Traumatic brain injuries are a problem for the U.S. military, with more than 20,000 cases diagnosed in the first nine months of 2009. Venture-backed BrainScope Co. aims to lessen their impact by making it possible to better assess these injuries in the battlefield.
A traumatic brain injury is a jolt or penetrating blow to the head that disrupts brain function. Severe cases can be assessed by CAT scans, but less-serious injuries, such as concussions, are more difficult to gauge. Untreated, even mild head injuries can increase the risk of depression, dementia and other problems, BrainScope Chief Executive Michael Singer said.
Through three quarters of 2009, there were 20,199 diagnosed traumatic brain injuries in the military, of which 15,828 were mild, according to the Military Health System, a medical network within the U.S. Department of Defense. The number of diagnosed traumatic brain injuries has been rising, with 10,963 cases in 2000 and 27,507 in 2008, according to Defense Department statistics.
BrainScope, which has raised $20 million in venture capital, including $2.4 million in Series B financing closed in February, hopes to begin selling its device within a year or two, Singer said. The system can help doctors determine the severity of these less-serious traumatic brain injuries and give them another tool for deciding who can safely return to duty, he said.
The recent funding came from new investor Brain Trust Accelerator Fund and return backers Alafi Capital, Revolution LLC and ZG Ventures, with all four participating equally, Singer said. The ongoing Series B round, expected to close in mid-April, may go as high as $4 million, he said. This year the company plans seek an undisclosed amount of new financing to support market launch, he said.
While BrainScope’s initial market is the military, it also has its sights on civilians. There are 1.4 million traumatic brain injuries in the U.S. annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Many of those injuries are sports-related. The National Football League has recently placed a greater emphasis on head injuries, adopting stricter guidelines for those players who have concussions and finding better ways to prevent the injuries from happening.
The BrainScope system makes it possible to take an electroencephalogram reading in the field. It includes a handheld device connected to a disposable headset placed on the forehead. The reading would complement existing tests of cognitive function performed by the patient.
These cognitive tests are useful but insufficient, Singer said.
“There is nothing out there that would show from a physiological perspective the problems that are in the brain itself,” he said. CAT scans do not reveal the non-structural alterations in the brain that are the hallmark of milder traumatic brain injuries, he said.
BrainScope, based in Bethesda, Md., is testing its technology at nine U.S. medical centers. Data from these studies will help it improve its algorithms and develop new ones for use in its product, Singer said. The company is talking with U.S. regulators about what will be required for marketing clearance, he said.
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