Dec. 10, 2025 — The Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) analysis enterprise in Singapore, has launched a brand new collaborative analysis challenge – Wearable Imaging for Transforming Elderly Care (WITEC).
WITEC marks a pioneering effort in wearable expertise, medical imaging, analysis and supplies science. It is Singapore’s first heart devoted to foundational analysis and improvement of the world’s first wearable ultrasound imaging system succesful of 48-hour intermittent cardiovascular imaging for steady and real-time monitoring and analysis of power situations equivalent to hypertension and coronary heart failure.
This multi-million greenback, multi-year initiative, supported by the National Research Foundation (NRF) Singapore below its Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE) program, brings collectively prime researchers and experience from MIT, Nanyang Technological University (NTU Singapore) and the National University of Singapore (NUS). Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) is WITEC’s scientific collaborator and can conduct affected person trials to validate long-term coronary heart imaging for power heart problems administration.
“Addressing society’s most pressing challenges requires innovative, interdisciplinary thinking. Building on SMART’s long legacy in Singapore as a hub for research and innovation, WITEC will harness interdisciplinary expertise — from MIT and leading institutions in Singapore — to advance transformative research that creates real-world impact and benefits Singapore, the U.S. and societies all over. This is the kind of collaborative research that not only pushes the boundaries of knowledge, but also redefines what is possible for the future of healthcare,” stated Bruce Tidor, Chief Executive Officer and Director (Interim), SMART.
To help this work, WITEC’s laboratory is supplied with superior instruments, together with Southeast Asia’s first Nanoscribe Quantum X sub-micrometer 3D printer and the most recent Verasonics Vantage NXT 256 ultrasonic imaging system.
Unlike typical 3D printers that function at millimeter or micrometer scales, WITEC’s 3D printer can obtain sub‑micrometer decision, permitting parts to be fabricated on the stage of single cells or tissue constructions. With this functionality, WITEC researchers can prototype bioadhesive supplies and machine interfaces with unprecedented accuracy — important to guaranteeing pores and skin‑protected adhesion and secure, lengthy‑time period imaging high quality.
Complementing that is the most recent Verasonics ultrasonic imaging system. Equipped with a brand new transducer adaptor and supporting a considerably bigger quantity of probe management channels than present techniques, it offers researchers the liberty to check extremely personalized imaging strategies. This permits extra advanced beamforming, increased‑decision picture seize and integration with AI‑based mostly diagnostic fashions — opening the door to lengthy‑length, actual‑time cardiovascular imaging not attainable with customary hospital tools.
Together, these applied sciences permit WITEC to speed up the design, prototyping and testing of its wearable ultrasound imaging system, and to show imaging high quality on phantoms and wholesome topics.
Wearable Innovation
Chronic illnesses are rising quickly, particularly among the many growing older inhabitants and people with a number of long-term situations. This pattern highlights the pressing want for efficient home-based care and easy-to-use monitoring instruments that transcend fundamental wellness monitoring.
Current shopper wearables, equivalent to smartwatches and health bands, provide restricted physiological knowledge like coronary heart fee or step depend. While helpful for basic well being, they lack the depth wanted to help power illness administration. Traditional ultrasound techniques, although clinically highly effective, are cumbersome, operator-dependent, can solely be deployed episodically inside the hospitals, and are restricted to snapshots in time — making them unsuitable for long-term, on a regular basis use.
WITEC goals to bridge this hole with its wearable ultrasound imaging system that makes use of bioadhesive expertise to allow up to 48 hours of uninterrupted imaging. Combined with AI-enhanced diagnostics, it is aimed toward supporting early detection, home-based pre-diagnosis and steady monitoring of power illnesses.
This may assist ease labor shortages by releasing up ultrasound operators, nurses and docs to give attention to extra advanced care, whereas lowering demand for hospital beds and assets. By shifting monitoring to properties and communities, WITEC’s expertise will allow affected person self-management and well timed intervention, probably reducing healthcare prices and assuaging the growing monetary and manpower pressures of an growing older inhabitants.
Interdisciplinary collaboration
WITEC is led by these Co-Lead Principal Investigators:
- Prof. Xuanhe Zhao, Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, MIT
- Prof. Joseph Sung, Senior Vice President (Health & Life Sciences), NTU Singapore, and Dean, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine)
- Prof. Cher Heng Tan, Assistant Dean, Clinical Research, LKCMedicine
- Prof. Chwee Teck Lim, NUS Society Professor of Biomedical Engineering, NUS, and Director, Institute for Health Innovation and Technology, NUS
- Prof. Xiaodong Chen, Distinguished University Professor, School of Materials Science & Engineering, NTU
“We’re extremely proud to bring together an exceptional team of researchers from Singapore and the US to pioneer core technologies that will make wearable ultrasound imaging a reality. This endeavor combines deep expertise in materials science, data science, AI diagnostics, biomedical engineering and clinical medicine. Our phased approach will accelerate translation into a fully wearable platform that reshapes how chronic diseases are monitored, diagnosed and managed,” stated Prof. Xuanhe Zhao, Co-Lead Principal Investigator, WITEC.
Research Roadmap
Bringing collectively main specialists throughout interdisciplinary fields, WITEC will advance foundational work in tender supplies, transducers, microelectronics, knowledge science and AI diagnostics, scientific medication and biomedical engineering. As a deep tech R&D, its breakthroughs may have the potential to drive innovation in healthcare expertise and manufacturing, diagnostics, wearable ultrasonic imaging, metamaterials, and AI-powered well being analytics. WITEC’s work can be anticipated to speed up progress in high-value jobs throughout analysis, engineering, scientific validation and healthcare companies, and entice strategic investments that foster biomedical innovation and business partnerships in Singapore, the U.S. and past.
“Our research into a wearable ultrasound imaging system aims to transform daily care for those living with cardiovascular and other chronic conditions — providing clinicians with richer, continuous insights to guide treatment, while giving patients greater confidence and control over their own health. WITEC’s pioneering work marks an important step towards shifting care from episodic, hospital-based interventions to more proactive, everyday management in the community,” stated Prof. Joseph Sung, Co‑Lead Principal Investigator, WITEC.
Led by Dr. Violet Hoon, Senior Consultant at TTSH, the scientific trials are anticipated to begin in early 2026 to validate long-term coronary heart monitoring within the administration of power heart problems. Over the subsequent three years, WITEC goals to develop a cart-based bioadhesive ultrasound (BAUS) system succesful of steady, real-time monitoring and customized analysis of medical situations. In future phases, WITEC goals to develop a totally built-in transportable BAUS platform succesful of 48-hour intermittent imaging.
As MIT’s analysis enterprise in Singapore, SMART is dedicated to advancing breakthrough applied sciences that tackle urgent international challenges. WITEC provides to SMART’s present analysis endeavors that foster a wealthy alternate of concepts via collaboration with main researchers and lecturers from the US, Singapore, and around the globe in key areas equivalent to antimicrobial resistance, cell remedy improvement, precision agriculture, AI and 3D-sensing applied sciences.
For extra data, please go to https://smart.mit.edu/research/witec/about-witec