In The News
Mobile sleep labs made for truckers
Sleep apnea is a big health problem among truckers, but many have trouble scheduling the overnight sleep study that is vital to an accurate diagnosis. New Sleep Pointe mobile sleep labs equipped by Covidien are designed to meet truckers anywhere on the road.
The Mobile Sleep Solution Centers -- 53-foot trailers with private bedrooms and bathrooms and fully functional control rooms for sleep technicians, hauled by International trucks -- were unveiled June 19 at the Boulder, Colo., campus of healthcare-products giant Covidien as part of the company's Sleep Wellness program.
Covidien is a maker of the continuous positive air pressure machines that are widely prescribed in controlling apnea. By gently blowing air into the sleeper's nose through a face mask, CPAP machines keep the airways open and allow healthy, uninterrupted sleep. Sleep Pointe is a sister company, aimed at the transportation industry, of Somnograph, a maker of diagnostic sleep labs for hospitals, doctors' offices and employers.
Designed in part to promote Covidien's equipment and Sleep Pointe's services to trucking fleets, the mobile labs will be located on major trucking routes throughout the United States, the companies said.