Respiree’s AI-Powered Wearables Transform Cardio-Respiratory Care

Respiratory rate is one of the most sensitive indicators of patient deterioration, yet in hospitals worldwide it is still largely monitored manually. This gap delays detection and limits opportunities for timely intervention.

Respiree, an A*STAR spin-off and Singapore-based medtech company, set out to change that. By combining advanced sensors, artificial intelligence (AI), and bio-signal processing, Respiree is developing wearable devices and predictive algorithms to enable continuous monitoring of cardio-respiratory conditions — from hospital wards to patients’ homes.

Through A*STAR’s Growing Enterprises through Technology Upgrade (GET-Up) programme and the Technology for Enterprise Capability Upgrading (T-Up) initiative, Respiree accessed top-tier R&D talent and resources to accelerate product development, validate its technology in clinical trials, and expand into global healthcare markets.

The Challenge

  • High clinical need: Conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, cystic fibrosis, and congestive heart failure are major causes of hospitalisation and mortality. Early detection is vital, yet respiratory monitoring remains labour-intensive and prone to delays.
  • Technology gap: Respiree had developed a working wearable sensor but needed advanced AI algorithms to interpret continuous data streams and predict patient deterioration.
  • Talent constraints: The COVID-19 pandemic created challenges in scaling engineering and AI expertise – making A*STAR secondees critical to advancing the platform.

Our Innovation

Through a series of three T-Up projects from 2020 to 2023, A*STAR seconded scientists from the A*STAR Institute for Infocomm Research (A*STAR I²R) and the former Institute of Bioengineering and Bioimaging (IBB) to work alongside Respiree’s team. The collaboration focused on:

  • Automating respiratory monitoring
    • Developing algorithms to measure respiratory rate directly and continuously, replacing periodic manual checks.
    • Integrating wearable sensors into clinical workflows for real-time monitoring.

Respiree’s wearable sensor device

  • Enhancing predictive care with AI
    • Creating a machine learning platform to identify early signs of adverse cardio-respiratory events.
    • Leveraging bio-signal processing expertise to improve the accuracy and reliability of predictions.
  • Scaling data infrastructure
    • Building a system to handle datasets from 50 sites across 12 countries, preparing clinical data (including DICOM formats) for AI model training.
    • Validating the AI platform in multiple clinical settings, including deployments in Singapore and Australia.

The synergy with A*STAR expedited our journey to clinical validation in hospitals and led to the initiation of first-in-human clinical trials with our algorithms. The GET-Up programme presents a fantastic opportunity for companies to access talent and R&D capabilities, which then helps them build up their competencies as they progress.

- Dr Gurpreet Singh, CEO and Founder of Respiree

The Impact

Respiree’s partnership with A*STAR has propelled the company to the forefront of cardio-respiratory care innovation. By leveraging AI and wearable sensor technology, Respiree provides healthcare professionals with real-time respiratory data, enabling earlier interventions and advancing predictive care. Some other outcomes from our A*STAR collaboration include:

  • Positioned Respiree as a leader in AI-powered respiratory care, with successful validation at Massachusetts General Hospital presented at the American Thoracic Society meeting1.
  • Opened pathways for global market expansion, with deployments in hospitals and home-care settings, especially in a post-COVID landscape where remote healthcare is gaining traction

1 Clinical validation of Respiree's wearable sensor device was conducted at the Massachusetts General Hospital and presented at the recent American Thoracic Society meeting 2023.

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