The Somfit app controls the start and end study function and transfers the data to Nexus 360 once the study has ended. Within the app there is a variety of videos to guide users through the setup of the Somfit and Somfit Pro devices.
The Somfit app is available for both Android and IOS phones and tablets. The Somfit app is not compatible with Android Go devices.
The Somfit app can be used on any app-enabled phone and on both Android and iOS systems. You need the following operating systems - Android 8.0 or above, iOS 13.1 or above.
How to manually update apps on your Apple device is the step by step guide on the Apple website.
How to manually update apps on your Android device is the step by step guide on the Samsung website.
The App will keep running the study until the battery runs out, the phone is turned off or the device is returned to the clinic and the study is then uploaded.
Ensure the app remains open, and do not switch off the phone. The screen can be locked while the app runs in the background.
Approximately 10 minutes
The phone needs to be on charge, the user should not be browsing on the phone. Do not put the phone on flight or Do Not Disturb mode. If any modes are used, users much ensure the Bluetooth remains enabled.
When the QR code is scanned, an internet connection is required to trigger the app to download other information related to the device and study type required for the study recording process to begin and to upload the finalised study into Nexus 360.
100-200MB
Communication between the recording device and the app is via Bluetooth.
Communication between the app and Nexus 360 is via internet connection.
Patients can use a family or friend's device provided it will be with the patient during the study. Clinics may provide a loan phone, but this is location independent. Please check with the clinic.
Connect to a working Wi-Fi connection, the Somfit Mobile App needs a stable internet connect to download. Some phones are also not compatible with the App but the most common cause of this problem the phone has restricted the App download. If the phone is using mobile data and Wi-Fi is not available, check the phones settings: Confirm the phone data is connected to the internet and go to the phones mobile data settings and check for any data saver and usage settings. Remove data usage limits or App download restrictions such as App download when connected to Wi-Fi only.
First, make sure the device is connected to the internet. If the connection is fine, try the following steps: Exit / Close the Somfit App (Do not log out). Power cycle the phone either by turning it off/on or restarting (if the phone has that option). Once the phone is restarted, ensure it has good Internet access. Open the Somfit app, this should trigger the upload again. If the upload completes, the user can logout and close the app. If there are any error messages can a screen grab be taken or note down the exact wording, then: Start a new short recording, let the study record for a minute or two. Stop the short recording. Check log to see if the study has successfully uploaded.
Email Compumedics for further assistance: support@compumedics.com.au
Attempting to login to the app with no internet connection, or with a very slow internet connection may result in the following error message: Login Error
"There was an error contacting the server. Your internet connection may be unstable. If you continue to experience issues, please contact your health provider".
Solution: Connect to a stable internet connection. If using mobile data, check connection, data usage limits and remove and data usage restrictions.
Entering an incorrect date of birth, or one which does not match the patient records in Nexus360 will result in the following error message.
Pressing Retry will allow the date of birth to be re-entered. It is recommended to do this as a first troubleshooting step to ensure that an incorrect date was not entered.
If the error persists, the Sleep Laboratory should review the details of the Patient Entry and scheduled Appointment to ensure that correct details have been entered.
When attempting to login with an expired QR code, the user will be presented with a message,
“The appointment QR code may have expired. Please contact your Somfit support provider.”
This error is best resolved through scheduling a new appointment, ensuring that the same patient and devices are used.
If the error continues, it should be escalated to Compumedics support.
If the phone’s Bluetooth has been disabled, then the Somfit application will automatically prompt the user to re-enable it through Settings.
Note that this is different to denying a Bluetooth permission, as the Somfit app may already have the needed permissions, however this has been overridden by turning Bluetooth off.
If the user ignores this message and attempts to start a study, they will be prompted once more with a message to allow Bluetooth connections. Pressing the Settings button will direct the user to the necessary settings page, where Bluetooth can be enabled.
The absence of a cellular or WiFi connection, or failure to ping a test server, produces an informative No Internet error.
This will not prevent a user from starting a Bluetooth study, however the remote Nexus360 logging function will not function, and the user must connect to the internet for eventual study upload.
When the study first starts, it attempts to locate the Somfit, and connect to it over Bluetooth.
This will typically take less than 20 seconds before the check displays a Green Tick icon, and a message that the Somfit has been located.
However, after 30 seconds if the device has not been located, a message will appear.
This is to prompt the user to ensure that the device is in the same room as the phone, in Bluetooth proximity.
If the Somfit is not located after a further 15 seconds, a separate dialogue will be displayed.
The second message is intended to prompt the user to consider if they remembered to charge it, and whether it may have run out of battery.
If the battery is not dead, the user can confirm this by noting a flash of the green LED every 10 seconds if it has not yet connected.
If the user has followed instructions correctly (ensuring the device has been charged and is in Bluetooth range), then it is possible that there is either a Somfit hardware fault, or an incorrect device has been assigned for an appointment.
When the study first starts, it attempts to locate the respiratory module, and connect to it over Bluetooth.
This will typically take less than 20 seconds before the check displays a Green Tick icon, and a message that the respiratory module has been located.
However, after 30 seconds if the device has not been located, a message will appear. This is to prompt the user to ensure that the device is in the same room as the phone, in Bluetooth proximity.
Pressing Continue will dismiss the dialogue.
If the device is not located after a further 15 seconds, a separate dialogue will be displayed.
The second message is intended to prompt the user to consider if they remembered to charge it, and whether it may have run out of battery.
If the battery is not dead, the user can confirm this by noting a flash of the LED every 10 seconds if it has not yet connected.
If the user presses ‘No’, then the application will inform them that the device must be charged prior to starting a study. If the user instead presses ‘Yes’, then the application will inform the user that it was unable to connect to the respiratory module.
If the user has followed instructions correctly (ensuring the device has been charged and is in Bluetooth range), then it is possible that there is either an hardware fault, or an incorrect device has been assigned for an appointment.
After connecting to the device, the Somfit application will check the device battery.
Typically within 10 seconds the tests will either pass indicating sufficient battery, or explicitly state a low battery message.
If there is no indication after 30 seconds that battery is either sufficient or low, then there may be a possible hardware with the Somfit.
In the case where the Somfit battery is insufficient for an overnight recording, the user will be prompted with a message.
The user is recommended to Cancel the Study and charge it for longer.
However, there may be certain use cases where the user may wish to continue despite low battery. This may include a sleep study for a shorter nap, or else where determination of sleep latency for insomniacs is of primary interest.
In the case where the respiratory module battery is insufficient for an overnight recording, the user will be prompted with a message.
The user is recommended to Cancel the Study and charge it for longer.
However, there may be certain use cases where the user may wish to continue despite low battery such as for a nap.
After the battery has been measured, the Somfit application will run an impedance check.
This may take up to a minute. If measured impedance is acceptable, then the Somfit Study Test screen will close.
If the test is unsuccessful, a message will be displayed indicating that the electrode may be making poor connection with the forehead. The user should press on it and press Retry. After pressing the Retry button, the impedance test is restarted, and may take up to a minute to finish.
Repeated failure of the impedance test should not be a reason for the user to cancel the study.
There is some normal variation of skin impedance depending on the quality of the skin preparation, the subject’s skin, and motion during the test. A good quality signal may still be obtained even if the impedance test has failed.
The series of respiratory module checks includes a test of the thoracic band connection.
If both inductive band studs are detected, then the test screen will indicate a successful result and display a corresponding message.
If no band is detected then the test screen will remain with the test pending.
Cases where no band is detected include
- The band is not applied to the device at all
- The band is not correctly applied and has not clipped in to the stud
- The ECG leads have been applied to the band connector studs
- The band has a break in it preventing an electrical connection from being made
- The device stud connectors are detached from the PCB
If a patient reports this error despite correct application, it is highly recommended to confirm it in the laboratory.
The series of respiratory module checks includes a test of the ECG lead connection.
If skin contact with both ECG leads are detected, then the test screen will indicate a successful result and display a corresponding message. Note that passing this test in itself does not guarantee a successful study, as signal quality may still vary depending on electrode application.
If the ECG leads are not detected then the test screen will remain with the test pending.
This may be associated with damaged electrode leads, poor connection between leads and device studs, or damage to the respiratory module device.
If a patient reports this error despite correct application, it is highly recommended to confirm it in laboratory.
The series of respiratory module checks includes a test of the nasal cannula signal. This may take a minute to complete.
If a breathing signal is detected then the test screen will automatically close, and the patient is informed to continue the study.
If a breathing signal is not detected, then the test screen will remain with the test pending.
This may occur if the nasal cannula is improperly applied to the device or patient.
This may occur if there is damage to the device.
This may occur under some normal conditions, such as shallow patient breathing, or breathing through the mouth.
In the correct workflow sequence, the user will wake up, unlock the phone, and press the end study button. Once the end of study is confirmed, the app will return to the home screen and start uploading the study.
If the user returns to the application in the morning, and the home screen displays the study uploading without manually stopping the study, an error may have occurred.
This is possible in a few cases:
- The app was terminated was by the Operating System, typically due to battery or memory constraints
- The app crashed
- The user ‘swiped upp’ on apps before going to bed, intentionally closing it
- The phone ran out of battery prior to study completion
To reduce the chance of these errors it is recommended users leave the phone charging on the bedside table and avoid using other applications before going to bed.
In some cases the study may fail to upload.
This may be caused by a variety of reasons
- The internet connection was lost during the study upload
- A slow internet connection resulted in a network timeout
- A disruption to Amazon Web Services or Compumedics services
- Misconfiguration of study appointment
Please see the below example of an error message encountered by a user,The exact text of the error message will vary, however the root cause in almost all instances is a slow or disrupted network.
Closing and re-opening the mobile application, ensuring a reliable internet connection, will restart the upload. A successful study upload can be expected; however, if errors persist please contact Compumedics. Make sure the users do not delete the mobile application prior to successful upload, as that will delete the study from the iPhone storage.