Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics

Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics

The development of cost-effective 'smartwatch' software could have dramatic implications for patients with sleeping disorders. By enabling medical staff to more accurately monitor sleeping patterns - and therefore diagnose tailored therapies - the lives of thousands of sufferers could be improved.

Chronic sleep deprivation is a serious problem. It has been linked to long-term health issues such as diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease, and recent studies suggest that it is chronic sleep deficit, and not stress, that is the real cause of burnout. Up until now however, bespoke intelligent watches used to monitor patients in medical studies have been very expensive, and doctors have been somewhat limited to analysing data once a week in the lab.

In response, researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics Research IGD in Germany recently developed software that enables commercially available smartwatches to be used in sleep research. A smartwatch is similar to a smartphone in that it tells the time and allows wearers to check their text messages and e-mails, but can also feature sensors. This makes them hugely exciting to scientists working in the field of sleep research.

The software developed by Fraunhofer researchers helps to detect anomalies in sleep as soon as they occur, by comparing movements of the watch wearer to normal sleeping and waking patterns. The sensors can even register micro-movements triggered by breathing. This data can be sent straight from their home to the lab via the smartwatch's radio module. In effect, the smartwatch acts as a sort of digital sleep diary, enabling the doctor to accurately diagnose any disorder and choose the right therapy.

The next step for researchers is to detect unconsciousness in sleep, an important issue that can affect diabetics and epileptics. Type 1 diabetes patients quite frequently fall into a state of hypoglycemia during the night, which can result in the patient entering a life-threatening diabetic coma. New software could be installed in the smartwatch capable of triggering an alarm in such situations, notifying family members or the patient's doctor.

Other potential benefits from the smartwatch software have been identified. Homeowners who habitually fall asleep in front of the television for example could save on their electricity bills if they happen to be wearing a smartwatch capable of switching off the TV via a radio signal. Researchers are also examining the potential of using this technology to turn off other household objects such as alarm systems, wireless internet routers and lights.

The Union cabinet gave its go-ahead for setting up an independent regulator for the coal sector in June. The announcement was supposed to be a big step forward, given that setting up a regulatory authority has been viewed as a key policy measure for coal sector reforms. Yet, the decision failed to garner enough attention. It is partly because the approval came a good eight years after the Integrated Energy Policy first recommended it in 2006, and partly because the government had significantly watered down the major provisions. An analysis of the amendments made in the original scheme of the proposal explains why experts are now raising doubts over the efficacy of the government's move.

The original draft of the Coal Governance and Regulatory Authority Bill, finalised as early as 2009, was a perfect setting for true reforms of a sector mired in red tape and bureaucratic delays. It drew heavily from the recommendations made by the August 2006 IEP report, prepared by former Planning Commission Member Kirit Parikh, and the T L Shankar Committee report of October 2007.

The original idea was to set up a strong regulator with major powers. This included the power to fix prices, grant mining permissions, specify standards of performance for miners and even monitor fund utilisation for coal conservation and development. However, the government, while approving the regulator Bill in its current form, chose to strike off all these provisions and significantly dilute the regulator's powers.

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Created on Dec 31st 1969 18:00. Viewed 0 times.

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