For many years neonatal intensive care procedures have concentrated on keeping infants alive. In recent times there have been significant improvements in the standard of care and this has resulted in a much improved survival rate.

Today, while the majority of infants that receive neonatal intensive care survive, a relatively high number of them suffer from brain injury and its ongoing consequences (Cerebral Palsy and developmental difficulties). As a result, a great deal of research is being carried out to examine the causes of brain injury in neonates and to evaluate therapies for its prevention and reversal.

An example of this research is the pioneering work of Associate Professor Chris Williams and his team at the University of Auckland. Chris and his team have spent 15 years researching brain injury in neonates and initially developed the prototype Brain Monitor as a means of detecting injury, so that the effects of various potential therapies could be examined. Ultimately, it was realised that the monitor would be useful in clinical applications and BrainZ Instruments Ltd was formed to develop the prototype into a clinical tool.

The Company

BrainZ Instruments Ltd develops brain monitors for the detection of brain injury.

These monitors make use of leading edge signal processing, are non-invasive, and designed for use at the patient’s bedside, by clinicians, in order to guide management and treatment of the injury.

BrainZ was established in 2001 to develop the technology invented by Associate Professor Chris Williams and his team at the University of Auckland and was originally a subsidiary of NeuronZ Ltd, a bioscience company that focuses on developing medications for the treatment of brain injury.

In September 2002, the company was wholly acquired by Tru-Test Ltd, a multinational company specialising in electronic technology solutions. NeuronZ continues to provide scientific research under contract to BrainZ.