A stroke is what you call it when a small blood clot makes its way into the tiny blood vessels in the brain and gets stuck. Once those tiny vessels are blocked, blood flow to part of the brain stops and that part of the brain can be permanently damaged if not treated quickly. With quick treatment, medications can dissolve the clot and return the person to their normal life. Without treatment, people can be disabled for the remainder of their life or die.
A group of engineers at Samsung has been working on developing a wearable sensor that can detect strokes with the goal of giving people indication that they need to go in for treatment. Many that have strokes put off going because they don’t recognize the symptoms. The wearable sensor is being developed in the Samsung Creativity Lab.
The prototype solution is called the Early Detection Sensor & Algorithm Package. The prototype allows anyone to monitor brainwaves, which are electrical pulses, using a smartphone or tablet. The engineers say that the sensor can gauge the probability of an oncoming stroke.
The head worn sensor wirelessly sends brainwave data to the smartphone or tablet and can determine the likelihood of a stroke within 60 seconds. The device can also provide information about neurological health, stress, anxiety, and sleep patterns. The wearable sensor needs no saline solutions to be rubbed into the hair making it convenient and easy to use. There is no indication right now of if the prototype will ever become a product available for sale to the public.
SOURCE: Samsung
