Ivry-sur-Seine, France, January 16, 2012 – EyeBrain, a company developing medical devices for the early diagnosis and monitoring of neurological diseases, announces today that it is launching a new software version of its medical device, the EyeBrain Tracker. This means it can now contribute to the diagnosis of this pathology by confirming eye motricity impairment, which is a sensitive marker for multiple sclerosis, as well as monitoring patients’ progress and verifying the effect of therapies prescribed by practitioners.
People with multiple sclerosis often suffer from transitory or permanent neuro-ophthalmological problems, with disruptions in eye movements affecting between 60 - 80 per cent of these patients. The most frequently observed peculiarities are alterations in saccades and pursuits (tracking movements), as well as anomalies in patients’ ability to focus and hold a look.
These eye movement indicators are valuable for determining the state of patients suffering from multiple sclerosis and for monitoring the development of the disease. A study carried out by Dr. E. M. Frohman, from the department of neurology at the University of Texas Southwestern, showed that oculographic techniques make it possible to detect typical eye movement anomalies in the case of multiple sclerosis more precisely than a classic visual examination carried out by a clinician. The study, which was conducted on 279 medical practitioners, showed that, in 70 per cent of cases, a clinical examination did not enable eye movement anomalies to be detected (Accuracy of clinical detection of INO in MS: corroboration with quantitative infrared oculography, by Frohman TC, Frohman EM, O’Suilleabhain P, Salter A, Dewey RB Jr, Hogan N, et al).
From this standpoint, the EyeBrain Tracker can provide vital assistance to neurologists for monitoring patients suffering from multiple sclerosis. The EyeBrain Tracker effectively makes it possible to analyze a sensitive and quantifiable marker of anatomical function, namely eye motricity, including internuclear ophthalmoplegia. Since this marker is reproducible, it can provide quantified monitoring of the progress of the disease.
“There is currently no tool that provides an accurate quantification of the development of multiple sclerosis,” noted the chairman of EyeBrain, Serge Kinkingnéhun. “The EyeBrain Tracker can thus be a valuable aid for neurologists in the treatment of their patients, especially regarding the choice of drugs and their dosing.”
The upgraded version of the EyeBrain Tracker medical device for application in multiple sclerosis has been available since December. Clients who already possess the EyeBrain Tracker can upgrade it themselves with the help of the company’s after-sales service or through a maintenance visit.
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic autoimmune neurological disease of the central nervous system. It is multifactorial and its clinical manifestations are linked to the demyelination of the nervous fibers of the central nervous system (brain, spine and optic nerve). The disease affects 80,000 people in France and more than 600,000 people in the European Union.
About EyeBrain
EyeBrain manufactures medical devices for the early diagnosis of neurological diseases. These devices are based on the movement of the eyes, and they make it possible to test specific regions of the brain by recording and analyzing eye movements using very sophisticated algorithms developed by the company. EyeBrain’s devices fill a gap in neurological diagnostics. For the first time, clinicians can rely on a simple set of eye movement parameters to differentiate between very similar syndromes, such as progressive supra-nuclear paralysis (PSP) and cortico-basal degeneration (CBD). The test is easy to carry out, non-invasive, and the results are available in less than 20 minutes for a small cost.
The Mobile EyeBrain Tracker (EBT) comes as a complete solution including helmet, a computer with two screens, and stimulation and analysis software. It is already being used routinely in hospitals to help with the early characterization of Parkinsonian syndromes, to assist in the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis and to monitor the development of these pathologies. Studies are also underway to characterize the eye motricity anomalies involved in reading difficulties, such as those experienced by people with dyslexia.
The Mobile EBT is the only device of its kind in the world to have obtained CE marking. The company has ISO 9001 and ISO 13485 certification.
EyeBrain, which is based in the Paris suburb of Ivry-sur-Seine, was founded in 2008 and currently employs 15 people. It has raised funding of EUR 1.2 million from the CapDecisif and G1J venture capital funds and already generates revenues through the sale of the EyeBrain Tracker. It is engaged in collaborations with the French National Health and Medical Research Institute (INSERM), the French National Scientific Research Center (CNRS), Paris University Hospitals group, the University of Paris-Descartes, and the French Brain and Spinal Cord Institute.
For further information about the company, go to: http://www.eye-brain.com.
For further information about eye tracking, go to: http://www.eyebrainpedia.com.
Mark Tidmarsh
ANDREW LLOYD & ASSOCIATES
http://www.ala.com
mark@ala.com
Brighton Business Centre 95 Ditchling Road Brighton BN1 4ST ENGLAND
Tel: +44 1273 675100
Fax: +44 1273 675400
55 rue Boissonade 75014 Paris FRANCE
Tel: +33 1 56 54 07 00 Fax: +33 1 56 54 07 01
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