A new AI-powered app developed by Singapore General Hospital (SGH), SingHealth Polyclinics (SHP), and national HealthTech agency Synapxe allows parents to screen their newborn babies for neonatal jaundice (NNJ) at home. The app, named BiliSG, analyzes skin color in various regions using a machine learning model trained on Asian skin tones.
Over the past couple of years, AI has made a solid impact in the field of medical sciences. From enhancing cancer detection to supercharging the discovery of drugs, we are seeing new breakthroughs at a rapid pace. Now, an AI-powered app is making life easier for parents concerned about infant jaundice, which is fairly common.
Developed by Singapore General Hospital (SGH), SingHealth Polyclinics (SHP), and national HealthTech agency Synapxe, it lets parents screen their newborn babies for neonatal jaundice (NNJ). The underlying machine learning model, which is a first for Asian skin tones in this scenario, delivered impressive results. “The team found that the app gave similar results when compared to existing methods of NNJ testing, with 100 percent sensitivity,” claims Polyclinics SingHealth. The app was developed following two clinical studies over a span of two years, involving multiple rounds of validation on infants under 21 days of age. Named BiliSG, it employs a Machine Learning model that analyzes the skin color in various regions such as the chest, forehead, and abdomen. The app is named after bilirubin, a yellow chemical that originates from the breakdown of red blood cells and also happens to be an essential component of the digestive fluid produced by the liver. In a person suffering from jaundice, bilirubin imparts a yellow tint to the skin due to the leakage of the chemical in skin tissue. BiliSG makes it easier for parents to look for signs of neonatal jaundice (NNJ) from the comfort of their home, instead of going through the ordeal of frequent hospital visits. NNJ is a condition that affects 60 percent of infants, but the number is even higher for pre-term babies. Body systems usually regulate the high levels of bilirubin in the bloodstream, but if that doesn’t happen, jaundice complications could lead to permanent brain damage, development delays, and motor disabilities. “It will transform the way we protect the brain health of babies by ensuring their jaundice is monitored closely by their parents in a convenient setting and with the safeguard and supervision of their family doctors via telemedicine,” medical research experts who were a part of the project were quoted as saying. Parents only have to capture a picture of the skin area enclosed within a color calibration sticker. The color calibration sticker you see in the pictures above was designed to minimize reflections, perform light intensity corrections, and accommodate temperature variations. The team is now looking to fine-tune the app with expanded validation. The tests were conducted with the app running on an iPhone 12. The research team is hoping to expand the pool to more smartphone models (including Android), a process that would entail a lot of work, with camera-related factors (such as resolution) and the lighting situation being some of the core variables. The team is aiming to make the BiliSG app more robust and reliable in real-world scenarios, beyond clinical setups. They are also focusing on making the app easier to use, especially for parents and caregivers who don’t have as much experience using such tools as trained medical personnel.
AI Jaundice Newborn Neonatal Jaundice App Singapore General Hospital Singhealth Polyclinics Synapxe Bilisg Healthtech
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
AI-Powered Food Delivery App Wonder Aims to Personalize Your MealsWonder, a food delivery and take-out company, is leveraging artificial intelligence to personalize meal selection and delivery. Founder and CEO, Lore, is experimenting with the technology to choose his daily meals, trusting the algorithm to suggest and deliver his food. Wonder plans to expand rapidly across the US, with 100 locations in 13 months, and aims to integrate AI for a holistic customer experience in the future.
Read more »
iPhone Users Revolt Against Apple's AI-Powered Mail AppApple's integration of AI into the iPhone Mail app has sparked widespread user backlash. The new categorization system, which sorts emails into categories like primary, transactions, and updates, is being criticized for its inaccuracy and complexity. Users lament the loss of the simple chronological view of emails and express frustration over the difficulty in finding specific messages. Thankfully, users can revert to the old Mail view with a few simple steps.
Read more »
AI-Powered Liquid Biopsy Detects Breast Cancer Subtypes with High AccuracyA new study demonstrates how artificial intelligence (AI) machine learning, combined with a non-invasive liquid blood plasma biopsy and Raman spectroscopy (RS), can accurately detect and classify four major types of breast cancer at an early stage. This advancement holds promise for more personalized, effective, and timely cancer diagnosis.
Read more »
AI-Powered Camera Network Detects Wildfire in California CanyonThe University of California San Diego’s ALERTCalifornia camera network's AI alerted the Orange County Fire Authority to a wildfire in a remote canyon in early December. This marked the first time the fire authority received an alert about a vegetation fire solely from AI without a human emergency call.
Read more »
Circular Ring 2 adds ECG, AI-powered app and phone-based sizingCircular is launching Ring 2, a smart ring with an FDA-approved ECG sensor for atrial fibrillation detection, on-par with Apple Watch and Samsung Galaxy Watch. It boasts up to 8 days battery life, a revamped app with AI and phone-based sizing for a more convenient user experience.
Read more »
Panasonic and Anthropic Partner to Release AI-Powered Family Wellness App UmiPanasonic and Anthropic are collaborating on a new AI-powered family wellness app called Umi. Designed to help families connect, set goals, and manage routines, Umi utilizes natural language voice interaction and integrates with a variety of wellness experts. The app is set to launch in the US later in 2025.
Read more »