A startup based in the Cortex innovation hub in St. Louis has launched an app that enables users to monitor their vital signs using just their smartphone camera, without the need for additional sensors. Presage Technologies, a team of about 10, has made the app available for download, allowing users to access their heart rate and breathing patterns with just two screen taps. During the reading, a 3D map of the user's face is displayed.
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Jimmy Winkelmann, Presage’s chief technology officer, emphasized the app's potential to provide accessible healthcare globally. "Anyone who has a smartphone anywhere in the world, all of a sudden, now you’ve enabled accessible, equitable healthcare," he said.
The app's user must be properly centered in the camera frame with adequate lighting and little movement to ensure accuracy. Team member Aristotle Pippa noted that the app only displays metrics when a certain level of confidence and accuracy is achieved. Pippa expressed how the app could have significantly benefited him during his own health challenges, potentially reducing unnecessary doctor visits by allowing physicians to monitor vital signs remotely.
Dr. Charles Quigless Jr., a chiropractor, is already utilizing the app with his patients, including those abroad. Quigless stated, "Sometimes with some of these patients, the new patients, I can actually start an intake with them remotely with this particular app."
The software has received FDA clearance for measuring pulse rate and breathing rate, allowing marketing in the U.S. Winkelmann explained that the app is designed to be free to maximize accessibility.
Highlighting St. Louis's unique testing environment, Winkelmann mentioned that the city's diverse population, particularly a data set of 70% African-American individuals, helps address issues that may arise in varying skin tones.
Presage has harnessed local talent, including coders trained through the nonprofit LaunchCode STL and international researchers like Jitesh Josi, who specializes in neural networks for vitals monitoring.
Moving forward, the team aims to develop blood pressure detection capabilities, posing competition to industry giants such as Google and Samsung. Winkelmann expressed optimism about recent breakthroughs in this area. Presage Technologies is also seeking volunteers for research to obtain additional FDA clearances.