Non-Invasive Fiber-Optic Sensor Technology for Monitoring Sleep Apnea and SIDS

BTG to Commercialize Innovative Sensor Technology for Precisely Measuring Heartbeat, Breathing Rate and Blood Pressure

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BTG International, Inc.

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This fiber-optic-based sensor technology addresses the growing need for non-invasive, reliable and low-cost monitoring systems for such sleep disorders. Obstructive sleep apnea is a serious disorder caused by obstruction of the upper airway during sleep which affects around 18 million Americans. According to the National Commission on Sleep Disorders Research the vast majority of patients with sleep disorders currently remain undiagnosed. Moreover, in the US, SIDS remains the leading cause of death in infants during the first year of life - claiming the lives of over 6,000 babies each year.

Fiber-optic coupler sensors provide the basis for a non-invasive system that can be used to detect the heartbeat, breathing rate and blood pressure of patients whether awake or sleeping. By resting on a single pulse point, one of these physiological sensors can be used to detect heartbeat and respiration rate simultaneously. With the addition of a second sensor, blood pressure can also be monitored without squeezing or constricting a patient's arm or finger. In addition, the sensors will not interfere with normal sleep in adults or infants. To monitor newborns for SIDS, a single fiber-optic sensor could be incorporated into a thin mattress pad for use in cribs - and unlike most infant apnea monitors, would not require the use of leads to connect the baby to the pad. Software associated with the sensor can identify changes in breathing and can factor out infant body movements. The fiber optics of the sleeping pad would eliminate the hazards of electric shock even when in contact with water or urine and would not impede normal activities of sleep.

"Techniques enabled by this sensor technology will allow for true tele- medicine - for monitoring applications which were previously confined only to hospitals or acute care facilities. A company that has the vision to transform this technology into a commercial, non-invasive and remote monitoring system will be able to capture a significant share of the market for sleep disorder diagnostics - from institutional and at-home use," says Mark Chandler, BTG's Vice President of Healthcare.

The sensor technology is the subject of worldwide patent filings and ongoing research and development. BTG's licensing rights to this enabling technology also include readily-transferable know-how, specific software and testing results, system specifications and working prototypes. Further information and a demonstration of this innovative sensor system can be arranged through BTG.

BTG International Inc. (a subsidiary of BTG plc) is a global leader in patenting and marketing intellectual property rights (IPR) for technologies that shape the future. The company acquires, develops and licenses IPR in innovative products and processes in the fields of Biosciences, Electronics & Telecommunications, and Medical & Physical Sciences. With its headquarters in London and offices in suburban Philadelphia and Tokyo, BTG capitalizes on a global network of contacts in companies, universities and research institutions to identify the most promising technologies and create the most advantageous licensing relationships. Since its founding in 1949, BTG has commercialized such major innovations as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), Interferon, and wide-spectrum cephalosporin antibiotics. BTG plc is a public company whose stock trades on the London Stock Exchange under the symbol "BGC". For more information, please visit BTG's Electronics and Telecommunications Division's website, http://www.btg-et.com.

Dec. 1, 1999