Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy Watch series in Korea will soon feature a tool for early detection of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) after receiving approval from Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.
The sleep apnea feature will be made available on Galaxy Watch series in Korea via Samsung Health Monitor app updates beginning early next year.
“Samsung remains committed to delivering advanced technologies to Galaxy wearables that help more people better understand and take control of their wellness,” says Hon Pak, vice president and head of digital health team, MX business at Samsung Electronics, in a release. “With the new sleep apnea feature on Galaxy Watch series, we are providing users with a simple, proactive tool to recognize this disorder in its earliest possible stages before their condition worsens.”
By leveraging Galaxy Watch’s BioActive Sensor, the wearable sleep apnea feature monitors blood oxygen levels during sleep and identifies moderate to severe OSA by analyzing how the detected blood oxygen values change to apnea/hypopnea, then estimates apnea-hypopnea index. Users are simply required to track their sleep twice, each time more than four hours, within 10 days to gauge whether they have symptoms of OSA.
Galaxy Watch’s new sleep apnea feature joins blood pressure monitoring, electrocardiogram detection, and irregular heart rhythm notification as the latest addition to the Samsung Health Monitor app.
Photo caption: New feature joins Samsung Health Monitor app to enable more people to discover sleep apnea in early stages.
Photo credit: Samsung Electronics
