An iPhone app helps identify thyroid disease

Researchers led by Randy Polson, from the University of Utah have developed a device that uses an iPhone's LED flash, digital camera with collimating lens to optimise illumination and focusing.

A specially-designed app is used to collect an image of a completed Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) assays to convert the image into a quantitative values.

Point-of-care TSH immunochromatographic assays (TSH assays) are widely used to screen for hypo thyroidism.

However, their acceptability is limited by the semi-quantitative nature of the test format and inability to detect low TSH values, underscoring the need for alternative devices to screen for the disease.

Using a light pipe, the researchers showed that an iPhone was able to detect whole-blood TSH concentrations as low as 0.1 mIU/L.

Hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland produces too little thyroid hormone.

Symptoms may include feeling run down, slow, depressed, sluggish, cold, tired, having dry skin and hair, constipation, muscle cramps, or weight gain.

The most common cause of hypothyroidism, worldwide, is lack of iodine in the diet.

The findings were presented at the 82nd Annual Meeting of the American Thyroid Association (ATA) in Quebec City, Canada.