Final Year Project · NailHealth
Early-Stage Disease
Detection via
Computer Vision
NailHealth is a non-invasive diagnostic system that analyses fingernail images to detect early-stage systemic diseases. An ensemble of 7 pre-trained CNNs with XGBoost refinement achieves 93% classification accuracy across 17 disease classes.
Preview
Application Overview
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93%
Classification Accuracy
7
Pre-trained CNNs
17
Disease Classes
RAD
Development Methodology
How It Works
The Detection Pipeline
Image Upload
Fingernail Photo
Preprocessing
Resize · Normalize · Augment
Feature Extraction
CNN Layers
Ensemble Average
7 Pre-trained CNNs
XGBoost Refinement
Prediction Tuning
Disease Prediction
17 Classes · 93% Acc.
Image Upload
Fingernail Photo
Preprocessing
Resize · Normalize · Augment
Feature Extraction
CNN Layers
Ensemble Average
7 Pre-trained CNNs
XGBoost Refinement
Prediction Tuning
Disease Prediction
17 Classes · 93% Acc.
Architecture
Ensemble Models
Seven pre-trained CNNs are run independently on each input image. Their softmax outputs are averaged (ensemble averaging) before the final XGBoost layer produces the disease prediction.
DenseNet121
Dense connectivity, feature reuse
DenseNet169
Deeper dense network
MobileNet
Lightweight depthwise separable convs
MobileNetV2
Inverted residuals, linear bottlenecks
ResNet50V2
50-layer residual network v2
ResNet101V2
101-layer residual network v2
VGG16
16-layer deep CNN baseline
Ensemble Average
Averaged softmax probabilities across all 7 models → final prediction
Classification
Detectable Conditions
17 nail conditions total — 5 primary classes are highlighted below.
Terry's Nail
Ground-glass opacity covering most of the nail, associated with liver disease, heart failure, and diabetes
Half and Half Nails (Lindsay's Nails)
Proximal white, distal pink or brown band — linked to chronic kidney disease
Splinter Haemorrhage
Thin longitudinal blood streaks under the nail suggesting endocarditis or trauma
Yellow Nail
Thickened, slow-growing yellow nails associated with respiratory or lymphatic conditions
Healthy
No systemic abnormalities detected in nail morphology
Additional Classes
Darier's Disease
Genetic disorder causing red/white streaks and fragile nail tips
Muehrcke's Lines
Paired white transverse bands, sign of hypoalbuminaemia
Alopecia Areata
Autoimmune condition causing nail pitting and trachyonychia
Beau's Lines
Horizontal grooves reflecting systemic illness or nutritional deficiency
Bluish Nail
Cyanosis-related discolouration indicating hypoxia or circulatory issues
Clubbing
Enlarged, rounded nail tips associated with pulmonary or cardiac conditions
Eczema
Nail involvement from atopic dermatitis causing pitting and ridging
Koilonychia
Spoon-shaped concave nails, commonly linked to iron deficiency anaemia
Leukonychia
White discolouration of the nail plate from trauma or systemic causes
Onycholysis
Separation of the nail plate from the nail bed
Pale Nail
Diffuse pallor associated with anaemia, malnutrition, or heart failure
White Nail
Complete or near-complete whitening, may indicate hepatic cirrhosis
Capabilities
Key Features
Non-Invasive Diagnosis
Analyse potential health conditions by simply uploading a photo of your fingernail — no blood draws, no invasive procedures, no clinic visits required.
93% Classification Accuracy
Ensemble averaging across 7 pre-trained convolutional neural networks achieves 93% diagnostic accuracy, outperforming single-model baselines.
17 Disease Classes
Classifies 17 distinct nail conditions — including Terry's nail, Lindsay's nails, splinter haemorrhage, yellow nail, and more — covering a broad range of systemic disease indicators.
Authentication & Profiles
Secure user registration and login with personal profiles, enabling each user to manage and revisit their health data privately.
Diagnosis History
Every prediction is logged to the user's profile. History can be sorted by latest or oldest, giving a longitudinal view of nail health over time.
Curated Health Articles
After each diagnosis, the system surfaces relevant articles and advice tailored to the detected condition, promoting informed health decisions.
Stack
Technology
Model
Backend
Frontend
Data Processing
Model Strategy
Database