Steve Devine: Former All Black on the world's first portable brain scanner for detecting concussions

Former All Black Steve Devine is hailing the launch of a new portable brain scanner that's set to revolutionise concussion diagnosis for rugby players in New Zealand. 

The Nurocheck headset will be able to detect head injuries in just two minutes without the need for baseline testing. 

Devine has suffered a number of head knocks in his playing career and says the device is especially beneficial for the amateur game. 

He told Mike Hosking players are probably only getting a test if they’ve taken a reasonable hit and usually there’s a moment where you can tell they’re not well. 

He says if a player goes back on and recieves a second knock, that can be fatal, and that’s the one they’re trying to stop.  

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Seem to have a new tool that can revolutionize concussion
diagnosis and Rugby neuro check headset to text concussions in
two minutes, simple yes or no, after measuring four hundred
thousand data points. Scanners get rolled out next month for
We're all Black. Steve Divine knows all about this needs
with us, Steve morning, Mike, very well, thank you. This
is cleared by the FDA. So this is a real
thing that will be rolled out in ten years time.

(00:21):
It'll be an everyday thing. Is that how you think
this will happen?

Speaker 2 (00:25):
That's all we like to think. So, yeah, to make
it nice and available to every Zylander, no matter what sport.
Concussion is a real problem around our communities, and this
is a device that we think can go a long
way to helping people in those bad situations.

Speaker 1 (00:41):
How does it how's it going to work? Do you
see it initially at elite level? Or if it is,
do you need to change the rules? I mean, you know,
when do you bring it on? What's the really you know, yes,
you've got concussion? Do you go off for two minutes
or six weeks? Or how it works?

Speaker 2 (00:57):
Yeah, at the moment where we're working with the New
Zealand Roby Union and any other partner who's interested. We
think it's a great tool to use alongside a doctor
to make those decisions in the professional game, but we
really feel that it's probably going to be most suited
in the amateur game where there isn't a doctor on
the sideline. Often it's a club coach or a parent,

(01:20):
even sometimes coaching junior sports teams, and they're just in
a situation where it's impossible for them to know. So
this device is portable, can be used on the sideline
and just a quick two minute test and it's a
yes or no whether the player can return to the
field or no he or she can't.

Speaker 1 (01:37):
Go back to when you were getting Elite at sixteen, eighteen, nineteen, whatever,
and you've got a bang and you feel fine and
you're about to win the game and you're phizzing, and
someone comes in with a set of goggles and goes, mate,
you're off. How would you feel.

Speaker 2 (01:52):
In that moment. You're probably only getting a test if
you've taken a reasonable hit, and people around you sort
of possibly that there is being a problem for these
coaches and whatnot, So you're probably in a situation where
you're maybe a big days a bit goggy. If you
take your head and bounce up pretty straight away, then

(02:13):
there's not a lot of chance. But normally, normally see
with the concussions and someone being knocked out there that
they're a lying on the ground, a stumbling that there
is a moment where they're not well. So it's in
those moments we need to test people because if that
person goes back on receives a second knock, that can
be fatal, and that's the one that we're really trying
to stop.

Speaker 1 (02:32):
Super exciting mate, We'll go well with Steve Demy, a
former All Black and three thousand dollars a pop for
clubs and stuff. I mean, it may be an impediment,
but the highest level it certainly won't be able to
have thought. Which is interesting. So this morning so far
we've had that Huntington's breakthrough. This appears to be some
sort of game changer. That GP one discussion with David Seymour.
There's a lot of medicine going on at the moment.

(02:52):
Exciting times. For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast listen
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