Brain scanner could be a game-changer
After being forced to retire from boxing due to a brain bleed, Monty Betham knows the dangers of head injuries in sport all too well.
Fortunately for the former Warriors captain, he was able to detect the symptoms and seek treatment to make an informed decision to hang up the gloves in 2016, which may have ultimately saved his life.
Others haven’t been so lucky. Last October, American boxer Patrick Day died aged 27, four days after suffering a brain injury in a professional fight, one of four recorded deaths in 2019 as a direct consequence of injuries sustained in the ring, according to CNN.
The risk of head injuries is ever-present in combat sports but a piece of medical equipment, developed by the US military and Philadelphia University, has the potential to dramatically transform the way they are assessed.
The ‘Infrascanner 2000’ is a handheld screening device capable of detecting intracranial bleeding in as little as three minutes.
The device has been used in the US, UK, Canada and China for several years. Now it is available in New Zealand, Betham believes it could be a gamechanger for combat sports.
‘‘Having had that brain bleed in sparring some time ago which actually ended my boxing career, I think this is awesome,’’ Betham told Stuff. ‘‘If you did take a knock, if you weren’t quite feeling yourself, or even as a mandatory test after any type of boxing or sparring, to have an indication of where you are within that golden hour is huge.’’
Time is crucial when it comes to the treatment of brain injuries.
Symptoms of a burst blood vessel are not always obvious and can go unnoticed for hours, days or even weeks.
The Infrascanner, which is the size of a large TV remote, uses infrared technology to screen patients just moments after a head knock, identifying those who may be in need of more critical care or require further investigation, such as through a CT scan.
The device was trialled at the King in the Ring kickboxing event in Auckland late last year. It’s also been used by leading combat sports gym City Kickboxing, home of five of New Zealand’s
UFC fighters, while ProBox NZ has made it mandatory for boxers to be scanned in their sanctioned events.
A veteran of over 100 NRL games for the Warriors as well as nine tests for the Kiwis and four for Samoa, Betham made his name in rugby league, which along with rugby union has put a major emphasis on reducing the impact of head injuries.
Just last month, former Kiwis international Te Maire Martin was forced to retire at just 24 after suffering a brain bleed in April last year.
The Infrascanner presented obvious benefits for the oval-ball codes, particularly in isolated areas where access to brain scanning facilities was limited, Betham said.
‘‘You think about the great games of rugby and rugby league at grassroots level up and down the country, and if you are miles away from a particular hospital.
‘‘If you take a knock and you’re not too sure what you should do, or you’re a parent and you want to know your kid’s going to be safe, you don’t want to go home and realise that you’re in a lot of trouble.
‘‘I love the fact you can get a gauge straight away.’’