Vascular diseases such as Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD), are a significant healthcare concern worldwide. For instance, only in the United States, alone, PAD affects between 8 and 12 million Americans; healthcare providers sometimes don’t diagnose PAD straight away, so the actual number may be higher. These conditions can cause serious health problems if left untreated, including limb amputation, stroke, and even death. That’s why early diagnosis is crucial for effective treatment. However, traditional diagnostic methods often face some challenges which make them unpopular among patients. They are time-consuming, expensive, and often invasive.
Here comes the role of Kelvin Health - an advanced diagnosing technology, combining thermal imaging and AI. Its purpose is to offer accessible monitoring to both doctors and patients. How exactly it can achieve this?
The Growing Need for Early Diagnosis of Vascular Diseases
First, we will discuss why it is so important to diagnose these conditions on time. Sometimes, a diagnosis is needed even before symptoms appear. According to WHO, It is important to detect cardiovascular diseases as early as possible so that management with counseling and medicines can begin. What’s more, people need to do regular prevention examinations. Why? Because the modern lifestyle often predisposes them to develop different health conditions. The prevalence of vascular diseases, for example, is increasing worldwide due to various risk factors such as aging, obesity, diabetes, and smoking. Therefore, the habit of regular check-ups and access to early monitoring is crucial. But what prevents patients from obtaining such an attitude toward early diagnostic methods? Let’s look at some of the disadvantages they possess.
Limited Sensitivity
Traditional diagnostic tests for vascular diseases, such as angiography and ultrasound, have limited sensitivity and accuracy. These tests may fail to detect early-stage vascular diseases or detect them too late when treatment options are limited. For example, people with diabetes type 2 suffer from Medial arterial calcification (MAC) - a non-obstructive condition leading to reduced arterial compliance. For this reason, popular testing methods for cardiovascular diseases are not reliable for diabetics.
Invasiveness
Traditional diagnostic tests for vascular diseases, such as angiography, are invasive and can cause discomfort or pain for the patient. This is one of the reasons people prefer to postpone these procedures and often wait for symptoms to become serious before deciding to do them.
High Cost
Traditional diagnostic tests for vascular diseases, such as angiography, are expensive and may not be covered by insurance. In low-income countries where the population is primarily elderly people the cost of the procedure is often unbearable.
The Role of Kelvin Health's Technology
Our solution offers advanced diagnosis tool based on thermal imaging and AI. A mobile thermal imaging camera captures the body’s heat, segments the thermal image, and applies artificial intelligence to detect anomalies related to vascular conditions. It is a non-invasive, painless, and highly accurate method that can detect these diseases in their early stages.
Thus, it is possible to prevent the progression of the condition, reduce the risk of complications, and consequently, improve patient outcomes. The money and resources for treatment could be saved, but most importantly the well-being of patients will be preserved. The method is fast and it could be easily performed by both specialists and ordinary people. Removing the most common obstacles people face when using traditional diagnostic methods, could help them build a habit of regular check-ups and therefore - improve the overall health of society.
Kelvin Health embodies our aspirations to make a positive change in the healthcare system, but not only. We strive to shift people’s mindsets and show them their health must be a priority. We strongly believe this could save lives and reverse the black statistics of our time.