AI-powered smart T-shirt being developed to improve detection of inherited heart rhythm disorders

Researchers at Imperial are developing an AI-assisted smart T-shirt designed to improve detection of inherited heart rhythm conditions that can be difficult to diagnose using standard tests.

Around 340,000 people in the UK are estimated to have an inherited heart condition that can increase the risk of dangerous heart rhythms and, in some cases, sudden cardiac death. Diagnosing these conditions can be challenging, as heart rhythm abnormalities may not occur during routine 10-minute hospital electrocardiograms (ECGs) or even during short-term monitoring at home.

Currently, people with symptoms such as chest pain or dizziness are often sent home with a portable ECG. This involves adhesive electrodes attached to the chest and connected by leads to a waist-worn monitor, which must be removed and reattached for activities such as showering. These devices are typically worn for 24 to 48 hours, meaning intermittent rhythm abnormalities may not be captured.

A wearable approach to longer-term monitoring

The smart T-shirt under development incorporates up to 50 sensors stitched into sportswear-style fabric to mirror ECG recordings. Designed to be worn during normal daily activities, including sleeping, eating and working, it aims to allow more comfortable, longer-term monitoring, for up to a week at a time.

The project is supported by a grant of over £340,000 from the British Heart Foundation and is led by Professor Zachary Whinnett, Professor of Cardiology at Imperial's National Heart and Lung Institute, and consultant cardiologist and electrophysiologist at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.

Researchers will train an artificial intelligence algorithm using data from more than 1,000 individuals, some with inherited heart rhythm conditions and others without,to help it recognise abnormal ECG patterns associated with rare genetic disorders.

Professor Zachary Whinnett, Professor of Cardiology at Imperial's National Heart and Lung Institute, said, "Far too many people die from inherited heart conditions which could be treated if they were identified earlier. One of the challenges of diagnosis today is that irregular heart rhythms may not always occur during routine 10- minute hospital ECGs or even 48-hour ECG monitoring at home. We hope our AI-assisted t-shirt will provide a practical and comfortable solution, allowing us to carry out longer-term scanning that could improve diagnosis.

“By harnessing the power of AI, we hope our research can transform doctors’ abilities to spot these conditions and improve the lives of those who are unknowingly living with a genetic heart condition.” 

Early feasibility study

As part of an initial feasibility study, 200 patients and volunteers attending Hammersmith Hospital’s Peart-Rose Research Unit will wear the smart T-shirt continuously for up to three months to assess how effectively it can detect serious heart rhythm conditions.

The device is being developed initially for adults. If found to be effective, similar approaches could in future be explored in children, or adapted to help identify other heart rhythm conditions such as atrial fibrillation.

Involving families affected by inherited conditions

The research involves people living with inherited heart rhythm disorders, including Carly Benge, who has Brugada syndrome, a genetic condition that can increase the risk of dangerous arrhythmias.

Because Brugada syndrome often runs in families, Carly’s children are also at risk. Early diagnosis of such conditions is important, as appropriate monitoring and treatment can reduce the risk of sudden cardiac death.

Carly said the wearable design could make long-term monitoring more practical than conventional portable ECGs and may help families feel reassured that potential problems are identified as early as possible.

This article has been adapted from a British Heart Foundation press release.

The research was supported by the NIHR Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, a translational research partnership between Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and Imperial College London, and the British Heart Foundation.