Project Grant R43HL186101

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute awarded Tele-Stethoscope Inc. $406,367 on September 1, 2026, under the Cardiovascular Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.837) to develop Phase I algorithms and demonstrate technical feasibility for a mobile phone–based diagnostic tool that uses acoustic data to predict clinically significant spirometry and echocardiogram findings.

The recipient will develop algorithms for predicting FEV1 percent predicted findings using mobile phone–captured auscultation data, recruiting 237 patients previously referred to pulmonary function testing within a health system serving a large rural population. The award also supports developing algorithms for predicting low ejection fraction and abnormal diastolic relations and filling pressures using previously enrolled patient data and existing recordings. Additionally, the recipient will conduct qualitative research with key stakeholders to inform commercial planning, product optimization, and FDA intended use statement development. The technology is a Class 2 mobile phone auscultation software as a medical device employing a novel chaos-based biofluid dynamics approach to acoustic data modeling; it is designed to aid providers in situations where gold standards like echocardiography and spirometry are unavailable, including telehealth exams and pre-office screening.

Tele-Stethoscope Inc. is a self-certified small disadvantaged business. The period of performance runs through August 31, 2027, with work performed in Brownsboro Village, Kentucky.