The Infrascanner, a handheld device for screening in situ for the presence of brain haematomas

Purpose: Early identification and treatment of intracranial haematomas in patients sustaining traumatic brain injury is fundamental to successful treatment. This pilot study evaluates the Infrascanner as a handheld medical screening tool for detection, in situ, of brain haematomas in patients with head injury. Methods: This study included 35 TBI patients aged 1776 (M 47.6), admitted to the neurosurgical intensive care unit and observation unit of a University Hospital in a Level 1 trauma centre. The Infrascanner™ NIRS device uses near infrared light measurements to calculate optical density in brain regions. Results: Results show Infrascanner sensitivity at 89.5 and specificity at 81.2. PPV was 85 and NPV 86.7. The device detected 90 of extra-axial, 88.9 of intra-axial and 93.3 of non-surgical haematomas (less than 25 mL). PPV for this classification was 82.3; 87.5 sensitivity was found when the Infrascanner exam was performed within 12 hours post-trauma, whereas after 12 hours post-trauma, exams had 90.1 sensitivity. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that the Infrascanner is useful in initial examinations and screenings of patients with head injury as an adjunct to a CT scan or when it is not available and may allow earlier treatment and reduce secondary injury caused by present and delayed haematomas. © 2010 Informa UK Ltd All rights reserved.