RIBBON has begun testing with healthy volunteers at Trinity College Dublin, comparing its measurements against spirometry.
Testing is running under ethics approval from Trinity College Dublin. Each session records RIBBON alongside a spirometer, the standard reference for measuring the air a person breathes, so the two can be compared breath by breath.
The first phase fixes a consistent position for the sensor on the chest that works across different body shapes and sizes. Volunteers then complete a range of breathing tasks, including sitting, standing, walking and moving their arms, to show how RIBBON performs as people move as they would on a ward.
This testing will also set the protocol for the clinical study planned at St James's Hospital.
RIBBON at ATS 2026 in Orlando
Conor Hayden attended the American Thoracic Society International Conference in Orlando, Florida.
The ATS International Conference, held from 15 to 20 May 2026, is the largest international meeting in pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine, bringing together clinicians and researchers from around the world.
Conor attended to follow the latest research on respiratory monitoring and patient deterioration, and to meet clinicians and researchers working on how breathing is assessed in hospital.
Silicon Republic profile
Silicon Republic spoke to Conor Hayden about how RIBBON grew out of his PhD research.
The interview covers how the RIBBON sensor began as a tool for measuring breathing in people living with motor neurone disease, and why the project widened its focus to respiratory monitoring in hospital.
€600,000 Enterprise Ireland Commercialisation Fund award
RIBBON received Enterprise Ireland Commercialisation Fund support to develop the device at Trinity College Dublin.
The two-year award funds the technical and commercial work needed to take RIBBON from research towards a product. The project is led by Dr Conor Hayden at Trinity College Dublin, with advice from Prof. Bruce Murphy and Dr Dara Meldrum, and clinical input from Dr Deirdre Murray and Prof. Ignacio Martin-Loeches of St James's Hospital.