US medical device company, ResMed, has launched the world’s first non-contact sleep system, the S+ by Resmed. This product was primarily conceived and developed by the company’s Irish research team based in University College Dublin (UCD).

The sensor technology behind the S+ product was originally developed as a result of ground-breaking research carried out at University College Dublin (UCD). The technology was subsequently commercialized by BiancaMed, a UCD spin-out company, established in 2003, which was acquired by ResMed Inc. in 2011.

ResMed claims to change lives by developing, manufacturing and distributing medical equipment for treating, diagnosing, and managing sleep-disordered breathing, COPD, and other chronic diseases. The S+ is their latest product offering a solution helping people understand their sleep patterns better. The product is a personalized sleep solution that uses patented bio-motion sensors, designed to measure an individual’s sleep stages and environment, and deliver personalized feedback that helps improve sleep from the very first night.

With its revolutionary non-contact design, the S+ monitors breathing patterns and body movements without requiring uncomfortable wristbands, mattress strips or electrodes. The system also captures the light, noise and temperature levels in the room and allows consumers to log factors such as caffeine and alcohol intake, as well as exercise, to analyze patterns over time and deliver personalized sleep strategies.

The SleepSensor technology is clinically proven, and the connected system sends real-time data to a consumer’s smartphone or tablet and shares daily sleep scores and charts based on individual sleep patterns and lifestyle. The capabilities of the S+ go beyond those of fitness devices available on the market because the S+ algorithm provides personalized suggestions informed by more than two million nights of proprietary sleep data.

 “Millions of Americans are already counting their calories or miles walked, but it’s impossible to track and measure the quality of your sleep without assistance,” said Don Darkin, president of ResMed’s sleep-disordered breathing business unit. “Using our patented SleepSensor technology that connects direct to your smartphone, the S+ allows for more accurate in-home monitoring, and represents a quantum leap forward in sleep science to achieve better sleep.”

The S+ works with Apple iOS and Android compatible devices. The free S+ by ResMed app offers easy-to-read sleep scores and analysis along with helpful interactive tools that provide a range of options for a path to better sleep, including:

Sleep Score: Combines multiple sleep measurements with research-driven averages for age and gender to deliver a daily sleep score of 0 to 100 in addition to ‘mind’ and ‘body re-charge’ scores.

S+ Mentor: Delivers personalized and actionable feedback to help consumers improve their sleep performance.

Sleep Charts: Creates individualized color-coded charts based on sleep stages (light, deep and REM) and a breakdown of the sleep session throughout the night.

Mind Clear: Allows users to record a voice clip, or type a text note to help clear their thoughts on the path to a good night’s sleep.

Smart Alarm: Allows users to set a window of time so the S+ will wake them only when they’ve entered a light stage of sleep, which allows for a more refreshed morning.

Relax to Sleep: Provides soothing sounds that synchronize with breathing patterns to help falling asleep at bedtime.