Updated App Offers New Features and Content for the 1.6B People Struggling with Anemia
Today Sanguina, Inc. (Sanguina), a wellness and diagnostic company offering at-home hemoglobin testing and management tools, relaunched its signature, award-winning AnemoCheck Mobile App with an updated design, new capabilities, and additional content.
Anemia is a condition in which someone lacks enough healthy red blood cells to carry adequate oxygen to their body’s tissues. Iron deficiency anemia is a common form, and given that 70% of the body’s iron is found in hemoglobin, it’s important to keep levels in check to ensure the body has the resources it needs to function.
Anemia impacts over 1.6 billion people (25% of the world’s population), with women, pregnant women, seniors, vegetarians/vegans, and athletes being some of the most vulnerable groups. Traditional anemia testing requires time, access to a doctor or a lab, insurance, and needles.
With AnemoCheck Mobile, Sanguina brings hemoglobin level estimation directly into the consumer’s pocket. It’s the first smartphone app for completely non-invasive and instant hemoglobin estimation, which is provided through a fingernail selfie.
Users simply take a picture of their fingernails (unpolished), the app algorithm measures the paleness of the nail beds which correlates to hemoglobin levels, and they will have their estimate in seconds. Sanguina’s estimate is called “Iron Grade” which is a non-invasive hemoglobin estimate. Low hemoglobin levels may lead to fatigue, brittle hair and nails, and cold hands.
Users can estimate their levels from home and share their results with their physician or loved ones. Sanguina prioritizes privacy, and all results are confidential unless shared by the user.
Originally launched in 2020, the app has been re-designed to enhance user interface, onboarding, and experience.
Updates include:
- Algorithms reading more user data for more accurate results: With an expanded data set, Sanguina is able to provide a more precise read and product for its consumers. Data is private and isn’t sold or publicly available anywhere.
- Updated branding and an enhanced consumer experience: Sanguina updated the app look and feel, including the UX and UI, to be ADA-compliant, which means those with disabilities, such as color blindness, can better interact with the platform. The app also gives more instructions for users to help them get an accurate read.
- New features, including a symptoms, mood, and supplement tracker: This tracker helps users to be more informed about how their hemoglobin levels can impact their body’s entire ecosystem. By tracking their symptoms and mood, AnemoCheck Mobile can make suggestions that might be helpful to a user, with a physician’s oversight of course.
Coming in 2022:
- Educational content and FAQ: The app’s overall language is playful and educational to make learning about anemia as approachable as possible. It includes curated content on how and when to use AnemoCheck Mobile, how your diet and supplements impact your health, and even season-focused tips on anemia management during different times of the year.
Sanguina’s CEO and Co-Founder, Erika Tyburski, has had anemia since childhood, so the company’s roots and mission directly address the needs of those with anemia and provide accessible management tools.
“Growing up, I frequently passed out in school and was taken to the emergency room – just to learn that my hemoglobin levels were low. Throughout my life, I craved a solution that would give me the flexibility and insight needed to prevent this from happening over and over again. This laid the foundation for Sanguina,” says Tyburski. “Although Sanguina’s AnemoCheck Mobile should never be used to replace a physician or to make a diagnosis, it allows users to take affordable, instant, proactive, and accessible action toward bettering their health wherever, whenever. On a broader scale, we want to offer AnemoCheck Mobile to people outside of the U.S. like in Southeast Asia and Africa, where many may have Wi-Fi access but don’t have medical support within their communities. Because our technology is accessible, we have the potential to make a significant impact to improve the quality of life in global populations.”
The AnemoCheck Mobile technology was created through a multi-institution collaboration with the Georgia Institute of Technology, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory University by biomedical engineers Erika Tyburski, Wilbur Lam, MD, Ph.D., and Robert Mannino, Ph.D. Their work has been featured in several peer-reviewed journals including BMC Medicine, Nature Communications, and The Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Consumers can download AnemoCheck Mobile at the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store here at no cost.
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