The Korus Mattress: A Game-Changer in the Fight Against SUDEP

In recent years, seizure monitoring technology has seen significant advancements, driven by the development of wearable devices, surgical innovations, and even the integration of AI technology. Such advancements have had a significant impact on the lives of people with epilepsy, offering better diagnosis, treatment, and management options. Among these exciting breakthroughs is a revolutionary new smart mattress that has the potential to save lives.

This mattress, known as Korus, can detect body position changes while a person is sleeping. It then responds by repositioning a patient from a face-down position to a sideways position (also known as the recovery position). Why is this helpful? Such an intervention could prevent cases of SUDEP (Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy).

What is SUDEP?

SUDEP stands for Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy. This refers to the sudden death of somebody with epilepsy where doctors are unable to find a clear reason for why it happened. Currently there is no cure for SUDEP, but there are ways to manage the risks.

SUDEP is more common at night or while sleeping. Seizures that happen at night are often not witnessed, and therefore the lack of immediate intervention increases the risk of SUDEP.

Research has shown that sleeping face down can further increase the risk of SUDEP at night, especially in young people. A study involving 88 cases found that young people were four times more likely to suffer SUDEP while sleeping face down compared to older individuals. The reason for this is not clear, but it’s thought that sleeping face down (prone) may lead to breathing difficulties or other complications during a seizure. This is where ‘Korus’ could make a significant difference for those at risk of SUDEP.

Related: SUDEP Action Day: How You Can Make a Difference

The Korus Mattress.

The Korus mattress was developed by Soterya Inc., a company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts in the US. This mattress is designed to help reduce the risk of SUDEP by detecting and responding to changes in a person’s sleeping position. Korus is expected to significantly decrease the risk of night-time SUDEP by an impressive 50-75%. How does it work?

The mattress is fitted with sensors that can detect when a person changes their sleeping position. Most importantly, these sensors can detect if a person moves to a prone position, which is a critical risk factor for SUDEP. The sensor system can detect any position changes in just 5 seconds. Once a change is detected, the mattress can help move the person to a safer position in an average time of 21.75 seconds.

The mattress contains inflatable cells, or sections, that can lift up to 1000 pounds at a speed of 2 inches every second. This allows the mattress to quickly reposition a person from the potentially dangerous prone position to a safer position.

To prevent SUDEP, action must be taken within 3 minutes after a seizure occurs, which is why Korus’s quick response time is so noteworthy.

When put to the test, Korus could accurately tell when someone was in a prone position almost 97% of the time and had an overall accuracy of around 92% for identifying different sleeping positions.

Soterya, Inc. is working to improve Korus by enabling it to connect with other seizure monitoring devices, which could further improve accuracy and reduce the risks of SUDEP.

The company aims to make Korus accessible to everyone who needs it. While we don’t have specific information on when it will be available for purchase, you can stay updated on its progress by visiting soteryabio.com and signing up to their newsletter.

In the meantime, we encourage you to explore the range of seizure monitoring options available at Epilepsy Alarms UK.

The Epi-Care Epilepsy Alarm is a wrist-worn sensor that detects tonic-clonic seizures. When it detects one of these seizures, it sends an alert to a mobile phone or a pager.
The EpiMonitor is the world’s most advanced smartwatch designed to keep track of your health around the clock.
The Alert-iT Companion Mini is a small static device that detects movements associated with tonic-clonic seizures. If it senses a person is having a seizure, it will send an alert to the included pager.