Analysis of respiration, oxygen saturation and acoustic signals of snoring patients

Snore is a problem, which can be seen in many people and has consequences from disrupting the individual's harmony with environment up to divorce as a familial problem. Snoring patients are analysed in two groups as simple snorers and snorers with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a disease causing serious problems in patients by cessation of upper airway during the sleep. Diagnosis of OSAS is based on the analysis of data recorded from patients in the sleep laboratory during one night by using polisomnograph systems which are defined as gold standard for this subject. Although, snoring is the most definite and early syndrome of OSAS, it might not be sufficient for a clinical diagnosis. In this study, the analysis of respiration (nasal flow), oxygen saturation and acoustic signals that are collected via biopac data acquisition system is performed to distinguish simple snorers and snorers with OSAS. Developed system is considered as a decision support system for physicians by distinguishing which of the patients having the snoring problem require to be taken polisomnograph records in sleep laboratory.