Traumatic brain injury detected at point of care

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Traumatic brain injury can be detected at the point of care thanks to research conducted by scientists at Birmingham University.

Using chemical biomarkers released by the brain immediately after a head injury occurs, researchers can now determine when patients need urgent medical attention.

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The technique was developed by researchers at the University’s Advanced Nanomaterials, Structures and Applications (ANMSA) group, led by Dr Pola Goldberg Oppenheimer. Research demonstrating the technique has been published in Nature Biomedical Engineering. 

According to Birmingham University, the method works using surface enhanced Raman scattering, in which a beam of light is ‘fired’ at the biomarker. The biomarker, taken from a pin prick blood sample, is prepared by being inserted into an optofluidic chip, where the blood plasma is separated and flows over a highly specialised surface. The light causes the biomarker to vibrate or rotate and this movement can be measured, giving an accurate indication of the level of injury that has occurred.

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