A new app called ClearSCAN has been released that can detect the early signs of COVID-19 and provide a reason to get yourself tested to confirm if you’re carrying the virus.
The ClearSCAN app, available for Android users initially, utilises the camera on your smartphone and is as simple as taking a selfie.
It can accurately measure oxygenation levels.
Studies show that low oxygenation levels are an indicative symptom of coronavirus.
Normal oxygenation levels are 90+ and become a concern when they drop below this level.
COVID-19 is mainly a respiratory illness so a decrease of partial oxygen in the blood is a tell-tale sign your lungs are not absorbing the right amount of oxygen.
So how can an app read your oxygenation levels?
ClearSCAN works with more recent smartphones that have cameras which can capture video at 30 frames per second and higher.
Through the app, open the front facing camera you’re about to take a selfie and tap scan.
The app has a green face recognition grid to help you stay in frame and examines your face for 45 seconds.
In this time it is measuring your minimum and maximum pulse rate, mean pulse rate, your stress level, oxygen level, BPM (beats per minute), breath and SPO2 (oxygenation levels).
ClearSCAN uses a mixture of signal processing and AI technologies and an algorithm to examine the upper cheek region of your skin and extract PPG (photoplethysmography) signal and calculate heart rate, oxygen saturation and respiration rate.
PPG is a non-invasive optical technique to calculate blood volume changes in a microvascular bed of tissue at the skin surface.
“This technology is so important to us that we are making it free to everyone from now until Christmas,” says Clear Companies founder Michael Proper.
“We just released our second beta version. It works wonderfully and is extremely accurate.
“We improved the technology, created software that makes it incredibly easy to use, and a secure way to share it with your doctor.”
The ClearSCAN app is a quick and easy way to get a first reading on your health while minimizing human contact. And it can tell you if you have one of the main symptoms of COVID-19.
ClearSCAN is available now for select Android smartphones. You can download it here.