The use of smartphone-obtained images to extrapolate canine packed cell volume.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether a smartphone-obtained image can be used to extrapolate the PCV of canine blood samples.

DESIGN

Prospective study of surplus blood obtained from clinical cases.

SETTING

University teaching hospital.

INTERVENTIONS

Blood samples were placed on filter paper, and images were obtained with a smartphone in different environments. These results were then compared to the PCV measurements on the same samples following the World Health Organization guidelines.

MEASUREMENTS

Sixty-nine samples were assessed and identified that smartphone images, obtained in a controlled environment, were able to predict the PCV of the samples. This prediction was most accurate when assessing samples of a normal erythroid mass or polycythemic samples.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study suggest that smartphone-obtained images do have a utility in predicting canine PCV. If this can be incorporated into a smartphone application, there would be scope to use this in low resource settings.