Kai Wu and Minxiang Zeng have been awarded a grant to develop wearable sensors cardiac monitoring technology
Texas Tech University researchers from the Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering have secured a four-year, $588,371 grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) to develop wearable magnetic sensors that could transform the way doctors detect and treat abnormal heart rhythms.
The project, titled “Additive Manufacturing Wearable Magnetic Sensors: Revolutionizing Cardiac Health Monitoring with Machine Learning for Arrhythmia Classification,” is led by Kai Wu, principal investigator and assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering with co-investigator Minxiang Zeng, an assistant professor from the Department of Chemical Engineering.
Traditional tools like electrocardiograms (ECGs) measure electrical activity in the heart, but they often fail to capture the full picture of cardiac health. A more advanced method, magnetocardiography (MCG), detects the heart’s tiny magnetic fields and can provide more precise information. Current MCG systems, however, are limited by bulky, expensive equipment that requires extreme cooling and shielded environments, making them impractical for routine use.
To address these challenges, the team is developing organic granular magnetoresistive (OgMR) sensors, flexible, low-cost, and highly sensitive devices that can be produced using simple printing techniques. These sensors could be integrated into portable devices or even wearable systems for continuous heart monitoring. The researchers are also creating machine learning models to analyze the data, enabling accurate detection and classification of arrhythmias.
“This project has the potential to bring advanced cardiac monitoring out of specialized labs and into everyday clinical practice,” Wu said. “By making this technology accessible and affordable, we hope to improve early detection of heart conditions and ultimately patient outcomes.”
If successful, the research could pave the way for routine, non-invasive monitoring of heart health in clinics, community settings, or through wearable devices. Earlier and more precise detection of abnormal rhythms could lead to better treatment decisions, reduced hospital visits, and lower overall healthcare costs.