After a decade of research and development, an innovative medical device designed by Arthur Rappaport is emerging as a front runner in the treatment of traumatic brain injuries. Rappaport’s device offers a non-surgical means of diagnosing a traumatic brain injury (TBI). According to Rappaport, this diagnostic tool has the potential to save thousands of lives, in both hospital and ambulance environments. It can be used to diagnose traumatic brain injuries of soldiers on the battlefields and student athletes in the locker room.
Provides non-invasive assessment of traumatic brain injuries
The device scans intracranial pressure (ICP) and obtains a reading from outside the skull. Current ICP testing and monitoring tools require surgical insertion and placement of a probe beneath the skull. Instead, this device utilizes a portable real-time ultrasound capable of measuring ICP after a traumatic brain injury.
A 1-inch diameter ultrasound probe is placed directly on the patient’s forehead. The scan works by targeting soft brain tissue which responds to specific ultrasound signals. The collected data is interpreted through mathematical algorithms from the device’s database and the readouts provide quantitative information about the physiological state of the brain tissue, showing the presence of tissue damage indicative of a traumatic brain injury.
Device unrivaled by other TBI assessment tools currently in development
The device uses technology that checks for elevated ICP at the scene of an accident. Elevated ICP can lead to cerebral ischemia and possible destruction of brain tissue. Avoiding delays in ICP assessment means corrective measures can be administered much more quickly. Due to the non-invasive assessment tool first responders do not need to wait for signs of ICP to manifest and the patient does not need to be inside a hospital before a test can be administered. The device’s accuracy and reliability, without surgical means, is unrivaled by anything else currently in development.
Expected commercial availability in 18 months
The final prototype has been used successfully in a clinical trial involving patients in the neuro-intensive care unit at Columbia University Medical Center/New York Presbyterian Hospital in New York City. The next step is to modify the prototype to comply with the standards of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a designated commercial medical device. Following FDA testing requirements, the ultrasound device should be available for purchase on the medical supply market in approximately 18 months.
References: Lohud
