Doctors Use Smart Brain to Treat Head Injuries
While the term “smart brain” might sound redundant, this tool has played an important role in helping doctors understand head injuries. On an annual basis, about 2.5 million individuals suffer a traumatic brain injury in the United States. About 50,000 of these people die, and another 80,000 individuals end up with some degree of permanent disability. This has been the driving force behind research into head injuries.
Unfortunately, despite all of this research, doctors still do not know much about what happens to the cells of the brain when an impact occurs. A researcher out of Villanova University is hoping to change all of this with his smart brain. This brilliant creation should help physicians everywhere get an inside look at what happens to the brain during an impact.
What is Smart Brain?
It has taken the past few years to develop; however, the smart brain holds great promise when it comes to researching head injuries. This creation is a lifelike replica of the human central nervous system. This brain includes a transparent skull, gray and white matter, liquid cerebrospinal fluid, and more. The technology also includes multiple sensors, cameras, and tools that will be used to capture the motion of the brain inside the skull when a blow is delivered. The creator has even received a patent on his invention. His goal is to use this replica of the brain to better understand a variety of injuries and conditions that impact the head during an impact.
What was Used to Make the Model?
It has taken the team about six years to design the smart brain. They tried many different materials to reach their goal of making a replica central nervous system. Right now, they are using a hydrogel, which is an amalgam of a bunch of different materials, to make the brain cells themselves. The goal is to simulate the cells of the brain as closely as possible. The mechanical properties of brain matter and hydrogel are similar.
How Will This Brain Replica Be Used?
The goal is to get a better look at what happens inside the skull during an injury. Currently, if someone sustains a head injury and presents to the emergency room, the doctor is going to ask a series of questions. These questions are used to help the doctor figure out where exactly the injury occurred inside the brain. The doctor might even order an MRI to try and take a picture of the injury. Unfortunately, even with the MRI, it is hard to pinpoint the exact injury inside the skull. An MRI is also prohibitively expensive.
Instead, the research team would like to use the smart brain to do exactly that. The goal in the lab is to recreate both the brain and the injury. The patient would tell the team where and how the injury occurred. Then, the team would take the smart brain and deliver that exact injury to the model. After that, the team would take a look at the smart brain and see where the damage occurred. Using the sensors and cameras, the team can take a look at the brain cells themselves and analyze the damage. This will help doctors decide on the most appropriate course of treatment.
Future Directions
The technology has been patented, but their work is not yet finished. They are trying to improve their technology to make it more reliable when it is used to simulate an injury. The research team has plans to try out different forms of protective gear to see if they can limit head injuries. They even have designs to try out a few helmets. The team wants to research both head injury diagnosis and TBI prevention. The research team hopes that they can advise engineers and scientists on how they can prevent head injuries from happening. This goal will be added to the simulation of head injuries for treatment purposes.
San Francisco Brain Injury Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a San Francisco brain injury lawyer. The smart brain is going to change the way doctors look at head injuries. Should you or a family member sustain a TBI in a serious accident due to the negligence of another person or entity, call me at (415) 805-7284 or (800) 404-5400 for free, friendly advice.
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