[New Product] Sleep scanner

Paramount Bed Co. has developed a sleep-monitoring system.

The Sleep Scanner is based on data collected from research by a team under the leadership of Dr. Shuichiro Shirakawa of the National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry.

It is often said that the sleep of elderly people is easily disrupted by the surrounding environment and his/her lifestyle. Sleep deprivation can cause health problems, physical weakness and decline in the quality of life.

The slim, flat scanner picks up vibrations from breathing, the heartbeat and body motions during sleep just by being placed under the mattress. The data will be sent wirelessly to a portable device or a PC.

The scanner enables the caregiver to monitor the sleeping condition periodically and objectively without disrupting the patient.

The scanner was displayed at HOSPEX Japan 2007, the 32nd International Healthcare Engineering Exhibition, at Ariake, Tokyo, and is scheduled to be released next year.

For more details, visit Paramount Bed’s Japanese Web site at www.paramount.co.jp

by Minami Iijima staff writer
The article appeard in Nov.13 issue of The Japan Times.