US engineers test using smartphones to measure your oxygen level

The smartphone used in the study was able to detect a blood oxygen level as low as 70 percent, which is the lowest value that pulse oximeters should be able to measure according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. — Image by jannoon028 on Freepik

Your phone camera might have another useful feature beyond taking selfies.

Engineers at UC San Diego and the University of Washington published a proof-of-concept study that showed a smartphone was capable of detecting blood oxygen levels almost on par with the industry standard medical device.