CleveMed technology among innovations to prevent fraudulent sleep studies

Manufacturers add technologies to thwart patients who could otherwise claim false use of their diagnostic or therapy devices. Home sleep testing chain of custody solutions and oral appliance compliance trackers are two categories in which progress has been made.

Excerpt from Sleep Review Magazine, published on January 28, 2018.

Transportation workers. Veterans. Prisoners. These are several of the patient populations in which tracking sleep medicine device use is becoming increasingly prevalent. In response, more product makers-from home sleep testing (HST) to oral appliance companies-are incorporating fraud-deterrent options into their devices. At HST manufacturer CleveMed, its chain of custody debut will take the biometric route. In April 2018 the company earned a patent for a “Medical Device and Method with Improved Biometric Verification,” according to the United States Patent and Trademark Office. According to the patent, “the authentication is performed at random times during a sleep test.” CleveMed’s Hani Kayyali, president and CEO, says, “The advantage, and the main reason behind the invention, is the inconspicuous nature of the sensor.” Because it is worn under clothing, Kayyali says it is less obtrusive to daily activities than mechanical bracelet-style systems. Wrist or neck placement of chain of custody solutions can become “a constant reminder to the patient, friends, and family of the inherent distrust in the patient’s intentions, which is unfair because the vast majority of patients have no intention of cheating the system,” he argues. For patients who do test positive with a home sleep test, the next step is typically a prescription for therapy. While CPAP devices have a long history of objective compliance reporting, the growing alternative therapy of oral appliances does not. But a few companies are making strides.