Using smartphone images to analyze blood hemoglobin levels in pregnant women
Official title: Maternal mHealth blood hemoglobin analysis with informed deep learning
Funded at Purdue University · NIH-11088758 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is testing a new mobile app that helps pregnant women check their hemoglobin levels by taking a quick picture of their inner eyelid with their smartphone, making it easier to spot anemia without needing a blood test.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Purdue University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (West Lafayette, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2023 |
| Project end | April 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $502,918 |
| NIH project number | 5R01EB033788-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11088758 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are pregnant women, especially those in low- and middle-income countries who may face barriers to accessing traditional blood testing.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not pregnant or those who do not have anemia may not receive any benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research aims to develop a mobile health application that can predict blood hemoglobin levels from a simple image of the inner eyelid taken with a smartphone camera. By eliminating the need for invasive blood tests, this approach seeks to improve the detection of anemia in pregnant women, particularly in resource-limited settings where access to traditional testing is challenging. The study will integrate this technology with existing electronic health records to streamline patient care and enhance accessibility. The goal is to provide a non-invasive, cost-effective solution for monitoring maternal health.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could significantly improve the early detection and management of anemia in pregnant women, leading to better health outcomes for both mothers and their babies.
How similar studies have gone: While the approach of using smartphone technology for health monitoring is gaining traction, this specific method of predicting hemoglobin levels from eyelid images is novel and has not been widely tested.
Where this research is happening
-
Purdue University
West Lafayette, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kim, Young L — Purdue University
- Study coordinator: Kim, Young L
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.