(Reuters) – Oakland, California (Reuters) – Google revealed its newest intentions to use smartphones to monitor health on Thursday, saying it will investigate if collecting heart sounds and ocular photos from the comfort of one’s own home might help people uncover concerns. may be of assistance.
According to Greg Corrado, head of health AI at Alphabet Inc., the business is looking into whether the smartphone’s built-in microphone can detect heartbeats and murmurs when put over the chest. According to him, the measurements might assist in the early diagnosis of heart valve abnormalities.
“It’s not at the level of diagnosis, but at the level of recognising whether there’s a high danger,” Corrado said, adding that accuracy concerns persist.
The goal of eye research is to detect diabetes-related disorders in photos. Google claimed it had seen “early positive findings” in clinics with tabletop cameras and that it would now investigate if smartphone photographs would work as well.
“We see a future where people can better understand and make decisions about their health status from home with the help of their doctors,” Corrado said, adding that his team “sees a future where people can better understand and make decisions about their health status with the help of their doctors.”
Google also aims to see if its artificial intelligence programme can evaluate ultrasound tests performed by less-experienced clinicians if they follow a specific pattern. The technology might help ease a labour shortage by allowing home birth parents to be examined.
The experiments follow disclosures made last year about utilising smartphone cameras to measure heart and breathing rates – functionalities that are now available on numerous devices through the Google Fit app.
While Google has long pushed to apply its technical capabilities to health care, the company has been tight-lipped about whether its initiatives are yielding substantial income or usage.
Corrado described the launch capability as “a major step” that would take time to embrace.
“Any level we use now merely scrapes the surface when it comes to respiration and heart rate,” he added.