A smart mattress to help prevent Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP)
Official title: A Device to Prevent Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP)
Funded at Soterya, INC. · NIH-11391160 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new smart bed system called Korus aims to detect when someone with epilepsy is face-down during sleep and automatically reposition them to a safer side position to reduce SUDEP risk.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Soterya, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cambridge, United States) |
| Project start | September 21, 2021 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $395,940 |
| NIH project number | 5R44NS120394-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11391160 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people with epilepsy who sleep in a bed and are at risk of SUDEP, including both children (0-11) and adults (21+).
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without epilepsy or those not at risk of SUDEP are unlikely to benefit from this device.
What this research studies
This project focuses on a smart mattress that can recognize a prone sleeping position and autonomously move the sleeper to a recovery position within minutes. It builds on prior prototype work and uses sensors, mechanical lift, and a digital twin simulation to refine how the bed responds to different body positions. The goal is to address a critical, real-world risk for both children with epilepsy and adults, using technology that works quickly and reliably in a home or clinical setting. The work includes hardware improvements and software development to ensure safe, autonomous repositioning guided by biomechanical landmarks.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the device could help prevent SUDEP by promptly turning and supporting at-risk individuals during sleep.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary prototypes have demonstrated >95% accuracy in detecting prone position and the concept shows promise in automated repositioning, but full clinical efficacy remains to be proven.
Where this research is happening
-
Soterya, INC.
Cambridge, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bansal, Pranav — Soterya, INC.
- Study coordinator: Bansal, Pranav
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Scaling Up Task-Shifted Epilepsy Care for Children in Africa
A study to help children with epilepsy in Africa get diagnosed and receive seizure care through trained community health workers.
-
Closed-loop control of interneuron timing to influence seizures and memory in epilepsy
A study tests a brain-quieting system that uses light to precisely time certain brain cells in epilepsy-prone mice to see if this can lessen seizures and improve memory.
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Epilepsy Data Ecosystem: A Big-Data Sharing Platform for Better Care
A national effort to collect and share large, multi‑modal brain data from people with medication‑resistant epilepsy to speed discoveries and improve treatment options.
-
Exploring epilepsy genes in zebrafish to understand human brain seizures
A study in zebrafish will model human epilepsy genes to help explain how certain brain mutations contribute to seizures.
-
New MRI tools to better plan pediatric epilepsy surgery
A new MRI-based approach helps doctors decide the best time to surgically remove brain tissue in children with difficult-to-control seizures.
-
Sahel Epilepsy Study: finding patterns in epilepsy in rural Africa and its links to genes
A plan to study epilepsy in rural Nigeria to discover how common it is, what factors affect risk, and how genetics may influence it, with results that could improve care for people with epilepsy.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.