Smartphone diagnostics

Pharma giant Pfizer has shelled out nearly US$120 million to acquire a small Australian company claiming to have developed a smartphone app that can accurately diagnose COVID-19 by analyzing the sound of a cough.

Respiratory ailments may hamper the body's ability to draw oxygen from the lungs, which is why patients' blood oxygen levels often need to be checked. New research now suggests that people could track those levels at home, using their smartphone.

An innovative new rapid test promises to give people the ability to easily measure their COVID-19 immunity. The test tracks levels of neutralizing antibodies in a drop of blood, helping a person evaluate their susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection.

A prototype smartphone app has been developed to screen for the very earliest stages of Alzheimer’s disease. The app tracks minute changes in a person’s pupil size, which previous research has shown can indicate pre-clinical neurological disease.

A new smartphone app called MyGeneRank has been developed by scientists at the Scripps Research Institute. The app calculates a person’s genetic risk for coronary artery disease and directs those found to be at high risk to appropriate medical advice.

People who are using blood-thinning medications regularly have to check if their dosage needs adjusting. And while doing so currently involves lab tests or expensive home systems, a simple smartphone-based setup may soon be able to perform the task.

US researchers have developed an innovative smartphone-based kit that can test saliva samples for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza viruses. Early studies have found the cheap system is as accurate as current lab-based testing and much faster.

Although it's certainly best to start addressing autism as early as possible, the disorder is often difficult to detect in young children. A new iOS app has been designed to help, by tracking a child's eyes as they watch videos.

A rapid COVID-19 test promises accurate results in under 30 minutes using a simple hand-held device, a nasal swab and a smartphone camera. The technology can also be modified to detect other viral diseases.

A simple home test for breast cancer and a UV energy-harvesting window made of recycled materials are the big winners of this year’s James Dyson Awards. The annual competition encourages university students to develop innovative solutions to problems.

The FDA has approved a platform called NightWare, designed to help improve sleep in post-traumatic stress disorder patients suffering from recurrent nightmares. The system is an Apple Watch app that will only be available by prescription.

When someone has suffered a stroke, it's imperative that they receive medical attention as soon as possible. And while current diagnostic procedures take some time, an experimental smartphone app could deliver results much quicker.