AI Can Detect Anaemia with a Photo of Eyelids

A group of U.S. researchers has developed an innovative artificial intelligence-based algorithm capable of spotting anemia through smartphone photos of Eyelids. Anemia, commonly occurring with low blood hemoglobin, is prevalent in more than 25% of the global population.

It does not follow a very intricate or complex diagnostic procedure. It is often easy to diagnose with easy accessibility to hospital facilities or pathology laboratories, and anemia has been surveyed to be way more common among the localities with compromised access to healthcare facilities.A team of researchers from the Brown University, United States, have addressed this issue by designing a program that can easily spot anemic conditions in people with a widely popular tool which is the smartphone, available even in the most remote areas of the country.

Simple use of smartphones can aid these areas with a better diagnostic experience.Individuals displaying anemic conditions have a different skin coloration, particularly in certain parts of the body. While some conditions are relevant to diagnose with the photos of Eyelids, others use photos of palms or fingernail beds and other parts showing coloration changes.

Dr. Selim Suner, professor of emergency medicine, surgery, and engineering at Brown University, said efficient device algorithms help in predicting health conditions such as anemia. Suner also added that the photographic results of body parts and their specificity is critical as these areas of the body rely majorly on blood flow.Most often, the coloration is affected by temperature changes which may give false results.