Zeit Medical has raised $2m in a seed round for its stroke detection headband.
The device features a lightweight electroencephalogram (EEG) which works with a smartphone app to analyse brain activity and watch for signs of stroke.
Research so far suggests that the device could alert people to a potential stroke hours before they would have otherwise noticed.
According to co-founder and CEO Orestis Vardoulis, a usage study showed that patients wore the headband on 90 per cent of nights, including those using CPAP machines.
Participants made few complaints about fit or comfort. Consistent use is critical to mitigating the risks associated with stroke.
Vardoulis said: “Besides pushing hard on getting the product finalized and ready to be tested in our upcoming studies, we have also been experimenting with different applications of our AI in the inpatient setting.”
Vardoulis noted that many intensive care patients require close ischemia monitoring.
The company co-founder added: “We have approached several large national academic centers that monitor their subarachnoid hemorrhage patients with EEG to understand if this would be an acceptable application for our technology.”
Money generated from the funding round will be used to expand operations and support further research towards gaining FDA approval.
The device has ‘Breakthrough’ designation from the FDA.
The status is designed to speed up the development and assessment of technologies that may provide more effective treatment or diagnosis of life-threatening or irreversibly debilitating human disease or conditions.
Vardoulis and Urs Naber started Zeit (‘time’) after seeing the resources being put towards reducing the time between a 911 call and the patient receiving life-saving stroke treatment.
More than 750,000 in the US have a stroke every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
