By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    An Expert’s Guide To Building and Improving Endurance
    June 30, 2022
    medical assistants
    What Do Medical Assistants Do On a Day to Day Basis?
    April 5, 2022
    superfoods to help with prostate health
    10 Healthy Foods That Can Help Protect Your Prostate
    August 29, 2022
    Latest News
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    August 3, 2025
    Why Custom Telemedicine Apps Outperform Off‑the‑Shelf Solutions
    July 20, 2025
    How Probate Planning Shapes the Future of Your Estate and Family Care
    July 17, 2025
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    healthcare cost crisis
    What If the Health Care Cost Crisis Solves Itself?
    May 11, 2013
    Do You Need Life Insurance? What Does It Cover?
    December 23, 2022
    HIE metal plans
    The Four “Metal Plans” of Health Insurance Exchanges
    May 28, 2013
    Latest News
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
    How Health Choices and Legal Actions Intersect After an Injury
    July 17, 2025
    How communities and healthcare providers can address slip and fall injuries with legal awareness
    July 17, 2025
    Let Your Lawyer Handle the Work Before You Pay Medical Costs
    July 6, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Health Start-Ups! – FDA-Cleared iPhone App Measures Balance As a Part of Concussion Screening
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Technology > Medical Innovations > Health Start-Ups! – FDA-Cleared iPhone App Measures Balance As a Part of Concussion Screening
BusinessMedical InnovationsMobile Health

Health Start-Ups! – FDA-Cleared iPhone App Measures Balance As a Part of Concussion Screening

Deanna Pogorelc
Deanna Pogorelc
Share
4 Min Read
SHARE

 

ImPACT Sway Medical concussion ap

(First published in MedCityNews)

 

More Read

pain management
Why the Business of Pain Management Is Big and Getting Bigger
How Mobile Application Trends are Changing the Healthcare Industry
Infographic: How Important is Protecting Patient Privacy?
Addiction: The Road to Recovery After the Hospital
5 Strategic Digital Options for Medical Device Marketing

ImPACT Sway Medical concussion ap

(First published in MedCityNews)

A concussion can manifest itself a variety of ways, from a headache to impaired memory to slurred speech. That’s why athletic trainers, nurses and physicians have a growing toolkit of assessment techniques for evaluating athletes who undergo a blow or jolt to the head.

One piece that’s missing from that toolkit, according to Oklahoma entrepreneur Chase Curtiss, is a way to evaluate balance that is less subjective than assessments like the Balance Error Scoring System and more affordable than force platforms.

Inspired by research he did as a graduate student in a neuropsychology lab at Wichita State University, Curtiss founded Sway Medical in 2011. In a matter of two years, the company has developed and received FDA clearance for an iPhone app that doctors, nurses, athletic trainers and physical therapists would use to evaluate an athlete’s balance after a potentially dangerous hit.

Now the company has just secured two more key components in its path to commercialization: a strategic partner and a $750,000 Series A from angel investors and the OKAngel Sidecar Fund. Both of those things will help it launch the Sway Balance iOS mobile app for medical professionals this summer.

Here’s how the app works. A player holds the iPhone against his chest and performs a short series of balance movements. Using data collected from the iPhone’s motion detection technology, the app then delivers a balance score from one to 100. The idea is that athletes are screened at the beginning of the season using the app to establish a baseline score, like they would with other concussion assessment tools.Then they can then be tested again after an incident, to show if they have probably suffered a concussion and should receive medical attention.

The app underwent extensive clinical validation at Wichita State and a pilot study with a local school district, Curtiss said, and received its FDA clearance in September. Although other mobile concussion screening tests haven’t applied for clearance because they aren’t necessarily considered a medical tool, Curtiss said he saw broader medical applications for the app that warranted the investment in pursuing a nod from the FDA.

But for now, rather than establishing a large sales force of its own and trying to market the app independently, Curtiss said Sway’s strategy is to distribute through partners. Its first partner is ImPACT Applications Inc., which under an agreement will integrate the Sway’s app into its product offerings. ImPACT markets a computer-based concussion system that’s used by teams in MLB, NHL, NFL and WWE, plus thousands of high school, colleges and clinical centers. Curtiss said Sway is also working with a partner in the physical therapy space but has not publicly announced it yet.

And the company likely has numerous other potential partners as well. Detecting concussions has taken center stage for numerous mobile app, software and medical device developers over the past few years as new research has suggested that multiple traumatic brain injuries could increase risk of series long-term complications like depression, thoughts of suicide and chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

The app is meant to be just one piece of a thorough concussion assessment to guide medical treatment and monitoring of traumatic brain injuries.  Curtiss said it’s available for download in the app store now and will be opened up for subscriptions in about two weeks.

[Image credit: ImPACT Applications]

TAGGED:health start-ups!
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

technology in medical research
The Tools Helping Medical Researchers See the Full Picture
News Technology
August 3, 2025
5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
Health
July 31, 2025
holistic dental
Holistic Dentist Services Are Natural and Safe
Dental health Specialties
July 28, 2025
botox certification
Help Improve People’s Skin Health Via Botox Certification
Skin Specialties
July 22, 2025

You Might also Like

What Small Business Thinks About Health Reform

August 12, 2011

CAP Template Providing Too Much Information?

September 30, 2014

Phytoceuticals Heals Wounds Through An Easy To Use Spray

June 2, 2011
Business

The 3 Essentials To Keep In Mind When Opening An Independent Pharmacy

November 22, 2021
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?