More than 5,000 Manitobaans await the backlog of pandemic-era diagnostic sleep research. Private companies are ready to work on this list.
Cerebra, a Winnipeg-based medical technology company, has struck a deal with the state to facilitate home learning for 1,000 people.
Patrick Crampton, President of Cerebra, said:
Jessica Lee / Winnipeg Free Press
Cerebra’s president, Patrick Crampton, owns some of the company’s at-home sleep-testing technology and expects to win patients soon after signing a contract with the state.
He couldn’t say when the business will receive referrals — that varies by state. am.
“[Our system]basically gives you all the diagnostic information you have to get from an overnight stay in a sleep lab,” Crampton said.
The company was founded in 2015. Send customers a Health Canada-approved polysomnography test, and they track their sleep overnight at home. Results may indicate sleep apnea, periodic limb movement disorders, insomnia, or other sleep problems.
“We believe this will put Manitoba at the forefront of sleep management and sleep diagnostic technology,” said Crampton.
Cerebra applied to a call for applications for supply arrangements issued by the state last fall.
The ministry did not say how much the contract with Cerebra would cost, when it would start referring patients, or how long it would take for patients to get results after being referred to Cerebra.
Various backlogs in the health care sector, from angiography tests to knee replacement surgeries, plague the state. The waiting list has increased during the pandemic.
Manitoba said it is considering using the Mayo Clinic in the US to send patients to other states for various surgeries.
Doctors in Manitoba estimate that the waiting list for sleep diagnostic tests has doubled during the pandemic. The entity first raised its concerns in November 2021.
“Undiagnosed and untreated sleep disorders can have a profound impact on the physical and mental well-being of patients,” a spokesperson for Dr. Manitoba said in a statement.
Disorders that involve breathing problems can lead to respiratory failure or heart failure.
Physician Manitoba learned about the third-party contract for sleep disorder research last week, according to a spokesperson. It’s about “investigating” the doctors who order the tests on their patients and the specialists who perform the tests.
“Our main concern with new third-party contracts is the potential for duplication, fragmentation or inefficiency in providing care to our patients,” the spokesperson wrote.
“The most important thing for doctors is to ensure that patients receive the right treatment in a timely manner that is well coordinated with the other care they receive,” they continued.
Cerebra’s system includes a full suite of sensors. It has a cannula that measures airflow, an upper stomach “effort belt” that tracks respiration, and a leg sensor that monitors movement. A head unit with electrodes monitors brain waves and eye and jaw movements. A wrist oximeter detects your pulse and blood oxygen levels.
“(It’s) perfect physical for your sleep,” Crampton reasoned.
Technology is wireless. Cerebra will send you a tablet that explains how to use the equipment.
The results are then scored by a technician and sent to your doctor for interpretation.
“States are asking for help,” Crampton said. “We are … very excited to help the Manitoba people.”
The state spent $13.7 million requesting a supply arrangement process, which is how Cerebra became involved, a state spokeswoman said.
“Last year our government procured more than 13,000 procedures, which exceeded the normal capacity of our health system,” they wrote.
Another 20,000 procedures across various services will be commissioned to work on the backlog, the spokesperson added.
They will strengthen Manitoba’s health system, including $50 million to increase surgical and diagnostic capacity at the Health Science Center by 25% and $141 million to redevelop the St. Boniface Hospital emergency room. I paid attention to the government’s efforts to
“If you want to talk about preventative health, sleep is just the place to start,” Crampton said.
“Healthy sleep impacts so many long-term conditions. I am doing.”
Crampton said the 30-person company has shipped its technology across Canada and is in clinical use. The company received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval last summer. We are currently shipping products to the South.
About 25 universities and research institutes are equipped with Cerebra instruments, Crampton added.
Dr. Magdy Younes, Professor Emeritus at the University of Manitoba, developed the technology. Younes studies respiratory medicine, critical care medicine, and sleep medicine.
gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com
Gabriel Pichet
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Gabby is a big fan of people, writing and learning. She graduated from her College of Red River’s Creative Communications program in Spring 2020.
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