
GE Healthcare (NYSE:GE) joined forces with Georgia Tech Research Institute and the U.S. Army in development of a wireless, wearable sensor that can gather important information about brain damage caused by roadside bombs.
The device, called called the Integrated Blast Effects Sensor Suite, captures explosion data such as blast force and direction and is small enough to be tucked into a small backpack or vest.
The Army approached Georgia Tech about a potential blast-measuring device for soldiers back in 2011. GE Healthcare hopped on board as part of the company’s initiative to better map brain injuries, according to a company press release.
GE’s Intelligent Platforms business unit is providing the computer system that processes the raw data. The Army has already started using the sensor in the field and plans to use the information to improve diagnosis of brain damage after an explosion.