Concussion-detecting headset maker eyes US market

Medtech business Headsafe has commercialised Nurochek, a portable headset for concussion screening which it calls its “brain scanner in a briefcase”, and which has been approved for sale in the United States.

According to a statement from Headsafe and the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre – which supported development of Nurochek through a $447,500 Commercialisation Fund grant –  the device is a world first. 

It is designed for two-minute assessment of head injuries, measuring electrical activity in the brain and analysing this using a proprietary algorithm, helping medical professionals understand if a concussion has been suffered and then make time-sensitive decisions on treatment.

“Far too often head injuries are left undiagnosed, or untreated, because of delays in attaining a diagnosis or guesswork in the field – be it a sporting, motor vehicle or other injury. Nurochek aims to take the uncertainty out of head injury diagnosis, all in the service of better patient outcomes.” said founder and CEO Dr Adrian Cohen in a statement on Tuesday.

“Support from the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre and our collaborative partners have been instrumental in translating a clinical technology into an in-field solution with export potential.”

Partners on the project included contract manufacturer GPC Electronics, software company Blue Quality Studios, Western Sydney University and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in the United States.

The device has been verified extensively in the United States and Australia, said Headsafe, and has been US FDA approved.

Besides sporting arenas, the company sees Nurochek assessments for traumatic brain injury having applications after falls, motor vehicle accidents, military incidents, and potentially in early-stage diagnosis of other acute and chronic brain conditions.

“Headsafe’s product epitomises the potential of Australian Medtech manufacturing,” said Dr Jens Goennemann, Managing Director of AMGC. 

“Rather than taking Australian ideas offshore, Headsafe has turned the table by creating a local ecosystem that generates jobs and prosperity, while attracting investment and customers from abroad. Being globally competitive is the sweet spot for Australian manufacturing.”

Headsafe said it is currently working towards certification and sales in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the European Union.

According a report in The Australian Financial Review in May, Headsafe was seeking $5 million from investors to assist in its planned US expansion.

Picture: supplied