Sleep apnea is a big health problem among commercial truck drivers, but many have trouble scheduling the overnight sleep study in a FMCSA sleep clinic that is required for an accurate diagnosis. Sleep Pointe mobile sleep labs, equipped by Covidien, are now available 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. This convenient type of FMCSA sleep clinic will make having a required overnight sleep study performed a whole lot easier for drivers always on the road.
Covidien is a maker of the continuous positive air pressure machines that are widely prescribed to control obstructive sleep apnea. By gently blowing air into the sleeper’s nose through a face mask, CPAP machines keep the airways open and permit 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 FMCSA sleep clinic is located on major trucking routes throughout the United States.