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Since blood oxygen can be measured with an external sensor, I'd be very surprised if fitbit or Apple watches weren't able to monitor oxygen levels combined with

by gknoy 5y ago

Since blood oxygen can be measured with an external sensor, I'd be very surprised if fitbit or Apple watches weren't able to monitor oxygen levels combined with sleep movement to detect this. (They probably already do this.) Edit: Of course, that only works for people who would own one. People working third shifts might not be common in that set.

moneywoes 5y ago
How accurate are those devices without a blood sample?
- hausen 5y ago
  FDA-cleared pulse oximeters must be accurate to ±4% SpO2. https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/safety-communications/pulse-oximeter-accuracy-and-limitations-fda-safety-communication https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/safety-communications/pu...
  - wlesieutre 5y ago
    Notably, the Apple Watch S6 sensor does not have FDA approval. It's for "wellness." https://www.theverge.com/2020/10/7/21504023/apple-watch-ekg-blood-oxygen-fda-clearance https://www.theverge.com/2020/10/7/21504023/apple-watch-ekg-... > Blood oxygen monitors, or pulse oximeters, are considered Class II medical devices by the FDA. Generally, any company that wants to sell one in the United States has to submit documentation to the agency confirming that its product works just as well as other versions of the same product already on the market. There’s a workaround, though: if the company says that the product is just for fun, or for general “wellness,” they don’t have to go through that process. They can’t claim that it can diagnose or treat any medical conditions, but they can put it up for sale. You might still use that as a cue that you should get tested for sleep apnea, but the watch itself isn't considered a medical device for measuring blood oxygen.
- Baeocystin 5y ago
  The full set of arterial blood gasses requires a blood draw, but just oxygen saturation is easily and accurately done via a simple light sensor. The FDA requirement is that the finger/light sensors be within 2-3% of the measured blood gas value.
- jvans 5y ago
  It's worth noting that sleep apnea can disrupt your sleep without oxygen desaturation. Typical at home sleep tests cannot return a negative result, they can either be positive or inconclusive. EEG monitoring for arousals is necessary to rule out sleep apnea which most at home tests don't include.
- nradov 5y ago
  Under ideal circumstances they are accurate to within a couple percent. But accuracy varies widely based on watch band tightness, skin color, hair, etc.
tpmx 5y ago
Typical clinic grade at-home diagnosis kits use these sensors: - Nasal breathing via a light-weight mask thing around your nostrils - Heart rate and blood oxygenation via a pulse oximeter on a finger - Physical orientation of the body (an acceleration sensor) - Something around the chest that records contractions/expansions
nradov 5y ago
If cost is an issue there are Garmin smart watches with pulse oximetry sensors and sleep tracking for as little as $130. (I do understand that can still be out of reach for some low wage workers.)
- JCharante 5y ago
  I'm not sure how society (or at least the US, because that's the only society I'm familiar with) can properly tackle sleep problems. Encouraging people to track their sleep would be awesome, but $130 is still completely out of reach for low wage workers. You can save up for a $400 phone or some other luxuries that bring joy into your life but $130 towards sleep tracking? Nobody will want to save towards that, and I'm not sure they should. My idea if society wanted to tackle this issue would be for the government to step in and provide these smart watches to everybody, much like how some companies have giving fitbits to all their employees to promote more walking and awareness of sedentry. The US already spends $11k/person/year on healthcare, so a one-time cost of $130/person seems small and could even break even if it encourages people to be more active and helps with the obesity crisis. Unfortunately because it would be the government promoting this, there will be people convinced that it's another device to spy on you through. I mean, it's a device constantly measuring your heartbeat and movement to see if you're sleeping or not. Some sherif would probably try to subpenea Garmin to see the heart rates of people suspected of a crime.

by gknoy 5y ago

moneywoes 5y ago

How accurate are those devices without a blood sample?

hausen 5y ago
FDA-cleared pulse oximeters must be accurate to ±4% SpO2. https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/safety-communications/pulse-oximeter-accuracy-and-limitations-fda-safety-communication https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/safety-communications/pu...
- wlesieutre 5y ago
  Notably, the Apple Watch S6 sensor does not have FDA approval. It's for "wellness." https://www.theverge.com/2020/10/7/21504023/apple-watch-ekg-blood-oxygen-fda-clearance https://www.theverge.com/2020/10/7/21504023/apple-watch-ekg-... > Blood oxygen monitors, or pulse oximeters, are considered Class II medical devices by the FDA. Generally, any company that wants to sell one in the United States has to submit documentation to the agency confirming that its product works just as well as other versions of the same product already on the market. There’s a workaround, though: if the company says that the product is just for fun, or for general “wellness,” they don’t have to go through that process. They can’t claim that it can diagnose or treat any medical conditions, but they can put it up for sale. You might still use that as a cue that you should get tested for sleep apnea, but the watch itself isn't considered a medical device for measuring blood oxygen.
Baeocystin 5y ago
The full set of arterial blood gasses requires a blood draw, but just oxygen saturation is easily and accurately done via a simple light sensor. The FDA requirement is that the finger/light sensors be within 2-3% of the measured blood gas value.
jvans 5y ago
It's worth noting that sleep apnea can disrupt your sleep without oxygen desaturation. Typical at home sleep tests cannot return a negative result, they can either be positive or inconclusive. EEG monitoring for arousals is necessary to rule out sleep apnea which most at home tests don't include.
nradov 5y ago
Under ideal circumstances they are accurate to within a couple percent. But accuracy varies widely based on watch band tightness, skin color, hair, etc.

tpmx 5y ago

Typical clinic grade at-home diagnosis kits use these sensors: - Nasal breathing via a light-weight mask thing around your nostrils - Heart rate and blood oxygenation via a pulse oximeter on a finger - Physical orientation of the body (an acceleration sensor) - Something around the chest that records contractions/expansions

nradov 5y ago

If cost is an issue there are Garmin smart watches with pulse oximetry sensors and sleep tracking for as little as $130. (I do understand that can still be out of reach for some low wage workers.)

JCharante 5y ago
I'm not sure how society (or at least the US, because that's the only society I'm familiar with) can properly tackle sleep problems. Encouraging people to track their sleep would be awesome, but $130 is still completely out of reach for low wage workers. You can save up for a $400 phone or some other luxuries that bring joy into your life but $130 towards sleep tracking? Nobody will want to save towards that, and I'm not sure they should. My idea if society wanted to tackle this issue would be for the government to step in and provide these smart watches to everybody, much like how some companies have giving fitbits to all their employees to promote more walking and awareness of sedentry. The US already spends $11k/person/year on healthcare, so a one-time cost of $130/person seems small and could even break even if it encourages people to be more active and helps with the obesity crisis. Unfortunately because it would be the government promoting this, there will be people convinced that it's another device to spy on you through. I mean, it's a device constantly measuring your heartbeat and movement to see if you're sleeping or not. Some sherif would probably try to subpenea Garmin to see the heart rates of people suspected of a crime.