Using an Inclined Plane System to Triage TBI Patients

Using an Inclined Plane System to Triage TBI Patients Project Summary: Traumatic brain injury (TBI), such as that experienced in blast injuries and collisions, can vary in severity and be difficult to detect. Mild TBI makes up the majority of brain injuries, but it is the hardest to diagnose; many cases go undiagnosed because these mild brain injuries are not detectable on a CT scan. Although it is labeled “mild,” untreated TBI can result in physical and emotional symptoms that affect a person’s quality of life. Current diagnostic methods rely on a doctor’s judgement to determine the severity of an injury and the treatment plan. The doctor often relies on the patient’s own recounting of the past trauma and their symptoms, but this subjective method is not ideal given its lack of precision and the risks of undiagnosed and untreated TBI. Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved two biomarkers (indicators) of brain trauma. After an impact to the brain, the body releases a high concentration of these biomarkers, and the concentration level in a person’s blood can indicate the severity of brain damage and can be monitored over time. Unfortunately, to identify and quantify these circulating biomarkers in a blood sample, expensive instrumentation is needed that is not available in all hospitals, and especially not in remote areas or for field care. Further, laboratory results can take a long time to process and coordinate, making this information difficult to obtain in bedside and emergency situations. We need a point-of-care device that can quickly detect elevated biomarker levels to diagnose and monitor the severity of TBI. To address this, we are developing an innovative device that will use micro-engineering methods (microbeads and microfluidic channels) to capture specific TBI biomarkers directly from a whole blood sample. At the end of our project, we will have a portable platform capable of identifying and monitoring mild TBI in diverse settings (e.g., battlefield, rural clinics, athletic field, hospitals). This disposable device will be designed to fit in a pocket and generate a biomarker concentration report in minutes, helping medics and doctors make quick decisions in emergency situations. Further, the device will provide quantitative data that can be monitored over time to determine patient recovery and response to medication. It could help increase the chance of a patient’s survival, both by quickly identifying TBI and monitoring the response to varying treatments. In a research setting, it could also be useful to study a patient’s response to the effect of novel TBI drug therapies and could help lead to the development of new medicines. In the future, the platform could be further customized to identify other biomarkers to detect different illnesses/injuries.