Researchers diagnose atrial fibrillation via webcam

Atrial fibrillation (AF) causes uneven blood flow, which results in subtle changes in facial skin color.  Researchers were able to use that to diagnose AF patients in a small, pilot study by employing video of a person’s face in conjunction with a software analysis of skin color.

FDA-approved iPad blood loss app has first use in cesarean surgeries

A recently approved iPad app has been put to use to measure blood loss during cesarean section births.  The app is being used as a substitute for evaluation techniques, such as sponge weighing, in cesarean surgeries at Magee-Womens Hospital in Pittsburgh, PA.

FDA’s ‘TurboTax’ Pilot Program for Medical Devices Expanding

The US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) is expanding a new pilot program that it hopes will make medical device submissions a lot less complicated and a lot more like filing taxes using TurboTax.

Researchers develop implant/app combo to monitor glaucoma in aging eyes

Researchers are developing an implantable sensor for glaucoma that allows intraocular pressure to be read by a smartphone camera. Diagnosis and monitoring now relies on a trip to the ophthalmologist and a reading of intraocular pressure that can vary widely. The implant/smartphone combination is expected to allow at-home monitoring and a series of readings that could improve diagnosis and monitoring of glaucoma patients.