No needle, no blood: how India’s first AI blood test is changing diagnostics
A new app called Quick Vitals provides the result of blood tests by scanning the face without a needle. The purpose of this innovation is to improve early health screening, especially for pregnant women and anemia across India.
In short
- An AI-powered app provides the result of blood test by scanning the face in 20 seconds
- It measures many health indicators including hemoglobin and blood pressure
- Equipment may help in pregnant women to detect anemia among pregnant women
A simple blood test is an important tool that tells you what is happening inside your body. This can check your overall health, detect infection, measure sugar, cholesterol, or iron levels, and help doctors find an early signs of any disease.
In short, a quick way to know whether the symptoms require some attention before appearing. But now, a sharp method has come out which gives you the same results of blood tests without using needles or blood.
You can simply scan your face through an app in a bright light room and, within 20 seconds, blood pressure, hemoglobin levels, heart rate, oxygen saturation rate, respiratory rate and even stress levels can get accurate results.
Launched in 2024, the app was recently introduced at the government -run facility, Neelofar Hospital in Hyderabad. In the maternity ward, it helped pregnant women to screen for low iron levels, allowing timely treatment to anemia, a comprehensive health concern in India.
Now, developers are preparing to roll out the app in Maharashtra, which plans to gradually expand to distant tribal areas, where blood tests and access to basic hygiene are a challenge.
The introduction of the tool, called Quick Vitals, shared an insight about how Harish Bisam, founder of Bisam Pharmaceuticals, how to change the app to replace diagnostic healthcare across the country.
Inside India’s first AI blood test equipment
While the single-user app is called Quick Vitals, while the multiple-user app rolled out in a government hospital is called Amruth Health India.
This rapidly assesses health without need of needles, providing results within a minute.
Equipment employs photoplethysmography (PPG), a method that detects changes in light absorption through the skin to assess various health matrix.
“When the light enters your body, some of it reflects back. The sensors of the phone capture this reflected light. The app uses built-in algorithm, as well as a technique called photoplethysmography, to analyze that reflection. told.
When the data is sent to the app, it appears especially to pulsed blood in your arteries.
That pulse is measured, and the calculation begins. “This is a combination of many algorithms and photoplethysmography working together to create an understanding of light signals and provide accurate readings,” Bisam said.
How correct is this compared to blood tests?
“Okay, even traditional blood tests show some variation. For example, a laboratory can show your hemoglobin as 11.5, while the other can report it as 12.2, it’s a common variance,” Bisam said.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) standards, 7% variance for hemoglobin is acceptable. For blood pressure, which allows 7% margin, while the American Heart Association allows up to 10%.
“AI tool performs well within these limits,” the founder said.
The key is a good light source, either natural or artificial, and to keep the phone stable during the scan.
Measured health indicators include:
- Blood pressure
- Hemoglobin A1 C
- Pulse respiratory rope
- Respiratory rate
- Sympathetic stress
- heart rate
- Cholesterol
- Oxygen saturation (SPO2)
- Parasimpethetic activity (rest and digestive reaction)
- Cardioed variableness (HRV)
For continuous monitoring, especially in clinical settings, the equipment supports the wearable contact-based PPG sensor, which allows for prolonged health evaluation.
Effects on mother and child health
The app enables quick, non-invasive screening for conditions such as anemia, which helps women and children to identify early risk.
Dr. Ravi Kumar, Superintendent of Nilofer Hospital, where the app was first rolled out in India, said how the equipment could benefit the weaker population.
“It will revolutionize health diagnosis in India. It is especially beneficial for children and pregnant women, enhances regular and accessible health assessment,” Dr. Kumar told indianody.in.
He said that the capacity of the tool to quickly and non-invasive assessing hemoglobin levels is especially important in addressing anemia, a popular issue among women and children in India.
Dedication
By enabling rapid screening, healthcare providers can identify risk individuals and start timely intervention.
Member of National Medical Commission, Dr. Santosh Kraleti said how the app can be highlighted in dealing with the anemia crisis in India, he said that India still has to go a long way to deal with the public health problem.
“Around 40% of our mothers are anemic, so it is important for tests that are enough sensitive to mass screening. We do not require the necessary testing that are highly specialized for community programs. For example, if the level of hemoglobin is about 10 or 5, a detailed testing is not required to differentiate between 5.2 or 4.8.
He said that this app can be very useful in screening of school children and national health programs such as teenage health programs, the Presidential Program can be very useful in health programs in nation programs in nation programs.
He said, “We already have AI-based intervention, especially for cough, tuberculosis and other conditions, who are playing an important role in screening. I believe this tool will also be very valuable for large community screening programs.”
He said that soon, this app can be integrated through primary health centers and platforms like Ayushman India.
Ensure data privacy and safety
With integration of AI and digital technologies in healthcare, data protection becomes paramount.
Quick Vittal has implemented strict measures to protect the medical information of the patients, highlight by Bisam.
He said, “The system allows for multi-user registration, ensuring that only authorized healthcare providers can access patient data. All information is encrypted and safely stored, complying with regulatory standards to maintain privacy,” he said.
After its successful implementation at Nilofer Hospital, there is a plan to expand the use of Amruth Health India in other areas starting from Maharashtra.
The strength of the equipment and the ease of use can make it a promising solution for large -scale health screening, especially in rural and undertaking areas where access to traditional clinical features is limited.
A clinical test involving 1,000 children under five years of age is about to begin soon, where clinical equipment will be evaluated against traditional blood tests. Conclusions can pave the way to expand the initial screening between infants and young children.
