Peer review of concussion diagnosis app developed by Indiana firm

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) — A concussion diagnostic tool developed by a Purdue Foundry-affiliated startup hopes to gain traction following a peer-review study. Health care technology company Brightlamp developed a smartphone application that helps physicians examine patients with concussive symptoms.

Purdue says doctors across North America used Reflex to perform a retrospective clinical review of patients cared for in neurological clinics. The results of the study were published in Life, a journal of life sciences scientific studies.

“Physicians have measured pupillary light reflex since the earliest time of recorded history,” said Dr. Fred Carrick, professor of neurology at the University of Central Florida. “It is only recently that advances in technology have allowed us to quantify it accurately. This is the largest study of concussion and PLR to date.”

Purdue says the app, Reflex, takes a digital video recording of an individual’s pupil to measure a response caused by light flashes on the phone.

The technology identifies biomarkers that could be used in clinical diagnosis and treatment for concussions.

Brightlamp founder and Chief Executive Officer Kurtis Sluss says the published study supports the company’s claim that the app is an important tool for concussion treatment.

“Our goal as a company is to optimize the recovery trajectory for concussion patients and prevent compounding injury so they can lead healthier lives,” said Sluss.

Brightlamp is getting commercialization guidance from the Purdue Foundry. The company is also part of the Purdue Foundry’s Double Down Experiment, which includes high-growth businesses.