Smart mattress that detects face-down sleepers and gently repositions them to prevent sudden epilepsy deaths
Official title: A Device to Prevent Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP)
Funded at Soterya, INC. · NIH-11180278 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A company is building a mattress that senses when a person with epilepsy is sleeping face-down and automatically turns them to a safer position.
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 | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,348,207 |
| NIH project number | 5R44NS120394-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11180278 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with epilepsy who are at risk for nighttime seizures or SUDEP, including children and adults who spend time sleeping in settings where a mattress-based device could be used, are the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without epilepsy, those whose seizure risk does not involve prone sleep events, or individuals whose medical needs prevent safe mattress-driven movement may not benefit from this device.
What this research studies
This project is developing the Korus, a smart mattress that detects when someone with epilepsy is lying face-down during sleep and can physically lift and turn them into a recovery position within minutes. The team already made a Phase I prototype with sensors that detect prone position with over 95% accuracy and strong expandable lift cells. In Phase II they will build improved hardware and software for fully autonomous repositioning and create a digital twin simulation and biomechanical model using 16 key body landmarks. The goal is rapid, automated turning during nighttime events to reduce the immediate risk of SUDEP.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the device could lower the risk of fatal sleep-related events in people with epilepsy by detecting prone position and repositioning them before harm occurs.
How similar studies have gone: This is a novel approach because there are currently no products that both detect prone sleep position and physically reposition patients, though monitoring devices exist.
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.
-
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.
-
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.