SoundHealth Debuts Real-Time Nasal Breathing, Patency Assessment Tool

SoundHealth Inc. has launched SONUCheck, a vocal analysis feature in the SONU app that uses voice as a noninvasive biomarker to measure nasal patency. It features a unique machine learning approach that quantifies nasal breathing in real time and provides a personalized score in the SONU app (now available for download).

More than 50% of Americans identify as mouth breathers, studies indicate. Such prevalence highlights the need for increased awareness about the importance of nasal breathing for overall health and well-being.

“SoundHealth’s AI-enabled scoring algorithm, validated by clinical data, continually improves with new voice samples, providing an innovative, accessible way to monitor nasal breathing. Paired with the FDA-approved SONU band, which relieves congestion, it’s the only app-based tool outside clinical settings for assessing nasality in real time,” SoundHealth Founder/CEO Dr. Paramesh Gopi commented.

Mouth breathing has been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular problems, including hypertension and sleep apnea. It negatively affects the respiratory system, introducing unfiltered and poorly humidified air into the lungs, which leads to respiratory infections and inflammation. SONUCheck breaks new ground by empowering users to become aware and quantify their nasal breathing in real time.

Nasal breathing is critical for performance. “Nasal breathing offers numerous health benefits, including improved oxygen uptake, enhanced nitric oxide production, and better filtration of airborne particles. Nasal breathing is critical for proper facial development, dental health, and cognitive function,” said Dr. Jayakar Nayak, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of Otolaryngology at Stanford Otolaryngology — Head & Neck Surgery.

For vocal performers, nasal clarity is imperative as it supports resonance, breath control, and overall vocal quality. The SONU app brings performers and speech language therapists an essential tool to easily assess nasal breathing. “The SONUCheck feature combined with the FDA-approved SONU band gives performers a full suite of tools to take performance to a new level without the side effects of nasal sprays or rinses,” stated Dr. Anais Rameau, chief of Dysphagia, Sean Parker Institute for the Voice; Weill Cornell Medicine Director of New Technologies, Department of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery.

The SONU app leverages artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to analyze and report a nasal breathing score, based on spectral properties and speech metrics of the recorded voice sample.

SONUCheck enhances patient engagement by offering real-time personalized feedback that can be monitored by physicians as part of a remote therapeutic monitoring program. Monitoring congestion symptoms with biomarkers and AI-enabled algorithms enables a proactive approach to respiratory health, reinforcing the patient-provider relationship and driving improved health outcomes.

SoundHealth is a medical technology company that uses artificial intelligence and medical science to improve respiratory and mental health. Company investors include Moai Capital, J4 Ventures, TeleSoft Partners, Tau Ventures, TechU Ventures, and Rhythm Venture Capital.