worldwide. Samsung is committed to further expanding the availability of this crucial feature to more countries globally, enabling a greater number of individuals to proactively identify potential symptoms earlier. This early detection can play a vital role in preventing the development of long-term OSA-related health complications.

“The ethical, equitable and evidence-based use of technology, after its validation through research is crucial in developing new approaches to detection and management of sleep apnea and other serious sleep-related health conditions,” said Robson Capasso, MD, FAASM, Chief of Sleep Surgery, Professor of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, former Associate Dean of Research, Stanford University School of Medicine. “We are excited about this groundbreaking collaboration and proud to be initiating a study utilizing smartwatches, a friendly and commonly accepted wearable”