Cautious use of Mobile Device Cameras for Color-Scale Assays

Abstract

Smartphone-based mobile health technology has generated significant interest, and an increasing number of people use mobile devices to track their personal health. For example, point-of-care diagnoses of anemia can be accomplished on a smartphone using color-based assays from finger-prick blood. This paper presents a mathematical model for color-scale analyses in this context and provides example data that support the need for caution when using electronic devices that produce reading levels based on colors in a digital camera image.