The at-home monitoring device is designed to track early signs of asthma and provides clinicians with continuous or on-demand remote monitoring of lung sounds. The real-time data enables healthcare professionals to monitor a child’s condition between clinic visits and respond early if a child’s symptoms worsen.

The easy-to-wear device, called AeviceMD, was developed by Aevice Health, a Singaporean digital health company and a graduate of the Cedars-Sinai Accelerator program.

“I saw strong potential in this technology to support how we monitor and manage children with reactive airway issues like asthma outside of the clinical setting,” said Irina Dralyuk, MD, a pediatric pulmonologist at Guerin Children’s. “Being able to assess respiratory symptoms in real time, especially overnight, provides valuable information that can guide earlier intervention and help prevent more serious breathing complications.”

About 4.5 million children in the United States have asthma, making it one of the most common chronic pediatric diseases. Traditionally, doctors have monitored children with asthma through periodic clinic visits and caregiver-reported symptoms such as rapid breathing, chest congestion and breathing difficulties.

However, asthma symptoms often fluctuate widely between visits, and self-reported symptoms are often unreliable. This makes managing worsening symptoms between appointments very difficult.

The wearable stethoscope allows parents to utilize the device at home to record lung sounds and securely share recordings with their doctors. The data enables doctors to build a more complete picture of disease progression, track medication use and assess how patients’ symptoms evolve in response to their treatment plan.

“What we’re trying to do is prevent exacerbations, reduce hospitalizations and emergency department visits, and limit the need for interventions such as systemic steroid use to control asthma symptoms,” Dralyuk said. “Intervening early could decrease chronic inflammation and improve lung function and health over time.”

Children can wear the device, about the size of a half-dollar coin, on the chest for up to 10 hours a day. It is designed for use in children 3 and older.

“We built AeviceMD to make this kind of continuous symptom visibility possible. Having our technology deployed at a large, world-class health system like Cedars-Sinai validates our belief that there is a critical, unmet patient need,” said Adrian Ang, CEO of Aevice Health.

The device is the result of a multiyear collaboration with Cedars-Sinai that began in 2022 and included clinical input from physicians at Guerin Children’s. The collaboration included key regulatory milestones and a pilot program to evaluate the device’s effectiveness in pediatric respiratory monitoring. In 2023, the device received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

“This collaboration demonstrates the importance of providing clinical and operational support to help advance a company’s promising technology toward real-world patient benefit,” said Nirdesh K. Gupta, PhD, managing partner of Cedars-Sinai Intellectual Property Company. “It’s an exciting example of how innovation can directly impact care and improve the way we manage chronic conditions like asthma.”

Read more from Cedars-Sinai Stories and Insights: Common Breathing Problems in Kids and How to Treat Them

The investigators want to study how the weakened gravitational pull in space affects the growth of organoids—small collections of cells that emulate the form and function of human organs. Scientists use organoids to model diseases and test drugs, and the hope is that they will grow more quickly in space than on Earth.

Putting Research Into Practice

“Our ultimate goal is to accelerate the progress of biological research and discovery,” said Arun Sharma, PhD, director of the Center for Space Medicine Research and research scientist in the Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute at Cedars-Sinai. “Our partnership with Exobiosphere furthers Cedars-Sinai’s mission to be at the forefront of space biomedicine while deepening our understanding of how organoids develop in microgravity.”

Sharma and his colleagues hope to speed the discovery of therapies that treat medical issues astronauts experience, including bone and muscle loss and heart and immune system degradation. These discoveries could also be applied to terrestrial patients experiencing similar conditions, such as sarcopenia (muscle loss), osteoporosis (bone weakening) and cardiomyopathy (enlargement, stiffening or weakening of the heart muscle).

“Drugs that are used to treat astronauts can also benefit people on Earth, making a potential broader impact for millions of patients,” Sharma said.

Partnering to Solve Challenges of Research in Space

Microgravity offers tremendous opportunities for scientific discovery but also creates challenges that investigators don’t face on Earth. For example, when astronauts open petri dishes in space, the fluid and cells inside drift out.

However, a Cedars-Sinai study co-authored by Sharma and led by Maedeh Mozneb, PhD, from the Sharma Lab, found that in 96-well plates—rows of tiny wells much smaller than petri dishes—surface tension is strong enough to hold the contents in place.

“It was the first time that anybody has ever showed that you can take this piece of affordable hardware that’s commonly used in labs on ground and bring it to space to do cell biology research,” said Sharma, a research professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences and the Smidt Heart Institute. “In a way, it's democratizing life sciences.”

Building on this discovery, Exobiosphere developed a research platform that automates organoid experimentation in microgravity. The hardware integrates precision liquid handling, environmental control, robotic manipulation and live imaging—capabilities that previously required intensive astronaut intervention.

"This system is designed to remove barriers for scientists," said Kyle Acierno, CEO of Exobiosphere. "By streamlining the complexity of space-based research, we’re enabling our partners to focus on the science itself—delivering data faster, with greater consistency, and at a scale that’s never been possible in orbit."

The unit, about the size of a carry-on suitcase, accommodates six 96-well plates and includes a built-in incubator, microfluidic‑based liquid dispenser, plate reader and robotic arm. While optimized for microgravity, the platform can also enhance lab productivity on Earth.

Exobiosphere’s innovative work earned it a spot in the Cedars-Sinai Accelerator+ program, which invests in startups focused on improving healthcare to help bring their products to market. Cedars-Sinai Technology Ventures also recently made a $1.4 million investment in the company and will provide mentorship from researchers.  

"As an academic medical center committed to innovation, we are thrilled to invest in a company conducting important biosciences research in space while collaborating with our colleagues at the Center for Space Medicine Research," said Nirdesh K. Gupta, PhD, managing partner of Cedars-Sinai Intellectual Property Company. "Our work together exemplifies our dedication to advancing breakthrough technologies that transform healthcare in space and on Earth."

Read more from Discoveries: Space Doctors and Stem Cell Production in Microgravity

The new fund is Cedars-Sinai’s third international venture initiative, deepening the organization’s commitment to investing in novel healthcare technologies worldwide to enhance patient care. Cedars-Sinai leaders made the announcement in June at healthcare innovation conference HLTH Europe 2025.

“At Cedars-Sinai, we are dedicated to advancing innovations that improve patient care while making healthcare more efficient and cost effective. With Coronet Netherlands, we are building new global partnerships to access leading science, accelerate clinical translation and help bring breakthrough technologies to patients faster,” said James D. Laur, JD, chief executive of Intellectual Property and Health Ventures at Cedars-Sinai, and co-founder of the Cedars-Sinai Accelerator.

Coronet Ventures Netherlands will focus on early-stage health technology and biomedical startups working on innovations targeted for the U.S. market, investing $50 million over the next decade. Through its relationship with Cedars-Sinai, the fund will be able to connect startups with vast clinical data to test and verify new technology, launch pilot programs and test products. Cedars-Sinai will likewise benefit from the innovations developed by the Dutch startups.

The fund is part of Cedars-Sinai Technology Ventures, which accelerates the translation of research and early-stage innovations into real-world healthcare by connecting scientists, entrepreneurs and investors with the U.S. market—ultimately driving advancements that will benefit patients at Cedars-Sinai and around the world. It previously established two other international investment funds—Coronet Ventures and Coronet Ventures Singapore. Building partnerships is key to its mission.  

“This partnership allows us to create a platform with underlying capital that also offers deep clinical validation and commercialization support to help healthcare and biotechnology companies scale more quickly into the U.S.,” said Nirdesh K. Gupta, PhD, managing partner of Cedars-Sinai Intellectual Property Company.

The new venture fund builds on four years of collaboration between Cedars-Sinai Technology Ventures and Dutch innovators. Since 2021, Cedars-Sinai Technology Ventures has met with startups from the Netherlands to explore opportunities with the Cedars-Sinai Accelerator—a Technology Ventures subsidiary that supports early-stage companies with mentorship and a $100,000 investment.

Two Dutch startups have already participated in the accelerator program: HealthPlus.ai, which uses electronic health records and artificial intelligence to predict patients’ infection risk and assist with early medical intervention, and Syntho, which uses artificial intelligence to generate synthetic healthcare data used by medical researchers. Syntho has since completed a pilot program with Cedars-Sinai and is in discussions to collaborate with the organization’s Artificial Intelligence Lab.

Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Blog: A Technology Transfer Office Success

To initiate the ongoing collaboration, Cedars-Sinai Intellectual Property Company and OSE have invested $2 million in Neu Health, a startup from the University of Oxford. The London-based organization offers a digital smartphone-based neurology-care platform to improve outcomes for Parkinson’s disease and dementia patients. This investment follows Neu Health’s participation in Cedars-Sinai’s 10th Accelerator program last year.

“The research produced at Oxford is of the highest caliber,” said Shlomo Melmed, MB, ChB, executive vice president of Medicine and Health Sciences and dean of the Medical Faculty at Cedars-Sinai. “We are delighted to further pursue this ongoing relationship with OSE, which will serve our patients and strengthen the academic and clinical missions of Cedars-Sinai.”

The Neu Health platform, backed by more than a decade of research and clinical validation by University of Oxford, includes a patient app linked to a care team dashboard. The platform uses unique data and artificial intelligence to translate motor and non-motor symptoms as well as cognitive and mental health abilities into objective, actionable information for clinicians. With increasing usage in the United Kingdom, the company will pilot its digital platform at Cedars-Sinai to expand and enter the United States market. The first 150 neurology patients are expected to start using the Neu Health app soon as part of the six-month pilot program.

“We are excited to strengthen our relationship with Cedars-Sinai, given our shared commitment to commercializing world-leading research and building innovative businesses,” said Heather Roxborough, PhD, senior partner of Health Tech at Oxford Science Enterprises. “This partnership plays a critical role in accelerating our entry into the United States market, providing our companies access to invaluable commercial and clinical insights and the opportunity to test our healthcare technologies.”

Through the strategic partnership, the two respected organizations aim to foster the growth of innovative health-tech startups, expand U.S. and U.K. market reach and plan future alliances on both sides of the Atlantic.  

"Investing in the research and technology coming out of Oxford through our partnership with Oxford Science Enterprises is the beginning of what we hope will become a long and fruitful relationship," said James D. Laur, JD, chief executive of Cedars-Sinai Intellectual Property Company. "Together, we can work on furthering Cedars-Sinai’s mission of providing patients around the world the best care possible.”

Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Blog: A Technology Transfer Office Success

During the Demo Day program, leaders from the 10 startup companies selected to participate in the accelerator program will take to the stage in Las Vegas and pitch their products and progress to potential investors, mentors, healthcare executives and members of the media.

Women's and maternal health will be a key focus area for several startups.  Innovative, tech-driven approaches range from reducing maternal mortality rates by utilizing artificial intelligence-powered strategies to developing new solutions for patients with chronic conditions who need accommodations.

The Cedars-Sinai Accelerator offers a mentorship-driven program for early-stage healthcare and health-tech companies. Each participating company receives an investment of $100,000 and the company’s leaders spend three months receiving hands-on mentoring from Cedars-Sinai experts.

Since its inception in 2016, the accelerator has supported more than 90 early-stage health-tech ventures across four continents that have participated in the accelerator program. Cumulatively, alumni companies have raised more than $800 million in funding.

"Over the past three months, these health-tech companies have gained invaluable insights into the complexities of the healthcare industry,” said Nirdesh K. Gupta, PhD, managing partner of Cedars-Sinai Intellectual Property Company. “Our goal is to boost the development of the next generation of healthcare and biomedical enterprises that will transform healthcare quality and care delivery at Cedars-Sinai and beyond.”

Companies Participating in Demo Day 

• Elaborate offers software to automate clinical administrative tasks and deliver patient-friendly lab results. The company focuses on reducing healthcare providers' in-basket time and improving patients' understanding of their health data.
• Fraiya creates AI-powered tools for pregnancy ultrasound that improve medical diagnoses, empower healthcare professionals and enhance patient care.
• HealthPlus.ai’s solution, PERISCOPE, is an AI-based decision-support tool that accurately predicts infection risks using existing electronic health record data. The Netherlands-based company aims to facilitate early medical intervention and reduce unnecessary hospital stays.
• HERA Biotech is a Texas-based company that seeks to harness biotechnology to address unmet needs in women’s health, specifically reproductive medicine. The company’s initial solution is to commercialize MetriDx, a novel, nonsurgical test that provides definitive diagnosis and staging of endometriosis.
• iCardio.ai develops AI-based software to analyze echocardiograms and produce cardiologist reports. It recognizes multiple pathologies and identifies at-risk patients, increases visibility into abnormalities, and increases the accuracy of a diagnosis.
• Kinexcs, a Singapore-based company, offers KIMIA Recover, a postsurgical monitoring device that allows remote monitoring of joint conditions and provides live feedback to patients on a regular basis.
• Momentum Health from Canada is a digital health application that leverages 3D imaging and artificial intelligence to screen for scoliosis and monitor patients remotely.
• Neu Health, a London-based company, provides a smartphone-based platform and patient program designed to monitor and manage symptoms of Parkinson's disease and dementia. The platform uses AI and machine learning to predict clinical outcomes and optimize care.
• NOMA AI, a Pittsburgh-based company, is a clinical decision-support tool that aims to identify maternal hemorrhage risk earlier and more accurately.
• Pulse Charter Connect is a Chicago-based company that provides a digital platform to optimize and automate coordination and logistics processes for organ transport.

To schedule an interview, contact:

• Cara Martinez at cara.martinez@cshs.org or 310-562-7821
• Shishira Sreenivas at shishira.sreenivas@cshs.org or 202-297-0220

As the managing partner at CSIP Co., Gupta will oversee the growth and co-development of healthcare and life sciences innovations and investments. He will focus on creation of new ventures and building early-stage relationships with technology companies and guiding them through the commercialization process.

In his role leading Technology Ventures Seed and Equity Investments, Gupta was pivotal in the creation of several Cedars-Sinai spinoffs and led equity investments in over 20 companies, achieving multiple successful exits. Under his leadership, the enterprise secured more than 1,200 patents covering a wide range of medical technologies at Cedars-Sinai. Additionally, more than 100 licenses were executed, and over 60 technologies were developed, leading to successful co-development and product launches. These efforts collectively generated over $1 billion in income. Commercializing scientific and medical innovation provides crucial support for Cedars-Sinai’s research initiatives and charitable mission. With his demonstrated ability to scale and bring new inventions to market, Gupta will continue to carry out Cedars-Sinai’s mission.

“We congratulate Dr. Gupta on his well-deserved appointment,” said James Laur, JD, chief executive of Intellectual Property and Health Ventures and co-founder of the Cedars-Sinai Accelerator. “Dr. Gupta’s exceptional operational leadership has led our Technology Venture enterprise to become a uniquely successful program consistently ranked nationally among the top 10 programs.”

Since joining Cedars-Sinai in 2012, Gupta has provided leadership to Cedars-Sinai Technology Ventures, the Cedars-Sinai Accelerator, and Business Units and Commercial Enterprises at Cedars-Sinai, such as Coronet Ventures (Singapore), 3rd Street Diagnostics, the Medically Associated Science and Technology (MAST) program, Quantitative Diagnostic Software Group (QUAD) and Cedars-Sinai Biomanufacturing Center. Gupta has played an integral and strategic role in developing an international network of academic, industry, and venture partners with deep relationships in Singapore, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.

“I am thrilled to take on this new role and contribute to the ambitious plans of the Cedars-Sinai Intellectual Property Company,” Gupta said. “I look forward to collaborating with faculty and institutional leadership to support the growth and optimization of existing programs, expanding our initiatives and driving innovation to new heights as we optimize healthcare and improve the quality of life for patients at Cedars-Sinai.”

Prior to joining Cedars-Sinai, Gupta was the director of research and development at California State University, Los Angeles. He was a nominated member of the Business Advisory Council of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) and has served on its Innovation and Competitiveness Task Force.

Gupta holds a PhD in medicinal and biological chemistry and a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy.

Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Blog: Virtual Reality and the Brain-Body Connection