The investment follows clinical trials initiated in cooperation between Helse Vest, the Norwegian Air Ambulance Service and Equinor to improve stroke care provision at offshore installations and society at large.
Suspected strokes are today one of the most frequent medical incidents to which there is a lack of sufficient care provision capabilities offshore. Early and correct treatment is crucial when it comes to surviving a stroke without severe permanent disability. Cerebral infarctions (strokes) are caused by either blood clotting or cerebral hemorrhage (bleedings); two different causes that manifest the similar symptoms. In order to provide adequate treatment is detrimental to be able to differentiate between a clot and a bleeding due to the anticoagulant medicine severely worsening the situation for the latter.
Medfields' diagnostics device, the Strokefinder MD100, utilizes a "helmet" with eight symmetrically placed antennas which sends microwaves through the skull. The "eco" of these microwaves are registered and analyzed by a machine learning algorithm that will be able to exclude an intracranial bleeding. Medfield Diagnostics device will improve safety for Equinor employees and subcontractors offshore and contribute to improved healthcare for the greater society.