About

LabLens — what we do and why it matters

LabLens helps people make sense of medical test reports by translating technical findings into clear, practical information. We cover laboratory tests, urinalysis, microbiology reports, and common imaging findings.

Our story

LabLens began when clinicians and patients told us the same thing — medical reports are full of jargon and numbers that are hard to interpret outside a clinic visit. Many people leave appointments confused or anxious. We built LabLens to bridge that gap by providing reliable, patient-focused explanations that are grounded in clinical convention and widely accepted reference ranges.

How LabLens works

  1. Input handling: You can paste text, upload CSV/TXT reports, or upload images (images currently show a placeholder until OCR is enabled).
  2. Offline parsing: We parse numeric values and detect common marker names against an internal dictionary.
  3. Rule-based interpretation: Numeric values are checked against sex-specific and universal reference ranges; common patterns (e.g., iron deficiency, liver enzyme elevations) are detected using conservative rules.
  4. Optional AI enrichment: If enabled, a language model provides clearer, patient-facing explanations and suggested doctor questions. AI enrichment is a best-effort layer — the core numeric interpretation always comes from the offline engine.

Data & privacy

We care about privacy. Uploaded data is processed transiently to produce the analysis and is not used to train models. If you enable any cloud services (OCR, AI enrichment), those external services may process data according to their policies — we will surface those details if you opt in. Never share personally identifiable information in free-form text unless you are comfortable with it being processed.

Common tests explained (overview)

Complete Blood Count (CBC)

The CBC measures components of blood — red cells, white cells, and platelets. Key numbers: hemoglobin (oxygen-carrying protein), MCV/MCH (cell size and content), WBC (infection/inflammation), and platelets (clotting). Small, isolated variations are common; combinations of changes give clinical clues.

Basic Metabolic Panel / Kidney tests

Tests like sodium, potassium, creatinine, and BUN help evaluate kidney function and electrolyte balance. Mild changes can reflect hydration or diet; persistent or large deviations may prompt follow-up testing.

Urinalysis

A urinalysis checks urine appearance, dipstick markers (blood, protein, nitrites, leukocyte esterase), and microscopic cells. Positive nitrites or leukocyte esterase commonly suggest urinary tract infection, while blood or protein might prompt kidney evaluation.

Microbiology & cultures

Culture reports list organisms grown from samples and their antibiotic susceptibilities. These require clinician interpretation to choose appropriate treatment — LabLens highlights organism names and flags key susceptibility results but does not recommend antibiotics.

Imaging reports (X-ray, CT, MRI)

Radiology reports contain descriptive findings (e.g., ‘small effusion’, ‘consolidation’, ‘nodule’). These are text-based and need clinical correlation. LabLens extracts the reported phrases and summarizes them in lay language; it does not replace a radiologist’s opinion.

Roadmap

  • Enable OCR for uploaded images (beta) so photos of printed reports are auto-extracted.
  • Improve microbiology parsing and add structured culture result tables.
  • Add localized reference ranges and language support for more regions.
  • Integrate optional sources of patient-facing guidance and citations to clinical guidelines.

Frequently asked questions

Is LabLens giving medical advice?
No. LabLens provides informational explanations to help you understand results and prepare questions for your clinician. It does not diagnose or prescribe.
How accurate are the interpretations?
Our numeric interpretations use published reference ranges and conservative rules. They are suitable for general educational use but not a substitute for clinical judgment. Always review results with your healthcare provider.
Can I upload images of my report?
Yes — images are accepted. OCR is coming soon; until then images appear as uploaded placeholders.

Contributors & acknowledgements

LabLens is built by a small team of engineers and clinicians. We are grateful to clinicians who contributed interpretation rules and to patients who shared feedback to improve clarity.

Want us to expand or add content? Share feedback via the project repository or the contact link on the homepage.