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Through the combination of deep learning and smartphone technology, researchers from the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center have developed an app-based screening tool to test patients for diabetes. Research was presented at the American College of Cardiology 2019 Scientific Sessions, held March 16-18, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. 1
Robert Avram, MD, a post-doctoral fellow at UCSF, and colleagues harnessed the power of the smartphone camera, combining it with photoplethysmography (PPG) signals, which are capable of “[picking] up vascular changes based on changes in blood flow.” Dr Avram explained the process in an ACC press release that accompanied the research presented.2
“[V]ariations in blood volume that occur with every heartbeat can be captured by shining a smartphone flashlight on a fingertip. With every heart contraction, blood pressure…causes [the blood vessels] to expand, which then increases the amount of light reflected by the skin to the optical sensor of the phone’s camera.” That input is then converted to a waveform “representing the volumetric change of the blood volume in a vessel.”
The study2 conducted by Dr Avram and colleagues included 22,298 participants (mean age: 47 ± 14 years; 69% male, 6% with self-reported diabetes) enrolled in the online Health eHeart Study. A deep learning algorithm was applied to the smartphone-captured PPG signal recordings.
Researchers found that the model correctly identified people with diabetes in more than 72% of cases using PPG signal; a strong predictive value of 97% was also noted.
“The potential to transition screening that’s normally done by physicians or nurses to the patient themselves through a smartphone app is a very novel concept and gives us a glimpse into how health care might work in the future,” Dr Avram concluded.2
“We are hopeful this technology will assist with early diabetes detection.”
References
- Avram R, Tison G, Kuhar P, et al. Predicting diabetes from photolethysmography using deep learning. Presented at: American College of Cardiology 2019 Scientific Sessions; New Orleans, LA; March 16-18, 2019.
- App uses smartphone camera, flashlight to detect diabetes [news release]. Washington, DC: American College of Cardiology. Published March 6, 2019. Accessed March 6, 2019.
This article originally appeared on The Cardiology Advisor
