Software Pairs Heart Rhythm and Sleep Apnea Monitoring
Adults with atrial fibrillation or suspected sleep apnea can now access a combined at-home assessment option.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Sleep Disorders
Rhythm Express has launched RX-1 Sleep, a cloud-based software tool that analyzes data from the RX-1 mini cardiac monitor and a pulse oximeter. The FDA 510(k) has cleared the software to aid evaluation of sleep-related breathing disorders in adults, giving patients and clinicians a combined way to assess heart rhythm and sleep apnea.
Why it matters
Atrial fibrillation and obstructive sleep apnea frequently occur together, yet they have traditionally been evaluated through separate clinical pathways. Clinicians increasingly recognize sleep apnea as a key modifiable risk factor in managing atrial fibrillation burden, so a single monitoring approach addresses a practical gap in care.
The FDA 510(k) clearance is supported by a multicenter validation involving 476 polysomnography assessments, the standard in-lab sleep test. The source does not provide the detailed accuracy results from that validation.
The players
Rhythm Express
A medical technology company that developed the RX-1 Sleep software and the RX-1 mini cardiac monitoring system.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
The federal agency responsible for regulating medical devices, which cleared RX-1 Sleep through the 510(k) pathway.
The details
RX-1 Sleep is a cloud-based algorithm that takes inputs from the RX-1 mini cardiac monitoring system and a Viatom pulse oximeter. It generates measurements including the apnea-hypopnea index, sleep and wake status, respiratory effort, and body position. Together, the combined system assesses cardiac arrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation burden, for up to 30 days, and sleep-disordered breathing for up to 3 days.
Timeline
The Rhythm Express RX-1 Sleep launch was published on November 6, 2026.
Health Landscape
The launch fits a broader shift toward combining cardiac and sleep monitoring, since atrial fibrillation and obstructive sleep apnea are often managed in separate clinical pathways. Clinicians increasingly treat sleep apnea as a modifiable factor in atrial fibrillation care, which makes a unified assessment tool relevant to population-level management.
If you have been told you have atrial fibrillation or suspected sleep apnea, a combined at-home monitoring option may mean fewer separate testing arrangements, and it is worth asking your doctor whether it could fit your situation. Because the software is newly cleared, availability and how it is used in practice are still emerging, so discuss any testing plan with your physician first.
The takeaway
Atrial fibrillation and sleep apnea often coexist, so asking your doctor whether both conditions should be evaluated together is a reasonable conversation to have. A combined monitoring tool like this is one option to discuss, but it should be weighed against your individual needs with a clinician.
Further reading
For broader context on how breathing-related sleep conditions are diagnosed and managed, explore Sleep Disorders coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Sleep Review.
