The application detects anemia without blood

The application detects anemia without blood

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A new electronic application may provide a quick fix for people with anemia and want to monitor their condition or those who complain only that they may have the disease, researchers said on Monday.

The researchers said in the journal Nature Communication that a computerized system developed in Atlanta was able to accurately monitor the signs of anemia and through the color of the skin down the nails only.

"The end result is that we have developed a way in which anyone can check the condition of anemia at any time, anywhere, without having to take a blood sample," said Dr. Limor Lamy, MD, a professor of biomedical engineering and pediatrics at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University. .

The application developed by Lam and his colleagues uses artificial intelligence to determine hemoglobin levels by examining the skin color below the nails.

"Basically, our computational system learns every time we give it a phone-sniffing of the skin down the nails with the hemoglobin level attached to the image," Lam said.

"We have created a large database in my clinics, where we record patients who draw blood samples to measure hemoglobin levels, each time we do it, the system becomes smarter and more," he said.

The arithmetic system was developed by study leader Robert Manino, who was one of L's patients since his childhood.

To determine the accuracy of the new application in monitoring anemia, researchers used 100 volunteers, some of whom had the disease for various reasons, some of whom had normal levels of hemoglobin.

Volunteers loaded the application and took pictures of their nails. The application analyzed the images and compared them with the images they provided in the past. In the end, the application was very good at monitoring anemia, knowing 97 percent of infected people.

Lam said the application may be more accurate even if one reading of the hemoglobin level is accompanied by a picture of a patient, adding that with this level of accuracy, the application will allow people with chronic anemia problems to monitor hemoglobin levels regularly and sustainably.

Lam said the application would be particularly useful for certain groups of people.

"Pregnant women, for example, are at risk of anemia and are aware of the risk to their babies," he said. "Now they can examine themselves whenever they want," he said.