Curaegis actigraph system
The CURA system from Curaegis uses an actigraph, which measures quality and quantity of sleep by tracking body movement. The device’s name, myCadian, reflects the system’s emphasis on an individual’s unique circadian cycle of rest and alertness.
One of the monitoring products that relies on actigraphy is the CURA (Circadian User Risk Assessment) system from Curaegis.
“Some people degrade slowly” in their level of alertness, says Chief Executive Officer Richard Kaplan. “Everybody’s different.” After detailed hourly lab tests were compared with the CURA system’s predictions, “it’s proven we can give real-time fatigue levels with laboratory accuracy,” he says.
Curaegis recently finished free beta-testing with clients from its target markets of trucking, busing and other fields. Paid pilot testing was to follow, with clients that include about five truck fleets, Kaplan says.
The company is in talks with six or seven insurers about the potential for its myCadian actigraph device to reduce accidents. “Some have told us if we can cut accidents 1 percent, it would mean a lot,” says Kaplan, who believes the reduction could be as much as 50 percent.
Curaegis also is working on compatibility with Apple watches that would allow the watch to function not only as an actigraph but also capture data that its myCadian device uses, such as body temperature, heart rate and blood oxygen level.
Curaegis, like some of the other fatigue-monitoring vendors, stresses training and actions to be taken as a driver becomes fatigued. Curaegis’ Z-Coach intervention product has an online course that teaches users about sleep and fatigue mitigations to boost a driver’s fatigue rating. A 20-minute nap for someone at the danger threshold often can boost alertness to a safe zone that lasts for four or five hours, Kaplan says.
Z-Coach also highlights the need for potential interventions when fatigue might be indicative of medical issues other than an ordinary lack of sleep. Doctors helped prepare a screening in which drivers answer questions that could lead to further diagnosis for sleep apnea, insomnia, low blood iron content or other problems.
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