Is this Eye Tracking Device the Future of Brain Injury Diagnosis?

The common test for brain injury involves waving a finger back and forth in front of the patient’s face, and seeing how well they can track it. Instead of relying on such antiquated protocols and standard imaging technology to identify brain injuries, two sisters have developed an eye-tracking device that can diagnose brain trauma.

In 2013, Uzma Samadani, MD, PhD, neurosurgeon and associate professor of neurosurgery at the University of Minnesota and her sister Rosina Samadani, PhD, entrepreneur and biomedical engineer, started Oculogica, a neurodiagnostic company with a focus on eye-tracking devices. Specifically, their proprietary product is EyeBox, which works by moving “a small video clockwise around the perimeter of a rectangular screen for 220 seconds.” While the patient watches the video, a binocular camera analyzes the eyes’ movements and collects approximately 100,000 data points at high frequency. The data is then processed into algorithms that generate 100 different metrics, measuring elements such as speed, coordination, and range of motion. Those metrics are used to score the patient’s brain condition and determine whether or not they’re suffering from a brain injury. Any score below 9 usually doesn’t indicate suffering, but 10 or higher is the marker for concussion.

At Beaver Dam High School in Wisconsin, head football coach Steve Kuenzi has already seen the benefits of EyeBox’s immediate and precise science. “The first kid she mentioned to me, it kind of sold me,” he told MIT Technology Review. Rosina tested 100 players and was able to track their neural stability with easy routine tests. One player had a low score initially, and then got hit during an afternoon practice. Rosina performed a subsequent test and his score had increased substantially. He underwent routine tests, and eventually his score dropped.

EyeBox is hosting studies at Boston Children’s Hospital and the Mayo Clinic. They’re currently awaiting Food and Drug Administration clearance.