I’ve mentioned the specialist UK AI company UnifAI Technology before. Their philosophy of applying simple technology to every-day needs has led to the development of digital solutions that are helping improve the health and well-being of people, the environment and infrastructure in countries around the world. And they’ve done it once again with their latest contribution to remote diagnostics.
I can think of no business that better represents my concept of “simple tech” and it’s no surprise, when Covid became an issue, that the folks at UnifAI Technology rolled their sleeves up and got to work.
I couldn’t be happier for them that their resulting AI based Digital Reader has been authorised for use in the UK’s fight against Covid 19 by the country’s medical device regulator, the MHRA.
Another triumph for “simple tech”!
UnifAI’s Digital Reader combines lateral flow tests and smart phones to fill an important gap in the path to remote diagnostics.
It’s not just the direct impact of Covid. Countries around the world are being left with a legacy of unmet healthcare needs. Digital and remote diagnostics will help reduce wating lists and waiting times, and prioritise health care services for those that need it most.
Lateral flow tests have governed our lives for the last couple of years. They are the cheapest, quickest way of knowing whether a patient has a problem. However, now we are familiar with them, these devices also provide an opportunity for a wider range of home-based self-testing that will help reduce the pressure on health professionals.
UnifAI Technology’s Digital Reader uses artificial intelligence to detect lines that the human eye might miss, especially when the sampling hasn’t been that thorough or the user has poor eyesight.
The Digital Reader makes lateral flow devices a viable option for remote diagnostics by turning an analogue and unconnected lateral flow test into a digital and connected medical device. Results can be delivered directly to doctors, other health care practitioners and even to family for peace of mind.
It’s a perfect example of how simple tech, that’s accessible to any business, can help businesses move forward today. In this case opening a wide range of opportunities to use remote diagnostics to improve health care outcomes.
Its potential isn’t confined to the developed world either. There’s growing awareness of the need for “levelling out”. Our response to pandemics and the simplicity of UnifAI’s Digital Reader reduces the barriers to developing countries too.
Phil Darby
February 9, 2022