Scientific (Phone) Applications and Mobile Devices

2021 witnessed subsequent waves of COVID-19 sweeping across the world. As the number of daily cases rose in many countries, many adopted the utilization of antigen rapid test (ART) kits for faster detection and isolation of the infected. However, the accuracy of the ART can be impacted by incorrect usage and self-reporting biases. Despite self-administration, image processing of submitted images could be leveraged for validation. Given the ubiquitous use of the smartphone camera, mobile applications that included features such as user uploading of ART kit result images, facilitate verification by backend servers against incorrect self-reported ART results while improving compliance rates. For this purpose, we describe an algorithm that was incorporated into the ‘ART Buddy’ app for the classification of submitted positive and negative ART images. The algorithm was based on machine learning using the Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) to achieve an accuracy of 97.57%, precision of 79.31%, and recall of 88.46%.

Handwashing is a basic infection control practice that needs to be performed correctly to be effective. In the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, its correct practice is emphasized by public health institutions. However, turning a practice into a habit requires acceptance for adoption of the twenty-second proper procedure to which difficulty remains. To promote and convince the average user, we developed the “APD Handwash app” as a home-use demonstration/education tool to the pitfalls and need of proper handwashing practices through the detection of assigned clean or dirty areas on the hand in a quantitative manner to provide a gauge to the effectiveness of washing when used before and after washing.

Amidst rapid diagnostic kits, reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) has emerged as a rapid point-of-care testing (POCT) method during the COVID-19 pandemic. While many POCT kits rely on plate readers or visual classifications, these processes require experienced staff, and with the use of plate readers, the need for peripheral equipment and infrastructure as well. To address the gap and ensure objectivity in colorimetric POCT kits, the Automated Product Determination (APD) LAMP Diagnostic App was developed for automatic colorimetric analysis of single to multiple LAMP samples. Leveraging on the smartphone camera, barcode-based documentation feature, and a colour distance formula, the app algorithm calculates RGB values, labelling samples as “positive” when yellow, “negative” when pink, and “unknown” when orange. The APD Lamp diagnostic app for Android hereby demonstrates the integration of smartphone apps in POCT kits and ways the smartphone revolution changes laboratory processes to be timely and on-the-go.

Surveys are an instrumental way in which researchers and scientists can gather data. With increasing reliance of digital solutions, manual surveys utilizing pen and paper are increasingly rare in the technologically connected world. Previously, we released the PsychVey web application platform to facilitate easy management of surveys for faster, more convenient and secure data collection. In the new PsychVey Ver.2, there is now a new user interface, automated email notification, auto-marking, display of pictures, uploading of documents and an improved search feature. To allow cross-platforms, PsychVey Ver2 has improved mobile-browser compatibility and speed.

The SARS-CoV2 pandemic of year 2020 caused unprecedented disruptions globally. With lockdowns implemented in many countries, scientific research such as biomedical sciences, experienced major disruptions including in the supply chains of research materials.