The Development of Non-Invasive Optical Brain Pulse Monitoring: A Review.

Early detection of neurological deterioration in serious acute brain injury is seen as an important goal to reduce death and disability, but monitoring for neurological deterioration remains challenging. Routine methods, such as neurological examination and brain imaging, often identify brain injuries only after they have progressed to an irreversible stage. Alternate approaches such as invasive brain monitoring, are complex, costly and carry inherent risks. The optical brain pulse monitor (OBPM) is a novel, non-invasive, safe, and continuous monitoring device designed to provide earlier detection of neurological deterioration and address the limitations of traditional approaches. This review presents the development, technical aspects, and clinical results from past and ongoing trials over the last five years.