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Columbia University to Lead ARPA-H-Funded Effort to Transform Childbirth Through AI ...
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Fusion42 · 22 July 2026 · Fusion42 review
Columbia University leads a $5m ARPA-H Phase I award to develop HARMONI, an AI-powered wearable system combining an abdominal belt and ear sensor to provide continuous, objective monitoring of maternal and fetal physiology during labour. The system aims to replace decades-old fetal heart rate interpretation with multimodal AI analysis of mother-fetus interaction, with early FDA pathway conversations planned.
This Wire brief sits within Fusion42's coverage of Digital Health.
◆ ◆ The Wire takeaway
If you build obstetric devices or maternal monitoring software, ARPA-H just proved there's $5m-plus appetite for this space and a FDA-engaged path to deployment. The clock is open on replacing equipment that hasn't meaningfully changed since 1969—clinical partners and integrators will be needed immediately in phases two and three.
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1 source · 22 Jul 2026
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