Appian sleeps on $580,000

Appian Medical, a healthcare IT spin-out of Queensland University, has secured $580,000 in a seed round with a goal of $1m. The investors have not been disclosed.

Appian is developing software to diagnose obstructive sleep apnea, the most common type of sleep apnea. The condition is caused by an obstruction of the upper airway and leads to repetitive pauses of breathing during sleep, which last from 20 to 40 seconds – apnea literally means “without breath”. The disorder affects some 100 million people globally and if left untreated can lead to high blood pressure and diabetes. The diagnostic market is worth $6bn, but as many as 85% of those afflicted still remain undiagnosed.

The spin-out’s technology can detect the disorder through a smartphone app that uses artificial intelligence. It has been clinically proven to be able to distinguish between snoring and apnea. The software is based on research by Udantha Abeyratne from Queensland University’s School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering. It was licensed to Appian through the university’s technology transfer office, Uniquest.

The funding will be used for validation studies for its artificial intelligence, called neural network algorithm, operating income and an initial 510(k) application to the US Food and Drug Administration. The 510(k) is a mandatory form that states a company’s intention to market their medical device no sooner than 90 days following the application.

Michael Thomas, founder and chief executive at Appian Medical, said: “There is an urgent need for a low-cost, accurate and easy-to-use method for identifying people who need treatment. Once commercially developed, this software can be accessible to tens of millions of people through a smartphone app or embedded in wearable sensors and fitness monitors. Our goal is to provide consumer-directed tools that can aid awareness and guide people to treatment. We plan to partner with device companies and disease management firms to solve this unmet need.”