This owes to the fact that the most emergent therapy for ischemic strokes, known as thrombolytics, cannot safely be administered in patients with any sort of hemorrhage. The consequences can be catastrophic; hence thrombolytic treatment is suspended until exclusion of bleeding, which unfortunately cannot presently be performed without CT or MR imaging of the brain, neither of which is routinely available in preclinical environments.

Any delay in imaging translates directly to delays in treatment, and any delay in treatment may translate to astronomical losses in functional brain tissue (potentially on the order of millions of neurons per minute). So, we wanted to devise a way to facilitate diagnosis and subsequent treatment for patients.


HCB News: Much of your work boils down to microwaves. What are microwaves and how do they compare with other forms of diagnostic imaging?
SD and LA: As a specific range within the electromagnetic spectrum, microwaves are ubiquitous and in the modern era enable numerous devices in widespread use, from cellular devices to Bluetooth and other wireless communications.

Light from other stretches of the electromagnetic spectrum is already very much in use for capturing the inner workings of the body and has been for well over a century, with many readers perhaps familiar with Roentgen’s discovery of X-rays. While highly effective at penetrating the body, X-rays have the drawback of ionization, meaning they can lead to breaking of chemical bonds and formation of reactive free radicals. The incredibly positive contributions of X-rays to human health are undeniable, but certainly concerns such as burn risks or carcinogenesis demand prudent use.

MR is also based on transmission and reception of electromagnetic radiation, but at radio frequencies, and therefore well below the energy thresholds causing ionization. Unfortunately, the cost of procuring, operating, and maintaining these powerful machines is high, making them cost-prohibitive in many parts of the world. While the emergence of "low field" MR scanners is promising, they remain relatively costly and lack the hyper-portability to be deployed in public spaces or true first-responder settings.

More Magazine Features

Stroke Homepage