UBC-developed placental monitoring technology receives ARPA-H funding
A placental monitoring technology developed at UBC Applied Science has received funding from the U.S. Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) to support expanded clinical studies, including at BC Women's Hospital.
Placental problems can disrupt the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the fetus, leading to restricted growth, premature birth, brain injury or stillbirth. Mothers may also face severe risks, including hemorrhage and organ failure. Yet placental function has long been difficult to assess—conventional ultrasound visualizes the placenta but cannot directly measure how well it is functioning.
Quantitative Ultrasound for Placental Evaluation (QUS-P) is designed to close that gap. It analyzes raw ultrasound signals from placental tissue and applies physics-based algorithms to generate objective measures of placental health during pregnancy and labour.
The technology was co-invented by Dr. Farah Deeba during her PhD research at UBC and by Dr. Robert Rohling, a professor in UBC's Departments of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Mechanical Engineering.
"QUS-P produces a number, not an image, that can be compared against a threshold without subjective interpretation," said Dr. Deeba, now an assistant professor at University of North Carolina Charlotte. "This allows clinicians to identify potential concerns quickly and objectively."
The technology builds on nearly a decade of placental imaging research at UBC and is now being advanced with commercial and clinical partners.
"QUS-P has the potential to change how clinicians assess risk during pregnancy—helping them decide whether a pregnancy can safely be managed at a local facility, or whether transfer, specialist involvement or emergency intervention is needed,” said Dr. Rohling.
Validating early potential
Initial studies at BC Women’s Hospital suggest QUS-P may be able to detect signs of fetal hypoxia, a lack of oxygen to the fetus. Building on those findings, ARPA-H selected QUS-P for further development through its Maternity and Obstetric Care Monitoring Systems (MOCS) program, part of an up to US$90-million initiative to advance technologies that reduce maternal and infant mortality.
UNC Charlotte is leading algorithm and software development, while UBC is leading clinical research and supporting parallel study sites. Vancouver-based Sonus Microsystems, a UBC spinout co-founded by Dr. Rohling, is providing a wearable patch that simplifies data collection.
Atrium Health is providing additional U.S. clinical study sites, and Dr. Leslie Myatt, a placental research expert at Oregon Health & Science University, will validate the QUS-P model against known placental biology.
Widening access to placental monitoring
Conventional ultrasound requires a trained sonographer to position the probe and interpret images. The Sonus patch allows QUS-P use by nurses, midwives and other frontline health-care providers with minimal specialized training. Results are displayed directly on the device, making it suitable for settings without access to advanced imaging equipment or specialist expertise.
UBC's portion of the funding will support clinical research at BC Women's Hospital, where researchers will evaluate the technology in a larger patient population to better understand its role in monitoring placental health. The study is expected to start recruiting participants in fall 2026 and continue for three years.
Researchers ultimately plan to conduct a large-scale clinical trial to support regulatory approval and broader adoption.
“If successful, the technology could improve access to timely prenatal care and support better outcomes for mothers and babies in both high- and low-resource health-care settings,” said Dr. Rohling.
