14-year-old develops app that detects heart issues in 7 seconds
What's the story
Siddarth Nandyala, a 14-year-old from Frisco, Texas, has developed a revolutionary smartphone app called Circadian AI.
The app can detect early signs of heart disease in just seven seconds.
It works by recording heart sounds and analyzing the data with a cloud-based machine learning (ML) model.
The innovative tool can identify arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats), early signs of heart failure, indicators of coronary artery disease, and abnormalities in heart valves.
Inspiration
How the app works
Nandyala was inspired by his desire to use AI for the benefit of humanity and transform the healthcare system.
He spent months collecting data from hospitals in the US and India, working with medical professionals and patients to improve his app.
Clinical trials involved some 15,000 patients in the US and around 3,500 in India.
The app achieved over 96% accuracy in detecting heart abnormalities during these trials.
Future prospects
Currently meant for clinical use
Currently, Circadian AI is meant for clinical use by trained personnel as it needs a proper understanding to work effectively.
Nandyala stressed that the app is a pre-screening tool and not a replacement for traditional diagnostic methods like an ECG.
He hopes to expand the app's capabilities in the future to detect lung-related illnesses such as pneumonia and pulmonary embolism using similar sound analysis techniques.
Global impact
App's potential to improve healthcare
The app has been lauded by medical professionals for its potential to improve healthcare, especially in underserved areas.
Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death globally, accounting for about 32% of all deaths.
"An early potential diagnosis in patients who otherwise may not have had access to medical care may ultimately reduce long-term morbidity and mortality from this condition," Jameel Ahmed, an electrophysiologist at Louisiana State University, told Smithsonian magazine.
Previous achievements
Other innovations by Nandyala
Before Circadian AI, Nandyala had already made a name for himself with a low-cost prosthetic arm and STEM IT, a start-up that creates science and technology kits for students.
His work has earned him a Certificate of Recognition from the US House of Representatives and a letter of congratulations from then-President Joe Biden.
Despite his young age, he is already studying computer science at the University of Texas as a freshman.