Wearable breathing sensors to spot dangerous breathing early
Novel physiomarkers of high-risk labored breathing for advance warning of clinical deterioration
Researchers will use small wearable motion sensors to find worsening labored breathing in adults at risk of respiratory failure.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Virginia NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Charlottesville, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11262247 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would wear small motion sensors on your chest and abdomen while in the emergency department or hospital so researchers can measure how hard you are breathing. The sensors feed data into a new method called ARK that turns breathing movements into measurable patterns (respiratory kinematics). The team will look for patterns that appear before breathing gets critically worse, beyond what current monitors show. If the signals are reliable, they plan to fold them into existing early warning tools clinicians use to decide when to intervene.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults aged 21 and older who are in the emergency department or hospitalized and who have abnormal or concerning breathing are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People under 21, those without breathing problems, or patients cared for outside participating hospitals may not directly benefit from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could give clinicians earlier alarms for dangerous breathing so treatment can start sooner and severe outcomes like intubation might be reduced.
How similar studies have performed: Small physiological studies and expert reports hint that breathing motion holds useful signals, but large-scale clinical proof for this wearable ARK approach is still lacking.
Where this research is happening
Charlottesville, United States
- University of Virginia — Charlottesville, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gadrey, Shrirang Mukund — University of Virginia
- Study coordinator: Gadrey, Shrirang Mukund
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.