Mobile urinalysis for maternal screening: Frugal medical screening solution and patient database to aid in prenatal healthcare for expecting mothers in the developing world

摘要

Pregnant women in the developing world are often denied the level of healthcare that is needed to prepare them for successful deliveries. Often this inequality of service is due to high costs of medical care, the remote location of patients, and the infrequency of medical visits. We have created a mobile application and added a secure light box that will allow a low-cost implementation of urinalysis tests for these women. These tests can help in detecting warning signs for common health risks early in the pregnancy. Our application uses the camera from a mobile device to digitize the colors within the urinalysis test strip. It then compares the colors obtained with baseline colors to identify chemical levels in the urine. The application's interface displays the test results and keeps track of each patient's test history. Through detection of certain chemical levels at an earlier time, there is a higher chance for intervention and, therefore, for successful pregnancies. By decentralizing access to preventative healthcare, this solution has the potential to increase the rate of successful pregnancies among women from traditionally underserved communities.