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Here’s a stat that will blow you away: one in four people will have a stroke in their lifetime
That number blew us away. The more we looked into it, the more we realised just how big a factor strokes will be in our lives and the lives of our friends and family.
● Stroke is the second-leading cause of death globally
● It is also the third-leading cause of disability globally
● In Australia, there is one stroke every 19 minutes
Strokes don’t just happen among the elderly either. Sure, age is an influential factor, but so is lifestyle. Smoking, poor diet and high cholesterol, high stress, excessive alcohol consumption or a sedentary lifestyle, can all increase risk of a stroke.
Quick Explainer: The two different types of strokes
● Ischemic strokes: These are strokes caused by blockage of an artery (or, in rare instances, a vein). About 87% of all strokes are ischemic.
● Hemorrhagic stroke: These are strokes caused by bleeding. About 13% of all strokes are hemorrhagic.
When it comes to strokes, time is brain
When a stroke occurs, for every minute a blood vessel remains blocked, approximately 2 million neurons are lost in that part of the brain. Urgent diagnosis and treatment are required to minimise the damage.
Brain imaging, which is usually a CT or MRI today, plays an important role to help inform the diagnosis of stroke and what type it is. If the stroke is ischemic (blockage) doctors traditionally then rely on two main effective options to treat the blockage: clot-busting medication (tPA) or mechanical thrombectomy (surgery to remove the blockage).
Where does EMVision come into the picture?
If brain imaging and treatment can be brought to the patient, instead of waiting for the patient to arrive at the radiology department, there can be huge time savings. This not only has the potential to save lives but to also reduce the amount of disability people have when they experience a stroke. This can have a tremendous impact in terms of ongoing quality of life.
EMVision is developing portable brain scanners that can be brought directly to the patient. Their first model (gen 1) is a bit like an ultrasound system for use in the regions and by the bedside in the wards. Their next model, a lightweight helmet (gen 2), can be carried in a backpack by paramedics in road or air ambulances.
Where is EMVision on its journey?
For any new medical device, regulators are keen to see data that shows the device is safe and effective. Having completed a successful proof of concept study with an earlier prototype a few years ago, EMVision is now in the midst of running larger clinical trials enrolling suspected stroke patients across New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland to generate the data they need for commercialisation.
Where to from here?
Uniquest, the commercialisation company attached to the University of Queensland where EMVision’s IP originated from, has put out a bold vision for what this technology could mean.
“UniQuest came to the opinion that this device could well have the same life-saving potential as the widespread introduction of defibrillators 20 years ago.”
If EMVision’s technology is able to allow for earlier diagnosis of stroke and open the door for earlier treatment, then we may see an EMVision brain scanner in every hospital and road and air ambulance in the future.
So for now, all eyes are on these clinical trials and regulatory approvals. For the sake of the one in four people globally that will suffer a stroke in their lifetime, let’s hope they are successful.
Listen to our interview with EMvision’s CEO Scott Kirkland on the Uncovered by Equity Mates podcast.