Sports
Wearable Sensor Uses Ultrasound to Provide Cardiac Imaging On the Go
Last Updated on February 10, 2023 by Daily News Staff
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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Sports
Sports Facilities Companies Acquires RCI Sports Management
The Sports Facilities Companies has acquired RCI Sports Management, enhancing its national presence and services in sports tourism and venue operations. This acquisition adds properties in Texas and Kansas, focusing on improving facility performance and revenue generation through integrated marketing and standardized systems, reflecting a trend in consolidating sports facility services.
The Sports Facilities Companies has acquired Texas-based RCI Sports Management, a move that expands its national footprint while strengthening its position in sports tourism, venue operations, and economic impact services for municipalities and private owners.
The deal adds RCI-managed properties in Texas and Kansas to the SF Network, including The Refinery Fieldhouse in Garden City, Amarillo Netplex in Amarillo, and Travis Fields at Midtown Park in Bryan. Together, the facilities broaden SFC’s reach in mid-market communities where youth sports, tournaments, and event programming are increasingly tied to hotel stays, visitor spending, and local business activity.
SFC said the acquisition will help accelerate facility performance through integrated marketing, sponsorship sales, standardized operating systems, and expanded event and tourism pipelines. That makes this more than a management deal — it reflects the continued consolidation of sports facility services as operators look to scale revenue generation, improve efficiency, and deliver stronger returns for public and private partners.
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Source: The Sports Facilities Companies via PR Newswire
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Sports
The U.S. Army Names Soldier-Athletes Headed to the 2026 Winter Games in Italy
The U.S. Army says nine WCAP Soldier-athletes and coaches will compete at the 2026 Winter Games in Italy in bobsled, biathlon, Nordic combined and figure skating—showcasing elite fitness, discipline and performance.
The U.S. Army is sending a new group of Soldier-athletes to one of the biggest stages in international sports.
In a Jan. 29, 2026 announcement, the Army said nine Soldier-athletes and coaches will represent the United States at the 2026 Winter Games in Italy, with two additional Soldiers traveling as alternates. The group will compete across bobsled, biathlon, Nordic combined, and pairs figure skating—sports that demand equal parts endurance, precision, and mental toughness.
Who’s representing the Army at the 2026 Winter Games
According to the release, the Army’s lineup of Soldier-athletes and coaches includes:
Competing and coaching in Italy
- Lt. Col. Chris Fogt (Bobsled Head Coach)
- Lt. Col. Garrett Hines (Bobsled Coach)
- Sgt. 1st Class Shauna Rohbock (Bobsled Coach)
- Sgt. Frank Del Duca (Bobsled)
- Spc. Azaria Hill (Bobsled)
- Staff Sgt. Deedra Irwin (Biathlon)
- Spc. Sean Doherty (Biathlon)
- Sgt. Ben Loomis (Nordic Combined)
- Pvt. Spencer Howe (Pairs Figure Skating)
Alternates
- Cpl. Hakeem Abdul-Saboor (Bobsled Alternate)
- Spc. Dana Kellogg (Luge Doubles Alternate)
Soldier first, athlete always
The Army emphasized that WCAP athletes remain full-time Soldiers while training and competing at the elite level. Brig. Gen. Matthew Braman, the Army’s Chief Marketing Officer, said the same traits built through military service—discipline, mental agility, teamwork, and readiness—translate directly into high-level athletic performance.
“Even when competing at the highest level, these athletes are U.S. Army Soldiers first,” Braman said in the release, adding that they’re trained to be “tactically and technically proficient” and prepared to perform in any environment.
What is the World Class Athlete Program (WCAP)?
The Soldier-athletes train and serve through the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program (WCAP), which supports top-ranked Soldiers competing at the international level. WCAP provides coaching, facilities, and training resources while ensuring Soldiers maintain their readiness and complete mandatory Army requirements.
While WCAP was officially established in 1997, the Army says it has been training Soldier-athletes for more than 75 years. Over that span, the Army has sent more than 600 Soldier-athletes to compete on the world stage, earning more than 120 medals across summer and winter sports.
Italy adds a layer of Army history
This year’s Winter Games location also carries historical meaning for the Army. The release points to World War II, when the 10th Mountain Division—an elite unit trained for mountain warfare—climbed Riva Ridge in northern Italy in a mission that helped shift momentum in the war.
After returning home, many Soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division helped build the foundation of the American ski industry by establishing ski resorts and ski schools across the U.S.—a legacy that still shows up in winter sports culture today.
Braman called the upcoming Games “a unique moment” to honor both the Army’s history in alpine terrain and its long-standing presence in elite athletics.
What to Watch For
- Biathlon conditioning: How Soldier-athletes balance endurance output with shooting precision under fatigue.
- Bobsled power and speed: Starts win races—watch for explosive sprint mechanics and teamwork on push phases.
- Nordic combined workload: One of the toughest mixes in sport; look for training insights on strength-to-weight and aerobic capacity.
- Recovery and readiness: How WCAP athletes manage sleep, mobility, and injury prevention while staying Soldier-ready.
- Italy’s alpine backdrop: The region’s mountain history adds context—and pressure—for performance in cold, high-demand environments.
Learn more
For more information about the U.S. Army and opportunities like WCAP, the release directs readers to GoArmy.com, including GoArmy.com/world-class-athlete-program.
Source: U.S. Army (PRNewswire), Jan. 29, 2026
Related External Links
- U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program (WCAP) – Overview of how Soldier-athletes train and compete at the elite level.
- GoArmy.com – Learn more about U.S. Army opportunities and careers.
- Team USA – Athlete news, sport profiles, and updates across Olympic and Paralympic disciplines.
- Olympics.com – Official Winter Games coverage, schedules, and sport explainers.
- International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) – Rules, rankings, and event info for Nordic disciplines, including Nordic combined.
- International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation (IBSF) – Bobsled and skeleton sport info, events, and athlete resources.
- International Biathlon Union (IBU) – Biathlon news, event calendars, and performance insights.
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Want more sports and fitness coverage that’s worth your time—athlete training, performance trends, major events, and the stories behind the grind? Keep up with our latest at STM Daily News – Sports .
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Sports
CourtsApp Launches as “The Healthiest App in the World,” Turning Screen Time Into Play Time
CourtsApp, branded as “the healthiest app in the world,” aims to reduce screen time by encouraging users to engage in racquet sports like tennis and pickleball. The platform facilitates easy court bookings without membership fees, promoting movement and social interaction. Expansion plans cover various U.S. regions, maximizing accessibility for players.
If your New Year’s reset includes less scrolling and more moving, CourtsApp is trying to make that switch ridiculously easy.
CourtsApp has officially launched with a bold claim—calling itself “the healthiest app in the world”—and the positioning is clear: it’s not another wellness app asking for more screen time. It’s a tool designed to get you off your phone and onto a court.
What CourtsApp is (and why it’s different)
CourtsApp is an AI-powered marketing and booking platform that helps players instantly find and book open courts for tennis, pickleball, padel, and other racquet sports—often at discounted prices. The key point: no membership fees are required.
That matters because “friction” is one of the biggest reasons people don’t play as often as they want to. If booking a court means juggling memberships, phone calls, limited availability, or confusing club policies, most people default to the easier option: staying home.
CourtsApp’s pitch is simple: open the app, find a court, book it, and go play.
Turning screen time into play time
Most apps compete for attention. CourtsApp is leaning into the opposite idea—convert screen time into movement.
The average adult now spends more than seven hours a day looking at screens, a trend that’s often linked with rising rates of obesity, heart disease, anxiety, and social isolation. CourtsApp is positioning itself as a healthier relationship with your phone: use it briefly, then put it away and get outside.
Instead of tracking steps or pushing workouts through a screen, the app is built around real-world activity—full-body movement, outdoor play, and social connection.
Why racquet sports are having a moment
CourtsApp’s launch also taps into a bigger trend: racquet sports are booming, and not just because they’re fun.
Founder and CEO Daren Hornig argues that sports like tennis and pickleball can be a stronger path to fitness and longevity than the typical “10,000 steps” mindset.
“CourtsApp turns your phone into a gateway to real-world health,” Hornig said. “For years, we’ve been told that you can stay fit and lose weight by walking 10,000 steps a day, taking a Peloton class online or going to a gym. However, sports like tennis and pickleball give you a greater chance to achieve your health and fitness goals and live a longer and healthier life. And there’s no better time to start than the New Year.”
The company also points to research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, citing long-term data following more than 80,000 adults over nearly a decade. According to the release, participants in racquet sports saw a 47% lower risk of death from any cause and up to a 56% lower risk of cardiovascular-related death compared to non-participants.
Where CourtsApp is live now—and what’s next
CourtsApp is currently live for players across:
- New York
- New Jersey
- Connecticut
The platform already lists more than 1,500 courts across 150+ facilities in those markets.
Next up: expansion from Maine to Florida by Q1 2026, followed by market-by-market growth as club density increases. The release also calls out additional play-in markets including:
- Southern California
- Texas
- Pacific Northwest
Flexible pricing, more access, fewer barriers
One of the most practical angles here is affordability and access.
CourtsApp highlights discounted pricing during quieter hours—helping players turn a random free afternoon into court time without committing to a membership or paying peak-hour rates.
For clubs, the platform doubles as a marketing and booking engine. For players, it’s a shortcut to the thing they actually want: a court that’s open right now.
The bigger takeaway
CourtsApp is betting on a simple truth: people don’t need more motivation apps—they need fewer obstacles.
If the app delivers on its promise (fast booking, real inventory, and meaningful discounts), it could become a go-to tool for anyone trying to make movement a habit—especially in sports like pickleball and tennis where access and scheduling can make or break consistency.
Players and clubs can learn more or join the platform at CourtsApp.com.
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- CourtsApp (Official Site)
- More Sports + Wellness Coverage on STM Daily News
- Pickleball News & Updates
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