Xiaoguang Dong, assistant professor of mechanical engineering and core member of the Vanderbilt Institute for Surgery and Engineering, has received a highly competitive $2.86 million NIH R01 award from the National Institutes of Health to develop a next-generation smart airway stent capable of continuously monitoring airway conditions in patients with central airway obstruction. The technology aims to provide early warning of complications, reducing the need for repeated bronchoscopic examinations and enabling more timely clinical intervention.
Central airway obstruction (CAO) is a life-threatening condition in which the trachea or major bronchi become narrowed or blocked, making it difficult for patients to breathe. The disease affects approximately 20–30% of patients with lung cancer and can also result from other respiratory diseases. Airway stents are commonly used to keep the airway open, but they frequently become obstructed by mucus buildup or infection, often requiring repeated bronchoscopic procedures for evaluation and treatment.
“Today’s airway stents provide structural support, but they cannot tell physicians when complications are developing,” said Dong, a member of the Vanderbilt Institute of Nanoscale Science and Engineering. “Our goal is to transform airway stents into intelligent medical devices that continuously monitor patients and provide early warning before airway obstruction becomes life-threatening.”
Dong’s team will develop a wirelessly powered sensory airway stent capable of measuring mucus accumulation and airway conditions inside the body. The device combines miniature sensors, wireless power transfer, Bluetooth communication, and magnetic actuation to enable long-term monitoring without requiring implanted batteries or frequent invasive procedures.
“If successful, this technology could enable continuous, cost-effective monitoring of airway stents while reducing unnecessary bronchoscopic procedures,” Dong said. “Beyond airway disease, the sensing platform may also be adapted for implantable devices used in the esophagus and other hollow organs.”
The project brings together experts in mechanical engineering, pulmonary medicine, thoracic surgery, and biomechanics. Collaborators include Fabien Maldonado, M.D., an expert in interventional pulmonology and lung cancer; Caitlin Demarest, M.D., Ph.D., an expert in thoracic surgery and large-animal models at Vanderbilt University Medical Center; and Yuxiao Zhou, Ph.D., a biomechanics expert at Texas A&M University.
The NIH R01 is the principal funding mechanism for investigator-initiated biomedical research and is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious research awards for faculty members. The project will support the development and preclinical evaluation of the sensory airway stent over the next five years.
The R01 builds upon Dong’s growing portfolio of NIH-supported research in implantable medical robotics. Earlier this year, he received an NIH R21 award to develop a magnetically powered esophageal stent designed to restore swallowing function in patients with esophageal cancer.