Australian medtech company ResApp (ASX: RAP) is set to make diagnosing sleep apnoea significantly easier for individuals with the launch of the SleepCheck smartphone app which has been clinically tested. 

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is one of the most common sleep breathing disorders which affects around 30%of men and 20%of women. However, studies show that 80% of sufferers are not formally diagnosed with the condition and simply live with it, and then deal with greater tiredness due to their poor quality of sleep. 

Having successfully completed clinical trials on its OSA algorithms, ResApp correctly identified patients with OSA sensitivities in 85% of mild OSA sufferers, 83% of moderate OSA sufferers and 83% of severe OSA sufferers from the 238 patient trials. 

With these trials, ResApp have built the SleepCheck app which incorporates their clinically-tested algorithm where users can assess their probability of suffering from OSA by simply keeping their smartphone near them throughout a night of sleep.

“Undiagnosed sleep apnoea causes poor sleep and daytime tiredness, and can have a major impact on a person’s health. By simply placing their smartphone on their bedside table when they go to sleep, SleepCheck allows users to self-assess their risk of OSA, the first step in their path to treatment,” said ResApp CEO, Tony Keating

“There are no wires, no attachments, and the user can sleep comfortably in their own bed. It is backed by a large clinical study which demonstrated that the SleepCheck algorithms were able to accurately identify OSA when compared to a full at-home comprehensive sleep study.”

With SleepCheck having already gained CE Mark approval in Europe and soon to be listed on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods, the app will soon be available for download in the United Kingdom and Australia via the iOS App Store. 

Plans are then in place to roll out to other countries as well as launch an Android version however the Company is still in discussions regarding the pricing of the app for users. 

Sleep apnoea occurs when air stops flowing to the lungs for ten seconds or longer during sleep creating an ‘apnoea’ event. In severe cases, this can happen more than 30 times per hour. Deloitte Access Economics estimates that OSA costs the Australian economy more than $21 billion annually. 

ResApp does not intend SleepCheck to be a substitute for a full sleep study using polysomnography.