Strokes can be a debilitating disease if it is not detected early enough, with the necessary precautionary steps taken to nurse the patient back to full health. Early detection can be quite tricky, however, although we might have an ace up our sleeves in due time. Scientists claim that they have managed to come up with a prototype helmet which is able to determine in a jiffy whether a patient has had a stroke or not
The results of this prototype helmet would go some distance in speeding up not only the diagnosis but treatment of stroke as well in order to boost one’s chances of recovery, at least according to the scientists. This wearable helmet, or cap, will bounce microwaves off the brain to figure out whether deep within, a bleed or clot has developed.
The Swedish scientists behind this prototype intend to send some of such helmets to ambulance crews for trial runs, after undergoing and achieving successful results in early studies with 45 patients. After all, quick action is required during a stroke to limit any possible brain damage, and after taking over four hours to get to hospital to begin treatment, it might be too late as parts of the victim’s brain tissue could already have died off.
The ultimate goal? To get rid of such a bulky and unwieldy design, instead, fitting the schematics into a pillow that the patient rests their head on.