Toronto, Canada, May 16, 2017 – BresoDx®, developed by BresoTec, has been selected by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) for use in a home-based sleep apnea demonstration project with sleep clinics across Ontario. For the first time in the province,patients and sleep physicians will have the option to diagnose sleep apnea in the home.
Invented at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute by Dr. Hisham Alshaer, BresoDx® is the world’s first cordless, single-user, home sleep test used to diagnose sleep apnea. BresoDx® aims to provide a simpler and more accessible diagnosis without compromising accuracy. The demonstration project, which will kick off this year, will use BresoDx® for home sleep apnea testing by patients through selected clinics across the province.
BresoDx® is the first medical technology in the province to successfully complete clinical testing and evidence generation through the Excellence in Clinical Innovation Technology Evaluation (EXCITE) program. The globally unique EXCITE program was established in partnership between the MOHLTC and MaRS Discovery District to accelerate the adoption of innovative health technologies in Ontario.
“Today, patients have to go to a sleep laboratory for an overnight test”, says Dr. Douglas Bradley, Chief Medical Officer and co-founder of BresoTec. “Although sleep laboratories provide an accurate and comprehensive diagnosis for sleep apnea, it is a complicated test and inconvenient for the patient. It also requires significant resources from the healthcare system and leads to long wait times in parts of the province. With BresoDx®, sleep physicians have the option to use this well validated device to test and see more patients, and let them complete their sleep study in their own bedroom, any night they want”, he continues.
Sleep apnea affects up to 10% of adults, but 85% or more of them go undiagnosed. Untreated sleep apnea leads to chronic sleepiness and a significant increase in the risk of developing hypertension, stroke and heart failure. “Most people are unaware of sleep apnea and its risks. Not only does this reduce quality of life, it also represents a very significant cost burden on our healthcare system. By moving forward with a demonstration project for home-based diagnosis of sleep apnea, the MOHLTC is paving the way for increased access to diagnosis for people living with sleep apnea. This is a recognition of our innovation and I’m confident that this will help us to introduce BresoDx® in other markets”, says Dr. Geoff Fernie, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of BresoTec.
About BresoTec Inc.
BresoTec, a Canadian company based in Toronto, develops and commercializes products for the diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea and related health conditions. BresoTec’s first product, BresoDx®, is an innovative and simple device using acoustic and movement analysis technology to diagnose sleep apnea in the home. BresoDx received regulatory approval from Health Canada in December 2014 and from the European Commission (CE marking) in February 2016.
The BresoDx® technology was developed at Toronto Rehabilitation Institute of the University Health Network (UHN) by Dr. Geoff Fernie, Dr. Douglas Bradley and Dr. Hisham Alshaer. The technology was licensed to BresoTec; founded by UHN and MaRS Innovation in 2012.
About sleep apnea
Sleep apnea is a condition characterized by repetitive cessation of breathing that disrupts sleep and leads to excessive daytime sleepiness. It affects approximately 10% of the adult population globally. It is treatable, but less than 15% of people with the condition have been diagnosed. Left untreated, sleep apnea leads to serious health complications, including a three-to-four times higher risk of developing hypertension, stroke and heart failure. It is also associated with a similar increase in the risk of traffic accidents due to sleepiness. The low rate of diagnosis is mainly due to the lack of access to, and the substantial cost and inconvenience of undergoing overnight testing in a sleep laboratory as well as the complexity of existing home sleep tests. BresoDx® is designed to meet the need for a reliable, simpler technology for sleep apnea diagnosis.
For more information, please contact:
Julie Brogren, Chief Operating Officer
Email: julie.brogren@bresotec.com
Phone: (+1) 647 985 9239