U.S. Patent 8,043,214 for “Neuro-Aid.”

Texas Business Patent of the Day:  An Ector County man developed a way to do neurological checks quickly and inexpensively.

Puthalath Koroth Raghuprasad of Odessa, Texas received U.S. Patent 8,043,214 for “Neuro-Aid.”

Raghuprasad filed for the patent on March 5, 2009.

 The neurological examination is accomplished by examining in succession, the higher functions by testing memory, intelligence, orientation in time, place and person, and speech, the cranial nerves, the motor and sensory systems, cerebellar functions and the reflexes, according to the patent document. In practice, those skilled in the art of testing the nervous system have been required to carry numerous separate testing devices. This variety of testing devices carried by the clinician is costly and cumbersome and if not done in a sequential methodology oftentimes the testing of certain sensory aspects can be missed. 

The present invention is designed with the express intent of providing in one small device many of the essential ingredients for a thorough neurological examination. The device which can be carried in a lab coat pocket or shirt pocket, is made in a simple and relatively inexpensive fashion so that the device can either be used as a disposable device or as a low cost tool by the clinician. 


Raghuprasad’s invention is an improved neuro-aid device which provides low cost solutions to neurological examinations while providing additional capabilities. The improved device adds features that will enable the clinician to examine the fundus (retina) and sensitivity to light as well as providing an improved aseptic method of conducting touch responses using a sterile, detachable pin system. Provisions have also been made for metric scale for measuring the size of pupil and for carrying charts and/or tables within the device. 

It is currently recognized that in many athletic sports and other activities head injuries often occur. These head injuries can be rated from minor to severe. Commonly referred to as concussions or mild traumatic brain injuries (MTBI), these are the most common and least serious of this type of traumatic brain injury. These concussions involve a transient loss of mental functions that can be caused by acceleration or deceleration forces or by a direct blow.

Concussions are generally not associated with penetrating head injuries. Patients with concussions may act confused for example repeatedly asking the same question or forgetting where they are. Patients may have focal neurological deficits, signs that a specific part of the brain is not working correctly. While such trauma are considered mild generally, the brain is adapted in such a way that after a mild concussion, a repeated secondary impact on the brain can lead to serious and permanent brain damage and potentially death.

As a result in such sports as football, head injuries are reviewed by a trainer immediately and certain sensory responses are tested to see if the player has been injured seriously enough that he should no longer play. It is not uncommon for a player who has had a head injury to return to play within a week and upon receiving a secondary head injury, of dying. As a result many high school and college programs by state law are required to have medically trained physical trainers onsite to look for these types of head injuries. One of the best ways of indicating whether a person has received a concussion is an examination of the eyes. If the eyes show aberrant movement or one pupil is dilated more than the other or if the eyes fail to respond to light sensitivity may be strong indications that the player has had a concussion. As a result it is now normal practice to remove such players from further contact. It is accordingly very important that these trainers have tools that will enable eye reflexes to be easily examined. Checking the peripheral vision was available on the prior art device, however, this device was lacking in that light sensitivity and fundus could not be examined. Accordingly, a need to improve the device incorporating such a feature was determined necessary. 

In addition, in checking an injured person's response to touch to determine if any nerve damage had occurred to any limbs or any portion of the nervous system has been essential in these neurological examinations.  

An improved neurological testing apparatus for analyzing a person’s sense receptors has a body housing, one or more separate specific taste testing substances, one or more separate specific smell testing substances, one or more vision charts, other charts/tables and a light source assembly. The body housing includes a front surface, a rear surface, an upper end, a bottom end and an interior chamber. The separate specific taste testing substances are attached to the front or rear surfaces. The separate specific smell testing substances are attached to either the front or rear surface. The vision charts lie on one of the front or rear surfaces opposite the smell or taste testing substances. The light source assembly is mounted in the interior chamber of the body housing.

The light source assembly includes a light or LED lamp connected to a battery via an on/off switch contained in said body, wherein said light source assembly is used to analyze pupillary reflex. An eye examination lens for observing the interior of the patient's eyes is provided. The lens is aligned with and preferably located above the light. The lens extends from the rear surface and is open to an opening or hole in the front surface of the body housing. A mirror or prism redirects the light transmitting it through the opening in direct alignment with the lens. 

The improved neurological testing apparatus at one end has an integral disk having a red side and an opposite white side to use in field of vision determination and at an end opposite the disk the body housing includes a cavity or slot for holding instruction cards or patient cards. 

The improved neurological testing apparatus further has one or more sterile needle holders formed or otherwise molded into the body housing for receiving and storing one or more sheathed sterile needles or pins, the sterile needle or pin being configured to be removably detached from the needle holder for testing for pain sensation. After the test for nerve damage is completed the used needle can be re-sheathed to be appropriately discarded. The improved neurological testing apparatus further may have one or more swab holders formed or otherwise molded into the body housing for holding and storing one or more cotton tipped swabs. The cotton tipped swabs are removably detachable from the swab holder. After being used, the swabs can simply be discarded. 

The one or more separate specific smell testing substances are located on one side of the body housing and spaced from each other. Each separate specific smell testing substance is preferably formed in stacked layers covered or sealed by a re-sealable cover. 

Similarly, the one or more taste testing substances are spaced from each other and located on one side of the body housing. Each taste testing substance is preferably formed in stacked layers each stack of layers being covered or sealed by re-sealable covers. 

In a preferred embodiment, the specific taste testing substance can include at least two or more taste testing substances selected from a group of sweet, sour, salty or bitter. The separate specific taste and smell testing substances all lie in cavities on the same surface, preferably the rear surface of the body housing, with the vision charts lying on the opposite front surface. 

The layers or strips of the separate and specific taste and smell test substances can have the test substance attached to or adhered to the underside of the strip or the top side of a strip. The outermost strip or layer is exposed upon opening of a sealable cover or alternatively the taste strips can be entirely edible. 

These features enable the device to be safely used on a plurality of different patients without the risk of transmitting diseases from prior patients. Accordingly the device, while being extremely low in cost, provides the added advantage of being aseptically usable on multiple patients by simply replacing the used sterile sheathed needles or pins and used cotton tipped swabs and replacing them with new ones as needed. 

The device preferably is also designed to enable replacement of the battery and addition of replacement taste and smell test peel-off packets which can be adhesively affixed to the body housing in their predetermined location which can be a raised plateau or recessed cavity depending on the design of the body housing.