Sensing blood alcohol concentration using photo-plethysmography

Abstract

Today, people commonly research symptoms on the Internet to self-assess their illnesses. With this increased access of knowledge through technology, doctors are no longer the gatekeepers to healthcare information. As more and more individuals take their health into their own hands, technology should advance to follow suit. Dr Takehiro Yamakoshi and his colleagues at the Yamakoshi Laboratory at Fukuoka Institute of Technology have begun research meeting these demands of the public. With his new technologies that allow for non-invasive, at-home collection through smartphones of physiological measurements, such as blood-alcohol level and heart rate, not only will users have the satisfaction of obtaining their own health information for themselves, but they will quickly be able to assess vital measurements that save lives. Yamakoshi's technologies are important for their relevance with the times but especially for their ability to fill in the gaps when health professionals cannot be present.