Vital Signs via Video Chat

Artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms are now capable of detecting a variety of physiological parameters through video; a breakthrough that could push telemedicine to the next level.

Although details are sketchy due to pending patents, the new technology appears to make use of a measurement technology known as plethysmography to detect subtle changes in skin color that vary in relation to heart rate, respiration and blood oxygen levels. When combined with “affective computing” — another emerging field that utilizes AI to gauge a person’s emotional state for the purpose of helping computers respond in emotionally intelligent ways — the system is also able to quantify stress levels.

The technology is currently under review by the Food and Drug Administration while several healthcare institutions carry out testing of the algorithms. The company also plans to release an app that would give consumers the ability to test their own vital signs and stress. Other future applications could include use by law enforcement to replace or augment polygraph data. In the meantime, legal standards governing biological data collected outside HIPAA-governed facilities will need to be reviewed to protect individual privacy rights.