Asleep’s AI-powered sleep apnea screening app now prescribed at SNUBH

Sleep tech startup Asleep said Thursday that Apnotrack, its digital medical device for pre-screening sleep apnea, has begun to be prescribed at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital (SNUBH).

Apnotrack is an application that pre-screens sleep apnea by analyzing breathing sounds during sleep with artificial intelligence. In May last year, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety approved it as a Class 2 medical device. In December, the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) approved it for non-benefit use for sleep apnea (disease code G47.3) and simple snoring.

Patients can measure their sleep on their smartphone during the prescription period and visit a doctor's office for a diagnosis. As a statutory off-label use, Apnotrack, which is not reimbursable by law, can be covered for patients with suspected sleep apnea and can also be prescribed for related conditions, such as obesity and rhinitis.

Sleep apnea increases the risk of severe complications, including obesity and sudden cardiac arrest, but diagnosis and treatment have been limited. For a mild case, existing polysomnography tests cost more than 600,000 won ($414). In 2023, only 150,000 people, or 1.5 percent of potential patients, were diagnosed.

Apnotrack measures sleep apnea and sleep quality using a smartphone without equipment, making it cheaper and simpler than existing tests. In collaboration with Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seoul National University Hospital, and Stanford Medical Center, Apnotrack has demonstrated an accuracy of 87 percent sensitivity and 92 percent specificity.

“Sleep apnea, if left untreated, can lead to poor sleep quality and serious complications, including cardiovascular and brain diseases, but it is difficult to diagnose it and to confirm whether it improves after treatment,” Asleep CEO Lee Dong-heon said. “We will work closely with related parties, including hospitals with various medical departments starting with ear-nose-throat departments, and HIRA to popularize sleep apnea diagnosis and enter the reimbursement registers.”