Page 24 - ARUBA TODAY

A24 TECHNOLOGY
Friday 17 May 2019

Using a smartphone to sound out sign of kids’ ear infections

By LAURAN NEERGAARD lar results as young as 9
AP Medical Writer months. And in a separate
WASHINGTON (AP) — Re- experiment involving 25
searchers have created a kids’ ears, parents used the
way for a smartphone to smartphone to check for
“hear” a warning sign of fluid just as well as doctors
ear infections — fluid build- did. “Examining ears is dif-
up behind the eardrum. ficult,” and better tools are
If it pans out, parents might needed for doctors, too,
one day check their tots’ said Dr. Alejandro Hober-
ears at home simply using a man, pediatrics chief at
phone app and “stuff you UPMC Children’s Hospi-
have around the house — tal of Pittsburgh, who also
paper, tape and scissors,” wasn’t part of the research.
said one of the lead re- But just because there’s
searchers, Dr. Sharat Raju fluid present doesn’t mean
of the University of Wash- it’s infected — and Hober-
ington. Ear infections are man worried that at-home
one of the most common use of such a device “may
reasons for pediatrician alarm parents” and pres-
visits. Even if there’s no in- sure doctors to prescribe
fection, fluid that builds up unnecessary antibiotics.
in the middle ear still can In this undated photo provided by the University of Washington in May 2019, Dr. Randall Bly uses Dr. Randall Bly, a University
be painful and sometimes a uses a phone app and a paper funnel to focus the sound, to check his daughter for an ear of Washington ear special-
can muffle hearing enough infection, at the UW School of Medicine in Seattle. ist and study co-author, says
to affect speech develop- Associated Press the smartphone approach
ment. proach for acoustic testing: reflected sound. The app Researchers tested the sys- is a bit like using a ther-
Diagnosis is difficult. Usually Cut a piece of paper, fold sends a text saying wheth- tem on 98 ears, in children mometer in deciding when
a pediatrician will peek into it into a funnel shape and er it’s likely that middle-ear older than 18 months who to call a doctor. If it finds no
the child’s ear to see if the tape it around the phone’s fluid is present — one piece were about to undergo sur- sign of fluid, “then you can
eardrum is inflamed, and microphone and speakers. of information, along with gery at Seattle Children’s be pretty confident the fe-
parents can buy devices Aim the funnel at the ear other symptoms, that might Hospital. Half were having ver or whatever is probably
that use cameras to do the canal to focus sound. An be used for diagnosis. ear tubes implanted, so not related to an ear infec-
same thing. But ear special- experimental app beams “This type of technology doctors could tell exactly tion,” he explained. But lots
ists tend to use pricier, more in birdlike chirps, at a spe- could potentially avoid how much fluid was pres- of children have persistent
complex tests that measure cific frequency. The mi- needless doctor visits,” said ent to compare with the ear fluid without infections
if the eardrum is pliable crophone detects sound Dr. Justin Golub, a Colum- smartphone results. The — and they’re supposed
enough to vibrate correct- waves bouncing off the bia University ear specialist system detected fluid as to be tracked for months in
ly in response to sound, or eardrum. who wasn’t involved with well or better than special- deciding if they need ear
is stiff from the pressure of The app analyzes that the research. Golub of- ized acoustic testing de- tubes. At-home monitor-
fluid behind it. echo, a broad-spectrum ten sees patients with sus- vices, the team reported ing would be easier and
A team of engineers and vibration from a healthy pected ear infections who Wednesday in the journal cheaper than repeated
doctors at the University eardrum. Pus or uninfected don’t actually have one. Science Translational Medi- doctor visits just for an ear
of Washington developed fluid alters the eardrum’s He called the tool’s accu- cine. test, added Raju, a surgical
a simple smartphone ap- mobility and changes the racy “quite impressive.” A smaller test showed simi- resident.q

White House launches survey looking for tech industry bias

By BARBARA ORTUTAY bones online form reads “continuing to monitor the
AP Technology Writer like a tweet from the presi- censorship of AMERICAN
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — dent, saying that “SOCIAL CITIZENS on social media
On the heels of President MEDIA PLATFORMS should platforms. This is the United
Donald Trump’s repeated advance FREEDOM OF States of America — and
assertions claiming anti- SPEECH. Yet too many we have what’s known as
conservative bias by tech Americans have seen FREEDOM OF SPEECH!”
companies, the White their accounts suspended, The questionnaire con-
House has launched an banned, or fraudulently tinues by asking people
online form asking people reported for unclear ‘viola- names, contact informa-
to share their experiences tions’ of user policies.” tion, whether they are U.S.
if they think political parti- Earlier this month, Trump citizens or permanent resi-
sanship has led them to be sent out a series of tweets dents and what happened
silenced by social media criticizing social media to their social media ac-
sites. companies after Facebook counts in question.
The White House’s official In this Tuesday, May 14, 2019, file photo, President Donald Trump banned several extremist It also asks if the respon-
Twitter account tweeted speaks to members of the media on the South Lawn of the White figures, most of them prom- dent wants to sign up for
a link to the form Wednes- House in Washington. inent far right personalities the president’s email news-
day, saying that “The Trump Associated Press such as conspiracy theorist letters, “so we can update
Administration is fighting for “no matter your views, if sored or silenced online, Alex Jones. you without relying on plat-
free speech online.” you suspect political bias we want to hear about it!” Trump tweeted on May forms like Facebook and
The tweet continues that has caused you to be cen- On the first page, the bare- 3, for instance, that he is Twitter.” q