May 24 2010
Kai Sensors has secured a $100,000 SBIR Phase I contract from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to design a new, wireless monitoring device for sleep disorders.
Adequate amount of sleep helps in maintaining mental and physical well-being of a person. However, studies show that majority of Americans suffer from chronic sleep disorders such as insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea. Sleep disorders can trigger serious health problems and raise a person’s mortality rate. It is presumed that the yearly cost incurred for treating obstructive sleep apnea amounts to $16 billion dollars.
Under Phase I, Kai Sensors will design a prototype wireless sleep monitoring device. Positive results from this prototype will qualify the company to receive the Phase II contract worth $500,000, which will aid in the completion of the device.
Andrea Yuen, Chief Executive Officer of Kai Sensors, informed that the company’s non-contact sensors can be easily integrated into the sleep monitoring system. He added that the monitoring device can detect sleep apnea disorder easily and effectively, and will help improve people’s quality of life.
Kai Sensors will hold the proprietary rights of wireless monitoring devices developed from the NSF project. The company expects that this innovative technology for sleep disorders will become the next-generation monitoring platform in its wireless respiration systems.
Kai Sensors manufactures a range of wireless, non-contact monitoring systems that are specifically designed for the national security and medical sectors. These products measure and monitor body’s vital signs wirelessly.
The company collaborates with well-known organizations to distribute its wireless monitoring systems, and has been honored with the 2008 Frost & Sullivan Technology Innovation of the Year Award.
Source: http://www.kaisensors.com