The wearable technology sector has hit a standstill due to a lack of sensor innovation. However, Klick Labs is exploring voice recordings as a new frontier for biomarkers, allowing for monitoring of conditions like Type 2 diabetes and assessment of glucose levels using smartphone voice clips.
By utilizing voice technology, Klick Labs’ new app aims to detect signs of chronically high blood pressure with the assistance of AI for analysis. This approach has the potential to revolutionize healthcare accessibility and affordability, especially for underserved populations, according to Jaycee Kaufman, a research scientist at Klick Labs.
Why hypertension is such a big issue
High blood pressure, or hypertension, affects over 1.28 billion adults globally, with nearly half undiagnosed. It is a leading cause of premature deaths worldwide, as reported by the World Health Organization.
If left untreated, hypertension can lead to severe health complications, including heart problems, kidney failure, and vision loss. Unfortunately, timely detection and accessible analysis for hypertension are often challenging.
How voice recordings can help
Klick Labs conducted a study analyzing voice samples from 245 subjects to detect high blood pressure. The research, published in the IEEE Access journal, achieved an accuracy of 84% for women and 77% for men in detecting high blood pressure using voice recordings.
Challenges and the road ahead
Klick Labs plans to further develop their software toolkit for at-scale deployment, addressing challenges such as the need for diverse test subjects and reducing the number of recordings required for analysis. The team is also exploring deep neural networks to enhance their analysis capabilities.
