Researchers from Augusta University are developing a portable and painless 3D ultrasound device that could be used to determine head injury in football players and other situations by looking at the person's optic nerve sheath.
According to researchers, pressure around the eye is directly proportional to pressure around the brain, so the optic nerve sheath can provide instantaneous evidence of dangerous swelling that could result in permanent brain damage.
Augusta University has reportedly patented the concept of using a portable 3D ultrasound to rapidly gauge whether there has been a brain injury. Researchers are reportedly working with Pennsylvania-based biotech company URSUS Medical LLC to build one, which is being funded through a $350,000 Small Business Innovation Research grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The researchers hope to have a prototype in hand within a few months then begin tests.
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Source: Augusta University