Key Innovations and Insights from the 2024 SLEEP Conference

What an exciting 4-day SLEEP event put on by the APSS. We want to start off by saying thank you to both the AASM and SRS for their hard work in putting together another great conference. In this post, take a quick glance at the new research publications from EnsoData Research, read a few key insights from Chris Fernandez’s oral presentation, and quotes from key industry thought leaders. With that, let’s dive into a few important moments from the groundbreaking research and exciting new offerings debuted at SLEEP 2024.

2024 EnsoData Research Highlights 

Partnering with the following organizations – University of Washington Department of Neurology, Wisconsin Health Information Organization, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Kaiser Permanente, University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rush University Medical Center, and Northwell Health – EnsoData Research published an impressive NINE sleep medicine studies, seven as lead author. 

In those publications, EnsoData analyzed several areas of sleep medicine, including the socioeconomic impacts on OSA testing, treatment, and potential bias based on skin color, the clinical validation of PPG-based sleep diagnostics for both sleep staging and sleep disordered breathing event detection, plus insights into both REM Behavior Disorder (RBD) and Type I Narcolepsy based on clustering of sleep EEG data.  

Innovations Abound at SLEEP 2024

Kicking off the conference on the opening Monday slate was the most notable study – Prospective Clinical Validation of AI for PPG-based OSA detection utilizing Standardized Skin Color Assessments – presented by the EnsoData team, specifically by Chris Fernandez, Chief Research Officer of EnsoData. In the oral presentation, Fernadez emphasized the promising potential of an AI-based system (which powers EnsoSleep PPG) that was designed to increase accessibility and inclusivity for patients who struggle with sleep apnea. 

This novel AI tool for Pulse Ox (PPG) devices demonstrated high levels of accuracy in identifying sleep apnea cases, with >90% sensitivity and >70% specificity an an AHI above 5, and is already making a positive impact in helping to grow home sleep apnea testing programs and increasing care accessibility with the providers using it today.

Fernandez highlighted the impact of this innovation, stating:

“Our AI model’s ability to reliably identify sleep apnea and stage sleep can contribute to significantly improving upon the ease of use, affordability, and accessibility of sleep apnea testing and care, including multi-night testing and therapy monitoring use cases.”

This sentiment was echoed throughout the conference, with many experts praising the potential of AI and machine learning in transforming sleep medicine. Sam Rusk, Co-founder and Chief AI Officer of EnsoData, added:

“Our new PAP therapy adherence prediction AI model provides predictive analysis of CPAP monitoring data, supporting and empowering sleep coaches with actionable PAP compliance data to provide rapid, personalized support to patients who are struggling with therapy adherence, leading to improved patient compliance rates. We’re excited to see how this innovation is used in sleep medicine, especially in collaboration with recent partners React Health and Aeroflow Health.” 

Three Trends from the SLEEP 2024 Conference

In addition to AI advancements, the conference featured a variety of impactful elements, including these three key trends:

1. Personalized Sleep Medicine: Researchers are making strides in tailoring sleep disorder treatments to individual genetic profiles, an approach that aims to enhance treatment efficacy by considering a patient’s unique genetic makeup and lifestyle factors. This opens-up exciting new opportunities in the area of multimodal AI and machine learning for sleep and other healthcare applications.
2. Sleep in Different Populations: Presentations shed light on sleep disparities across various demographics, including age, gender, and socioeconomic status. EnsoData contributed to this body of research, both by studying socioeconomic disparities surrounding OSA care in the state of Wisconsin, and by shining a light on the ability of pulse oximeters to diagnose patients without bias toward skin color.
3. Technological Innovations: Beyond AI, the conference showcased a range of new technologies, from wearable devices that track sleep patterns to non-invasive monitors that can be used at home. Among those innovations is the novel PAP-adherence model, EnsoTherapy, that was a constant conversation topic in the EnsoData booth. 

Takeaway Quotes from Sleep Thought Leaders who attended SLEEP 2024

Important names and thought leaders in sleep medicine attended the conference and found it to be insightful, inspiring, and innovative. Here are several of those leaders sharing their takeaways from the event. Dr. Colleen Lance, CMO of React Health, commented on the rise of technology in sleep medicine:

“At SLEEP 2024, it was inspiring to witness the rapid advancements in technologies designed to enhance the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders. These innovations promise faster, more precise, efficient, seamless, and affordable solutions.”

Eric Mongeau, National Director of Sales of Aeroflow Health added:

“SLEEP 2024 was fast paced, action packed, and overwhelmingly positive. My feelings on the industry are that technology is moving at a blistering pace (Aeroflow and EnsoData are proving this!), opportunities to treat patients with sleep disorders are larger than ever, and efficiency is paramount in order to meet this huge demand. The Aeroflow team had a great week, met so many new and old business partners, and left Houston feeling energized for the rest of the year!”

And finally, Justin Mortara, Ph.D., CEO and President of EnsoData, further remarked on the impact of AI into the patient journey, from diagnostics through therapy:

“The integration of AI and wearable technologies in sleep medicine, especially PPG-based watch, ring, and patch form-factor devices, not only enhances diagnostic accuracy and scalability, but also further empowers providers and patients to take greater control over their long-term sleep health and therapies they need.” 

Ultimately, the SLEEP 2024 conference set the stage for a future where sleep disorders can be diagnosed more accurately, treated more effectively, and managed with greater ease. As these advancements continue to evolve, the impact on both clinical practice and patient outcomes will be profound, marking a new era in sleep medicine. Here’s to the 2024 conference, and we’ll see you all next year in Seattle.