The headphones are the work of medical experts in the UK

May 22, 2015 08:09 GMT  ·  By

Looking to eliminate the need to subject patients to painful procedures or operate on them when diagnosing potentially life-threatening brain injuries or infections, medical experts in the UK created novel headphones designed to sneak a peek inside people's skulls. 

The headphones, developed by a team of researchers at the University Hospital Southampton, work by keeping tabs on fluid pressure inside the wearer's head. The data they obtain is delivered to a computer for analysis.

It is believed that, if introduced in hospitals and other medical centers, this pioneering brain pressure test would make it easier to diagnose people suffering from brain damage or infections. In turn, this means life-saving treatment could be offered sooner rather than later.

The headphones look inside the ear to learn about the brain

In a report detailing their work, the University Hospital Southampton scientists explain that the inner ear is linked with the brain via a channel. As a result, shifts in the fluid pressure inside the brain translate into changes in the pressure inside the ear.

Since brain swells resulting from trauma or infection toy with pressure in the brain, the researchers argue that such health complications can be more easily diagnosed by using their headphones to look for corresponding pressure shifts inside the ear.

“As our CCFP [cerebral and cochlear fluid pressure] device does not require a patient to do anything other than wear a set of headphones with an ear plug, it has the potential to provide rapid, accurate and safe assessments to patients,” the specialists say.

The novel device is currently undergoing extensive tests

In theory, the scientists' idea to study pressure shifts in the ear and interpret them in order to diagnose brain trouble makes perfect sense. The thing is that the team is yet to test their headphones and prove that they actually work.

Currently, the researcher's cerebral and cochlear fluid pressure analyzer is being used to document the brain pressure of healthy volunteers at the Southampton General Hospital. The goal is to demonstrate its reliability and eventually make it available on a wider scale.

Interestingly, the scientists say that their plans for the future include working closely with space agencies and even the military, and using the headphones to study brain pressure changes in astronauts or to zoom in on war brain injuries.  

The headphones are expected to make it easier to diagnose brain injuries and infections
The headphones are expected to make it easier to diagnose brain injuries and infections

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Researchers develop headphones that can peer inside the brain
The headphones are expected to make it easier to diagnose brain injuries and infections
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