An Explainable Fusion of ECG and SpO₂-Based Models for Real-Time Sleep Apnea Detection

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common disorder characterized by disrupted breathing during sleep, leading to serious health consequences such as daytime fatigue, hypertension, metabolic issues, and cardiovascular disease. Polysomnography (PSG) is the standard diagnostic method but is costly and uncomfortable for patients, which has led to interest in artificial intelligence (AI) for automated OSA detection. To develop an explainable AI model that utilizes electrocardiogram (ECG) and blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) data for real-time apnea detection, providing visual explanations to enhance interpretability and support clinical decisions. It emphasizes giving visual explanations to show how specific segments of the signal contribute to the AI’s conclusions. Furthermore, it explores the combination of individual models to improve detection accuracy. The fusion of individual models demonstrates an enhanced performance in detection accuracy. Visual explanations for AI decisions highlight the importance of certain signal features, making the model’s operations transparent to healthcare providers. The proposed AI model addresses the crucial need for transparent and interpretable AI in healthcare. By providing real-time, explainable OSA detection, this approach represents a significant advancement in the field, potentially improving patient care and aiding in the early identification and management of OSA.