Your next heart test might start in your dresser: AI smart T-shirt aims to spot hidden inherited heart rhythm disorders
Researchers at Imperial College London are developing an AI-powered smart T-shirt with up to 50 woven ECG-style sensors that records continuously, aiming to detect intermittent inherited heart rhythm disorders often missed by short hospital ECGs and speed earlier diagnosis.
Key takeaways
- Continuous, comfortable monitoring: Soft sportswear fabric holds up to 50 ECG-style sensors to record while users go about daily life.
- AI analysis trained on >1,000 ECGs: Algorithms receive funding and data to learn signals tied to inherited rhythms such as Brugada syndrome.
- Early feasibility study: Over £340,000 from the British Heart Foundation supports training and a planned ~200-person wear study up to three months.
- Timeline and limits: Clinical use is possible in roughly five years if trials and regulators approve; AI decisions will be paired with clinician review.
How the smart T-shirt works
The prototype resembles exercise clothing: soft, washable fabric woven with as many as 50 small ECG-style sensors positioned to pick up tiny electrical signals from the heart. The shirt records continuously while a person moves, sleeps and performs daily activities, and is designed to be worn under regular clothes to reduce skin irritation and the inconvenience of adhesive electrodes.
Recorded data are fed to an AI system that searches for electrical patterns associated with inherited rhythm disorders such as Brugada syndrome. Researchers are training the AI on ECG recordings from more than 1,000 people — a mix of individuals with known inherited conditions and healthy volunteers — so the system can learn to distinguish genuine risk signals from normal variation. (Source: Imperial College London.)
Why extended monitoring matters
A standard hospital ECG lasts minutes; portable home monitors commonly record for 24–48 hours with adhesive pads placed precisely on the chest. Those brief snapshots can miss intermittent but dangerous rhythms that appear only briefly — sometimes during sleep or stress — then disappear.
By collecting days or weeks of continuous data, clinicians can spot small irregular patterns that repeat or relate to other events, changing diagnosis and guiding treatment that may prevent sudden cardiac death. As Professor Zachary Whinnett — lead on the project — put it:
“Far too many people die from inherited heart conditions which could be treated if they were identified earlier… We hope our AI-assisted t-shirt will provide a practical and comfortable solution.”
The research plan and funding
The study has received more than £340,000 from the British Heart Foundation to develop AI and run initial tests. The team is collaborating with the NIHR Imperial Biomedical Research Centre and will run an early feasibility study at Hammersmith Hospital’s Peart-Rose Research Unit (details: Imperial College London).
Next phase: about 200 adults will wear the T-shirt for up to three months while researchers evaluate how well the system detects abnormal rhythms in daily life. If results are promising, testing would expand and regulatory approval would be sought; the team estimates possible clinical adoption in roughly five years, contingent on larger trials and regulator review.
What patients can expect and limits
The device remains a research prototype and has so far been tested in lab conditions and on limited datasets. Upcoming studies will evaluate performance when people move, sweat and sleep. Initial testing focuses on adults; inclusion of children would depend on safety and efficacy data.
AI limitations: The system is only as good as its training data and requires clinical oversight to reduce false positives and missed events. Researchers plan to pair AI outputs with clinician review before any diagnostic decisions are made. Professor James Leiper, research director at the British Heart Foundation, said the project “will leverage the power of AI to help clinicians unmask these hidden conditions and identify patients at risk of sudden death.”
Regulatory and ethical considerations
Before clinical prescribing, the product and its AI algorithms must pass clinical trials and regulatory review in the UK and potentially other countries. Reviews will examine safety, accuracy, data security and privacy. Continuous heart monitoring creates sensitive personal health information; the research team states it follows strict clinical research rules and will work with regulators on approvals. (Source: Imperial College London.)
Evidence and reporting
Media and institutional releases in early 2026 report consistent details: up to 50 sensors, BHF funding, training on more than 1,000 ECGs, and a planned 200-person feasibility study lasting up to three months. Coverage includes institutional pages and news outlets that form the basis of this story (see sources below).
Implications for San Diego, California
Economic and health care impact
- Hospitals and clinics in San Diego could benefit from earlier detection tools that reduce catastrophic heart events, potentially shifting resources toward outpatient follow-up and family genetic testing.
- Local biotech and medtech firms may see commercial partnership and manufacturing opportunities if the shirt proves reliable.
Clinical practice and patient care
- Comfortable, washable T-shirts could improve adherence versus adhesive electrodes and bulky monitors, increasing detection among residents with intermittent symptoms or family history.
- Clinics serving athletes, veterans and young people might use the shirt for long-term screening without disrupting daily life.
Public health and equity
- Early detection tools could help identify at-risk individuals across diverse San Diego communities, but equitable access will depend on coverage, cost and outreach.
Practical considerations for residents
San Diego residents curious about inherited heart rhythm disorders should consult primary care physicians or cardiologists about family history and current testing options. The smart T-shirt is a research device and is not yet available for clinical use; clinicians could adopt it if trials and regulatory approvals succeed.
Local research opportunities
Academic centers and hospitals in San Diego, such as UC San Diego Health, could be candidates for future trials or collaborations if the shirt advances to broader testing. Local investigators may follow updates from Imperial College London and the British Heart Foundation for collaboration opportunities.
Sources and further reading
- Imperial College London — AI-assisted smart T‑shirt being developed
- Imperial College London — AI T‑shirt could improve heart monitoring
- British Heart Foundation — Smart T‑shirt coverage
- Fox News coverage
- Medical Xpress — Smart shirt report
This article is based on reporting and institutional releases from Imperial College London, the British Heart Foundation, Fox News and Medical Xpress.
