New digital health tool launches for cough monitoring

Coughs tell a story — one that scientists and doctors have been trying to decipher for years. Now, thanks to a partnership between US-based — ActiGraph and Hyfe — that story is getting clearer. The global leader in wearable health tech and the pioneer in AI-powered cough detection have joined forces, bringing a breakthrough digital health tool to the world of clinical research. Their secret weapon? The ActiGraph LEAP wearable, now enhanced with Hyfe's cutting-edge cough detection algorithms.

This collaboration isn't just about tracking coughs; it's about revolutionizing how researchers measure patient symptoms in real-world settings.

"Cough detection is not simple and especially hard to do well at scale," says Christine Guo, Chief Scientific Officer at ActiGraph. "We designed our LEAP wearable with the appropriate sensors and firmware to detect and count cough events over extended time periods in a real-world environment."

How does it work?

At its core, this solution pairs ActiGraph's LEAP device — a wearable packed with sensors that track movement, sleep, and vital signs — with Hyfe's AI-powered cough monitoring system. The magic happens in the software. Hyfe's patented algorithms pick up cough events without recording audio, preserving patient privacy while delivering high-precision data.

Hyfe's technology isn't just theoretical; it's been rigorously tested. "We built the world's first-ever privacy-preserving cough-monitoring algorithms so that longitudinal cough data could be widely available within research and healthcare," says Peter Small, Hyfe's Chief Scientific Officer. Their AI has already been validated across 49 research trials, spanning 16 different clinical conditions — from COPD and asthma to heart failure and oncology.

What makes this tool truly stand out is its ability to track cough frequency passively, both day and night, over weeks or months. Traditionally, researchers relied on patient-reported data or clunky recording devices that captured only short 24-hour windows. This new method paints a fuller, more accurate picture of a patient's symptoms over time.

Why does it matter?

Coughing is more than just an annoyance — it's a symptom that can signal serious underlying health conditions. But until now, researchers have struggled to capture its full impact. With this tool, clinical trials can measure cough frequency with unprecedented accuracy, leading to better treatments and, ultimately, improved patient care.

Beyond drug development, the potential applications are vast. A chronic cough can be a red flag for respiratory illnesses, cancer, or even cardiovascular disease. By giving researchers a window into how cough patterns evolve over time, this technology could pave the way for earlier diagnoses and more effective interventions.

The context

This collaboration is part of ActiGraph's Accelerant partnership program, which aims to push the boundaries of digital health technologies in clinical research. ActiGraph has long been at the forefront of wearable health tech, with its devices appearing in over 25,000 scientific studies. Meanwhile, Hyfe's AI is reshaping how we think about coughs — not just as an occasional inconvenience, but as a key biomarker in medicine.

In a world where data drives discovery, this partnership is setting a new standard for how we monitor, understand, and treat chronic conditions. And for patients, that means a future where their symptoms don't just get noted — they get solved.