health and wellness
A smartphone’s camera and flash could help people measure blood oxygen levels at home
When we breathe in, our lungs fill with oxygen, which is distributed to our red blood cells for transportation throughout our bodies. Our bodies need a lot of oxygen to function, and healthy people have at least 95% oxygen saturation all the time.
Last Updated on May 21, 2024 by Daily News Staff
Dennis Wise/University of Washington
In a proof-of-principle study, University of Washington and University of California San Diego researchers have shown that smartphones are capable of detecting blood oxygen saturation levels down to 70%. The technique involves having participants place their finger over the camera and flash of a smartphone, which uses a deep-learning algorithm to decipher the blood oxygen levels from the blood flow patterns in the resulting video.
In a proof-of-principle study, University of Washington and University of California San Diego researchers have shown that smartphones are capable of detecting blood oxygen saturation levels down to 70%. The technique involves having participants place their finger over the camera and flash of a smartphone, which uses a deep-learning algorithm to decipher the blood oxygen levels from the blood flow patterns in the resulting video.
Newswise — First, pause and take a deep breath.
When we breathe in, our lungs fill with oxygen, which is distributed to our red blood cells for transportation throughout our bodies. Our bodies need a lot of oxygen to function, and healthy people have at least 95% oxygen saturation all the time.
Conditions like asthma or COVID-19 make it harder for bodies to absorb oxygen from the lungs. This leads to oxygen saturation percentages that drop to 90% or below, an indication that medical attention is needed.
In a clinic, doctors monitor oxygen saturation using pulse oximeters — those clips you put over your fingertip or ear. But monitoring oxygen saturation at home multiple times a day could help patients keep an eye on COVID symptoms, for example.
In a proof-of-principle study, University of Washington and University of California San Diego researchers have shown that smartphones are capable of detecting blood oxygen saturation levels down to 70%. This is the lowest value that pulse oximeters should be able to measure, as recommended by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The technique involves participants placing their finger over the camera and flash of a smartphone, which uses a deep-learning algorithm to decipher the blood oxygen levels. When the team delivered a controlled mixture of nitrogen and oxygen to six subjects to artificially bring their blood oxygen levels down, the smartphone correctly predicted whether the subject had low blood oxygen levels 80% of the time.
The team published these results Sept. 19 in npj Digital Medicine.
“Other smartphone apps that do this were developed by asking people to hold their breath. But people get very uncomfortable and have to breathe after a minute or so, and that’s before their blood-oxygen levels have gone down far enough to represent the full range of clinically relevant data,” said co-lead author Jason Hoffman, a UW doctoral student in the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering. “With our test, we’re able to gather 15 minutes of data from each subject. Our data shows that smartphones could work well right in the critical threshold range.”
Another benefit of measuring blood oxygen levels on a smartphone is that almost everyone has one.
“This way you could have multiple measurements with your own device at either no cost or low cost,” said co-author Dr. Matthew Thompson, professor of family medicine in the UW School of Medicine. “In an ideal world, this information could be seamlessly transmitted to a doctor’s office. This would be really beneficial for telemedicine appointments or for triage nurses to be able to quickly determine whether patients need to go to the emergency department or if they can continue to rest at home and make an appointment with their primary care provider later.”
The team recruited six participants ranging in age from 20 to 34. Three identified as female, three identified as male. One participant identified as being African American, while the rest identified as being Caucasian.
To gather data to train and test the algorithm, the researchers had each participant wear a standard pulse oximeter on one finger and then place another finger on the same hand over a smartphone’s camera and flash. Each participant had this same set up on both hands simultaneously.
“The camera is recording a video: Every time your heart beats, fresh blood flows through the part illuminated by the flash,” said senior author Edward Wang, who started this project as a UW doctoral student studying electrical and computer engineering and is now an assistant professor at UC San Diego’s Design Lab and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
“The camera records how much that blood absorbs the light from the flash in each of the three color channels it measures: red, green and blue,” said Wang, who also directs the UC San Diego DigiHealth Lab. “Then we can feed those intensity measurements into our deep-learning model.”
Each participant breathed in a controlled mixture of oxygen and nitrogen to slowly reduce oxygen levels. The process took about 15 minutes. For all six participants, the team acquired more than 10,000 blood oxygen level readings between 61% and 100%.
The researchers used data from four of the participants to train a deep learning algorithm to pull out the blood oxygen levels. The remainder of the data was used to validate the method and then test it to see how well it performed on new subjects.
“Smartphone light can get scattered by all these other components in your finger, which means there’s a lot of noise in the data that we’re looking at,” said co-lead author Varun Viswanath, a UW alumnus who is now a doctoral student advised by Wang at UC San Diego. “Deep learning is a really helpful technique here because it can see these really complex and nuanced features and helps you find patterns that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to see.”
The team hopes to continue this research by testing the algorithm on more people.
“One of our subjects had thick calluses on their fingers, which made it harder for our algorithm to accurately determine their blood oxygen levels,” Hoffman said. “If we were to expand this study to more subjects, we would likely see more people with calluses and more people with different skin tones. Then we could potentially have an algorithm with enough complexity to be able to better model all these differences.”
But, the researchers said, this is a good first step toward developing biomedical devices that are aided by machine learning.
“It’s so important to do a study like this,” Wang said. “Traditional medical devices go through rigorous testing. But computer science research is still just starting to dig its teeth into using machine learning for biomedical device development and we’re all still learning. By forcing ourselves to be rigorous, we’re forcing ourselves to learn how to do things right.”
Additional co-authors are Xinyi Ding, a doctoral student at Southern Methodist University; Eric Larson, associate professor of computer science at Southern Methodist University; Caiwei Tian, who completed this research as a UW undergraduate student; and Shwetak Patel, UW professor in both the Allen School and the electrical and computer engineering department. This research was funded by the University of Washington. The researchers have applied for a patent that covers systems and methods for SpO2 classification using smartphones (application number: 17/164,745).
Source: University of Washington
Health
Caring for the Caregiver: 7 Ways to Support Those Who Care for Others
Caring for the Caregiver:Whether it’s helping an older family member manage appointments and medications, caring for a sick child or coordinating disability services for a loved one, almost everyone will be a caregiver, need a caregiver or both at some point in their lifetime.
Caring for the Caregiver: 7 Ways to Support Those Who Care for Others
(Feature Impact) Caregiving is some of the most important work a person can do, yet it’s often overlooked and undervalued in society. Whether it’s helping an older family member manage appointments and medications, caring for a sick child or coordinating disability services for a loved one, almost everyone will be a caregiver, need a caregiver or both at some point in their lifetime.
In fact, more than 53 million Americans support the health, quality of life and independence of an older adult or family member with a serious illness or disability each year, according to the Administration for Community Living.
Caregiving can be exhausting, stressful and overwhelming at times. In fact, research shows caregivers face real health impacts from physical and emotional strain, according to research published by the National Institutes of Health. Having the right support, however, can improve life for them and those they care for. Consider these practical, accessible ways to support caregivers from the experts at Community Catalyst.
Build a Caregiving Team
Support can begin with reimagining caregiving as a team effort instead of expecting one person to handle every task. Involving other family members, neighbors, local support services and healthcare professionals means many hands and lighter work, whether their help comes in the form of cooking meals, handling transportation or assisting with paperwork.
Make Time for Your Own Health and Emotions
As a caregiver, you may be tempted to put the needs of others before yours. In fact, many caregivers find themselves scheduling doctors’ appointments for others while skipping their own. Remember your needs are just as important, and you can’t pour from an empty cup. Carve out time for self-care activities like healthy eating, movement, therapy and time with friends. Online support groups and forums can connect you with people who understand, so you feel less isolated.
Look for Respite Care Opportunities
Even if an ill or disabled loved one doesn’t require full-time in-home support, it may be possible to arrange occasional professional respite care. Depending on where you live, Medicaid waivers or local grants could help cover costs – but keep in mind that waitlists can be long, so don’t wait to start exploring these opportunities. For help accessing respite care and other caregiver support, reach out to your state’s “No Wrong Door” center, which can connect you to long-term services and assistance.
Talk to Your Employer
Juggling full-time work and caregiving can be a recipe for burnout, but an understanding employer can make a world of difference. Discuss possibilities like flexible scheduling, remote work, expanded family leave or intermittent leave via the Family and Medical Leave Act, dependent care assistance options and peer support networks.
Get Help Navigating Coverage and Benefits
Between insurance coverage, benefits programs, medical bills and more, the logistics of caregiving can make your head spin. Organizations like Community Catalyst work with local, state and community partners to help caregivers sort through the noise and take actions to improve their families’ lives, like signing up for Medicaid or Medicare.
Through a program funded by the Administration for Community Living, the organization is helping states build systems designed to support caregivers’ health, well-being and financial security. Furthermore, it shares education around family caregiving issues, features the stories of real people who often feel invisible and provides practical, usable guidance for those struggling to navigate insurance and healthcare.
Stay Connected and Organized with Technology
Coordinating care often feels like staying on top of hundreds of details simultaneously. Tools like group chats, video calls, shared calendars, medication apps, remote monitoring devices and telehealth portals can streamline some everyday logistics and keep you in touch with your support network.
Discuss Long-Term Plans Openly
Caregiving is a marathon, not a sprint. Open, honest conversations about the future can help caregivers make more informed decisions, share responsibilities and have greater peace of mind. Discuss medical care, living arrangements, finances, future goals and your loved one’s preferences as you look toward the years ahead.
When caregivers have the support they need, the people they care for – and the communities around them – are stronger. Learn more and find additional caregiver resources at CommunityCatalyst.org.
Photos courtesy of Shutterstock
SOURCE:
Community Catalyst
fitness
Real-World Weight Journeys: Exploring Health Experiences to Improve Care
Exploring Health Experiences: A number on a scale tells only part of the story. Living well is also about having energy, feeling your best and enjoying a good quality of life. Yet each person’s path is different, and lifestyle changes, medicines and other approaches to managing weight can affect health in different ways.
Real-World Weight Journeys: Exploring Health Experiences to Improve Care
(Feature Impact) A number on a scale tells only part of the story. Living well is also about having energy, feeling your best and enjoying a good quality of life. Yet each person’s path is different, and lifestyle changes, medicines and other approaches to managing weight can affect health in different ways.
No two weight-management journeys look the same. Some people are taking their first steps toward healthier habits. Others are balancing health conditions, caring for family members, coping with stress or exploring new treatment options. Along the way, they may find support that helps them succeed or encounter obstacles that make progress more difficult.
These stories provide valuable insights into what it takes to improve health in everyday life.
That’s the idea behind the American Heart Association’s Healthy Living BEYOND Weight Study. By learning directly from adults across the country, researchers aim to better understand the challenges, motivations and factors that shape weight and health outcomes over time. The goal is to generate insights that can help improve support, inform care and empower more people to live healthier lives.
What Factors Influence Weight
Nearly 1 in 3 U.S. adults are overweight and 2 in 5 are obese, according to the National Institutes of Health. Weight is shaped by many factors, including:
- Genetics and hormones
- Access to healthy food, safe places to exercise and healthcare
- Chronic stress and mental health
- Medications and metabolism
- Community conditions, as where you live can influence your ability to live a healthy life
How Joining a Study Can Make a Difference
Led by the American Heart Association, the Healthy Living BEYOND Weight Study is open to U.S. adults with a BMI of 25 or higher, including those who have tried lifestyle changes, weight-management medicines or weight-loss surgery. By sharing information about their health and daily lives, participants can help researchers better understand how to improve care.
Interest in newer weight-loss medicines, such as GLP-1s, has grown rapidly. While these treatments are helping many people, researchers are still learning about their long-term effects and how they fit into everyday life. People who currently use or previously used a GLP-1 may be eligible to participate and help generate insights that could improve care for others.
Reasons to Join This Study
By joining this study, participants can help researchers better understand the long-term impact of treatments, identify what helps people succeed and uncover the challenges they face along the way. The information they share can help fill important gaps in research, shape better and more compassionate care and guide future health recommendations.
According to the Pew Research Center, 31% of U.S. adults report they’re online “almost constantly.” The study is conducted entirely online, making participation convenient and easy. It can be completed from home on a schedule that works best for each participant.
Consider these reasons to participate:
- Your story matters. By participating, you may help build knowledge that can improve care, guide health recommendations and help people live healthier lives.
- It’s easy. The study is conducted entirely online, making it simple to join and stay involved at your own pace.
- It’s safe and respectful. All data is collected with your informed consent, protected by privacy safeguards and handled according to rigorous ethical and scientific standards.
- You won’t be alone. Millions of people are navigating weight and health challenges. By sharing your journey, you can help researchers better understand what works, what support is needed and how to shape better and more compassionate care for others.
Learn more and consider signing up at Heart.org/GoBeyond.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
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Health and Life Insurance
Review Your Medicare Coverage Options: Open Enrollment is Through Dec. 7
Medicare Coverage Options: Medicare Open Enrollment is your opportunity to give your Medicare plan a check-up. Plans change every year, and now is the time to check if a new plan could be better for you.
Review Your Medicare Coverage Options: Open Enrollment is Through Dec. 7
(Feature Impact)Medicare Open Enrollment is your opportunity to give your Medicare plan a check-up. Plans change every year, and now is the time to check if a new plan could be better for you.
If you have Medicare, taking the time to review your coverage options each fall is one of the most important health decisions you can make.
Give Your Medicare Plan a Check-up
- Check your coverage. Ensure your preferred doctors, prescriptions and preferred pharmacies are covered.
- Check your costs. Look at premiums, deductibles, copays and other out-of-pocket costs.
- Check for changes. See what will be different in your plan for the coming year.
- Check your options. Compare plans side by side based on the prescriptions you take. Find the right plan for your health needs and your budget. Make sure your drugs are covered.
Now is the one time you can make changes to your health and prescription drug plans and find a plan that’s better for you. Medicare Open Enrollment is your opportunity to review and compare options and take control of your expenditures and coverage.
Medicare plans change annually and so does your health. What worked for you last year may be different than what will work best this year. A review of your options can help you secure a plan best fit to your current lifestyle and health needs – while potentially saving you hundreds of dollars on out-of-pocket costs.
For instance, a person with Medicare compared drug plans to find the best costs and coverage for their prescriptions, including a blood thinner and a common cholesterol medication. Using medicare.gov, they found the yearly cost for a Medicare drug plan and these prescriptions ranged from $1,356-2,965. By choosing the lowest-cost plan, they saved more than $1,600 while keeping their essential medications covered.
Medicare.gov is the Official Source
For all your Open Enrollment needs, Medicare.gov is your official source. It’s the trusted resource to help you navigate Open Enrollment, allowing you to explore and compare every available Medicare health and drug plan available in your area. If you prefer speaking with someone directly, call 1-800-MEDICARE to connect with a team of experts who are available 24/7 to help you review your options and answer any questions about your Medicare coverage.
To get started, go to Medicare.gov and click on “Find Plans Now.” For the best shopping experience, log in or create a Medicare account. You can easily compare plan costs, side by side, based on the medications you take. Make sure the plan you choose covers your prescription drugs and your doctors.
Don’t Wait – Open Enrollment Ends Dec. 7
If you miss the Dec. 7 deadline, you may need to wait a full year before you can make any changes to your coverage. That’s why getting started early is important. Make sure you give yourself enough time to review and compare your options. You’ll want to consider factors like costs, benefits and prescription drug plans.
Medicare Open Enrollment is the perfect time to plan for the future and prioritize your health. Making sure you have a health plan that can support you in your wellness journey is critical, so don’t wait. Start reviewing your Medicare plan options today at Medicare.gov.
Information provided by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
Photos courtesy of Shutterstock
SOURCE:
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
