Join Our
Sleep & Safety
Study
Contribute to developing a new thermal sensor approach for individuals with developmental disabilities and other complex needs. This research-only system is experimental, and no immediate benefits are guaranteed.
About the Study - Sleep & Safety Research
Funded by the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD), this research aims to collect data and explore ways to potentially improve safety for individuals with developmental disabilities and complex medical needs. While no immediate benefits are offered, your role is crucial in shaping future innovations.
We especially invite those receiving Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS). Your contributions will inform our understanding of how to better serve complex needs over time.
What to Expect - Study Overview
Participation will continue until January 31st, 2025, the conclusion of the study's grant agreement. During this time, you will provide brief feedback each week. Please note that extensions are not available, as the study will end on this date. Below are more details:
- Study Duration: This is a research phase, not a commercial product. You'll have equipment until January 31st, 2025.
- Feedback Tasks: Use our companion app to review brief data clips and annotate events. Typically under one hour per week.
- Deadlines: Application closes on January 31, 2025.
Eligibility - Who Can Join?
The study is open to people of all ages and living situations—whether at home or in supported living. We particularly welcome individuals with:
- Seizure disorders
- Sleep disturbances
- Respiratory conditions (e.g., tracheostomy)
- Pulmonary risks (edema, pneumonia)
- Overnight skilled needs
By joining our Sleep & Safety Study, you're directly contributing to the future of overnight care for individuals with complex medical needs. While this thermal sensor system is still in development and offers no immediate safety benefits, your role as a volunteer is invaluable. By allowing us to record sleep data and providing annotations (labeling or marking significant events), you're teaching our AI how to better recognize crucial patterns. This real-world feedback fuels innovation, guiding us toward a time when:
- Families can feel more confident allowing loved ones to remain safely at home.
- Medical professionals can access more accurate data to inform care planning.
- People with complex conditions can enjoy greater independence and a higher quality of life.
Get Involved - How It Works
Here's how you can participate:
- 1. Sign Up Fill out our registration form to express interest.
- 2. Confirm Eligibility We'll contact you to discuss your situation and ensure a proper fit.
- 3. Begin Participation If eligible, we'll arrange equipment delivery and usage instructions.
Terms of Use - Participation & Equipment
By joining, you agree to follow these guidelines:
- 1. Research Status: This system is experimental and not FDA-regulated. Any potential benefits are research-based, with no guaranteed improvements.
- 2. Data Collection: You consent to the capture of thermal data to refine our AI approach. No standard video or audio is recorded.
- 3. Equipment Use: Keep the device powered and focused on the bed as intended. A privacy shutter is available if you wish to temporarily block data capture. Excessive blocking or deactivation may affect the study's results.
- 4. Weekly Tasks: Regular feedback via the companion app is essential. Inconsistent input may result in removal from the study.
- 5. Cancellation: You or Medforall may end participation at any time. If canceled, the equipment must be returned promptly.
Frequently Asked - Common Questions
- 1. Is this a proven device? No. It's research-only and not FDA-approved, with no guaranteed safety benefits.
- 2. Will it replace my caregiver? No. It's meant to assist existing supports, not replace them.
- 3. What do weekly tasks involve? Reviewing sleep data and annotating potential events so the AI can learn patterns.
- 4. Is there any cost to me? No. The study provides all equipment at no charge.
- 5. Are my images recorded? We capture thermal data continuously, which can be replayed similarly to a video. However, unlike standard video, this does not provide high-resolution details of a person's face or body—only heat patterns. It's possible to discern someone's outline (including approximate facial features or clothing coverage), but the imagery is far less identifiable than a typical color camera feed.
Important Note: Because heat signatures can show body positioning or gestures, there is a risk of unintentionally seeing sensitive situations (e.g., if someone is partially undressed). Nonetheless, the thermal data remains significantly less detailed than a standard video recording. - 6. Can I withdraw anytime? Yes. You can leave by providing written notice, and we'll arrange equipment return.
- 7. What happens to my data if I withdraw? Data collected before withdrawal remains part of the study; new data collection stops immediately.
- 8. What area does the sensor capture? We position the sensor to focus on the sleeping area (the bed) plus about 8 inches around it. This lets us detect movements (e.g., a hand shifting from side to side) without capturing large portions of the room. If another bed or a roommate is more than a foot away, our sensor generally will not record them.
- 9. What if someone else, like a caregiver or roommate, enters that area? Anyone who steps into the sensor's focus zone (roughly the bed and about 8 inches around it) may appear in the continuous thermal data. Because we only capture heat patterns, details like facial features or exact clothing are not clearly visible. However, privacy remains a priority.
The sensor also has a privacy shutter you can slide closed to temporarily block the lens whenever you want to prevent any data from being captured. If roommates, family, or caregivers prefer not to be recorded, they can either avoid that small boundary around the bed or utilize this privacy shutter when entering the area.