In recent years, the National Football League has become more and more vigilant about prevention, assessment, and treatment of concussions and head injuries among players.
BrainScope, a Maryland neurotechnology company, recently received a $500,000 award from the NFL and General Electric to further develop the technology used in its portable products. BrainScope has produced several devices that use electrodes on the forehead to conduct and analyze an electroencephalogram, enabling medical professionals to assess brain injuries on the spot. Whether a player is injured on the football field or a soldier on the battlefield, BrainScope's devices can be deployed immediately.
BrainScope has already received two FDA clearances – its Ahead 100 product was cleared in November 2014 and the Ahead 200 in May 2015 – and is well on the way toward commercialization. With some fine-tuning and added capabilities, the next generation devices will be submitted to the FDA for clearance in the near term, paving the way for commercial use. The company is also developing a next-generation concussion assessment product that has received support from the U.S. Department of Defense as well as GE and the NFL.
Based in Bethesda, BrainScope is one of six companies selected by the NFL and GE for a second round of funding to improve the diagnosis and treatment of head trauma and concussion. Three years ago, BrainScope was the first company to receive State funding through the InvestMaryland venture capital program. The company has also received more than $27 million in Department of Defense research contracts to further develop its devices.
"We have been so fortunate to have received such substantial support over the past several years from the Department of Defense, the NFL and GE, and the State of Maryland," said Michael Singer, Chief Executive Officer of BrainScope. "We are proud of our accomplishments to date, and are working hard to get devices out in the field to help the tens of millions of people who suffer from traumatic brain injuries each year."
