Screening for Neonatal Jaundice with a Smartphone

Abstract

A method to screen for jaundice in neonates using a digital image of the sclera is proposed. The RGB pixel values from a raw format image are used to derive an estimate for the total serum bilirubin (TSB). A study at UCH Neonatal Unit found a correlation of r=0.71 (p<0.01) between measured TSB and TSB estimated by this method. The advantages of using a smartphone camera as a mobile screening device are discussed.