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Microwave Hemorrhagic Stroke Detector

Diagnosing Hemorrhagic Stroke  from http://lasers.llnl.gov/lasers/mtp/hemo.html

       - - - - - - update 3/29/01 by Henry Lahore  - - - - - - 

Dr. Haddad was a Electrical Engineer at LLNL, but is no longer with the lab.
They had a proof of concept for the device using a model of skull, brain tissue, and pooled blood at the surface of the skull.
They have not checked for blood pooling at other locations in the brain.
I am initiating investigations into this concept today.  It looks like a promising possibility
Talked with Patch Fitch who is getting me in touch with Dennis Matthews - the head of that program area.

- - - - - -  update 4/09/01 by Henry Lahore - - - - - - -
Summary of conversation with Dennis Matthews on April 8, 2001
The LLNL tests with detection of pooled blood at the edge of the brain using radar reflection is proving successful.
The detection of pooled blood inside of the brain will probably need radar transmission instead of reflection.
The success of measurement of pooled blood with transmission we agreed is probably somewhere between 30%  and 50%.
It will take $3 million to fully check the feasibility of an emergency medical vehicle device to determine type of stroke.
Might be possible to have $1 million phases of development - thus cease fundubg further phases if results are negative.
Henry hopes to raise this money from donations or perhaps investments.

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The disease known as stroke is caused by a critical deficiency of blood supply to the brain or a region of the brain. The effects of stroke upon the victim can range from long-term, gradually increasing problems such as dizzy spells and loss of motor skills, to sudden and unexpected death. In all cases, the cause of the stroke must be treated as soon as it is diagnosed in order to avoid risk to the patient. There are two basic types of stroke: ischemic and hemorrhagic, with about 80% being ischemic and 20% hemorrhagic. An ischemic stroke is caused by a partial or complete blockage of a blood vessel that supplies the brain such as the carotid or middle cerebral arteries. Hemorrhagic stroke is caused by a break in a cerebral artery. Hemorrhagic stroke puts the victim into a type of "double jeopardy" because it threatens the victim's life both by starving a particular region of the brain, and, by creating an expanding blood pool within the brain which can, in turn, create dangerous intracranial pressures.

Each year in the U.S alone, over 700,000 people are diagnosed with one of the two types of stroke, and about 160,000 of these people die while another 200,000 suffer permanent debilitation. Once a patient actually suffers a stroke, treatment must be administered within a very short time for the best prognosis. Hemorrhagic stroke in particular has poor medical outcomes unless treatment is offered very soon after the hemorrhage begins.

For victims of ischemic stroke, there is only about a 3 hour therapeutic time window in which thrombolytic drugs, such as TPA, can be given. Used properly, these drugs can save many thousands of lives, however, because of the nature of thrombolytic drugs, if given to a patient suffering from a brain hemorrhage, they will severely complicate the patient's condition, often resulting in death. It is therefore absolutely critical to differentiate between ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke at the earliest possible time to enable the correct treatment. Currently, there is no fast accurate and portable, method for differentiating between the types of stroke. What is needed is a device that can be used in the field by paramedics, allowing them to administer thrombolytic drugs immediately if necessary. Computed Tomography (CT) or Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans are the present diagnostic tools but they are expensive, non-portable and require critical time to administer.

A typical CT scan of the head costs about $500 - $800, and can cost much more if the patient must be sedated or closely monitored during the scan. In many cases, repeated scans of a single patient are necessary to monitor the development of his/her condition. The total time required for the scan alone is about 15 minutes, however, the actual time for a diagnosis is lengthened by patient transportation, preparation and the need to have a radiologist read the scan. If the scan must be sent out for reading, the overall time can be between 30 minutes and 5 hours. Both hemorrhagic stroke and ischemic stroke are affected by lack of quick diagnosis. These time delays can have severe negative consequences on patients' outcome.

The Microwave Hemorrhagic Stroke Detector

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is developing a portable, non-invasive device for the immediate, at-the-scene screening of stroke victims. The device incorporates micropower impulse radar (MIR) technology, which can be mass-produced at very low cost. MIR devices transmit microwave radiation which penetrates into the body well, but is safe since it operates at a power level which is an order of magnitude lower than that of a hand-held cellular phone.

LLNL's hemorrhagic stroke detector differentiates hemorrhagic from ischemic stroke. The device allows stroke victims to be tested in an ambulance within several minutes of being picked up so that proper treatment can begin immediately.

The hemorrhagic stroke detector can be placed and operated in an ambulance by a paramedic or first-responder with little special training. Determination as to whether or not the stroke is ischemic within several minutes right at the point of initial patient pick-up is critical. This allows immediate administration of thrombolytics if necessary, or in the event of a hemorrhage, preparation and planning for therapy to be given at the hospital. The microwave hemorrhagic stroke detector could also be used in, emergency rooms, clinics, medevacs, and hospitals.

Market Potential for the Microwave Hemorrhagic Stroke Detector

We are seeking an industrial sponsor to complete the development and commercialization of the microwave hemorrhagic stroke detector. Primary placement of the devices will be in ambulances, but the systems are also expected to be placed in major emergency and trauma centers, general hospitals.

LLNL general phone # is 925-422-1100