3d illustration of person with scanner on their head and medical monitoring device

EMVision Medical Devices is developing a portable brain scanner for rapid, point of care, stroke diagnosis and monitoring

The Brisbane-based company received a $2.6 million CRC-P grant and an additional $910,000 in funding from partners, the University of Queensland, GE Healthcare and Brisbane’s Princess Alexandra Hospital.

Over a decade of research and development at the University of Queensland has gone into the scanner and the Princess Alexandra Hospital will be undertaking clinical trials.

The CRC-P funding to-date has enabled us to further develop our breakthrough imaging technology in preparation for our pilot clinical trial at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane, says Dr Weinberger, CEO, EMvision.

These advancements include the design and composition of the clinical unit headset and significant advancements in the algorithms used to reconstruct images of the brain.
— Dr Weinberger, CEO, EMVision

The cross-disciplinary nature of the project will also generate innovations and new skilled jobs for the advanced manufacturing and medical technologies growth sectors. According to the Stroke Foundation of Australia, someone suffers from a stroke every 10 minutes, and in most cases it can take hours for victims to get specialist treatment.

The device works by creating 3D images of the brain using the same type of electromagnetic waves that mobile phones use to transmit voice and data.

The brain ages about 3.6 years every hour that appropriate stroke treatment is delayed, so reducing the time of diagnosis and treatment makes our brain scanner a very attractive proposition for the health care industry, says Dr Weinberger.

Our devices could become the difference between permanent disability or even death, and a positive recovery.
— Dr Weinberger, CEO, EMVision

Future versions of the device may be suitable to provide rapid stroke decision support in ambulances, so patients having a stroke could be identified, triaged and transported directly to specialist hospitals for lifesaving intervention.

CRC-P grants support short term industry-led collaborations to develop important new technologies, products and services that deliver tangible outcomes.

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