CleveMed Blogs

It was before I became an employee here, that I first used CleveMed’s Crystal PSG software. I was a sleep tech working third shift at the time, and had very little tolerance for device-software-malfunctions in the wee hours of the morning. Understandably so, right? I thought their wireless PSG hardware was pretty cool; allowing the patient to move quite a bit freer than anything else I had used, but what was in it for me, the sleep tech? This blog is my answer to that question.

Interestingly enough, sometime later I joined CleveMed as their sleep application specialist. My input (as a sleep tech and a former customer), was considered an integral part of product development. More importantly, the customers’ input is routinely considered and often taken right into development. For the sleep tech who has never used Crystal PSG software before, I offer a brief overview in this blog. I also want to highlight a few features in Crystal PSG that I particularly appreciate, (hope other techs might benefit from this as well).

The Crystal PSG software offers a complete and user-intuitive software package for managing patient sleep data with data acquisition, scoring, and reporting. I like that it has a quick and easy system setup, as well as simple (as in convenient) patient and study management. Crystal PSG can be used with any of CleveMed’s PSG systems or SleepScout portable sleep monitor, so the same program and database can be used for multiple products.

In addition to the wireless capability, here’s my list of "what’s in it (Crystal PSG) for me the sleep tech"

I want to hear what my fellow-sleep-techs (who are probably reading this with your 6th cup of coffee) think of this, so write me back!

In order to diagnose Sleep Apnea or other sleep disorders, a patient must undergo a polysomnography (sleep study). This is typically done in a sleep lab, requiring the patient to spend the night in-lab, while the polysomnography (PSG) equipment records his/her physiological data. However, today with technological advancements a polysomnograpy can be performed at home and is called home sleep testing (HST).

Home Sleep Testing could prove beneficial in these ways:

• The patient self-administers the home sleep test, and is able to spend the night in the patient’s own bed in familiar surroundings (reducing first night effect).
• Home sleep testing can be especially advantageous to the home-bound, elderly, or those with chronic illness, who require specialized care such as a nurse or family member spending the night, expensive transportation costs, etc.
• The typical cost of a home sleep test is only a fraction of the cost of an in-lab sleep test, and typically yields similar results.

PS: You can download a complete sleep screening test to see if you or your patient are at risk for Sleep Apnea. Also, read more about CleveMed’s Home Sleep Monitors here.

On New Years Eve 2009, Travis Pastrana found himself sitting in a rally car, mentally preparing to jump 269 feet across a body of water to break the world record for longest rally car jump. His instructions were clear: begin on the Pine Street Pier in Long Beach, California, take off on a ramp, fly approximately 50 feet above the water, and successfully land on a floating barge about 300 feet away. In the event of failure, he had a scuba tank, as well as rescue crews on the water.

CleveMed had the opportunity to use the BioRadio and BioCapture software to collect physiological data, as well as the car’s acceleration relative to free-fall, during Pastrana’s practice runs. Electrocardiogram (ECG) electrodes and a respiratory effort belt were attached to Pastrana, and the BioRadio was set up to measure G-forces in the car and characteristics such as heart rate and breathing rate were derived. The BioRadio monitored Pastrana’s entire jump, and physiological data collected provided fascinating information about the physiological response Pastrana experienced related to performing such a dangerous and adrenaline-filled stunt.

So, here’s the physiology of Travis Pastrana’s 269-foot jump:

As Pastrana sat waiting to accelerate forward his heart rate was elevated at approximately 107 beats per minute (bpm). His breathing patterns were relatively normal at this time, but his respiratory rate was also elevated.

As Pastrana began his approach, heart rate increased to 110 bpm. Additionally, right as he began to accelerate he took a very deep breath. After this initial breath Pastrana’s breathing was very shallow and rapid.

Upon reaching the end of the ramp where the rally car began its flight, Pastrana’s heart rate was 122 bpm. In addition, at the moment the car reached the edge of the ramp, Pastrana held his breath, and continued to hold it the entire time in the air. During this mid-air flight, Pastrana’s heart rate was approximately 130 bpm.

When the rally car landed on the opposite ramp, Pastrana exhaled deeply, and was quickly followed by a deep inhale and gradually slower respiration rates. In addition, when his rally car made impact with the ramp, Pastrana’s heart rate was 138 beats per minute. Once the car began decelerating, his heart rate gradually decreased until reaching the average normal resting heart rate. This physiological data is significant because it provides insight into the body’s reaction to extreme stress.

But other explanations for Pastrana’s physiological response could be attributed to the physical forces he experienced during his rally car’s flight. It was seen that as Pastrana began accelerating, his car was under approximately 1G of force, and at take-off it was as high as 5G’s. You can read about it here, from “The Physiology of a 269-foot Jump” as seen in BioRadio Research & Education Quarterly, Summer 2010. You can also see a screen-shot of Pastrana’s physiological data collected by BioRadio here!

In conclusion, BioRadio provided a clear image of the physiological response of an extreme sportsman. Even though Pastrana has been performing dangerous stunts for over a decade, it is evident that he still experiences stress and probably excitement during his jaw dropping stunts!

The Cuyahoga County New Product Development and Entrepreneurship Loan Fund awarded Cleveland Medical Devices Inc. $60,000 to step up commercialization of the company’s SleepView device for sleep apnea screening at home.

CleveMed has a lineup of wireless diagnostic sleep systems, including SleepView, which is the smallest and lightest home sleep monitor with an American Academy of Sleep Medicine-recommended Type 3 channel set.

(AS SEEN ON MASS DEVICE)