Article published in the newspaper Göteborgs-Posten (GP)

“Hat” helps stroke patients

By Lotta Hohner

Every year, thousands of people suffer of stroke in Sweden. Using patented technology from Chalmers Univerity of Technology and a hat, more of them will get the right treatment in time.

– Within a few years, we hope that our product should be available in all ambulances in Sweden, says the company Medfields’ CEO Patrik Dahlqvist. It began with a doctoral thesis at Chalmers University where Professor Andreas Fhager and Professor Mikael Persson looked at microwave technology as a way to diagnose breast cancer. The thesis resulted in two patents and the founding of the company Medfield Diagnostics. A few doses of venture capital and business expertise as CEO Patrik Dahlqvist has now accelerated the company.

FOCUS TURNED TO stroke care and recently they got their third clinical study approved by the Swedish FDA. In the study around 200 TIA patients at Sahlgrenska Hospital and Southern Älvsborg Hospital in Borås will be monitored using the antennas. The antennas emits the microwaves in the brain tissue and held in place by a cap. TIA patients are people who have a “mini-stroke” caused by a transient cerebral thrombosis. These patients need to be monitored in the hospital because the risk of a full stroke is greatly increased in the next few days. Using stroke hat the idea is that they can be monitored through the night without getting disturbed sleep, instead of the three-hour intervals that are common in hospitals.

– It allows one to detect changes in time and prevent unnecessary injuries, says Patrik Dahlqvist. A problem in the treatment of stroke is that stroke may result from either a bleed or a stopper. Before you know what, you can not start processing, which means that you now need to wait until you come to the hospital.

THE PLAN IS THAT Strokefinder, which is the name of the product, will determine if there is bleeding or clot in the ambulance, and thereby earn precious minutes and avoid unnecessary suffering. The first step is to get the product which monitors TIA patients in hospitals. The estimated cost of over half a million. Patrik Dahlqvist do not think there will be any problems to get them sold. – At the end of next year we will be on the market in Sweden. Then the world is waiting.