A team of researchers from Emory University and Georgia Tech, led by IBB researcher Wilbur Lam, have developed a groundbreaking, non-invasive way to screen and monitor anemia using just a smartphone photo of a fingernail. The AI-powered app analyzes the fingernail’s paleness to detect anemia with high accuracy instead of requiring a conventional blood test. The technology can be personalized for users with chronic anemia by incorporating their clinical hemoglobin levels to enhance precision. This approach makes anemia screening more accessible, particularly for underserved communities, and removes barriers to care. The team’s findings were recently published in PNAS, with Lam as the paper’s senior author.

Read the full press release here. 

Citation: Robert G. Mannino, Julie Sullivan, Jennifer K. Frediani, Wilbur A. Lam. “Real-world Implementation of a Noninvasive, AI-augmented, Anemia-screening Smartphone App and Personalization for Hemoglobin Level Self-monitoring,” PNAS. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2424677122