Mobile device diagnoses concussion in real-time
A US team has developed a tablet-based testing system that captures the voice of an individual and analyses the speech for signs of a potential concussion.
Individuals with concussion might display a range of symptoms — such as headaches, depression, loss of memory and loss of brain function — which may persist for weeks or months.
The new, portable diagnostic device developed at the University of Notre Dame, Indiana, is claimed to provide results in real-time with greater certainty than X-rays or CT and MRI scans.
‘This project is a great example of how mobile computing and sensing technologies can transform healthcare,’ said Christian Poellabauer, associate professor of computer science and engineering. ‘More important, because almost 90 per cent of concussions go unrecognised, this technology offers tremendous potential to reduce the impact of concussive and sub-concussive hits to the head.’
In use, an individual speaks into a SmartPhone equipped with the Notre Dame program before and after an event. The two samples are then compared for traumatic brain injury (TBI) indicators, which include distorted vowels, hyper nasality and imprecise consonants.
Register now to continue reading
Thanks for visiting The Engineer. You’ve now reached your monthly limit of news stories. Register for free to unlock unlimited access to all of our news coverage, as well as premium content including opinion, in-depth features and special reports.
Benefits of registering
-
In-depth insights and coverage of key emerging trends
-
Unrestricted access to special reports throughout the year
-
Daily technology news delivered straight to your inbox
CCC Report Finds UK Climate Targets Still Within Reach
In 1990 67% of the UK´s electricity came from coal-fired power stations and even without renewables the transition to gas was a major contributor to...