Home sleep testing devices have become popular among medical providers to  determine whether or not patients may have obstructive sleep apnea.  Left  untreated, sleep apnea can account for higher risks of accidents, obesity, heart  disease, diabetes, and even colon cancer.

Medical professionals upload raw data  off the machine through the pm-Assist?  service that is scored by Registered Polysomnographic Technicians (RPSGT),  interpreted by Board Certified Sleep Physicians, and in as little as 24 hours  receive a diagnostic report.

“The growth of our pm-Assist program parallels the growth of home sleep  testing in the industry,” commented Dr. Benjamin Gerson, Chief Medical Director  of University Services, the parent  company of pm-Assist. Read the rest of this entry

Snoring was once considered a simple annoyance for bed partners, but there is a growing awareness in the medical community that the grunts and snorts of noisy sleepers can also be a sign of sleep apnea.

Testing can be a lucrative business, and labs have popped up in free-standing clinics and hospitals across the country. Over the past decade, the number of accredited sleep labs that test for the disorder has quadrupled, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

At the same time, insurer spending on the procedure has skyrocketed. Medicare payments for sleep testing increased from $62 million in 2001 to $235 million in 2009, according to the Office of the Inspector General.

Dr. David Gross, medical director of the sleep lab at the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Washington, D.C., says more than three-quarters of the patients who come to his lab are diagnosed with sleep apnea. “We are spending more and more money on sleep testing and treatment,” he says.

It’s no secret that the sleep business can be lucrative for physicians. While many sleep centers offer comprehensive care for sleep disorders, others are largely focused on overnight sleep testing, according to Dr. Nancy Collop, president of the academy. “A lot of people have gotten into the sleep business specifically to do that procedure,” she says.

Another option is a home sleep test, which costs less than a fifth as much as a lab test, and is considered effective for most patients. Medicare began paying for home sleep tests in 2008, but the tests have had only modest growth.

Some insurers, including WellPoint, are changing the way they pay for sleep testing to curb the costs.  Those changes are now widespread among Massachusetts insurers and are having an effect on the sleep industry in the state. [ Read Complete Post ... ]

In the latest step of their national expansion campaign, The Snoring Center is pleased to announce the opening of a Chicago location on January 9. The company is the nation’s leading provider of minimally invasive, office-based treatment for snoring and sleep apnea, including the Pillar Procedure from Medtronic.

Dr. Victoria Brkovich, a Board Certified Otolaryngologist with years of clinical experience, has been appointed Medical Director of the Chicago office, located at Water Tower Place.

“I couldn’t be more honored to join The Snoring Center team,” said Dr. Brkovich. “The Snoring Center’s innovative approach and progressive treatment options have helped people from around the world to find healthy, restorative sleep, which is essential to physical and emotional well-being. The opening of our center gives more people access to convenient, effective snoring and sleep apnea treatment options.” Read the rest of this entry

Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue:

United States Anesthesia and Respiratory Devices Market Outlook to 2017 – Respiratory Devices, Respiratory Measurement Devices, Airway and Anesthesia Devices, Anesthesia Machines, Sleep Apnea Diagnostic Systems, Pain Management Devices and Others

The report provides key market data on the United States Anesthesia and Respiratory Devices market. The report provides value (USD million), volume (units) and average price (USD) data for each segment and sub-segment within eight market categories – Airway and Anesthesia Devices, Anesthesia Machines, Pain Management Devices, Regional Anesthesia Disposables, Respiratory Devices, Respiratory Disposables, Respiratory Measurement Devices and Sleep Apnea Diagnostic Systems. Read the rest of this entry

In a shrewd execution of its business plan and growth strategy, Craig Sizer,  Co-founder and Chairman, with Keith Houlihan, Co-founder and President of Sanomedics International Holdings  Inc. announced the signing of a letter of  intent to acquire a strategically targeted durable medical equipment (DME)  provider with a platform in sleep apnea treatment services.  The targeted  acquisition is accredited by the “Healthcare Quality Association.” The operation  with approximately $6 million in revenues and over $1 million in (EBITDA)  earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization is expected to  close in early 2012 upon the completion of due diligence and Sanomedics board  approval.

“The acquisition of a sleep treatment service based operations is an  important step in the growth of Sanomedics,  as well as for the distribution and sales expansion of our ThermoMedics line of non-contact clinical thermometers,”  said Craig Sizer Chairman and Co-founder. Read the rest of this entry

The Snoring Center, the nation’s leading provider of minimally invasive, office-based treatment for snoring and sleep apnea, including the Pillar Procedure from Medtronic, announced the addition of a Gulf Coast center to open January 6.

“We continue to find innovative professionals like Dr. Weiss to join our team and help achieve our mission to change the way people think about snoring and other sleep-related disorders”

Dr. Ray Weiss, a Board Certified Otolaryngologist, will serve as Medical Director of the Snoring Center’s Ocean Spring location, serving patients along the Gulf Coast, from Mobile, Alabama to New Orleans, Louisiana.

“I am proud to be able to bring relief to patients with the support of The Snoring Center,” said Dr. Weiss. “We are working to improve quality  of life for patients all over the world. Continuing to expand The Snoring Center team into new markets allows ease of access for the men and women seeking minimally invasive, office-based snoring and sleep apnea treatment, and I am glad to be a part of it.” Read the rest of this entry

Sleep apnea is a dangerous problem that can lead to heart attacks, strokes, excessive daytime sleepiness, short-term memory loss and increases in motor vehicle accidents. It is essential to diagnose and treat sleep apnea. One study showed a 36% decrease in 8 year survival comparing treated and untreated sleep apnea.

A problem frequently experienced is that the cost of health, life and disability insurance policies can increase exponentially following diagnosis of sleep apnea. This is problematic for owners of small businesses and wealthy individuals who utilize life insurance to protect their estates. Read the rest of this entry

Reportlinker.com announced its new market research report “Global Sleep Apnea Diagnostic And Therapeutic Devices Industry ”

This report analyzes the worldwide markets for Sleep Apnea Diagnostic and Therapeutic Devices in US$ Million by the following Product Segments: Diagnostic Devices (Fixed PSG, Ambulatory PSG, & Others (include Screening Devices)), and Therapeutic Devices (CPAP, Bi-Level PAP, Auto PAP, & Facial Interfaces (Masks and Humidifiers)).

The report provides separate comprehensive analytics for the US, Japan, Europe, and Rest of World. Annual estimates and forecasts are provided for the period 2007 through 2015. A seven-year historic analysis is also provided for these markets.

The report profiles 57 companies including many key and niche players worldwide such as Astro-Med Inc., Grass Technologies, Cadwell Laboratories, Inc., CareFusion Corporation, Compumedics Ltd., DeVilbiss Healthcare, Embla Systems, evo Medical Solutions, Inc., Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Limited, Itamar Medical Ltd., Invacare Corporation, Natus Medical Inc., Bio-Logic, Stellate Systems, Inc., Philips Healthcare, ResMed Inc., Teleflex Medical, Vital Signs Inc., and Weinmann Geräte für Medizin GmbH+CCo. KG. Market data and analytics are derived from primary and secondary research.

Reportlinker.com announced the release of a new market research report ”Global  Sleep Apnea Diagnostic And Therapeutic Devices Industry“.    This report analyzes the worldwide markets for Sleep Apnea Diagnostic and Therapeutic Devices in US$ Million  by the following Product Segments: Diagnostic Devices (Fixed PSG, Ambulatory  PSG, & Others include Screening Devices), and Therapeutic Devices (CPAP,  Bi-Level PAP, Auto PAP, & Facial Interfaces ,Masks and Humidifiers).

The  report provides separate comprehensive analytics for the US, Japan, Europe, and  Rest of World. Annual estimates and forecasts are provided for the period 2007  through 2015. A seven-year historic analysis is also provided for these markets. Read the rest of this entry

WideMed Ltd.  has obtained EU CE Mark for its mobile sleep apnea system Morpheus Ox for home use. The system is based on a device made by Nonin Medical Inc. and WideMed’s mobile application and Morpheus platform for monitoring sleep apnea.

The device’s interface receives photoplethysmography (PPH) signals, which are collated by an application developed by the company for mobile telephones.

The Morpheus Ox system can monitor, measure, and analyze snores and send accurate data to a physician about the patient’s respiration, sleep apnea, oxygen levels, and heartbeat during the night.

WideMed said that it plans to begin marketing the Morpheus Ox system in Europe and the Far East during the fourth quarter, and that it undergoing regulatory procedures with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve the device for marketing in the US.

•  The global respiratory  devices market is set to reach $7.1 billion by 2017
•  The PAP device market is the largest segment in the global respiratory devices market and accounted for 58% of the market
•  The US market for respiratory devices was valued at $2.4 billion in 2010

The global respiratory devices market is forecast to grow from $4.5 billion in 2010 to $7.1 billion by 2017, according to a new report available on companiesandmarkets.com. Read the rest of this entry

SleepApneaDisorder/[ Press Release ]/ BELMONT, Calif. and HYDERABAD, India, July 20, 2011 /- Ventus Medical is pleased to announce the Indian launch of its proprietary Provent® Sleep Apnea Therapy, an innovative, non-invasive treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Orbees Business Solutions Pvt. Ltd. will be the strategic market developer of Provent Therapy in India.

“India has a very high prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea. Roughly 20% of urban Indian males suffer from OSA,” said Rajiv Doshi, M.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Ventus Medical and inventor of the Provent technology. Dr. Doshi is faculty at Stanford University and serves as Executive Director (US) of the Stanford India Biodesign program, a Government of India funded collaboration between Stanford University and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi. “With a very large patient need, we believe that Provent Therapy provides a reliable and clinically-proven solution to treat the millions of people in India with OSA.” Read the rest of this entry

The perfect pillow is the pillow that suits you best’ is the new launch statement for an Australian company that has a developed a unique way of selecting the perfect pillow. No longer is it a guess as to which pillow suits you perfectly and they guarantee it 100%.

Sleeping problems are now recognised as one of the greatest health issue  facing us today with the rise in snoring, sleep apnea and insomnia increasing at an alarming rate. Sleeping is often taken for granted until it no longer happens and an Australian company is doing its part in helping people develop a comfortable sleeping pattern.

Pillows Made to Measure is a company that specialises in pillows and was founded by Dr Andrew Macfarlane D.C, D.O. a Chiropractor and Osteopath with over thirty years of clinical experience dealing with patient’s trying to find the perfect pillow. Read the rest of this entry

Conditions such as diabetes,  sleep apnea and depression that are well-controlled are “not a terrible risk,”  and people can get life insurance at reasonable rates.

It would be a good idea to shop around if you have a health  condition that makes getting life insurance a challenge.  Insurers have all  developed their own underwriting guidelines, and some are able to offer better  rates for applicants with certain medical conditions.

Guaranteed life insurance is another option if  you’re looking for coverage with no health questions asked and no physicals  required. But the amount of coverage offered is usually quite limited, the  premium will be very high, and if you die within the first year or two, your  loved ones will likely receive only the premiums you’ve paid and any interest  earned. Read the rest of this entry

San Diego-headquartered medical device manufacturer ResMed has acquired UCD spin-out BiancaMed in an all-cash deal. Original investors including DFJ ePlanet Capital and Enterprise Ireland are believed to receive a significant premium on their €11m investment in the company.