NIHR BRC · Imperial Health Charity

Pre-Doctoral Research Fellowship

WEAN-O₂: A Nurse-Led Feasibility Study of a Wearable Oxygen-Enrichment and Physiological-Monitoring System for Post-Respiratory Illness Recovery

Funding: Up to £85,000 · Duration: 12 months full-time

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Research Programme

Study Aims & Objectives

Assess the technical feasibility of the WEAN-O₂ modular system under controlled benchtop conditions

Evaluate user acceptability and wearability through a structured usability study with healthy volunteers

Develop and validate a closed-loop control algorithm using a patient-specific digital twin model

Conduct a systematic review of wearable oxygen-enrichment technologies in post-respiratory illness recovery

Generate preliminary evidence to support a future NIHR Doctoral Fellowship application and clinical trial

Project Timeline

12-Month Research Plan

M1–M2

Project Setup & Governance

HRA/IRAS ethics approval
PPI advisory group established
Systematic review protocol registered (PROSPERO)

M3–M5

Benchtop Feasibility Testing

Electrochemical cell prototype tested
PDMS membrane O₂ permeability characterised
Sensor integration validated (SpO₂, temp, resp rate)

M5–M6

System Integration & Simulation

Closed-loop control algorithm tested in simulation
Digital twin model calibrated
Safety kernel validated against failure scenarios

M7–M8

Clinical Usability Evaluation

N=10–15 healthy volunteer usability study
System Usability Scale (SUS) scores collected
Semi-structured qualitative interviews completed

M9–M10

Data Analysis & Synthesis

Quantitative analysis (descriptive statistics, SUS)
Thematic analysis of qualitative data
Feasibility assessment report completed

M11–M12

Dissemination & Next-Stage Planning

Manuscript submitted to peer-reviewed journal
Conference presentations (BTS/ERS)
NIHR Doctoral Fellowship application prepared

Budget

Cost Justification

Total requested funding: £85,000

CategoryAmountJustification

Staff Salary£45,000Band 5 backfill for 12 months (80% protected research time)

Consumables & Materials£8,500Sensor components, PDMS membranes, electrochemical cell materials, nanofiber filters

Equipment (Laptop)£1,500Research-grade laptop for data analysis, simulation, and manuscript preparation

Training & Development£5,000GCP, research methods, statistics, academic writing courses

Travel & Conferences£4,000NIHR ARC conferences, BTS Winter Meeting, ERS International Congress

PPI & Engagement£2,500Patient advisory group sessions, catering, volunteer expenses

Open Access Publication£3,500APC fees for 1–2 open-access publications in respiratory/digital health journals

Indirect Costs£15,000Institutional overhead (standard rate)

TOTAL£85,000

Supervision

Academic Supervisory Team

Strategic Alignment

NIHR & NHS Priorities

Patient Safety

Reducing deterioration events and improving early warning through continuous monitoring

NHS Efficiency

Reducing length of stay and readmission rates through optimised oxygen weaning

Workforce Development

Building clinical academic nursing capacity aligned with NIHR strategy

Digital Health Innovation

Advancing AI-supported clinical decision-making in respiratory care