Title : HeraHealth: Revolutionizing postpartum care through an innovative blood loss monitoring application
Abstract:
Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) poses a significant threat to maternal health, affecting 1 in 6 women during childbirth and contributing to over 20% of maternal fatalities globally. In the United States, a hemorrhaging mother is ten times more likely to die due to the reliance on a subjective visual estimation of blood loss during delivery, which results in high error rates and delayed treatment. HeraHealth, an innovative medical application, aims to address this challenge by providing a reliable means to quantify postpartum blood loss in real-time.
Utilizing HeraHealth, women can accurately measure their blood loss by uploading images of their maternal pads, which are then analyzed by a medical image processing algorithm. This algorithm calculates the volume of blood within the pad based on four key metrics: time, pixel count, pad absorbency, and pixel index values. By deconstructing a 2D image into binary and processing through medical imaging technology, HeraHealth generates a 3D metric of blood volume in milliliters.
To validate the accuracy of the algorithm, extensive testing was conducted using Abena Maternal Pads and sheep's blood, which closely resembles human blood properties. Results yielded an algorithm accuracy rate of 84%, significantly outperforming existing methods. Moreover, the algorithm demonstrated resilience to variations in lighting conditions and blood oxidation, ensuring consistent performance across different environments.
Beyond its application in maternal health, HeraHealth's algorithm holds promise for tracking blood loss in other areas such as female menstrual conditions like PCOS, menopause, and endometriosis. By providing quantitative data to women and their physicians, HeraHealth empowers women to better understand their health, as well as facilitates early detection of potentially life-threatening conditions.
Ultimately, HeraHealth's innovative approach not only addresses disparities in maternal care but also contributes to the broader goal of reducing maternal mortality. By enabling prompt detection and treatment of PPH, HeraHealth ensures that new mothers have the opportunity to lead healthy lives with their children. As further advancements and integration of artificial intelligence techniques are pursued, HeraHealth continues to evolve, promising even greater impact in improving women's health outcomes.
