publication date: Jul 17, 2012
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author/source: ANDREW LLOYD & ASSOCIATES
EyeBrain is the first firm to benefit from the
logistical facilities that the institute offers to companies collaborating with
its research teams to encourage scientific exchange
EyeBrain, a company
developing medical devices for the early diagnosis and monitoring of
neurological diseases, announces today that one of its scientific teams is
moving into the premises of the Brain and Spine Institute (Institut du Cerveau
et de la Moelle Epiniere - ICM) at the Pitie-Salpetriere hospital in Paris. The
team is led by Magali Seassau, head of scientific studies at EyeBrain. Its aim
is to foster scientific exchange with ICM researchers and speed up the
development of clinical research tools for neurological diseases.
One in eight people is affected by these diseases, which are characterized by
lesional eruptions on the brain, the spinal cord, the peripheral nerves or the
muscles. They are often chronic and incapacitating conditions that require
extensive medical treatment and social care. Clinical research in the field of
neurosciences is a major challenge for the treatment of patients, from
diagnosis to disease monitoring and action to improve their quality of life.
The ICM is an international center of excellence specialized in research into
neurological diseases. It selected EyeBrain for its know-how in the analysis of
eye movements. Depending on any abnormalities detected, these movements make it
possible to determine which regions of the brain are not functioning correctly
and to reach an early diagnosis of the disease.
By moving a research team into the ICM's premises, EyeBrain will have the
benefit of exceptional resources. The Institute employs 600 researchers who are
among the most highly regarded in the world, and it has 22,000 square meters of
laboratory space that houses patients, doctors and researchers under the same
roof. This will enable EyeBrain to work on the development of innovative new
devices for diagnosing neurological diseases.
"We welcome the arrival of EyeBrain, a young firm that developed its first
product thanks to a research collaboration with researchers from our
institute," said Alexis Genin, the ICM's research applications director.
"We are convinced that the company's location within the ICM will speed up
the development of useful new devices for the early diagnosis of nervous system
diseases."
"Our move into the ICM reflects the medical world's strong recognition of
EyeBrain's knowhow," said Magali Seassau. "We are delighted to become
part of this prestigious establishment, where we will be able to exploit the
many existing synergies between our respective researchers and to develop and
validate our new products more easily and more quickly."
The Mobile EyeBrain Tracker designed and developed by EyeBrain in collaboration
with the ICM is currently the only CE-marked medical device on the market that
differentiates between several Parkinsonian syndromes - such as progressive
supra-nuclear paralysis (PSP), cortico-basal degeneration (CBD) and amyotrophic
multiple sclerosis (AMS) - by studying patients' eye movements. It also makes
it possible to monitor the development of patients suffering from multiple
sclerosis and to ascertain the effects of the treatments prescribed by doctors.
In addition, it is often used in the conduct of clinical trials (especially in
the area of dyslexia).
"Our ambition is to broaden the EyeBrain Tracker's field of
application," explained the chairman of EyeBrain, Serge Kinkingnehun.
"In that regard, moving into the ICM will help accelerate the development
of medical devices to assist in the diagnosis of neurological and psychiatric
diseases. Our next products will perform still better and will correspond
perfectly to the needs of the medical profession."
About EyeBrain
EyeBrain manufactures medical devices for the early diagnosis of
neurological diseases. These devices are based on the movement of the eyes and
they make it possible to test specific regions of the brain by recording and
analyzing eye movements using very sophisticated algorithms developed by the
company. EyeBrain's devices fill a gap in neurological diagnostics. For the
first time, clinicians can rely on a simple set of eye movement parameters to
differentiate between very similar syndromes, such as progressive supra-nuclear
paralysis (PSP) and cortico-basal degeneration (CBD). The test is easy to carry
out, non-invasive and the results are available in less than 20 minutes for a
small cost.
The Mobile EyeBrain Tracker (EBT) comes as a complete solution including an eye
tracker, a computer with two screens and stimulation and analysis software. It
is already being used routinely in hospitals to help with the early
characterization of Parkinsonian syndromes, to assist in the diagnosis of
multiple sclerosis and to monitor the development of these pathologies. Studies
are also underway to characterize the eye motricity anomalies involved in
reading difficulties, such as those experienced by people with dyslexia.
The Mobile EBT (Mobile EyeBrain Tracker) is the only device of its kind in the
world to have obtained the CE mark. The company has ISO 9001 and ISO 13485
certification. Eye motricity testing (eye tracking) is paid for by the French
social security system.
EyeBrain, which is based in the Paris suburb of Ivry-sur-Seine, was founded in
2008 and currently employs 15 people. It raised funding of EUR 1.2 million from
the CapDecisif and G1J venture capital funds in 2009 and already generates
revenues through the sale of the EyeBrain Tracker. It is engaged in
collaborations with the French National Health and Medical Research Institute
(Inserm), the French National Scientific Research Center (CNRS), Paris
University Hospitals group, the University of Paris-Descartes, the Pierre and
Marie Curie University, the Rouffach hospital and the French Brain and Spine
Institute (ICM).
For further information about the company visit
www.eye-brain.com
For further information about eye tracking visit:
www.eyebrainpedia.com
About the Brain and Spinal Cord Institute
The French Brain and Spine Institute (Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle
Epiniere - ICM) is a world-class research establishment that is innovative in
both its conception and its organization. By bringing together patients,
doctors and researchers under the same roof, it aims to facilitate the rapid
development of treatments for lesions of the nervous system so that they can be
applied to patients as quickly as possible. The center has the best scientists
from every domain and every country. They are conducting groundbreaking
research in this area.
From a scientific standpoint, the ICM's approach is novel to the extent that
its research is decompartmentalized. Its 30 or so research teams work
independently but are associated along thematic lines that encourage the
pooling of expertise and the implementation of joint projects. Bringing
together patients, doctors and researchers under one roof facilitates the
conduct of both fundamental and clinical research. The object of the exercise
is to shorten the lead time from research to therapeutics to the great benefit
of patients.
For further information about the ICM, go to:
http://icm-institute.org