Non-invasive method of assessing hemoglobin using optical spectroscopy

The traditional method of measuring hemoglobin levels involves the extraction of blood through venipuncture or fingerstick procedures. While these methods are well-established and accurate, they come with inherent drawbacks. It can be cumbersome for individuals with needle phobia and patients with bleeding disorders. In scenarios where doctors need to know the hemoglobin levels immediately, such as in cases of acute blood loss after a road traffic accident or profuse intra-operative bleed, this non-invasive method can provide a value almost instantly, compared to the traditional lab method. Finally, the most important reason is the less availability of labs and lab equipment in rural India and the increased turn-over time for lab results in semi-rural areas, where on-the-spot estimation of hemoglobin will be very useful.