Non-invasive anaemia sensor delivers results to any smartphone

The HemoGlobe screening device, developed at the Johns Hopkins University in Maryland, is a sensor that can detect anaemia in patients and display the results on a smartphone.

Smartphones are quickly revolutionizing our lives in many ways, from entertainment to healthcare, as Sano Intelligence recently showed with its blood-monitoring patch, which can analyze data through an app. Similarly, the HemoGlobe screening device developed at the Johns Hopkins University in Maryland is a non-invasive sensor that can detect anaemia in patients and display the results on a smartphone. The sensor is a small plastic device that is placed onto the patient’s finger. By shining various wavelengths of light onto the fingertip, the monitor is able to detect the level of haemoglobin in blood, which when lower than normal can be the cause of anaemia. The scale of the device means it could be used outside of hospitals – especially by health workers in poorer countries – and the fact it does not rely on needles could make the process easier when dealing with children, one of the groups most at risk of the disease. Once anaemia is detected, the smartphone can send the results to a central database, giving health professionals the ability to analyze the demographic and location where the disease is most prevalent, thereby enabling them to target patients more efficiently. The team believe the device could be manufactured for around USD 10 or USD 20 each. HemoGlobe was developed by undergraduates at the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the university, who won a USD 250,000 seed grant after success at the Saving Lives at Birth: A Grand Challenge for Development competition. Investors – could you help get this project off the ground? Spotted by: Murray Orange