Sports
Wearable Sensor Uses Ultrasound to Provide Cardiac Imaging On the Go
UC San Diego engineers lead development of a powerful new ultrasound sensor system for cardiac imaging that even works during a workout
Newswise — Engineers and physicians have developed a wearable ultrasound device that can assess both the structure and function of the human heart. The portable device, which is roughly the size of a postage stamp, can be worn for up to 24 hours and works even during strenuous exercise.
The goal is to make ultrasound more accessible to a larger population, said Sheng Xu, a professor of nanoengineering at the University of California San Diego, who is leading the project. Currently, echocardiograms– ultrasound examinations for the heart– require highly trained technicians and bulky devices.
“The technology enables anybody to use ultrasound imaging on the go,” Xu said.
Thanks to custom AI algorithms, the device is capable of measuring how much blood the heart is pumping. This is important because the heart not pumping enough blood is at the root of most cardiovascular diseases. And issues with heart function often manifest only when the body is in motion.
The work is described in the Jan. 25 issue of the journal Nature.
Cardiac imaging is an essential clinical tool to assess long-term heart health, detect problems as they arise and care for critically ill patients. This new wearable, non-invasive heart monitor for humans provides real-time, automated insights on the difficult-to-capture pumping activity of the heart, even when a person is exercising.
The wearable heart monitoring system uses ultrasound to continuously capture images of the four chambers of the heart in different angles, and analyze a clinically relevant subset of the images in real time using a custom-built AI technology. The project builds on the team’s previous advances in wearable imaging technologies for deep tissues.
“The increasing risk of heart diseases calls for more advanced and inclusive monitoring procedures,” Xu said. “By providing patients and doctors with more thorough details, continuous and real-time cardiac image monitoring is poised to fundamentally optimize and reshape the paradigm of cardiac diagnoses.”
In comparison, existing non-invasive methods have limited sampling capabilities and provide limited data. The wearable technology developed by Xu’s team enables safe, non-invasive and high-quality cardiac imaging, resulting in images with high spatial resolution, temporal resolution and contrast. “It also minimizes patient discomfort and overcomes some limitations of noninvasive technologies such as CT and PET, which could expose patients to radiation,” said Hao Huang, a PhD student in the Xu group at UC San Diego.
The unique design of the sensor makes it ideal for bodies in motion. “The device can be attached to the chest with minimal constraint to the subjects’ movement, even providing a continuous recording of cardiac activities before, during and after exercise,” said Xiaoxiang Gao, a postdoctoral researcher in the Xu group at UC San Diego.
The importance of cardiac imaging
Cardiac diseases are the leading cause of death among the elderly, and are also becoming more prevalent among the young due to lifestyle factors. The signs of cardiac diseases are transient and unpredictable, making them hard to spot. This has upped demand for more advanced, inclusive, non-invasive and cost-effective monitoring technologies such as long-term cardiac imaging, which this wearable device facilitates.
Cardiac imaging is one of the most powerful tools for screening and diagnosing cardiac issues before they become problems. “The heart undergoes all kinds of different pathologies,” said Hongjie Hu, a postdoctoral researcher in the Xu lab at UC San Diego. “Cardiac imaging will disclose the true story underneath. Whether it be that a strong but normal contraction of heart chambers leads to the fluctuation of volumes, or that a cardiac morphological problem has occurred as an emergency, real-time image monitoring on the heart tells the whole picture in vivid detail and visual effect.”
How it works in detail
The new system gathers information through a wearable patch as soft as human skin, designed for optimal adherence. The patch measures 1.9 cm (L) x 2.2 cm (W) x 0.09 cm (T) , about the size of a postage stamp. It sends and receives the ultrasound waves which are used to generate a constant stream of images of the structure of the heart in real time. This ultrasound patch is soft and stretchable, and it adheres well to human skin, even during exercise.
The system can examine the left ventricle of the heart in separate bi-plane views using ultrasound, generating more clinically useful images than were previously available. As a use case, the team demonstrated imaging of the heart during exercise, which is not possible with the rigid, cumbersome equipment used in clinical settings.
The performance of the heart is characterized by three factors: stroke volume (the volume of blood the heart pumps out each beat), ejection fraction (the percentage of blood pumped out of the left ventricle of the heart every beat) and cardiac output (the volume of blood the heart pumps out every minute).
Xu’s team developed an algorithm to facilitate continuous, AI-assisted automatic processing.
“A deep learning model automatically segments the shape of the left ventricle from the continuous image recording, extracting its volume frame-by-frame and yielding waveforms to measure stroke volume, cardiac output and ejection fraction,” said Mohan Li, a master’s student in the Xu group at UC San Diego.
“Specifically, the AI component involves a deep learning model for image segmentation, an algorithm for heart volume calculation, and a data imputation algorithm,” said Ruixiang Qi, a master’s student in the Xu group at UC San Diego. “We use this machine learning model to calculate the heart volume based on the shape and area of the left ventricle segmentation. The imaging-segmentation deep learning model is the first to be functionalized in wearable ultrasound devices. It enables the device to provide accurate and continuous waveforms of key cardiac indices in different physical states, including static and after exercise, which has never been achieved before.”
Thus, this technology can generate curves of these three indices continuously and noninvasively, as the AI component processes the continuous stream of images to generate numbers and curves.
To create the platform, the team faced some technical challenges that required careful decision-making. To produce the wearable device itself, the researchers used a piezoelectric 1-3 composite bonded with Ag-epoxy backing as the material for transducers in the ultrasound imager, reducing risk and improving efficiency over previous methods. When choosing the transmission configuration of the transducer array, they achieved superior results through wide-beam compounding transmission. They also selected from nine popular models for machine-learning-based image segmentation, landing on FCN-32, which achieved the highest possible accuracy.
In the current iteration, the patch is connected through cables to a computer, which can download the data automatically while the patch is still on. The team has developed a wireless circuit for the patch, which will be covered in a forthcoming publication.
Next steps
Xu plans to commercialize this technology through Softsonics, a company spun off from UC San Diego that he cofounded with engineer Shu Xiang. He also encourages others in his scientific community to follow his lead and work on areas of this research that warrant further exploration.
To follow up on these results, Xu recommends four immediate next steps:
- B-mode imaging, which allows more diagnostic capabilities involving different organs
- The design of the soft imager, which allows researchers to fabricate large transducer probes that cover multiple positions simultaneously
- Miniaturization of the back-end system that powers the soft imager
- Working toward a general machine learning model that fits more subjects
This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (1R21EB025521-01, 1R21EB027303-01A1, 3R21EB027303-02S1, and 1R01EB033464-01).
Financial disclosures: Shu Xiang and Sheng Xu are cofounders of Softsonics, the company that is commercializing this technology.
Paper: “A wearable cardiac ultrasound imager”
Coauthors include Hongjie Hu* and Hao Huang*, Department of Nanoengineering, UC San Diego; Mohan Li*, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, UC San Diego; Xiaoxiang Gao* and Lu Yin, Department of Nanoengineering, UC San Diego; Ruixiang Qi, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, UC San Diego; Ray S. Wu, Department of Nanoengineering, UC San Diego; Xiangjun Chen, Materials Science and Engineering Program, UC San Diego; Yuxiang Ma, Department of Nanoengineering, UC San Diego and Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Keren Shi, Materials Science and Engineering Program, UC San Diego and Materials Science and Engineering Program, UC Riverside; Chenghai Li, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, UC San Diego; Timothy M. Maus, Department of Anesthesiology, UC San Diego Health-Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center; Brady Huang, Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, UC San Diego; Chengchangfeng Lu, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, UC San Diego; Muyang Lin, Department of Nanoengineering, UC San Diego; Sai Zhou, Materials Science and Engineering Program, UC San Diego; Zhiyuan Lou, Department of Nanoengineering, UC San Diego; Yue Gu, Materials Science and Engineering Program, UC San Diego and Department of Neurosurgery, Yale University; Yimu Chen, Department of Nanoengineering, UC San Diego; Yusheng Lei, Department of Nanoengineering, UC San Diego and Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University; Xinyu Wang, Ruotao Wang and Wentong Yue, Department of Nanoengineering, UC San Diego; Xinyi Yang, Materials Science and Engineering Program, UC San Diego; Yizhou Bian, Department of Nanoengineering, UC San Diego; Jing Mu, Materials Science and Engineering Program, UC San Diego; Geonho Park, Department of Nanoengineering, UC San Diego; Shu Xiang, Softsonics, Inc.; Shengqiang Cai, Materials Science and Engineering Program and Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, UC San Diego; Paul W. Corey, Department of Anesthesiology, Sharp Memorial Hospital; Joseph Wang, Department of Nanoengineering and Materials Science and Engineering Program, UC San Diego, and Sheng Xu, Department of Nanoengineering, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering Program and Department of Bioengineering, UC San Diego; Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, UC San Diego; and Softsonics, Inc.
Source: Emerson Dameron University of California San Diego
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Food and Beverage
VINI JR. SADDLES-UP, WHILE JACK GREALISH HEADS TO JUNGLE IN LATEST PEPSI® CAMPAIGN
THE CAMPAIGN ENCOURAGES FOOTBALL FANS TO DITCH MIDWEEK ROUTINE FOR UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE ACTION
- Campaign features two films with Pepsi ambassador Vini Jr. The first, unveiled today, features him as a cowboy transported into a traditional Telenovela scene and the second will see him taking on the role of a martial artist within the Chinese fiction genre, Wuxia
- In a separate standalone film, we witness Jack Grealish taking on a traditional gameshow challenge in the jungle
- Pepsi’s latest campaign – Football Always Wins – encourages fans to break their midweek monotony, that might include watching TV game shows, Telenovela serial dramas, or Wuxia martial arts shows and to instead choose football enjoyment over everyday sameness.
LONDON /PRNewswire/ — Pepsi has launched its latest global football campaign, encouraging fans around the world to break their midweek routines to experience the enjoyment of UEFA Champions League football. Featuring ambassadors Jack Grealish and Vini Jr, the campaign sets out to show that “Football Always Wins” over other forms of entertainment.
n the set of films created for the campaign, Jack Grealish and Vini Jr. challenge fans to break with their midweek routines that might include watching TV Game Shows, Telenovela serial dramas, or Wuxia martial arts shows and to instead embrace the opportunity to watch more sport. The global campaign coincides with Pepsi partnership with the UEFA Champions League.
In the first two entertaining films, Vini Jr. is transported into the Telenovela format popular across Latin America, donning a cowboy outfit for his role. The player rides a horse towards a potential romantic partner but, just as the two lock eyes, Vini Jr. decides to choose football and instead controls a ball on his chest. The film closes with Vini Jr. standing on his horse’s saddle, demonstrating that football should always win in a choice between soap opera and a match.
Whilst this epic competition can turn a routine Tuesday or Wednesday into the best moment of the week, Pepsi’s latest campaign recognises that fans around the world encounter habits and routines which might stop them from watching and enjoying midweek games.
Vini Jr. said, “When I was younger and growing up in Brazil, I clearly remember sprinting back from school as fast as I could to catch the start of European matches. I remember being glued to the screen, dreaming of one day playing on those pitches. Now I’m there, my goals and ambitions are always about taking my game to the next level. I want to score more goals, provide more assists, and be a decisive player in every competition”.
The second film, due to be released next week, will feature Vini Jr. transported into the Chinese fiction genre, Wuxia. Two martial artists are shown preparing to fight each other but are dramatically interrupted by Vini Jr., armed only with a football. Once again, Football Always Wins.
Vini Jr. continues, “Playing a martial artist in the new Pepsi campaign was amazing—it felt like stepping into a completely different world. But I have to say, the cowboy outfit was such an unexpected and fun look for me. As for what’s next? Who knows! Maybe I’ll get to be a superhero or even dive into the world of music”.
In a standalone film featuring Jack Grealish, we find him taking on a traditional gameshow challenge based in the jungle. The film opens with a group of contestants crawling in the mud in an attempt to find a giant ball to slot into a hole in the wall. Having struggled to complete the challenge, Jack Grealish appears from nowhere and kicks a football straight through the hole, completing the challenge and once again demonstrating that Football Always Wins.
Jack Grealish said, “Those who know me know how much I love game shows. So, when Pepsi revealed I’d be taking on a series of jungle inspired challenges for its latest campaign, I couldn’t wait to get involved!”
In supporting content for the campaign Jack Grealish is dispatched to the “jungle” as he’s challenged to test himself with a series of mystery boxes to unlock the winning Pepsi and the enjoyment of mid-week football. The “Football Always Wins” campaign will later be extended with a series of social assets in which Jack and Vini Jr. encourage football fans to stop their scroll and tune-in to UEFA Champions League games. The three players will “hack” popular TikTok memes to present the match as more fulfilling entertainment.
Eric Melis, VP Global Brand Marketing at PepsiCo said: “Football has an unrivalled ability to entertain fans around the world, and nothing encapsulates this more than the UEFA Champions League. We know, however, that UEFA Champions League football alters the midweek routine and that fans around the world have weekly schedules which might keep them from experiencing the thrill of mid-week sport.
“Pepsi’s latest campaign – Football Always Wins – sets out to encourage football fans to break their midweek monotony, encouraging them to choose enjoyment over everyday sameness. Working with our incredible Global football ambassadors, Jack Grealish and Vini Jr, both of whom are known for challenging convention in the game, we’ve created a campaign which brings unrivalled entertainment to fans around the world and continues Pepsi’s philosophy to unlock pure enjoyment for those who are Thirsty For More.”
The campaign launches globally with the first of the two films released on 20 January 2025, across a range of channels. Fans can follow Pepsi channels to see more as the campaign unfolds: X (Twitter), Instagram, Facebook
The Vini Jr. in Telenovela and Jack Grealish Jungle Game Show films are available here, with the final film to be released next week.
Jack Grealish imagery is available here and Vini Jr. imagery is available here.
About PepsiCo
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $91 billion in net revenue in 2023, driven by a complimentary beverage and convenient foods portfolio that includes Lay’s, Doritos, Cheetos, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Quaker, and SodaStream. PepsiCo’s product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including many iconic brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.
Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with pep+ (PepsiCo Positive). pep+ is our strategic end-to-end transformation that puts sustainability and human capital at the center of how we will create value and growth by operating within planetary boundaries and inspiring positive change for planet and people. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com, and follow on X (Twitter), Instagram, Facebook, and LiinkedIn @PepsiCo.
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Entertainment
Peyton Manning and Eli Manning Face Off Live at Super Bowl LIX in FanDuel’s “Kick of Destiny 3” Campaign
FanDuel customers can make a free pick in the FanDuel Sportsbook app on which Manning they think will win a live field goal competition for a chance to win a share of $10 million in Bonus Bets
NEW YORK /PRNewswire/ — FanDuel, North America’s premier online gaming company and an Official Sports Betting Partner of the National Football League, announced that Peyton Manning and Eli Manning, both two-time Super Bowl Champions, will compete head-to-head on Super Bowl Sunday for the first time in their legendary careers as they face off at Super Bowl LIX in the next installment of the Kick of Destiny. In FanDuel’s “Kick of Destiny 3,” the Manning brothers will have to win with their legs instead of their arms in a kicking competition where they will both attempt field goals live in New Orleans on Super Bowl Sunday.
The live kicking competition will take place in the 3pm ET hour of the FOX Super Bowl Pregame Show and begin with each Manning attempting a 25-yard field goal to win the Kick of Destiny 3. If there is no winner after the initial kicks, the Mannings will get additional attempts. If a tiebreaker is needed after three rounds, the kicker who kicked it closest to the center target on the net in the last round will be declared the winner. FanDuel is offering customers the opportunity to make a free pick on which Manning they think will win through the FanDuel Sportsbook app, with eligible customers who pick correctly winning an equal share of $10 million in Bonus Bets.
“With the Kick of Destiny, we set out to make FanDuel a part of Super Bowl Sunday,” said FanDuel Executive Vice President of Marketing, Andrew Sneyd. “For year three, we’re raising the stakes by introducing a rivalry and a head-to-head Kick of Destiny competition. Peyton & Eli Manning will make history by competing against each other live for the first time in Super Bowl history. May the best Manning win!”
The first ad spot from the “Kick of Destiny 3” campaign opens with the unexpected revelation that, deep down, Eli always wanted to be a kicker. Making this dream a reality is why he is doing “Kick of Destiny 3.” Once Peyton finds out about this dream, he wants in and is determined to beat Eli. The integrated campaign will follow both Mannings as they prepare for the competition and culminates with the live, sudden-death field goal competition on Super Bowl Sunday.
“The Kick of Destiny is becoming a great Super Bowl Sunday tradition, and I’m feeling really good about my chances to get the win,” said Eli Manning. “I look forward to celebrating with everyone in America who picks me to beat Peyton.”
“Eli and I have always been competitive, and this is going to be a fun way to challenge each other in a completely different way,” said Peyton Manning. “I’ve been studying film of great kickers and training hard to make sure I bring home the win for everyone in America who picks me to beat Eli.”
In addition to the live kick during the FOX Super Bowl Pregame Show, fans will also be able to experience the Kick of Destiny through two TV spots in the game. These ads will feature recap footage of the Mannings’ kicking contest edited into a celebration that showcases whether fans who picked Team Peyton or Team Eli won the $10 million in Bonus Bets.
Fans can track the Mannings as they prepare for the “Kick of Destiny 3” by following @FanDuel and @FDSportsbook on X, Instagram and TikTok, subscribing on YouTube at YouTube.com/FanDuel and following #KickofDestiny on X for the latest updates. New and existing FanDuel customers can make their free pick on which Manning brother they think will win in the Sportsbook app ahead of the Super Bowl. More information can be found at www.FanDuel.com/kickofdestiny.
About FanDuel Group
FanDuel Group is the premier mobile gaming company in the United States. FanDuel Group consists of a portfolio of leading brands across mobile wagering including, America’s #1 Sportsbook FanDuel Sportsbook, its leading iGaming platform FanDuel Casino, the industry’s unquestioned leader in horse racing and advance-deposit wagering, FanDuel Racing and its daily fantasy sports product. In addition, FanDuel Group operates FanDuel TV, its broadly distributed linear cable television network and FanDuel TV+, its leading direct-to-consumer OTT platform. FanDuel Group has a presence across all 50 states with approximately 17 million customers and 25 retail locations. The company is based in New York with offices in Los Angeles, Atlanta and Jersey City, as well as in Canada, Scotland, Ireland, Portugal, Romania and Australia.
FanDuel Group is a subsidiary of Flutter Entertainment, the world’s largest sports betting and gaming operator with a portfolio of globally recognized brands and traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: FLUT).
SOURCE FanDuel Group
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Premier Family-Friendly Entertainment Destination Completes 2024 With Multiple Franchise Agreements
DALLAS, Jan. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Altitude Trampoline Park, the leading family-friendly entertainment franchise, is celebrating a remarkable year of development. In 2024, the franchise continues to grow with more agreements, extending its reach to new and existing markets, including Long Island, South Florida, and the Bay Area, continuing its mission to deliver unforgettable family experiences.
Throughout the year, Altitude Trampoline Park strengthened its presence with multi-unit agreements in Connecticut and South Carolina, paving the way for three new parks in each state. The year also saw multiple park openings in California, Florida, Texas and Georgia, driving the brand’s continued growth.
“Altitude Trampoline Park continues to solidify its position as an attractive franchise opportunity, with 2024 being an impressive year for the brand,” said Chris Kuehn, President of Altitude Trampoline Park. “We’ve signed several multi-unit franchise agreements that will bring our parks to new communities and currently have several locations under construction. This momentum reflects the growing demand for family-friendly entertainment, and we’re eager to continue developing our pipeline in 2025.”
Building on its momentum, the company is expanding both its corporate team and franchise network. Chris Kuehn has been named President and Jessica McDonald has been promoted to Vice President of Marketing. In addition, Sean Naughton recently joined as Chief Financial Officer, strengthening the leadership team. On the franchise side, five existing owners have committed to growing their footprint, and 11 new franchisees have joined the system.
In 2025, Altitude will continue to grow with grand openings coming soon in West Palm Beach, Florida; Chicago, Illinois; Cary, North Carolina; Spartanburg, South Carolina; Anaheim, California; and more.
Altitude Trampoline Park is owned by Indoor Active Brands, a platform company that focuses on indoor entertainment concepts. In 2024, Indoor Active Brands launched its latest brand, The Pickle Pad, an indoor pickleball playground featuring a chef-inspired restaurant and bar – Crave Social Eatery, as well as yard and social games for all ages. Established by NRD Capital, Indoor Active Brands utilizes vast FEC and restaurant industry experience to support and assist its franchisees.
The brand is actively seeking qualified candidates to help grow its footprint throughout the U.S. in Kansas City, MO, Minneapolis, MN, Las Vegas, NV, Denver, CO, among others. To learn more about franchise opportunities and upcoming store openings, contact [email protected] or visit www.altitudefranchise.com.
About Altitude Trampoline Park
Altitude Trampoline Park is a premier indoor adventure park offering cutting edge trampolines, games, programs, and celebrations for all ages. Altitude is the home for active family fun! The brand’s successful $10 Endless Jumps Pass, is where members get the max. Guests can, in fact, Jump Happy! with unlimited use of trampolines, soft play, basketball, dodgeball, interactive games and more providing a great way for families to stay together and play together all year long. Nearing 100 locations worldwide, Altitude parks are centrally located and easily accessible, making it the convenient, budget friendly choice for families in 202. 5. More information can be found at altitudetrampolinepark.com.
About Indoor Active Brands
Indoor Active Brands is a platform company focused on owning and operating franchising concepts in the indoor family entertainment and restaurant industry. Created by NRD Capital, Indoor Active Brands currently consists of Altitude Trampoline Park, The Pickle Pad, and Crave Social Eatery. Indoor Active Brands leverages years of experience in the family entertainment and restaurant industries to provide unmatched support for its franchisees. For more information about Indoor Active Brands visit www.indooractivebrands.com.
SOURCE Altitude Trampoline Park
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