Project SEARCH (Scanning EARs for Child Health): validating an ear biometric tool for patient identification in Zambia [version 1; peer review: 2 approved]
Patient identification in low- to middle-income countries is one of the most pressing public health challenges of our day. Given the ubiquity of mobile phones, their use for health-care coupled with a biometric identification method, present a unique opportunity to address this challenge. Our resear...
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
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F1000 Research Ltd
2020-11-01
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Series: | Gates Open Research |
Online Access: | https://gatesopenresearch.org/articles/4-168/v1 |
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author | Lauren Etter Alinani Simukanga Wenda Qin Rachel Pieciak Lawrence Mwananyanda Margrit Betke Jackson Phiri Caroline Carbo Arnold Hamapa Chris Gill |
author_facet | Lauren Etter Alinani Simukanga Wenda Qin Rachel Pieciak Lawrence Mwananyanda Margrit Betke Jackson Phiri Caroline Carbo Arnold Hamapa Chris Gill |
author_sort | Lauren Etter |
collection | DOAJ |
description | Patient identification in low- to middle-income countries is one of the most pressing public health challenges of our day. Given the ubiquity of mobile phones, their use for health-care coupled with a biometric identification method, present a unique opportunity to address this challenge. Our research proposes an Android-based solution of an ear biometric tool for reliable identification. Unlike many popular biometric approaches (e.g., fingerprints, irises, facial recognition), ears are noninvasive and easily accessible on individuals across a lifespan. Our ear biometric tool uses a combination of hardware and software to identify a person using an image of their ear. The hardware supports an image capturing process that reduces undesired variability. The software uses a pattern recognition algorithm to transform an image of the ear into a unique identifier. We created three cross-sectional datasets of ear images, each increasing in complexity, with the final dataset representing our target use-case population of Zambian infants (N=224, aged 6days-6months). Using these datasets, we conducted a series of validation experiments, which informed iterative improvements to the system. Results of the improved system, which yielded high recognition rates across the three datasets, demonstrate the feasibility of an Android ear biometric tool as a solution to the persisting patient identification challenge. |
first_indexed | 2024-12-21T11:53:45Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-ff4dd2097be048c4be371eaf7a11c858 |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 2572-4754 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-12-21T11:53:45Z |
publishDate | 2020-11-01 |
publisher | F1000 Research Ltd |
record_format | Article |
series | Gates Open Research |
spelling | doaj.art-ff4dd2097be048c4be371eaf7a11c8582022-12-21T19:05:00ZengF1000 Research LtdGates Open Research2572-47542020-11-01410.12688/gatesopenres.13197.114405Project SEARCH (Scanning EARs for Child Health): validating an ear biometric tool for patient identification in Zambia [version 1; peer review: 2 approved]Lauren Etter0Alinani Simukanga1Wenda Qin2Rachel Pieciak3Lawrence Mwananyanda4Margrit Betke5Jackson Phiri6Caroline Carbo7Arnold Hamapa8Chris Gill9College of Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USADepartment of Computer Science, School of Natural Sciences, University of Zambia, Lusaka, ZambiaDepartment of Computer Science, College of Arts and Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USADepartment of Global Health, School of Public Health, Boston University Medical Campus, Boston, MA, 02118, USARight to Care Zambia, Lusaka, ZambiaDepartment of Computer Science, College of Arts and Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USADepartment of Computer Science, School of Natural Sciences, University of Zambia, Lusaka, ZambiaCollege of Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USARight to Care Zambia, Lusaka, ZambiaDepartment of Global Health, School of Public Health, Boston University Medical Campus, Boston, MA, 02118, USAPatient identification in low- to middle-income countries is one of the most pressing public health challenges of our day. Given the ubiquity of mobile phones, their use for health-care coupled with a biometric identification method, present a unique opportunity to address this challenge. Our research proposes an Android-based solution of an ear biometric tool for reliable identification. Unlike many popular biometric approaches (e.g., fingerprints, irises, facial recognition), ears are noninvasive and easily accessible on individuals across a lifespan. Our ear biometric tool uses a combination of hardware and software to identify a person using an image of their ear. The hardware supports an image capturing process that reduces undesired variability. The software uses a pattern recognition algorithm to transform an image of the ear into a unique identifier. We created three cross-sectional datasets of ear images, each increasing in complexity, with the final dataset representing our target use-case population of Zambian infants (N=224, aged 6days-6months). Using these datasets, we conducted a series of validation experiments, which informed iterative improvements to the system. Results of the improved system, which yielded high recognition rates across the three datasets, demonstrate the feasibility of an Android ear biometric tool as a solution to the persisting patient identification challenge.https://gatesopenresearch.org/articles/4-168/v1 |
spellingShingle | Lauren Etter Alinani Simukanga Wenda Qin Rachel Pieciak Lawrence Mwananyanda Margrit Betke Jackson Phiri Caroline Carbo Arnold Hamapa Chris Gill Project SEARCH (Scanning EARs for Child Health): validating an ear biometric tool for patient identification in Zambia [version 1; peer review: 2 approved] Gates Open Research |
title | Project SEARCH (Scanning EARs for Child Health): validating an ear biometric tool for patient identification in Zambia [version 1; peer review: 2 approved] |
title_full | Project SEARCH (Scanning EARs for Child Health): validating an ear biometric tool for patient identification in Zambia [version 1; peer review: 2 approved] |
title_fullStr | Project SEARCH (Scanning EARs for Child Health): validating an ear biometric tool for patient identification in Zambia [version 1; peer review: 2 approved] |
title_full_unstemmed | Project SEARCH (Scanning EARs for Child Health): validating an ear biometric tool for patient identification in Zambia [version 1; peer review: 2 approved] |
title_short | Project SEARCH (Scanning EARs for Child Health): validating an ear biometric tool for patient identification in Zambia [version 1; peer review: 2 approved] |
title_sort | project search scanning ears for child health validating an ear biometric tool for patient identification in zambia version 1 peer review 2 approved |
url | https://gatesopenresearch.org/articles/4-168/v1 |
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