Jump directly to the content
BLOODY BRILLIANT

Painful blood tests could be over – replaced by pictures of your eyelid taken on a SMARTPHONE

PAINFUL blood tests could be over for many thanks to a new tool to measure haemoglobin — using a smartphone.

Instead of drawing blood, a picture of a person’s eyelids is taken with a specially adapted phone camera.

 Painful blood tests could become a thing of the past thanks for a new tool to measure haemoglobin
Painful blood tests could become a thing of the past thanks for a new tool to measure haemoglobinCredit: Getty Images - Getty

It has a hyperspectral imager to measure haemoglobin, blood’s oxygen-carrying capacity.

US tests on more than 150 volunteers showed they were comparable to traditional blood tests.

Medics hope it can help detect anaemia, acute kidney injury and haemorrhages, or assess blood disorders such as sickle cell anaemia.

Study leader Prof Young Kim, from Indiana’s Purdue University, said: "Our new mobile health approach paves the way for bedside or remote testing of blood haemoglobin levels for detecting anaemia, acute kidney injury and haemorrhages, or for assessing blood disorders such as sickle cell anaemia.

 Study leader Prof Young Kim is from Indiana’s Purdue University
Study leader Prof Young Kim is from Indiana’s Purdue UniversityCredit: Purdue University photo

"The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly increased awareness of the need for expanded mobile health and telemedicine services."

"This new technology could be very useful for detecting anaemia, which is characterised by low levels of blood haemoglobin.

"This is a major public health problem in developing countries, but can also be caused by cancer and cancer treatments."

Matt Hancock confirms almost 1 in 5 in London have coronavirus antibodies, as tests will be rolled out next week


  • GOT a story? RING The Sun on 0207 782 4104 or WHATSAPP on 07423720250 or EMAIL [email protected]
Topics