Smartphone app for non-invasive detection of anemia using only patient-sourced photos.
other · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 30514831.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-018-07262-2 and PMC identifier 6279826.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
We introduce a paradigm of completely non-invasive, on-demand diagnostics that may replace common blood-based laboratory tests using only a smartphone app and photos. We initially targeted anemia, a blood condition characterized by low blood hemoglobin levels that afflicts >2 billion people. Our app estimates hemoglobin levels by analyzing color and metadata of fingernail bed smartphone photos and detects anemia (hemoglobin levels <12.5 g dL<sup>-1</sup>) with an accuracy of ±2.4 g dL<sup>-1</sup> and a sensitivity of 97% (95% CI, 89-100%) when compared with CBC hemoglobin levels (n = 100 subjects), indicating its viability to serve as a non-invasive anemia screening tool. Moreover, with personalized calibration, this system achieves an accuracy of ±0.92 g dL<sup>-1</sup> of CBC hemoglobin levels (n = 16), empowering chronic anemia patients to serially monitor their hemoglobin levels instantaneously and remotely. Our on-demand system enables anyone with a smartphone to download an app and immediately detect anemia anywhere and anytime.
Medical subject headings
- Anemia
- Diagnostic Imaging
- Mobile Applications
- Smartphone