York Instruments, Ltd. (York), a Croton Healthcare company, has entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with the University of California San Diego (UC San Diego) for the inclusion of the university’s VESTAL and Fast-VESTAL patent pending methods and software platform into York’s newly developed Magnetoencephalography (MEG) system, which maps brain activity by recording magnetic fields produced by electrical currents occurring naturally in neurons of the brain.
“We are very excited to be working closely with the University of California San Diego for the advancement of York’s MEG platform, and in particular for the expansion of our capability in the diagnosis and evaluation of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI)” said Gordon Baltzer, chairman and CEO of Croton Healthcare, LLC, parent company of York.
UC San Diego is a leader in the mTBI field utilizing MEG for the study of concussions in both athletes and military personnel. Its VESTAL and fast-VESTAL imaging processing methods and software take the magnetic signals continuously measured several times per second by the MEG system, and calculate the locations within the brain which create those signals, obtaining a map of brain activity at every instant in time. The methods and software also measure the frequency of the brain-waves, which is abnormally slow in patients with traumatic brain injury/concussions, and in other brain disorders such as brain tumours and strokes.
“UC San Diego’s Dr. Roland Lee and Dr. Mingxiong Huang are leaders in the development of diagnostic imaging capabilities in the mTBI field. We are excited to have them as an extended part of the York team,” said Dr. James Petite, president of York. “We share a mutual enthusiasm for expanding the clinical applications of MEG in the diagnostic imaging industry.”
UK-based York is launching a new MEG system that incorporates patented HyQUID sensor technology in a helium-free cryogenic environment, new state of the art electronics capability, and a cloud based software infrastructure.
“This agreement allows us to directly implement our advanced MEG source imaging methods and software into the new MEG system developed by York Instruments,” said Huang. “Essentially, the agreement creates a MEG system with strong software and hardware for both clinical diagnoses and research applications in neurological disorders (such as mTBI), psychiatric disorders (such as post-traumatic stress disorder), as well as for studying normal brain functions.”
“Concussions (also called mTBI) are a significant and common medical problem, involving our children participating in athletics and our family members in automobile accidents, as well as professional athletes, and soldiers in battle,” said Lee. “This collaboration will expand our research demonstrating the sensitivity of MEG in diagnosing concussions, and will show how MEG can monitor the progress of the patient after concussion treatment. In addition, the combination of our methods and software with the York MEG system may improve the diagnosis and treatment-monitoring of patients suffering from other neurological and psychiatric diseases, such as posttraumatic stress disorder”
York Instruments is a UK based company specializing in magnetic measurements and their healthcare applications. Using the very latest technologies and methodologies, York is focused on neuroimaging and its ability to assess brain networks given the realization that many clinical brain disorders involve the interruption of brain networks.
“The University of California San Diego is a student-centered, research-focused, service-oriented public institution that provides opportunity for all. Recognized as one of the top 15 research universities worldwide, a culture of collaboration sparks discoveries that advance society and drive economic impact.