Highmark Health https://www.highmarkhealth.org and Bosch https://www.bosch.us are collaborating in research to explore the use of innovative sensor technology to capture audio that is analyzed by using AI to detect pediatric pulmonary conditions.
The Bosch SoundSee audio AI technology is currently being used onboard the International Space Station to assess system operations. Microphones collect audio data of breathing patterns that are then analyzed using AI. The goal is to enable the audio system to also help pediatric pulmonary conditions.
“It has always been the vision of Bosch that the SoundSee technology would have applications beyond space,” said Dr Samarjit Das, Leader of the Intelligent Internet of Things group at Bosch Research Pittsburgh. “Our new research collaboration with Highmark Health and the Allegheny Health Network’s (AHN) assistance in conducting clinical studies is another important step in demonstrating the potential of this technology to provide further benefits to humankind.”
The new research collaboration builds upon a long time practice in doctor patient care. When doctors put a stethoscope on a patient’s chest, they can hear audio patterns that help detect an abnormality.
Highmark Health and Bosch are applying the same principles of the stethoscope by using AI-enabled sensor technology to listen and detect audio cues that could help with patient diagnosis. This AI capability has the potential to improve patient-centric, at-home care where audio AI-based diagnostic results can be reported to a doctor for further analysis and recommended action.
By using high fidelity microphones coupled with AI and machine learning for sound analysis, the research team will investigate if pediatric pulmonary conditions such as asthma can be detected using the noise emitted through various breathing patterns from patients.
Clinical studies will be conducted through the Pediatric Institute of Allegheny Health Network (AHN) and are scheduled to begin the first quarter of 2022. Joseph Aracri, DO, AHN Pediatrician and Chair of the Pediatric Institute will conduct the first feasibility study with a small cohort of pediatric patients.
During the patient’s visit to the pediatric clinic, the high resolution microphone will be used to capture the sounds as the children speak and breathe. The sounds will then be processed and added as a feature into the AI and machine learning techniques along with clinically relevant information and the child’s diagnosis.
Bosch has secured multiple patients in utilizing the SoundSee AI technology towards various consumer and industrial applications such as environmental audio event recognition and machine health monitoring.