Device screens for common liver disease symptom

A device created to aid in detection of advanced liver disease illuminates a flickering light that gradually slows, asking the person using it to tap an app on their phone when they see the light flashing.

"The purpose of the device is to enable us to provide patients with the tool that they can measure for themselves at home to see if they're at risk for developing hepatic encephalopathy," said Dr. Philip Vutien, an assistant professor of gastroenterology at the University of Washington School of Medicine.

In our blog post  learn more about how liver disease can be detected through a person's vision and reaction time.

Download broadcast-ready soundbites and a demonstration of the flickering detection device.

Credit: 

UW Medicine