The revolutionary tool could see quick deployment. According to Dr. Baruch Ben Dor, president of Philadelphia's InfraScan which makes the Infrascanner, a plan is already in place through ONR to move the system to field evaluation with the Marine Corps Systems Command.
The Marines are testing and "ruggedizing" a version of the device that meets military standards for resistance to water, sand, corrosion by salt spray and more.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) touches many veterans and military families. Blasts are a leading cause of TBI in war zones, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), affecting memory and reasoning, sensory perception, communication ability and emotional well-being, as well as increased risk of unpredictable epileptic seizures and early onset of brain disorders typically associated with age.
Of the 1.4 million Americans diagnosed with TBI yearly, the CDC estimates 50,000 will die.
Rankin, who also founded brainlinemilitary, commended ONR's research.
"Clearly, this naval medical technology will have a global impact," she said, "because the field of neurotrauma continues to struggle with the lack of portable transformative diagnostic technology.
"The Office of Naval Research is ready to set a new standard of excellence."