Apple Devices to Include New Research Apps That Detect Autism, Epilepsy & Melanoma

Cupertino-based tech giant Apple Inc. is ready to take their phone technology to the next level. In an announcement made by the company on October 15, new ResearchKit Studies are being made to enable detection of autism, epilepsy, and even melanoma.

According to a statement made by the company, the ResearchKit will turn the iPhone ""into a powerful tool for medical research by helping doctors, scientists and other researchers gather data more frequently and more accurately from participants using iPhone apps."

However, the technology is under study at the moment participants are said to be able to review an interactive informed consent process, easily complete active tasks and even submit survey responses. They will also be able to choose how to share their health data with researchers, making it easier to contribute to medical research.

Jeff Williams, Apple's senior vice president of Operations said, "We're honored to work with world-class medical institutions and provide them with tools to better understand diseases and ultimately help people lead healthier lives."

"In just six months, ResearchKit apps studying everything from asthma and diabetes to Parkinson's disease, are already providing insights to scientists around the world and more than 100,000 participants are choosing to contribute their data to advance science and medical research," he also shared.

Here is a rundown on how each study could work with the help of the iPhone:

Autism: "Autism & Beyond", the study from Duke Univerisity and Duke Medicine, is looking at the front-facing camera of an iPhone to detect signs of developmental issues at a younger age. The app will use novel emotion detection algorithms to measure a child's reaction to videos shown on the phone.

Epilepsy: "EpiWatch" app is developed by Johns Hopkins, and will test whether or not wearable sensors like the Apple Watch can be used to detect the onset and duration of seizures. In the first phase of the study, Apple Watch woll provide patients with a one-touch access to trigger the custom watch app to capture accelerometer and hear rate sensor data. This will be used to capture the digital signature of a patient's seizure and will then send an alert to a loved one.

Melanoma: The "MoleMapper" is being developed by the Oregon Health and Science University. It will take digital images from an iPhone to learn about mole growth and melanoma risks to help people manage their skin health. The app will photograph and measure mole size over time, and participants can document their mole changes and share them directly with health professionals.

Could this actually help?

According to Mashable, researchers are actually encouraging people to participate, as methods for obtaining this type of data always proved to be challenging. By allowing patients to download apps and opt in various studies, they will be able to gain access to data that they will otherwise take longer to collect.