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 Wireless polysomnography systems can offer several advantages to the sleep lab, including increased feasibility of setups outside the lab. For example, mobile diagnostic studies in long-term care facilities or nursing homes mean that a comprehensive sleep diagnostic service can come to the patient instead of the patient having to come to the lab for a PSG.
Hospital networks, wireless or intranets, are used to transfer sleep studies from the bedside to the sleep lab. Technicians can monitor and respond to problems; yet the patient is still under the immediate supervision of skilled health care professionals. This can make inpatient sleep studies convenient for the sleep lab and medical staff. Studies are being conducted that support the theory that patients can recover more quickly from acute illnesses if their OSA is diagnosed and treated with CPAP while still hospitalized.1
Wireless devices also can save new labs the significant cost of hard-wiring rooms because they can transmit data through multiple walls without any cables running through ceiling tiles. They often involve fewer components, meaning easier setup and lower risk of individual component failure.
If your sleep lab is considering going wireless, here's an important list of questions you should ask your potential wireless PSG equipment supplier:
- What frequency range does the system operate in?
- How far can the patient be from the monitoring room?
- How many devices can we have working at one time without interference risk?
- What is the battery life of the device under continuous use?
- If there is an interference, can the device retransmit data?
- Can it run a "spectrum sweep" of the environment?
- Can the operating frequency be changed to move away from the interference?
- Can the system be set up at my facility on a trial basis to make sure it is compatible with other wireless equipment in the facility?
Reference
1. Cleveland Medical Devices Inc. (CleveMed). CleveMed Clinical Trials Page. 4 Jan 2007. Available from: http://www.clevemed.com/clevemed_clinical_studies/Pre_Surgical_PSG_Assessment_for_Cardiac_Surgery_Inpatients.shtml
Sarah Weimer, clinical coordinator of Cleveland Medical Devices Inc.(CleveMed),Cleveland.
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