BrainScope Awarded Contract for its Head Injury Triage Device

Vizient Inc. has awarded an Innovative Technology contract to BrainScope Company Inc. for its U.S. Food and Drug Administration-cleared, handheld, Class 2 medical device that uses artificial intelligence and machine learning technology to identify objective biomarkers of structural (intracranial hemorrhage) and functional (concussion) brain injury in patients with suspected mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI).

The contract was awarded based on the recommendation of BrainScope by hospital experts who serve on one of Vizient’s member-led councils, and it signifies to Vizient members unique qualities that potentially bring improvement to the healthcare industry.

“We are so proud to have received the Innovative Technology contract from Vizient” said Susan Hertzberg, CEO of BrainScope. “Only a select number of companies are awarded this contract designation and it is further acknowledgement of BrainScope’s potential to become a new standard of care for objectively assessing mTBI.”
 
Innovative Technology contracts are recommended after review and interaction with products submitted through Vizient’s Innovative Technology Program. Vizient member-led councils identify breakthrough technologies that have the potential to enhance clinical care, patient safety, health care worker safety or improve business operations of healthcare organizations.
 
“Our agreement with Vizient provides hospitals increased access to the BrainScope technology to rapidly and objectively aid in ruling out the likelihood of a brain bleed while also assessing the severity of functional impairment. This is important because millions of patients first seek care each year at the Emergency Department for these types of injuries,” said Dr. Diku Mandavia, chief medical officer of BrainScope. “Our current hospital customers have demonstrated a 30%-60% reduction in use of head computed tomography when using BrainScope, sparing patients unnecessary radiation that increases their lifetime risk of cancer. BrainScope does not require a blood draw or processing in a lab—it is completely non-invasive, truly point-of-care and has immediate benefits to both the patient and the Emergency Department.”
 
“Health care experts on Vizient member councils evaluated BrainScope as part of our Innovative Technology Program,” said Kelly Flaharty, senior director of contract process for Vizient. “The council agreed to the contract, which indicates BrainScope has one or more qualities that differentiates it from similar products and has potential to make an incremental improvement in healthcare. Congratulations to BrainScope.”
 
Vizient represents a diverse membership base that includes academic medical centers, pediatric facilities, community hospitals, integrated health delivery networks and non-acute health care providers and represents more than $130 billion in annual purchasing volume. Through its Innovative Technology Program, Vizient works with member-led councils and task forces to evaluate products for their potential to bring real innovation to healthcare. Vizient may award a contract to products deemed worthy of the Innovative Technology designation outside of the competitive bid cycle.