Automatic detection of vaping puffing with a flexible e-cigarette monitor
Official title: Automatic detection of vaping rate and patterning in the lab and the natural environment using Flexible, Robust Instrumentation of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (FRIENDS)
Funded at State University of New York at Buffalo · NIH-11332835 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A small, low-cost sensor system called FRIENDS will be used to continuously track how people puff on their e-cigarettes in real life.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | State University of New York at Buffalo NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Amherst, United States) |
| Project start | July 12, 2022 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $641,267 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA266170-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11332835 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Individuals who regularly use electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) in daily life.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals who do not use ENDS or who participate but do not benefit from behavioral monitoring.
What this research studies
This project aims to measure real-world puffing patterns across many e-cigarette types using a non-intrusive, magnetic sensor. We will recruit 240 daily ENDS users, test different devices, and attach FRIENDS to their setup to record puff duration and frequency. The data will be compiled into an open-source library so researchers can better understand how people actually use ENDS in natural settings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the FRIENDS system could improve understanding of how e-cigarette use unfolds in daily life, informing public health guidance and product design.
How similar studies have gone: Prior methods have limited real-world puff tracking; this project advances non-obtrusive, device-spanning measurement and builds an open data library.
Where this research is happening
-
State University of New York at Buffalo
Amherst, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hawk, Larry W — State University of New York at Buffalo
- Study coordinator: Hawk, Larry W
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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.