The smart T-shirt that detects hidden heart rhythm conditions

Every week in the UK, 12 people under the age of 35 are lost to sudden cardiac death. In some cases, this happens when someone has an undiagnosed, and therefore untreated, heart rhythm disorder.

These disorders include conditions like Brugada syndrome and long QT syndrome, which can put people at risk of life-threatening heart rhythms, but are often difficult to diagnose. This is because abnormal heart rhythms can come and go, meaning routine heart tests may appear completely normal.

Professor Zachary Whinnett and his team at Imperial College London are tackling this problem by developing a smart T-shirt that could help reveal these hidden conditions and identify people at risk sooner.

Detecting dangerous rhythms that might otherwise be missed

Doctors often use electrocardiograms (ECGs) to diagnose heart rhythm disorders. But if an abnormal rhythm doesn't happen while someone is being monitored, the test may not pick it up. In some cases, doctors need to carry out additional tests to induce an abnormal rhythm, which can carry risks.

Professor Zachary Whinnett, with his colleagues Dr Keenan Saleh and Dr Ahran Arnold,  are developing a smart T-shirt that combines advanced sensors with artificial intelligence (AI) to spot subtle signs of dangerous heart rhythm conditions.

"Things are improving. It reminds us that there is hope."

Professor Zachary Whinnett

Designed to be worn comfortably for weeks or even months at a time, the T-shirt contains sensors that can provide detailed information about the heart's electrical activity. Unlike traditional ECG monitors, the smart T-shirt is designed for long-term, everyday wear. This could make it easier to monitor people for longer, increasing the chances of capturing the rare abnormalities that are often missed by routine tests.

AI will then analyse this information, searching for rare and subtle patterns linked to heart rhythm conditions that humans alone can find difficult to spot.

This technology could transform how some heart rhythm conditions are detected and monitored, by helping doctors to safely monitor people at risk for long enough to spot any warning signs.

For patients, this could mean more people getting the right diagnosis and treatment before a life-threatening event occurs, giving families affected by these conditions a better chance of staying together for longer.