Hand-held scanner to detect brain trauma

    The handheld scanner will be used to detect intracranial bleeding on the spot, quickly identifying people who may need follow up treatment or diagnosis.
    The wand-like device will take advantage of near-infrared technology to determine any abnormalities in the brain's light absorption. Using an eye-safe NIR diode laser and an optical detector, the scanner will measure the light absorption of both halves of the brain. A lack of symmetry will indicate a likely hematoma caused by the build-up of blood, and the entire process will take about 2 minutes.
    The scanner will be powered by two AA batteries.