On June, 25, 2015, a new hand-held medical device used for analyzing traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) was cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This modern medical device is called the "Ahead 200," and is manufactured by BrainScope Company, Inc.
The Ahead 200 can detect a TBI after only 24 hours following the accident.
According to the United States Army, the device was developed by the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command's Combat Casualty Care Research Program (CCRP). This brain testing device uses commercial smart-phone technology to analyze a an injured person's brain activity for signs of a traumatic brain injury. The device can detect a TBI within 24 hours of the initial injury.
"The size and ease of use of the Ahead 200 allows medics to triage wounded war-fighters quickly," Atchison said. "Our goal is to not only save lives, but to ensure the best possible outcome for those injured in the line of duty, and tools like the Ahead 200 help us reach that goal."
Specifically, the device works by measuring the brain's electrical activity via a disposable headset that is placed on the patient's forehead. After this, the Ahead 200 uses algorithms, which quantify and characterize activity associated with traumatic brain injuries. The Ahead 200 will be very beneficial in assisting clinicians with real-time screening and head injuries.
"Traumatic brain injuries have been one of the signature injuries in Iraq and Afghanistan," said Lt. Col. Chessley Atchison, program manager for the Technology Enabled Capability Demonstration: Brain in Combat portfolio of the CCCRP. "There is a great need for a tool like this in theater. A normal [electroencephalogram] machine is a big piece of machinery and can't be used in the field."
BrainScope's President and CEO, Michael Singer, calls the new TBI testing device, an "objective, non-invasive, patient-friendly assessment device for rapid and easy use in urgent care settings." There have already been 15 peer-reviewed articles highlighting the success of this brain injury testing device, such as the Journal of Neurotrauma, Brain Injury, Academic Emergency Medicine, Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, The American Journal of Emergency Medicine, and Military Medicine.
If you have been injured in a car crash or any other type of accident and sustain a traumatic brain injury or any other type of serious tramua, contact a lawyer today at The Michigan Law Firm, PLLC. Our accident attorneys specialize in all types of personal injury cases. Call 844.4MI.FIRM for a free consultation today.