Philips Announces Development of Novel Handheld Blood Test Device for Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Royal Philips and Banyan Biomarkers Inc. recently announced that they have entered into a long-term co-development agreement to develop and commercially promote a novel portable blood testing device for the detection and assessment of mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) during the initial phase of treatment and care.

This collaboration represents a synergy of strengths, combining Philips’ expertise in patient monitoring, handheld diagnostic technologies, and clinical decision support applications in extreme care environments with Banyan Biomarkers’ knowledge of biomolecules indicative of nervous system conditions. However, the two companies have not yet engaged in in-depth discussions regarding financial terms.

Currently, no blood analyzer on the market meets the needs of internists to directly detect the presence and severity of brain injuries (such as concussions) in hospital settings. Generally, after a brain injury, a cascade of highly destructive biological events continues to occur within the patient’s body. This process can last for several hours or even days, further worsening the patient’s condition. Therefore, detecting concussions is often challenging because, without reliable and objective testing, brain injuries are not visually apparent. Consequently, even though some patients have sustained severe head trauma and are exhibiting corresponding symptoms, they must still undergo a brain CT scan, which is considered the “standard” procedure. In such cases, failure by physicians to make an accurate diagnosis and provide timely, appropriate treatment can have serious consequences for the patient.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 2.5 million people in the United States visited emergency departments, received treatment, or died from traumatic brain injury (TBI) in 2010. Meanwhile, the direct and indirect costs associated with TBI amounted to roughly $76.5 billion. Due to the high costs of diagnosis and treatment, radiological examinations such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are currently commonly used to diagnose brain trauma; however, these techniques lack both accuracy and timeliness. Therefore, early intervention can significantly reduce the costs of rehabilitation and care.

This novel blood analyzer (for protein detection) will be based on Philips’ Minicare I-20 system. The system comprises a handheld analyzer, sophisticated software, and individually used, portable cartridges that contain the necessary reagents for specific tests. Building on Royal Philips’ patented Magnotech biosensor technology, the Minicare I-20 system is currently undergoing further optimization to enable the detection of multiple target molecules in low-concentration blood samples and to deliver analytical results within minutes.

Therefore, Philips is currently focusing its efforts on promoting the application of this novel blood testing device in emergency rooms. Meanwhile, this technology also brings significant benefits to athletic trainers and other individuals who require rapid diagnosis of brain injuries outside of hospital settings. The U.S. Department of Defense also appears to be highly interested in deploying this new blood testing device on the battlefield.

Text | Jose