The new device will primarily be useful to athletes who require quick diagnostics of their lungs.
Repeated concussions pose a greater danger - they increase the likelihood of brain cell death. Meanwhile, repeated concussions often occur without obvious symptoms.
To speed up the diagnosis of concussions and improve the accuracy of the analysis, the researchers created a portable device that checks the condition of the patient’s brain cells with powerful lasers.
The new method focuses on key analysismetabolic function in the brain controlled by a molecule called cytochrome C oxidase, or CCO. Levels of this molecule decrease when brain cells are under stress. As a result, determining its activity makes it possible to understand whether brain tissue is metabolized in the way a healthy brain does, or if it suffers from trauma, such as a concussion.
Earlier the first blood test to determine the severityconcussion was approved by the US Department of Health (FDA). This test accurately and quickly diagnoses patients with intracranial injuries, eliminating the need to undergo expensive and time-consuming computed tomography.