Israeli AI breakthrough could revolutionize sleep apnea diagnosis
Technion-developed technology allows patients to detect dangerous sleep disorders from home using a simple wearable device and artificial intelligence, eliminating need for costly lab tests
Nearly 40% of the global population suffers from sleep-related disorders, according to the World Health Organization. Among the most serious, and often undiagnosed, conditions is sleep apnea, a disorder estimated to affect nearly one billion people worldwide.
Diagnosing sleep apnea traditionally requires an overnight stay in a specialized sleep laboratory, such as the facility at Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv.
Patients are connected to multiple sensors that monitor brain activity, breathing patterns, heart rate, and oxygen levels throughout the night. The process is complex, expensive, and often inaccessible, with costs ranging from $1,170 to $11,700 depending on the clinic.
An Israeli startup, Sleep AI, aims to change that. Developed by researchers at the Technion, the technology uses a lightweight oximeter linked to a mobile app and powered by artificial intelligence. Patients can complete the test from home by simply wearing the device overnight while data is uploaded to the company’s cloud platform for analysis.
Within minutes, physicians receive a detailed medical report that not only evaluates sleep quality, but also maps sleep architecture, identifies signs of sleep apnea, and assesses cardiovascular risks linked to nighttime oxygen deprivation.
Unlike consumer smartwatches, Sleep AI is designed as a medical-grade diagnostic tool. In clinical testing conducted in sleep centers, the system demonstrated an overall accuracy rate of 89% for detecting sleep apnea, rising to 99% for moderate and severe cases.
The company is now pursuing international regulatory approvals with the goal of making sleep apnea diagnosis faster, cheaper, and more widely available — potentially even covered by health insurance in the future.
By moving diagnosis from the sleep lab to the home, Sleep AI hopes to make sleep health screening a routine part of modern medical care.