A team of scientists and researchers has created an app capable of accurately assessing the level of hemoglobin in the blood from an image of the eyelid taken with the smartphone.
The authors of the development believe that the app for monitoring hemoglobin is particularly useful. Between us, I think so too. For example, to diagnose disorders such as anemia in poor countries, or in those with hospitals without the necessary equipment for testing.
An international team of researchers has developed the method, which does not involve any contact, to evaluate hemoglobin levels in the blood. The report was published on Physis.org.
How to measure hemoglobin with your smartphone
Simply download a specific app and take a photo of your eyelid. The program converts the photograph and sends it to a computer, where the hemoglobin concentration will be estimated using spectrum analysis.
To train and test the algorithm, the authors used data from 153 Kenyan volunteers who took a routine blood test. 138 of these volunteers helped form the program and 15 helped verify its effectiveness.
It turned out that the new method has no inferior capabilities to traditional approaches for assessing hemoglobin levels.
The authors of the report and the app note that the system can significantly facilitate the diagnosis of anemia, which is itself a symptom of many diseases.
The technology announced is particularly suitable, as I was saying, for developing countries. Places where hospitals often don't have the equipment they need. And given the global context, I would not overlook the logistical aspect: the app will allow you to evaluate the hemoglobin level in the blood remotely, without having to visit doctors.