Aevice Health, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore and Denka Company have launched the Cough Analysis Learning Model, or Project CALM, to explore how artificial intelligence can turn cough sounds into clinically relevant respiratory insights.
The collaboration aims to use cough as a non-invasive digital biomarker, providing healthcare professionals with more objective information about a patient’s respiratory health outside conventional clinical settings.
Cough is among the most common reasons people seek medical care but can be difficult to assess consistently outside the clinic. This can create uncertainty over whether respiratory symptoms are improving or worsening and increase the need for repeated clinical assessments.
Project CALM will combine clinical expertise, academic research and wearable technology to develop AI models capable of automatically detecting cough sounds and classifying them into clinically relevant cough phenotypes associated with underlying respiratory conditions.
The project is intended to move cough analysis from scientific research towards practical healthcare applications that could support earlier diagnosis and more informed management of respiratory disease.
“Denka is committed to bringing innovative technologies from research into practical healthcare solutions. Through this CALM collaboration, we are pleased to partner with Aevice Health and NTU to explore how artificial intelligence can unlock new insights from everyday health signals such as cough sounds,” said Taro Inada, Executive Officer and Division Director, Life Innovation Division at Denka.
NTU researchers will use artificial intelligence and acoustic signal processing models as part of the development programme.
“NTU is committed to developing technology that translates to use cases with societal impact. In this collaboration, the research team will use artificial intelligence and acoustic signal processing models to develop intelligent and accessible healthcare tools,” said Associate Professor Andy Khong, Principal Investigator of Project CALM at NTU.
Aevice Health will contribute its expertise in health informatics, research translation and remote respiratory monitoring.
“The strength of this collaboration lies in the combination of NTU’s research excellence, Denka’s strong track record in healthcare innovation, and Aevice Health’s deep expertise in health informatics and research translation. Together, we are working to transform cough into a digital biomarker that can enable earlier detection and more objective management of respiratory conditions,” said Rex Tan, Chief Technology Officer of Aevice Health.
Aevice Health currently develops technologies for remote monitoring of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, including its AeviceMD wearable stethoscope.
The company’s platform is designed to support continuous monitoring and disease deterioration tracking from home, providing healthcare professionals with information that can inform treatment adjustments.
Project CALM extends this approach by examining whether everyday acoustic signals can provide additional objective indicators of respiratory health and support future models of remote and preventive care.
