A Headband Listens Closely

A special headband from Leipzig makes it possible to look into the head and to quickly detect the smallest changes in the brain. Ordinary ultrasound waves cannot penetrate the human skull. The engineers of the Sonovum GmbH have modified ultrasound technology in such a way that brain tissue can be examined “mobily” in real time and without surgical intervention. With self-developed acoustocerebrography (ACG), previously invisible processes in the brain can be detected more quickly than with traditional methods, for example in strokes, where every minute counts. The measurement system consists of the headband with ultrasound probes as well as a device which evaluates the requisite data with the help of mathematical models. 

The fast and comparatively inexpensive method opens up new potential in the diagnosis of neurological diseases. Clinical studies have shown that ACG is useful not only for identifying strokes, but also for detecting other pathological brain changes such as dementia. In addition, it is now possible for the first time to monitor the progress of therapy or to easily visualize gradual processes over a longer period of time. In cooperation with various university hospitals, further important medical questions are being researched.

After a series of studies, the young medical technology company from Saxony received the CE marking for its groundbreaking innovation in 2017. Marketing started at the end of 2018 and the first devices were delivered in December. If Sonovum has its way, the diagnostic device will even be available in ambulances in the future so that, for example, the cause of a stroke or the effects of a traumatic brain injury can be identified quickly and treated properly.