Clinical Study
Ghana
Discover our largest clinical study in Ghana which proved neoSCB’s effectiveness in real-world settings. The study confirmed the app’s accuracy in detecting newborn jaundice, highlighting its potential to enhance neonatal care in low-resource regions.
Listen to our BBC Tech Life (June 2022) coverage here:
Study Overview
Our clinical study in Ghana, conducted between March 2019 and April 2020, involved 724 newborns and aimed to validate the neoSCB app’s efficacy in detecting neonatal jaundice. We validated neoSCB as an effective, non-invasive tool for neonatal jaundice detection, showing high sensitivity and specificity comparable to traditional methods.
Methodology
- Image Capture: A Samsung Galaxy S8 smartphone was used to take two images of each infant’s sclera—one with flash and one without. This allowed for ambient light subtraction, isolating the controlled illumination.
- Calibration: A one-time calibration with an X-rite ColourChecker ensured accurate colour readings.
- Comparison: The app’s scleral-conjunctival bilirubin readings were compared against traditional transcutaneous bilirubin meters (JM-105) and blood tests.
Results
Of the 336 infants untreated with phototherapy, our app identified 74/79 severely jaundiced newborns. Existing techniques identified 76/79. The app exhibited high sensitivity and specificity, with a similar diagnostic accuracy to the JM-105 jaundice meter.
Sensitivity and Specificity
neoSCB achieved a sensitivity of 0.94 and a specificity of 0.73, with a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) area under the curve (AUC) of 0.92.
Impact
Accessibility
The neoSCB app will provide a reliable, non-invasive screening tool for neonatal jaundice, particularly beneficial in low-resource settings where traditional screening methods may be unavailable.
Early Detection
The app will facilitate early detection and timely intervention, reducing the risks associated with untreated jaundice and improving neonatal health outcomes.
Implications for Other Medical Conditions
The app’s smartphone technology’s success in detecting jaundice also hints at its potential for diagnosing other conditions, such as anemia which was also explored successfully in Ghana. This adaptability underscores this technology’s broader applicability in medical diagnostics.
Conclusions
The clinical study in Ghana confirmed that the neoSCB app, with its advanced image analysis and calibration techniques, will be a promising alternative to conventional jaundice screening methods. Its success underscores its potential to enhance neonatal care, especially in lower-income regions.
The study shows that the neoSCB app is as good as commercial devices currently recommended to screen for severely jaundiced newborns, but the app only requires a smartphone which costs less than a tenth of the commercial device. We hope that, once rolled out widely, our technology can be used to save the lives of newborns in parts of the world that lack access to expensive screening devices.
Dr Terence Leung / Principle Investigator (UCL)
The neoSCB method was acceptable to mothers in urban and rural communities where the study was conducted. Mothers easily devised ways to keep the baby’s eye open, most often by initiating breastfeeding.
Dr Christabel Enweronu-Laryea / Principle Investigator (University of Ghana medical School)
News Articles
July 2023 – Detecting disease with smartphone images
July 2022 – Smartphone app successfully detects jaundice in newborn babies
June 2022 – App detecting neonatal jaundice from the eye successful in first major clinical trial
June 2022 – App detecting jaundice in babies a success in first major clinical trial
June 2022 – New smartphone app identifying jaundice from babies’ eyes ‘could save lives’
March 2020 – Doctors develop low-cost jaundice detection app to help newborns
March 2020 – In the news: UCL researchers develop jaundice detection app
News Reports
December 2023 – Hunan Satellite TV
June 2022 – BBC Sounds – Tech Life [8:03 – 14:04]
March 2020 – BBC Sounds – Health Check [14:35 – 19:00]
3rd March 2020 – CBC Radio – As It Happens [55:58 – 1:02:30]
Related Publications
June 2022 – Validating a Sclera-Based Smartphone Application for Screening Jaundiced Newborns in Ghana
March 2022 – Neonatal jaundice in Ghanaian children: Assessing maternal knowledge, attitude, and perceptions
March 2020 – Smartphone screening for neonatal jaundice via ambient-subtracted sclera chromaticity
March 2020 – Accurate device-independent colorimetric measurements using smartphones
September 2019 – Smartphone colorimetry using ambient subtraction: application to neonatal jaundice screening in Ghana
