The Washington Post reports that the private company Brainscope received $20,000,000 to build a portable electroencephalogram (EEG) device. The company foresees an initial military application whereby an objective EEG assessment could determine the severity of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) sustained by a soldier in the field. Other non-military applications are expected, such as with high school sports or diagnosis of dementia. The goal is to produce a mobile, battery operated unit that is easy learn and use by medics and even non-medical personnel.
The company is currently conducting a review of the scientific literature to determine the typical EEG characteristics of TBIs in an effort to build a clinically validated device. The expected cost of this portable EEG device will be in the “low thousands” dollar range. The article states that hospitals pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for EEG machines – I find this to be a staggering number given that quality, hospital grade EEG devices are widely available for under $10,000.
Read the entire Washington Post story here.
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