Adelaide researchers leading global charge in smartphone technology capable of detecting disease

Hey phone, am I getting sick? It’s a question your smartphone may be answering sooner than you think thanks to a group of Adelaide researchers.

• Smartphone apps the key to future of healthcare

Adelaide researchers are leading the global charge in smart phone technology capable of detecting disease and monitoring health.

The potentially groundbreaking advance for remote medical care and an increasingly overburdened hospital system will start next month with Flinders University heading a team of Australian and Chinese academics, scientists and industry experts.

The three-year research program, funded by the federal government, aims to develop an affordable mobile phone device for people ranging from acute patients to fit and healthy Australians.

The success of the $970,000 program could see Australians managing their health from the comfort of their own home within a few years.

“It is quite revolutionary — it would definitely be a first for this specific type of application,” said Professor Karen Reynolds, director of the Medical Device Research Institute at Flinders University.

“The benefits are significant for patients with a confirmed disease or health condition but this technology may also allow doctors to identify potential health issues before they get too serious — so treatment would be one step ahead.”

Professor Karen Reynolds works with a prototype Personal Health Monitor with Associate professor Youhong Tang. Picture: Mark Brake/AAP.

Prof Reynolds said health indicators — like hormones, proteins and antibodies — could be measured by inserting a sample of saliva or urine into a device attached to a smart phone.

She said research had already identified biomarkers in saliva, blood and urine that can identify the presence of diseases including cancer and heart disease, as well as measure the risk of hypertension, stress levels and muscle fatigue.

Acute renal patients, she said, could test their kidney function through the device and upload the data through their mobile phone to a cloud system integrated into health records to be analysed by their treating medical practitioner.

“The practitioner could then determine the best time for their next dialysis appointment, reducing the number of unnecessary treatment visits, which would be beneficial for remote patients and a significant cost saving to the health system.

“At the moment most of these measurements have to be taken in a clinical setting but if you could do this at home and feed the data to a doctor, then it could save you a trip.”

Artist impression of self-monitoring health smart phone. Picture: Gabriel Cunnett

Prof Reynolds said the research would give every day Australians greater access to health information that could assist them in making better and more informed health choices, reducing the risk of disease and future public health burden.

“This will empower patients to take more control of their own health.”

The research will involve experts from Flinders University, La Trobe University in Victoria, Nankai University in China, South China University of technology and Shandong Academy of Sciences. Industry partners include Motherson Innovations, in Lonsdale, and Shenzhen AIEgen Biotech, in south east China.