Epilepsy alarm promises improved quality of life
Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that affects over 50 million people worldwide. More than one in every 1 000 people with epilepsy die from seizures known as Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy Patients (SUDEP). While the majority of those who suffer from seizures can be helped by medication, about a third do not respond to drugs. Not knowing if or when a seizure will take place can take a considerable toll on a patient’s quality of life. “Seizures can be dangerous, especially if they happen at night,” explains NIGHTWATCH project coordinator Jeroen van den Hout, CEO of LivAssured, the Netherlands. “In the Netherlands alone, between 100 and 200 people die every year in their sleep as a result of an epileptic fit.” Knowing that this could happen, says van den Hout, places a heavy psychological burden on the sufferer. In addition, parents of epileptic children often find it very difficult to sleep.
Detecting night seizures
The NightWatch innovation was developed out of a desire to more accurately detect seizures during sleep. Van den Hout notes that epileptic care in the Netherlands is concentrated in two major hospitals. This provided researchers with a large cohort of patients. As part of a medical trial, volunteers were given a prototype medical device. This was developed by a consortium of the two hospitals together with the University of Utrecht, the Dutch Epilepsy Fund and spin-off company LivAssured. The device, worn on the upper arm, measures heart rate and movement, and detects severe nocturnal seizures, notifying remote caregivers about these within seconds. The device also automatically adapts to different patient patterns, in order to minimise false alarm rates. Data from these trials was gathered and a unique algorithm created. “We found that the device can detect more than 90 % of all types of urgent nocturnal seizures,” says van den Hout. “This makes it the most reliable system available.”
Achieving market success
The product is on the market, and around 1 000 families in the Netherlands have already benefited from the innovation. LivAssured wanted to ensure that NightWatch would reach as many patients as possible. This was the starting point for the 4-month EU-funded project. “At the moment we have a one-size-fits-all algorithm,” explains van den Hout. “This does a great job, but it means that we have the same algorithm for everybody. We identified the need to classify users into specific groups, and to then develop different algorithms for each.” The team also identified potential for using the NightWatch not only to keep track of what happens at night, but also to share insights with medical staff. “At this point we cannot use information to influence treatment,” adds van den Hout. “However, building a data portal that does so could be of great value to patients and their caregivers.” Finally, the project underlined that in order to achieve global commercial success, further market analysis will be needed. While the NightWatch product is certified as a medical device for use in the EU, it would still need FDA approval in order to access the United States market. “We want to reach as many patients and caregivers as possible with this alarm system for severe nocturnal seizures,” notes van den Hout. “We are confident that this device can improve quality of life by giving peace of mind, a higher level of independence and reduced cost of care.”
Keywords
NIGHTWATCH, LivAssured, epilepsy, SUDEP, seizure, algorithm, nocturnal, epileptic, hospitals, sleep