AI-Powered Coronavirus-Screening App Uses Wearable Biosensors to Detect COVID-19 within Two Minutes

A new AI-powered solution can triage those needing further testing for SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 using physiological sensors data derived from wearable devices.

NeuTigers (Brooklyn, NY, USA), a spinout of Princeton University, in partnership with Rajant Corporation (Malvern, PA, USA), has launched the CovidDeep app which has an accuracy of more than 90% in predicting whether a person is virus-free or virus-positive, and is twice as effective as current triage tools, such as temperature checks and questionnaires.

COVID-19 affects people’s biometrics and physiological markers in both obvious and nearly imperceptible ways. CovidDeep is powered by cutting-edge AI deep neural networks that mimic how the human brain perceives, learns, and interprets the world. Scientists at NeuTigers used proprietary deep neural networks to learn from hundreds-of-thousands of digital health data points and a specific questionnaire in SARS-CoV-2-positive and healthy participants. They identified patterns in the sensor physiological readings such as Galvanic Skin Response (GSR), Skin temperature, Heart Inter-beat Interval (IBI), Blood pressure, and Blood oxygen saturation levels (SpO2) that are consistent with how COVID-19 impacts the body.

Users simply answer a questionnaire regarding symptoms and health history (based on CDC guidelines) and input their health sensor’s data. Data is entered by connecting CovidDeep to an Empatica E4 Wristband as well as inputting blood pressure and blood oxygen readings using any off-the-shelf device. CovidDeep then analyzes the data and provides a prediction as to whether someone is likely to be negative or positive for SARS CoV-2/COVID-19. Using advanced machine learning algorithms, CovidDeep detects changes in physiological patterns even before they are felt by the patient and all with real-time analysis. CovidDeep recognizes the ‘digital signature’ of SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 and quickly identifies if a person is COVID-positive, even if they do not have symptoms (asymptomatic). The process takes around two minutes, allowing one Empatica device, blood pressure monitor and pulse oximeter to screen unlimited numbers of people after being sanitized between usages.

In a controlled clinical study, CovidDeep was shown to predict SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 with upwards of 90% accuracy, almost twice as effective as temperature checks and visual symptoms checks, while NeuTiger’s own study and others have shown that it can predict COVID-19 with around 50% accuracy. CovidDeep has already been deployed in B2B settings, including multiple nursing homes and assisted living facilities in the US and Europe, and is expected to become a powerful tool for businesses and healthcare facilities who regularly screen for COVID-19.

“Advances in machine learning and the proliferation of medical-grade sensors in everyday consumer wearables has led to a new era in which we can predict and identify the onset of a myriad of diseases,” said Adel Laoui, CEO and founder of NeuTigers. “Initially meeting the urgent need for mass screening in the business environment, CovidDeep is set to expand to a wider consumer offering in early 2021,” added Laoui.

Related Links:
NeuTigers
Rajant Corporation