Snoring may seem trivial, but it often masks life-threatening risks. Wistron Medical Technology and Landseed International Hospital have pioneered BestShape VS, a contactless sleep apnea detection device powered by radar and AI. With 90% accuracy in trials, it promises faster diagnosis, reduced costs, and a breakthrough in Taiwan's digital healthcare.
Wistron's BestShape VS, positioned beside a bed, monitors sleep apnea remotely—part of medicine's contactless turn.
Snoring is often dismissed as a harmless nuisance, but medical experts warn it may signal deeper health risks. Studies show that 86% of Chinese adults snore, and prolonged cases are closely linked to chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and even cardiovascular disease. Yet, effective diagnosis and treatment remain limited due to bottlenecks in Taiwan's sleep medicine system, where patients can wait months — or even years — for a proper sleep study.
Wistron Medical Technology believes it has found a breakthrough. Leveraging millimeter-wave radar originally developed through an exchange program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the company has created BestShape VS, a contactless monitoring device capable of tracking breathing and heartbeat patterns without attaching sensors to the body. Following three years of clinical trials, the system has achieved an accuracy rate of more than 90% in detecting sleep apnea.
A Doctor's Personal Experience
For Landseed International Hospital President Dr. Ching-ping Wu, the project carries both professional and personal meaning. Once struggling with obesity and sleep apnea himself, Wu recalls his grandchildren teasing him for his loud snoring. What seemed like a minor annoyance turned out to be a serious sleep disorder with far-reaching consequences.
“Patients often don't notice their condition, but their partners do. Left untreated, sleep apnea increases the risk of diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease,” Wu explained. “Yet many patients wait over a year for a traditional sleep health check. That's unacceptable when the risks are so high.”
Wu's experience underscored a critical gap in Taiwan's healthcare system: despite the prevalence of sleep disorder conditions, most patients remain undiagnosed, untreated, or delayed in receiving care. For him, new diagnostic technologies are not just helpful but essential.
From MIT to Taiwan Clinics
Wistron's journey began in 2015, when its R&D team returned from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with radar technology capable of detecting human vital signs without physical contact. Originally, the team explored applications in neonatal care, where avoiding skin contact is vital for premature infants. The initial success laid the foundation for broader applications.
By 2019, Wistron introduced its prototype, which caught the attention of clinicians specializing in respiratory medicine. The company soon partnered with Shuangho Hospital to test the BestShape VS device against polysomnography (PSG), the gold standard for diagnosing sleep disorders. Initial trials showed a 70% accuracy rate, which improved to 80% as the algorithms matured.
The decisive turning point came in 2022, when Wistron collaborated with Landseed International Hospital and its president, Dr. Wu. With Landseed's clinical expertise and rigorous oversight, accuracy rates rose above 90%.
Overcoming Skepticism
Convincing the medical community was not straightforward. Traditional PSG involves attaching dozens of electrodes and sensors to measure brain waves, eye movement, muscle activity, airflow, and heart rhythm. Expecting a radar-based device to match this gold standard raised eyebrows.
“Wu was skeptical at first, and understandably so,” said Tracy Huang, product manager at Wistron Medical. “But once we compared data from 30 patient cases side by side, the system proved its value.”
The breakthrough came when clinicians realized the radar system could function even when patients were covered by blankets. Millimeter-wave signals penetrate fabric up to 1.5 meters, allowing precise monitoring without physical intrusion. This feature, Wu noted, could transform home-based sleep diagnostics, making it possible for patients to be monitored comfortably in their bedrooms.
Business Model Innovation
Beyond technical achievements, Wistron has recalculated the economics of sleep diagnostics. Traditional PSG systems cost hospitals around NT$3 million (roughly US$90,000) per unit, not including the cost of specialized staff and infrastructure. Many hospitals struggle to justify such investments, making sleep centers financially unviable.
Wistron's approach is different. By offering its radar-based system through leasing and subscription models, the company lowers the upfront costs for hospitals while providing flexibility to scale services as demand grows. For smaller clinics or regional hospitals, this makes sleep diagnostics financially feasible for the first time.
Toward a Digital Health Ecosystem
Wu envisions a broader application of the technology beyond sleep apnea. He proposes a “snoring traffic light” system that categorizes risk levels, giving patients an easy-to-understand snapshot of their sleep health. Combined with Landseed's AI-based snore analysis platform, the vision is to build a comprehensive digital health ecosystem that monitors patients both day and night.
“You can't expect every patient to come to the hospital for testing,” Wu said. “By enabling monitoring at home, we remove barriers to care and allow earlier interventions.”
The integration of contactless monitoring, AI-driven analysis, and home-based diagnostics represents a step toward what industry observers call the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) — a connected network of devices and platforms designed to support preventive healthcare.
Looking Ahead
From its origins at MIT to clinical validation in Taiwan, the collaboration between Wistron Medical and Landseed Hospital exemplifies how cross-industry partnerships can accelerate innovation. If successful, this technology could help address one of the most overlooked public health issues of our time.
As Wu put it: “Obesity and snoring are not just lifestyle issues — they're signs of oxygen deprivation. Recognizing that early can save lives.”
With sleep apnea linked to some of the most prevalent chronic diseases, Taiwan's bet on smart medical technology may soon become a model for the world.
（Producer: Sophie Y. Wu／Writer: Chiyuan Chou／Adapted by Judy Lin／Editor: Lihua Wang)
【Deep Read】From Trials to Triumph: Smart Medical Device Pioneers
