Cuffless blood pressure monitoring using fast wearable optical sensing
Official title: High speed and wearable speckle contrast optical spectroscopy for cuffless blood pressure measurements
Funded at Boston University (Charles River Campus) · NIH-11403911 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new wearable device using high-speed optical sensing aims to measure blood pressure without a cuff, making BP tracking easier and more comfortable for adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Boston University (Charles River Campus) NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 2, 2025 |
| Project end | May 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $625,312 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL177304-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11403911 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults 21 years and older who may benefit from frequent BP monitoring and improved hypertension management.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals with conditions that preclude wearing a wearable device or who do not require regular BP monitoring may see limited benefit.
What this research studies
This project explores a cuffless, non-invasive method to estimate blood pressure by measuring blood flow in the arm with fast speckle contrast optical spectroscopy. The approach builds on prior work showing accurate BP estimates in healthy individuals during exercise and adds blood flow information to improve accuracy. If successful, it could lead to more comfortable, 24/7 BP monitoring that fits into daily life and improves cardiovascular risk assessment. The research will move from benchtop testing toward wearable implementations in real-world settings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could monitor their BP more conveniently and frequently without cuffs, potentially improving hypertension management.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary results with cuffless BP estimates using SCOS have met accuracy standards in healthy subjects, suggesting potential for broader use.
Where this research is happening
-
Boston University (Charles River Campus)
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Roblyer, Darren Michael — Boston University (Charles River Campus)
- Study coordinator: Roblyer, Darren Michael
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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.