Integrating Diagnosis and Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Pregnancy: A Low-Cost, Home-Based Proposed Solution to Reduce Clinical Burden.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in pregnancy is linked to adverse maternal and fetal outcomes, yet current diagnostic methods rely on costly and time-consuming full sleep studies, requiring significant clinician involvement. This study proposes an integrated, in-line sensor system for real-time monitoring, diagnosis, and treatment of OSA specifically during pregnancy. Bench testing with a mechanical lung validated the sensor's ability to detect physiological changes associated with sleep-disordered breathing. When simulating increased tidal volumes (1000 to 1500 mL), the sensor detected significant rises in volume (62%), flow (49%), and pressure (11%). With simulated pregnancy additional weight (3 kg load), volume rose by 38%, flow by 24%, and pressure by 6%, demonstrating the sensor's sensitivity to physiological changes which can be associated with OSA. Using previous clinical trials and systematic reviews, an outline clinical trial protocol was developed to assess the proposed systems efficacy in pregnant women at risk for OSA. The proposed low-cost, home-based system aims to improve early detection, which is crucial during pregnancy and to create more personalized treatment plans to reduce clinical burden. The proposed system, though targeted in this paper toward pregnancy, could be used for any patient with OSA, with the overall aim of more personalized OSA care.Clinical Relevance- This paper outlines a proposed low-cost, real-time monitoring solution for the early detection and personalized treatment of OSA specifically in pregnancy, aiming to address a critical gap in current diagnostic practices to improve maternal and fetal health outcomes.