Researchers from the University of Washington are developing an app that can hear ear infections. The app is titled EarHealth and it works by playing sounds into the user's ear. These sounds go form the inside of the ear and back again to the phone, the sound reflection is then received by the phone's microphone. At this point, the app can process the sound reflection and determine if the user has an ear infection.
During studies, the app was able to predict if the subject had an ear infection across 85 percent of trials. The app was also tested on babies, since this demographic is particularly susceptible to ear infection. The app was able to pick all five infected babies out of a sample of 15. Further development is being done on the app that will soon allow users to hear ear infections.
Image Credit: Gizmodo/University of Washington
What Makes This Trend Stand Out
- Infection-detecting Audio Apps
- There is an opportunity to develop more audio apps that can detect other types of infections.
- Predictive Healthcare Technology
- The development of the EarHealth app demonstrates the potential for predictive healthcare technology to improve overall health outcomes.
- Remote Healthcare Monitoring
- The EarHealth app highlights the potential for remote healthcare monitoring tools that can be used by patients from the comfort of their own homes.
Sectors Adopting This
- Healthcare Technology
- The healthcare technology industry can benefit from the development of infection-detecting audio apps like EarHealth.
- Telehealth
- The telehealth industry can leverage the EarHealth app as an example of a remote healthcare monitoring tool.
- Baby Care
- The development of more accurate and user-friendly infection-detecting audio apps can revolutionize the baby care industry.
