Singapore-MIT Alliance launches world-first wearable ultrasound research project

The Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), MIT’s research enterprise in Singapore, has launched a new collaborative project called Wearable Imaging for Transforming Elderly Care (WITEC), the world’s first wearable ultrasound imaging system for continuous, real-time monitoring and personalised diagnosis of chronic conditions such as hypertension and heart failure.

WITEC focuses on the development of wearable ultrasound imaging technology capable of up to 48 hours of intermittent cardiovascular monitoring. The initiative aims to support continuous observation and early detection of chronic conditions such as hypertension and heart failure.

The project is supported by the National Research Foundation (NRF) Singapore under its Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE) programme. It brings together researchers from MIT, Nanyang Technological University (NTU Singapore), and the National University of Singapore (NUS). Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) will conduct clinical trials to validate the system for long-term heart monitoring in chronic disease management.

The WITEC laboratory is equipped with advanced tools, including Southeast Asia’s first Nanoscribe Quantum X sub-micrometre 3D printer and a Verasonics Vantage NXT 256 ultrasonic imaging system, both intended to support research and prototyping of the wearable ultrasound system.

The project aims to address the limitations of current consumer wearables, which provide only basic physiological data, and traditional hospital ultrasound systems, which are bulky, operator-dependent, and unsuitable for long-term continuous use. By combining wearable bioadhesive patches with AI-enhanced diagnostics, WITEC seeks to enable home-based monitoring and early intervention for chronic cardiovascular conditions.

The research team includes Prof Xuanhe Zhao, MITl; Prof Joseph Sung, NTU Singapore; Prof Cher Heng Tan, NTU Singapore; Prof Chwee Teck Lim, NUS; and Prof Xiaodong Chen, NTU Singapore.

Clinical trials at TTSH, led by Dr Violet Hoon, Senior Consultant, are expected to begin in early 2026. The project aims to develop a fully integrated system capable of continuous real-time monitoring and personalised diagnostics over the next three years.

WITEC represents Singapore’s first research centre dedicated to foundational work in wearable ultrasound imaging and combines expertise in materials science, biomedical engineering, electronics, and AI diagnostics.