An at-home sleep apnoea testing device has been recommended for diagnosis of the condition by the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
The AcuPebble device revolutionises sleep apnoea detection by enabling fully automated and remote testing, and could dramatically reduce NHS waiting times.
The device has been designed from research conducted at Imperial College London, and is smaller than a watch face, requiring no wires or technical expertise to use.
NHS patients can now be diagnosed using this technology, which enables fully automated, remote testing eliminating the need for overnight hospital stays and the cumbersome wiring traditionally used for sleep apnoea diagnosis.
It also reduces the burden on specialist clinicians, as the technology provides accurate results without requiring extensive interpretation time.
By allowing patients to be tested at home, AcuPebble enhances equitable access to diagnosis — patients no longer need to take time off work or caregiving responsibilities, travel long distances, or endure extended waiting times for their diagnosis.
Professor Esther Rodriguez-Villegas, inventor of the AcuPebble technology, and founder and CEO of Acurable, said: “The NICE recommendation represents a breakthrough in sleep apnoea testing and diagnosis, and will rapidly cut patient waiting time.
“Our hope is that more patients will be diagnosed using AcuPebble, freeing up clinician time to 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.”