Automated lung sound analysis to help diagnose childhood tuberculosis
Official title: Automated lung sound analysis to improve the clinical diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in children
Funded at University of California, San Francisco · NIH-11509248 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new AI tool that listens to kids’ lung sounds to help doctors decide if a child may have tuberculosis, aiming to be more accurate without invasive tests.
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 start | September 15, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $142,105 |
| NIH project number | 3R01HL169449-04S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11509248 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are children evaluated for suspected pulmonary TB and whose guardians consent to participate and use the digital stethoscope and AI-based analysis.
✕Less likely to help
Children not suspected of TB or those with conditions that preclude AI-based lung sound analysis may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project uses a digital stethoscope to capture lung sounds from children being evaluated for TB and applies an AI model to improve diagnostic accuracy. It builds on existing pediatric TB cohorts and leverages expertise in Lung AI technology to refine treatment-decision algorithms. If successful, the approach could shorten the time to treatment and reduce unnecessary treatments by increasing specificity while keeping high sensitivity. The study is conducted at a major U.S. research center with collaboration from clinical sites experienced in pediatric TB work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If the AI-enhanced lung sound analysis works well, it could lead to faster, more accurate TB diagnoses in children and reduce delays in starting therapy.
How similar studies have gone: Prior similar approaches with AI for lung sounds have shown promise but require validation in pediatric TB settings.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Jaganath, Devan — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Jaganath, Devan
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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.