A UK medtech firm is using artificial intelligence to take lateral flow testing to the next level.
Bond Digital Health has developed an AI-powered viewfinder for Transform®, its data management platform for rapid diagnostic tests, which will capture test images automatically.
Currently, an end user will take a photograph of their lateral flow test result manually using their smartphone’s camera through the Transform® app.
However, the new AI-powered viewfinder instantly recognises a lateral flow test and will only allow a photo to be taken if a valid test is presented to the camera.
It will then take a photo automatically after a three second countdown. If the test is taken out of shot of the camera at any time, the photo will not be taken.
The new feature will improve the quality of images captured, reduce the likelihood of error, and improve the end user experience.
The feature was developed over the last six months by Bond’s Android Developer Luke Morris, who first pitched the idea during a placement at the company while studying for a MSc in Computing at Cardiff University.
Mr Morris said: “We wanted to see if we could use a machine learning model specialising in image recognition to add a new feature to the Transform® app.
“We took thousands of images and trained the model to recognise what is and what isn’t a lateral flow test.
“What we developed was a highly accurate but user-friendly feature.”
Russell Hicks, Chief Technology Officer at Bond Digital Health, said: “We are proud to launch our AI-powered viewfinder, an innovative new feature that will help Bond stand out in the marketplace.
“This development demonstrates our commitment to continually developing our technology to meet the needs of our partners and to adding quality new features that improve the end user experience.”
Transform® allows test providers, public health authorities and workplaces to record and track test data, digitally, in real time.
End users can capture test results from lateral flow and other point-of-care diagnostic tests along with other subject data using the Transform® app.
The data is stored securely in the cloud where it can be accessed instantly and viewed on an intuitive dashboard system.
Transform® is now being used by test developers in North America and Europe and the platform has won awards for its innovative technology.
The AI-powered viewfinder feature is currently available for Transform® on Android smartphones and will soon be available on iOS.