Date: Apr 04, 2014 Author: Dan Mayfield Source: bizjournals (
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VisonQuest Biomedical is developing a new iPad software that may identify traumatic brain injury in athletes and others easily and quickly.
VisionQuest recently received a $150,000 National Institutes of Health grant to develop ConQuest, a software program that uses the iPad2's built-in gyroscope and camera to test athletes for mild concussions on the field.
"What we're hoping to do is use the iPad to screen for concussions," said principal researcher Ricky VanNess of VisionQuest. "We want to give an athletic trainer a more robust tool."
Traumatic brain injuries and minor concussions have received increased scrutiny in recent months after a landmark class action suit against the NFL was settled earlier this year. But brain injuries have derailed the careers and even a mild concussion can sideline an athlete.
But, said VisionQuest President Pete Soliz, the current methods of diagnosing a mild concussion in athletes can be very expensive and subjective.
"We're not replacing the neurologist, or the certified trainer. We want to give them extra tools," Soliz said. "It's a screening tool"
The tests that the ConQuest software will integrate are about 85 percent of the tests that a trained on-field coach or trainer would perform. But, with an iPad, they determine a baseline for pupil response, reaction time, hearing ability and balance and measure that after an event.
By using the iPad's built-in camera flash, ConQuest can measure the speed of a pupil's dilation. Balance can be measured with the gyroscope. Reaction time and short-term memory loss can be measured with a built-in game. Often, VanNess said, a concussion or TBI can result in hearing loss, and the iPad can generate sounds that can determine that.
"We can test to see how far they deviate from their standard measurement," Soliz said.
The company is teaming with the University of New Mexico Athletic Department to test 250 student athletes by this fall. By using that data, before and after events, VanNess hopes to have software developed that could lead to a commercial product. The company has submitted a patent application.
VisionQuest has developed a variety of diagnostic tools, including the Eyestar, a system that can detect problems in a retina, and NeuroTherm, an infrared device that can predict diabetic disease.
