Noncontact monitoring to detect opioid-related breathing problems in hospital patients
Official title: Noncontact Monitoring for the Detection of Opioid-Induced Respiratory Depression
Funded at Autonomous Healthcare, INC. · NIH-11369119 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A non-contact monitoring system using radar and depth imaging to detect opioid-induced respiratory depression early, starting with hospital patients.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Autonomous Healthcare, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Santa Clara, United States) |
| Project start | June 15, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $886,573 |
| NIH project number | 5R44DA058470-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11369119 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Hospitalized patients on opioids, including those undergoing surgery or with chronic pain on high-dose opioids; individuals at risk for opioid-induced respiratory depression.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without opioid exposure or respiratory risk may not benefit from this monitoring system.
What this research studies
This project develops a privacy-friendly, software-based monitoring system that can be placed in hospital wards to detect dangerous breathing problems caused by opioids. It uses Doppler radar and a depth camera to estimate how fast and deeply a patient is breathing, even under clothing or blankets and in the dark. The system processes data on-device to protect privacy and aims to trigger timely interventions to prevent brain injury and death from respiratory failure. The work focuses on creating and validating software that could become a medical device for early warning of OIRD.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could receive earlier help for opioid-related breathing problems, reducing the risk of brain injury and death.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research shows promise for non-contact monitoring approaches, but this project aims to advance a commercially deployable software solution.
Where this research is happening
-
Autonomous Healthcare, INC.
Santa Clara, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gholami, Behnood — Autonomous Healthcare, INC.
- Study coordinator: Gholami, Behnood
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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.