# A Novel mHealth Approach for the Monitoring and Assisted Therapeutics of Obstructive Sleep Apnea
## 5 Conclusions
These adverse factors are mitigated through the use of more precise sensors and electrodes. For this system to work properly, besides needing a specific mouthguard for each patient, it is necessary that a previous and thorough study of the physiological behavior of each patient is conducted so that the device can be programmed with these characteristics. Figure 20: Design concept of the COPD mHealth device. On the left, illustration of how it would be inserted into the user’s mouth. On the right, illustration of the device, highlighting the placement of the surface and stimulus electrodes in contact with the genioglossus muscle. These will define the stimulation limits as well as the average values collected by the EMG sensor, in order to distinguish a possible apnea from a voluntary movement or relaxation. As we can see, there are many constraints in the development of this device, the most relevant being the space available inside the mouth, the energy needed to power the circuit, the comfort of the system, and the precision of the readings of the myoelectric signal. Future work will need to address these four points, especially since a solution to the energy consumption may involve the application of Bluetooth Low Energy, thus, saving the system a significant amount of energy. A study on the materials to be used should also be carried out in order to produce the most solid, resistant, and, above all, watertight product so that infiltrations, both into the circuit and out of the circuit, are not possible. The method of producing the electrostimulation impulse should also be studied, and a pulse generator that is dedicated to this function should be developed in order to produce and apply the electrostimulus in the most controlled and precise way possible. Additionally, for a practical application, equipment that has been especially developed for the system would be needed, such as the EMG sensor and the contact electrodes that could be placed in the mouth, as well as a semi-rigid support to promote better contact between the electrodes and the muscle surface. The fact that this is a device, although minimally invasive, placed inside the human body, added to the fact that it has a battery, makes this a medium-risk device, and further tests and studies are needed before it can be accepted as a therapy option for obstructive sleep apnea. In conclusion, the proposed OSA therapy device, despite the need for future adjustments and improvements, may become a good option for the treatment and/or surveillance of this disease. Conceptualization, P.D.G. and J.R.; methodology, P.D.G., and J.R.; validation, P.D.G. ; formal analysis, P.D.G. and J.R.; investigation, J.R.; resources, P.D.G., V.N.G.J.S. and J.M.L.P.C. ; data curation, J.R.; writing--original draft preparation, J.R.; writing--review and editing, P.D.G., V.N.G.J.S. and J.M.L.P.C. ; supervision, P.D.G. ; project administration, P.D.G. ; funding acquisition, P.D.G., V.N.G.J.S. and J.M.L.P.C. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. This research was funded, in part, by the Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia (FCT) and C-MAST (Centre for Mechanical and Aerospace Science and Technologies), under project UIDB/00151/2020. This work was funded by FCT/MCTES through national funds and when applicable co-funded EU funds under the project UIDB/50008/2020. Not applicable.