University of Washington’s Shwetak Patel and his UbiComp Lab colleagues develop non-invasive, smartphone based tests, meant to bring diagnostics to the masses.
HemaApp, a smartphone/light source detection method for anemia, could be especially useful in areas lacking access to care. Anemia is extremely common in poor countries.
In a recent study, a phone camera was used measure hemoglobin by capturing light passing through one’s finger. Video was recorded as light from the flash, plus additional LED lights and an incandescent bulb shined through a fingertip. Changes in color indicated a red blood cell deficiency.
31 patients were tested, using this method, at Seattle Children’s Hospital. The system worked as well as a commercial LED anemia test, but not as well as a standard blood test.
Patel is also investigating the use of smartphones to make healthcare more accessible in other ways, including an app that uses a microphone to track breathing while sleeping, and a camera that uses color coded references to detect jaundice in babies.
ApplySci’s 6th Wearable Tech + Digital Health + NeuroTech Silicon Valley – February 7-8 2017 @ Stanford | Featuring: Vinod Khosla – Tom Insel – Zhenan Bao – Phillip Alvelda – Nathan Intrator – John Rogers – Mary Lou Jepsen – Vivek Wadhwa – Miguel Nicolelis