AI lung-sound tool to help diagnose tuberculosis in children
Automated lung sound analysis to improve the clinical diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in children
This project looks at whether an AI that analyzes lung sounds from a digital stethoscope can help doctors decide if a child has pulmonary tuberculosis.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11419527 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If your child is being evaluated for pulmonary TB, clinicians could record their lung sounds with a digital stethoscope during the visit. An AI algorithm called Lung AI will analyze those recordings and its output will be combined with WHO TB treatment decision rules to help tell TB apart from other lung problems. The team will use existing well-characterized pediatric TB datasets plus new stethoscope recordings to train and test the algorithm. The aim is to reduce unnecessary TB treatments by improving specificity while keeping the ability to detect true TB cases.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Children (especially up to about 11 years old) who are being evaluated for pulmonary tuberculosis at clinics, including lower-level health facilities in high-TB-burden areas, are the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: Children without respiratory symptoms, those already confirmed to have TB by lab testing, or those who cannot provide usable stethoscope recordings are unlikely to benefit from this specific approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help clinicians more accurately identify children who need TB treatment and avoid unnecessary treatment for those who do not.
How similar studies have performed: Related AI tools for lung-sound analysis have shown promise for detecting pneumonia and other respiratory infections, but applying this approach specifically to childhood TB is relatively new and less proven.
Where this research is happening
San Francisco, United States
- University of California, San Francisco — San Francisco, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Jaganath, Devan — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Jaganath, Devan
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 below.