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!

Hook-up of electrodes for a wireless polysomnography on the Sapphire PSG sleep diagnostic system

Wires. This struck me as odd (very odd), because my friend was undergoing a wireless polysomnography (sleep test used in sleep disorder diagnosis). To be fair, I already knew that a wireless polysomnography did not mean a polysomnography without wires/electrodes on the patient, nevertheless, I could not help but react at how the term "wireless polysomnography" did not match what I was seeing!

In this article, I want to briefly discuss:

Polysomnography:

The patient is hooked-up with sensors to monitor body functions like heart rhythm, brain, eye, and muscle movement, etc during sleep. The sensors plug into a patient-unit also called the jackbox. The jackbox connects to an amplifier, which then connects to the wiring system. The entire sleep lab is hard-wired so that the PSG data travels through the cables from the patient room into the control room, where a sleep technician can monitor the PSG data on a computer.

Wireless Polysomnography:

The patient is hooked-up with the standard sensors. The sensors plug into a patient-unit (which integrates the jack-box and amplifiers). The patient-unit wirelessly transmits data to a receiver in the control room where the sleep technician can monitor the PSG data on a computer. But why is this a big deal?

Benefits of wireless PSG

While wireless polysomnography is not flawless, it offers distinct advantages:

Night @ Room 101: Sapphire PSG collects sleep data in Sleep Lab

Day @ Room 101: Sapphire PSG (Full PSG Sleep System) easily tucked away in a supply shelf during the day.

They do say a picture is worth a thousand words! So here, I posted two doodles to better illustrate the following point: Sapphire PSG has successfully aided facilities in becoming multi-purpose spaces, since it’s small and can be easily stored away when not in use.

For example, a night-time sleep lab space can be used as a daytime clinic in the same facility.

Sapphire PSG™ is a wireless, Type I, 22-channel, full PSG sleep platform from CleveMed, and here’s why you should care.

1. Wireless: This complete sleep study system is small and wireless, and fits in a portable brief-case of sorts. This saves a lot of time and lab set-up costs, because it operates wirelessly, and the facility won’t have to be expensively hard-wired with cables. (It’s also more convenient for the patient who need not be tethered to the acquisition system)
2. Expanding the reach of sleep services: If you are unsure how the sleep market changes will affect your sleep business, Sapphire PSG™ can be used for traditional in-sleep-lab full PSG studies, as well as, remotely attended, or unattended (full PSG) sleep studies in the home, nursing homes, hotel-based-labs, hospital sleep labs, etc.
3. Accommodating multi-purpose facilities: Sapphire PSG has successfully aided facilities in becoming multi-purpose spaces, since it small and can be easily stored away when not in use. For example, a night-time sleep lab space can be used as a daytime clinic in the same facility.
4. Sapphire PSG uses state-of-the-art, wireless hardware with two frequency options (902-928 MHZ or 2.4-2.485 GHz.) built into the system; you can choose the model that best suits your environment.
5. Reliable Data Storage: Sleep study data is wirelessly transmitted from the patient unit at very high speeds, and stored on the computer unit and as well as removable SD memory card in the patient unit.
6. Meets AASM guidelines: Six of the 22 channels are EEG channels.
7. DreamPort is a recently launched accessory to the Sapphire PSG system. Now sleep technicians can take full PSG to the patient wherever they are located (especially if they can’t make it to the sleep lab), and remotely attend/monitor patients over the internet.