CEREBO: Indigenously Developed Brain Diagnostic Tool

• Developer: Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Medical Device & Diagnostics Mission Secretariat (MDMS), AIIMS Bhopal, NIMHANS Bengaluru, Bioscan Research.

• Type: Hand-held, portable, non-invasive device.

• Function: Detects intracranial bleeding & edema in under a minute.

• Technology: Near-infrared spectroscopy + machine learning.

• Advantages:

  • Radiation-free, colour-coded, cost-effective results.

  • Usable by paramedics/unskilled staff.

  • Safe for infants & pregnant women.

  • Useful in ambulances, trauma centres, rural clinics, disaster zones, military healthcare.

• Validation: Clinical trials at trauma centres & neurosurgical hospitals; regulatory approvals in place; post-market surveillance confirms adoption potential.

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

• Definition: Disruption of normal brain function due to trauma/injury to the head.

• Severity: Mild (concussion) → Severe (long-term impairments, brain damage, or death).

• Major Causes (India):

  • Road traffic accidents – ~60%

  • Falls – 20–25%

  • Violence – ~10%

• Epidemiology:

  • 1.5–2 million injured annually in India.

  • ~1 million deaths/year.

  • TBIs = major cause of morbidity, mortality, and socio-economic loss.

Why CEREBO is Useful in Rural Areas

• Challenges with existing methods:

  • Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) – prone to error, subjective.

  • CT/MRI scans – need expensive infrastructure, skilled manpower, urban hospital setup.

• CEREBO’s advantages in rural settings:

  • Portable → can be used in field/ambulances.

  • Provides quick triage → helps decide who needs urgent transfer to tertiary hospitals.

  • Reduces delay → crucial as first 24–48 hours after TBI are critical.

  • Cost-effective → increases accessibility in underserved regions.