Startup company X-trodes is taking a different approach to identifying sleep disorders. Traditional methods of electrophysiological sleep analysis include overnight hospital stays and expensive consultations, making periodic disorders harder to identify. This Israeli-based company hopes to make the process more consistent with their reusable Smart Skin technology. The adhesive Smart Skin patch is a thin, flexible material embedded with nanoelectrodes that gather professional-quality electrophysiological data from the comfort of home. The nanoelectrodes transmit the data to a cloud-connected artificial intelligence (AI) platform which analyzes trends in muscle and neurological activity. A user can then access the platform through their smartphone to view their results and receive notifications of personal sleep health concerns.

The Smart Skin technology was developed by professor Yael Hanein at Tel Aviv University and is currently covered by nine domestic patent assets, including U.S. Patent No. 7,684,844 and U.S. Patent No. 8,413,704. In 2021, X-trodes and Hanein filed an application through the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to expand their overseas coverage. If granted, the patent would secure a place for X-trodes in the global sensor-based data market and sleep analysis sector.