Brain scan finds bleeds on the go
Using the same technology as your television remote, a new portable scanner is about to land in New Zealand that can detect brain bleeds instantly.
The device, known as an ‘‘infrascanner’’, has been approved for use on our shores.
It can pick up life-threatening brain haemorrhages and clots in head trauma victims injured on rugby fields, in nursing homes or in car accidents.
It scans a person’s head, firing infrared signals into the skull to a depth of 3 centimetres, then shows a negative or positive result.
‘‘If it shows a red dot, you know there’s a bleed,’’ said Peter Bailey, the sole distributor for infrascanners in Australasia.
‘‘It’s good in trauma victims because a bleed tends to be close to the skull. There’s some research into whether it could be used in stroke victims but, basically, you still need a CT scan.’’
Bailey said the technology was developed in Israel. It was already used in the United States, India, as well as parts of Europe and the Middle East in warzones, on sportsfields and among frontline medical staff.
‘‘It’s extremely valuable for rugby teams because, if somebody gets a concussion, it’s quick and easy to see if they have a bleed if you just put them on the bench.’’
The scanner is designed to reveal what’s happening inside the skull before symptoms appear and proves especially useful in rural areas, where advanced medical equipment can be hours away.
No-one in New Zealand has yet got their hands on an infrascanner, but the hope is for the device to be rolled out among major sporting bodies, public and private ambulance services, trauma centres and remote healthcare facilities.
Costing A$17,000 a unit (about NZ$17,900), the technology wasn’t cheap but it had about a 94 per cent rate of accuracy, Bailey said.
‘‘Anyone can be taught to use it and the device can be used anywhere. The scan takes two to three minutes to complete and results correlate with CT scans.’’
If there’s no bleed, there’s the potential to save time and costs of further treatment, said Bailey, also a Melbourne paramedic.
Wellington Free Ambulance head of clinical services Paul Fake had not heard of the device but said his team was always interested in new technology that could improve patient care.
‘‘We’re finding more and more that devices that were originally only available at emergency departments are becoming available to our people who are assessing and caring for people in all sorts of locations.
‘‘What we call ‘point-of-care testing’ is becoming a feature of modern paramedic practice.’’
The device has been used on Olympic athletes, in prisons, helicopter rescues and remote areas such as mines and oil rigs.
Radiation in CT scans carries the equivalent of 400 chest X-rays to the head, so it’s important to avoid unnecessary CT scans, especially in children, Bailey said.