This release was first published in the Irish Independent.
NeuroBell, a company brought in through the MedTech Global Gateway, has secured $5.5 million to bring a pocket-sized brain monitor that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to detect seizures in newborn babies to hospitals across the United States.
An Irish medical technology company, NeuroBell, developed the wireless device, called Luna, to help doctors and nurses identify seizures in babies being treated in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), where sick and premature newborns receive specialist care.
The device uses electroencephalography (EEG), which records electrical activity in the brain, together with AI to help medical staff detect seizures more quickly. Doctors can also review the results remotely if needed, it said.
NeuroBell said around two-thirds of seizures in newborn babies have no visible symptoms, making them difficult to detect.
The company said every hour a seizure goes untreated increases the risk of long-term brain damage, making early diagnosis critical.
The new funding will support the launch of Luna in the US as NeuroBell prepares to seek approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) – the regulator responsible for approving medical products before they can be sold in the country.
The company also plans to launch the device across Europe, it said.
The investment round was led by Irish investment firm Elkstone and included US healthcare provider Parkview Health along with existing investors Furthr VC, Atlantic Bridge, MedTech Syndicate and Enterprise Ireland, it said.
NeuroBell was founded in 2023 by Dr. Mark O’Sullivan, Dr. Alison O’Shea and Colm Murphy after almost a decade of research at University College Cork (UCC) into newborn brain health and the use of AI in medical diagnosis.
The company said Luna completed a successful clinical study at Cork University Maternity Hospital last year.
According to NeuroBell, the device closely matched the performance of traditional brain monitors while producing fewer false alerts, reducing the number of incorrect seizure warnings given to healthcare staff.
The company said Parkview Health’s investment builds on an existing clinical partnership and is expected to help speed up access to hospitals across the US.
About the MedTech Global Gateway
A first-of-its-kind initiative, the MedTech Global Gateway Program accelerates international MedTech companies into the U.S. market and is led by The Mirro Center for Research and Innovation at Parkview Health, the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership (NEI), and the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC).
Want to be the first to know about what is going on at NEI and our region? Sign up for the NEI Newsletter and Blog below.
