1-7-2023 (NEW YORK) Taking your body temperature using just your smartphone could soon become a reality, thanks to a team of researchers from the University of Washington. Their innovative application, called FeverPhone, can transform a smartphone into a thermometer without the need for any additional hardware. By utilizing the phone’s touchscreen and battery temperature sensors, the app collects data that is then analyzed by a machine learning model to estimate body temperature.
With smartphones being more readily available than thermometers these days, FeverPhone addresses the need for a convenient and accessible temperature measuring tool. The app utilizes sensors that measure air temperature and detect the rise in heat when the phone makes contact with the patient’s forehead. Initial tests conducted on approximately 30 individuals have yielded promising results, with an average margin of error of just 0.2 degrees Celsius when compared to traditional consumer thermometers. While further data analysis is required to refine the machine learning model for larger-scale effectiveness, the potential of the app is evident.
Currently, FeverPhone has only been tested on three phone models and is not yet available to the general public. The next step for the researchers is to optimize the application’s performance and ensure compatibility with a wide range of smartphone models.
The primary goal is to alleviate overcrowding in emergency rooms by enabling individuals to accurately measure their body temperature and determine if they have a fever before seeking medical attention, particularly during influenza outbreaks or in the midst of a Covid-19 epidemic.
As technology continues to advance, the prospect of using smartphones for health monitoring purposes opens up new possibilities for individuals to monitor their well-being conveniently and take proactive measures when necessary.
