PanopticAI earns FDA clearance for contactless monitoring

Vitals app uses facial blood flow to track vital signs via smartphones.

Hong Kong-based startup PanopticAI is redefining patient monitoring by turning everyday devices into medical-grade vital sign trackers.

“We are developing software that transforms your smartphone, tablet or computer into vital signs, one, basically medical degree,” said Kyle Wong, CEO of PanopticAI.

Using only a device’s built-in camera, PanopticAI’s software analyses subtle facial color changes caused by blood flow as the heart beats. “The camera is actually screening the blood flow that is happening as our heart is beating... It actually causes some very, very subtle color changes that we can't see but can be easily captured,” Wong explained.

During the Asia Summit on Global Health in Hong Kong, Wong demonstrated that the process is entirely contactless and takes just 30 seconds. Once completed, users receive real-time readings of key wellness indicators such as heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, breathing rate, and stress levels.

The data is displayed through a dashboard that allows users to easily monitor and track their vital signs. “You now know whether your heart rate, breathing rate or oxygen saturation,” he added.

The Vitals app recently became the first contactless pulse monitoring app using an iPhone or iPad camera to receive clearance from the United States Food and Drug Administration. “We have recently got FDA clearance for our contact response rate measurement, and moving forward, we will be getting a clinical validation and FDA clearance for all of our other metrics as well,” Wong said.