Wireless, skin‑friendly neck wearable for voice and airway health
Official title: Develop a wireless, skin-conformable and dual-sensing wearable system in support of voice and upper airway telehealth care
Funded at California Institute of Technology · NIH-11387696 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A neck-worn, wireless wearable will track voice and upper airway health using two sensing modes to help people with airway conditions improve treatment adherence.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | California Institute of Technology NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pasadena, United States) |
| Project start | August 5, 2024 |
| Project end | April 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $177,278 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DC021461-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11387696 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with airway or voice disorders who would benefit from wearing a neck sensor for daily monitoring and feedback.
✕Less likely to help
People without airway/voice symptoms or those unable to wear a neck device may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project aims to create a comfortable neck sensor that stays on the skin and wirelessly streams data. It combines two sensing methods—neck surface accelerometry and surface EMG—to monitor voice and airway symptoms with greater accuracy. Researchers will integrate biomaterials, wearables technology, and computational analysis to support behaviorally based treatments outside the clinic. The work focuses on translating lab advances into a practical device that patients can use daily to guide therapy and track progress. If successful, the device could make home-based care more effective and convenient for adults with airway disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could better manage voice and airway symptoms at home with a user-friendly wearable that supports therapy adherence.
How similar studies have gone: Wearable sensors have improved self-management in clinical contexts, but a neck-skin, dual-sensing system for VUA care is a novel approach.
Where this research is happening
-
California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gao, Wei — California Institute of Technology
- Study coordinator: Gao, Wei
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.