We still rely on hospital staff to tell whether a person – who is under medical treatment and cannot communicate – is in pain. But nurses might soon be able to go on a lunch break without worrying that their mystery coma patient will succumb while they’re munching away.

Researchers at UC San Diego have developed a computer vision algorithm that can assess pain levels by analyzing the patient’s facial expressions. It’s not a first, but the results of this new study are far more promising than ever before.