SoundHealth Debuts AI-Powered Airway Screening Tool

SoundHealth has unveiled its artificial intelligence (AI)-powered mobile platform, a scalable smartphone-based tool designed to screen for obstructive sleep apnea and sleep disordered breathing in pediatric and adult populations.

Airway is a first-of-its-kind mobile platform that aims to make accurate sinonasal and airway function assessment accessible to everyone, overcoming the limitations of traditional methods like CBCT imaging. By leveraging a standard smartphone’s camera and microphone, the Airway app provides a non-invasive, radiation-free solution for large-scale screening in both pediatric and adult populations.

The platform uses two key biometric inputs—3D facial scans and voice recordings. The app captures 3D facial scans using a smartphone camera, extracting craniofacial landmarks that are predictive of internal nasal dimensions. This allows for a virtual reconstruction of airway structures. By analyzing speech resonance patterns from voice recordings taken in both supine and upright positions, the app quantifies nasal airflow and produces a real-time “Voice Nasal Flow Index” (VNFI). This index is sensitive to posture-induced congestion and obstruction.

“We believe the Airway app represents a significant breakthrough in accessible airway diagnostics,” SoundHealth Founder/CEO Paramesh Gopi, Ph.D., stated. “By putting a powerful, accurate and non-invasive screening tool directly into the hands of clinicians and patients, we are entering a new frontier in digital health.”

Validation studies have shown a 95% accuracy in comparing the algorithm’s anatomical estimates to clinical computed tomography scans for key nasal airway parameters. The integrated platform generates three core scores—upper airway susceptibility, lower airway resistance, and the VNFI, which contribute to an overall “Airway Health Score.” This simple, actionable index provides a clear indicator for users and healthcare providers, with a built-in referral system to direct patients to care as needed, according to the company.

Designed for scale, the Airway app is optimized for use in various settings, including schools, dental practices, and sleep clinics. Its non-invasive design makes it particularly well-suited for the early identification of airway dysfunctions that may influence craniofacial development, orthodontic planning, and sleep quality.

For years, clinicians have struggled to identify airway and sleep-breathing disorders early enough to prevent long-term consequences for growth, development, and overall health,” said Dr. Eric Phelps, Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics, the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine, and the American Board of Craniofacial Dental Sleep Medicine. “The Airway app represents a paradigm shift—finally giving us a safe, scalable, and objective tool to screen patients across all ages. This technology has the potential to transform both orthodontics and sleep medicine by making early detection accessible well beyond traditional clinical settings.”

SoundHealth is a medical technology company that harnesses the power of artificial intelligence and medical science to improve respiratory and mental health. The SoundHealth team consists of experienced medical professionals, data scientists and engineers who are passionate about improving healthcare.