Smartphone-Based Head Impulse Nystagmus Test of Skew (HINTS) to Aid the Diagnosis of Patients with Vertigo and Dizziness

Unmet Need:
It is estimated that 45,000-75,000 strokes are missed in emergency departments each year in the United States due to patients presenting with dizziness. Of these patients, 15,000-25,000 will have a subsequent major stroke that could’ve been prevented with earlier identification and treatment.  These strokes are often missed due to the fact that neuroimaging scans (CT/MRI) lack the sensitivity to diagnose stroke accurately, even within hours of the event. The HiNTS exam, a bedside test that assesses eye movements, has been shown to have greater sensitivity in diagnosis of stroke, but emergency department staff frequently do not have the expertise to administer this test. Therefore, there is a need in the field for new technological strategies to increase the accuracy of tests for stroke.

Technology Overview:
Researchers at Johns Hopkins have developed an approach to improve stroke diagnoses in emergency departments (EDs) when patients present with dizziness or vertigo. The approach has three components: video oculography goggles, teleconsultations with neurologists, and a paired smartphone application. Together, the strategy can be used to simply give patients a HiNTS examination in the ED without any additional training of ED staff and could drastically reduce the rate of misdiagnosis of stroke.

Stage of Development:
The researchers have developed the oculography goggles and accompanying software. Currently, development is ongoing on the smartphone application.

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