Heart disease could be written on your face University of Rochester rightOriginal StudyPosted by Mark Michaud-Rochester on September 2 2014New technology that uses software algorithms and a web camera can detect subtle changes in facial skin color that indicate the uneven blood flow caused by atrial fibrillation a treatable but potentially dangerous heart condition. ��This technology holds the potential to identify and diagnose cardiac disease using contactless video monitoring �� says Jean-Philippe Couderc from the University of Rochester Medical Center  s Heart Research Follow-up Program. � ��This is a very simple concept but one that could enable more people with atrial fibrillation to get the care the care they need. ��Atrial fibrillation an irregular or sometimes rapid heart rate that commonly causes poor blood flow to the body occurs when erratic cardiac electrical activity causes the upper and lower chambers of the heart to beat out of sync. �More than three million Americans suffer from the disease.While the condition can be readily diagnosed it often goes undetectedâ � �either because it comes and goes or because the symptoms fatigue and weakness are too general to warrant concern. �Consequently it is estimated that 30 percent of people with atrial fibrillation don  t know they have the condition.Furthermore while atrial fibrillation is treatable if detectedâ � �both by medication and through a procedure that essentially resets the heart  s electrical activityâ � �many individuals with the condition will experience a reoccurrence. �If untreated the condition can pose significantly higher risk for blood clots and stroke.The technology described in the study employs a software algorithm developed by Xerox Corp. that scans the face and can detect changes in skin color that are imperceptible to the naked eye. �All this requires is that the subject remain still for 15 seconds.Sensors in digital cameras are designed to record three colors: red green and blue. Hemoglobinâ � �a component of bloodâ � � ��absorbs �� more of the green spectrum of light and this subtle change can be detected by the camera  s sensor.In turns out that the face is the ideal place to detect this phenomenon because the skin is thinner than other parts of the body and blood vessels are closer to the surface.For the study published in Heart Rhythm participants were simultaneously hooked up to an electrocardiogram (ECG) so results from the facial scan could be compared to the actual electrical activity of the heart.Color changes detected by video monitoring corresponded with an individualâ � �s heart rate as detected on an ECG. Essentially the irregular electrical activity of the heart found in people with atrial fibrillation could be identified by  ��observing �� the pulses of blood flowing through the veins on the face as it absorbed or reflected green light with each heartbeat.The video monitoring technique which researchers dubbed videoplethymography had an error rate of 20 percent comparable to the 17 to 29 percent error rate associated with automated ECG measurements.While the pilot study was only conducted on 11 people and intended to demonstrate that the technology was feasible the researchers are now in the process of evaluating the technology on a larger study population including those without atrial fibrillation.The new studies coupled with the application of image stabilizing technology and the ongoing improvement in the resolution of cameras will lower the error rate Couderc says. ��This study was intended to be a proof of concept and as is the case with many new technologies we believe that we can significantly improve its accuracy and the usability. ��Like many other personal health technologies that have emerged in recent years the authors see this as a way to diagnose or monitor people at risk for atrial fibrillation and alert them and/or their physicians when the condition is detected.The contactless nature of the technology and the proliferation of web cameras could even eventually allow the screening to occur without interrupting the user. For example the program could run in the background while someone is reading their email on their tablet computer or smart phone.Other researchers from University of Rochester and from Xerox Corp. contributed to the study which was funded by Xerox and the Center for Emerging and Innovative Sciences.Source: University of RochesterYou are free to share this article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported license.