What if ultrasound imaging was now not limited to hospitals? Patients with chronic conditions like hypertension and heart failure may very well be monitored constantly in real time at home or on the go, giving doctors ongoing clinical insights moderately than occasional snapshots — a scan here and an exam there. This shift from reactive care within the hospital to preventive, community and residential care could enable earlier detection and timely intervention in addition to truly personalized care.
In order to show this vision into reality, the… Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), MIT's research enterprise in Singapore, has launched a brand new joint research project: Portable imaging to remodel elder care (WITEC).
WITEC marks a pioneering achievement in wearable technology, medical imaging, research and materials science. It is devoted to the basic research and development of the world's first portable ultrasound imaging system that gives 48-hour intermittent cardiovascular imaging, constantly monitoring and diagnosing chronic diseases reminiscent of hypertension and heart failure in real time.
This multi-million dollar, multi-year research program, supported by the National Research Foundation (NRF) Singapore under its Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise program, brings together top researchers and expertise from MIT, Nanyang Technological University (NTU Singapore) and the National University of Singapore (NUS). Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) is WITEC's clinical partner and can conduct patient studies to validate long-term cardiac imaging for the treatment of chronic cardiovascular diseases.
“Addressing society's most pressing challenges requires revolutionary, interdisciplinary considering. Building on SMART Singapore's long tradition as a middle for research and innovation, WITEC will leverage interdisciplinary expertise – from MIT and leading institutions in Singapore – to advance transformative research that has real impact and advantages Singapore, the United States and societies all over the world. This is the sort of collaborative research that not only pushes the boundaries of information, but in addition redefines what the long run of the Healthcare is feasible,” says Bruce Tidor, CEO and interim director of SMART, who can be an MIT professor of bioengineering, electrical engineering and computer science.
Industry leading precision equipment and capabilities
To support this work, WITEC's laboratory is provided with advanced tools, including Southeast Asia's first submicron 3D printer and the newest Verasonics Vantage NXT 256 ultrasound imaging system, the primary device of its kind in Singapore.
Unlike traditional 3D printers that operate on the millimeter or micrometer scale, WITEC's 3D printer can achieve submicrometer resolution, allowing components to be manufactured at the extent of individual cells or tissue structures. With this capability, WITEC researchers can prototype bioadhesive materials and device interfaces with unprecedented accuracy – essential for ensuring skin-safe adhesion and stable, long-term image quality.
This is complemented by the newest ultrasound imaging system from Verasonics. Equipped with a brand new transducer adapter and supporting a significantly larger variety of probe control channels than existing systems, it gives researchers the liberty to check highly customized imaging methods. This enables more complex beam shaping, higher resolution image capture and integration with AI-based diagnostic models – opening the door to long-term, real-time imaging of the cardiovascular system that will not be possible with standard hospital equipment.
Together, these technologies enable WITEC to speed up the design, prototyping and testing of its portable ultrasound imaging system and to display image quality on phantoms and healthy subjects.
Transforming chronic disease care through wearable innovations
Chronic diseases are increasing rapidly in Singapore and worldwide, particularly among the many aging population and people with multiple long-term conditions. This trend highlights the urgent need for effective home care and easy-to-use monitoring tools that transcend basic wellness monitoring.
Current consumer wearables reminiscent of smartwatches and fitness bands offer limited physiological data reminiscent of heart rate or step count. Although useful for overall health, they lack the depth needed to support chronic disease management. Traditional ultrasound systems, although clinically powerful, are bulky, operator-dependent, can only be used sporadically in hospitals and are limited to snapshots, making them unsuitable for long-term on a regular basis use.
WITEC goals to bridge this gap with its portable ultrasound imaging system that uses bioadhesive technology to supply as much as 48 hours of continuous imaging. In combination with AI-supported diagnostics, the innovation is meant to support early detection, pre-diagnosis at home and continuous monitoring of chronic diseases.
In addition to improving patient outcomes, this innovation could help alleviate workforce shortages by allowing ultrasound staff, nurses and doctors to concentrate on more complex treatments, while reducing demand on hospital beds and resources. By shifting monitoring to homes and communities, WITEC's technology will enable patient self-management and timely intervention, potentially reducing healthcare costs and alleviating the increasing financial and human pressures of an aging population.
Driving innovation through interdisciplinary collaboration
WITEC is led by the next senior principal investigators: Xuanhe Zhao, professor of mechanical engineering and professor of civil and environmental engineering at MIT; Joseph Sung, Senior Vice President of Health and Life Sciences at NTU Singapore and Dean of the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine); Cher Heng Tan, associate dean of clinical research at LKCMedicine; Chwee Teck Lim, NUS Society Professor of Biomedical Engineering at NUS and Director of the Institute of Health Innovation and Technology at NUS; and Xiaodong Chen, Distinguished University Professor at NTU's School of Materials Science and Engineering.
“We are extremely proud to bring together an exceptional team of researchers from Singapore and the US to advance core technologies that make wearable ultrasound imaging a reality. This endeavor brings together extensive expertise in materials science, data science, AI diagnostics, biomedical engineering and clinical medicine. Our phased approach will speed up translation into a totally wearable platform that may reshape the way in which chronic diseases are monitored, diagnosed and treated,” says Zhao, who serves as WITEC's co-lead PI.
Research roadmap with broad impact in healthcare, science, industry and business
WITEC brings together leading experts from interdisciplinary fields and can advance fundamental work within the areas of soppy materials, transducers, microelectronics, data science and AI diagnostics, clinical medicine and biomedical engineering. As a deep-tech research and development group, its breakthroughs may have the potential to drive innovation in health technology and manufacturing, diagnostics, wearable ultrasound imaging, metamaterials, diagnostics and AI-powered health analytics. WITEC's work can be expected to speed up the expansion of high-quality jobs in research, engineering, clinical validation and healthcare services, and attract strategic investments that foster biomedical innovation and industry partnerships in Singapore, the United States and beyond.
“Chronic diseases pose significant challenges for patients, families and healthcare systems, and with an aging population like in Singapore, these challenges will only increase unless recent solutions are found. Our research into a conveyable ultrasound imaging system goals to remodel the day by day care of individuals with cardiovascular and other chronic diseases. We provide physicians with more comprehensive, continuous insights to guide treatment, while giving patients greater confidence and control over their very own health. WITEC's pioneering work marks a very important step towards the shift “We are moving from episodic, hospital-based interventions to more proactive, day-to-day management locally,” says Sung, who serves as WITEC’s co-lead PI.
Led by Violet Hoon, senior consultant at TTSH, clinical trials are expected to start this yr to validate long-term cardiac monitoring within the treatment of chronic heart problems. Over the following three years, WITEC goals to develop a totally integrated platform that allows 48-hour intermittent imaging through innovations in bioadhesive couplants, nanostructured metamaterials and ultrasound transducers.
A research enterprise of MIT in Singapore, SMART is committed to advancing breakthrough technologies that address pressing global challenges. WITEC complements SMART's existing research efforts, which promote a comprehensive exchange of ideas through collaboration with leading researchers and academics from the United States, Singapore and all over the world in key areas reminiscent of antibiotic resistance, cell therapy development, precision agriculture, AI and 3D sensing technologies.
