Future of Engineering

Brain injuries are an illusive and increasingly common ailment for which effective treatments are in demand. Ischemic stroke is a common cause of brain injury affecting more than 600,000 people in the United States each year. Another leading cause of brain injury today is combat. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, more than 1,800 U.S. troops are currently suffering from traumatic brain injuries.

A device called NeuroThera is being tested in clinical trials to treat stroke patients and other patients with brain injuries. The handheld device, about the size of a telephone receiver, delivers high-intensity infrared energy to a patient's head when it's held to the scalp. The idea is that the infrared energy delivered via laser will stimulate inactive mitochondria in brain cells -- the small bits of protein that serve as power suppliers to cells. Once the energy-starved brain cells start receiving power again from the mitochondria, they should be able to resume function.

The device is currently being tested at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Duke University Medical Center and three other North Carolina hospitals as part of a national clinical trail sponsored by PhotoThera, the manufacturer of NeuroThera.

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Labels: Bio-engineering