Carolina Personal Injury News

North Carolina Researchers Developing Tool To Detect Head Injuries

Posted on Jan 31, 2011

According to researchers in North Carolina, the world may be just a few years away from a new handheld device that could detect on the spot whether or not an accident victim has suffered head trauma. Currently at the Greensboro Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering in North Carolina, a team is working on a small device that could be carried by any number of people, from emergency responders to football coaches to those on construction sites.

When someone suffers a head injury today, it is difficult for those caring for the victim to determine whether or not that person has suffered a simple bump on the head or a more serious brain injury such as a concussion or a traumatic brain injury. For example, if a player on a football team takes a hard hit, his coach will determine whether or not it is safe for him to return to the game simply by looking for symptoms such as dizziness, confusion, or problems with speech or balance. However, some concussions don’t involve symptoms or may not show symptoms for several days. A device would allow a coach to determine on the spot whether his player needs medical attention and whether he is at risk for a second and more serious head injury.

The North Carolina researchers are developing their device to test either blood, urine, or saliva and would look for specific compounds that appear in the body after the brain suffers a trauma. The scientists hope that this device would be available widely, especially to emergency responders like EMT and police officers.

About the Editors: Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton is a law firm whose attorneys focus on injury and accident law and have experience handling traumatic brain injury and closed head injuries. In fact, our firm in 2000 helped a brain-damaged client receive what was then the largest verdict for a brain injury case in Virginia history. Then in the year 2012 our firm helped a brain injury client receive a $21 million dollar verdict.

Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been listed among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008 and and we have been named a North Carolina "Best Law Firm" for personal injury law since 2010 by U.S. News & World Report. In addition, Rick and Jim have been listed in the National Million Dollar Advocates Forum since 2009 and our firm has the highest rating of AV from national lawyer ranking organization Martindale-Hubbell. That means we have a reputation for demonstrating preeminent legal skill.
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