Athletes, first responders, military personnel and others exposed to risk of head injury need a rapid triaging of their status in the immediate aftermath of a concussion. A virtual reality headset called Eye-Sync could become another tool for doing so, along with traditional measures such as the King-Devick and conventional neuro assessments like the swinging flashlight test.

The device, which tracks eye movement to help evaluate concussions when traumatic brain injury is suspected, recently received ‘breakthrough’ designation from the FDA, a status the agency uses for technology with the potential to solve an unmet need in life-threatening conditions. Eye-Sync can record, view and analyze eye movements within 60 seconds to reveal flaws in patients visual tracking, according to manufacturer ThinkSync.

The company calls the device a “window to the brain” due to its ability to identify the performance quality of synchronized eye movements, gaze fixation and other objective, functional measurements. It is currently in use by the Golden State Warriors, Massachusetts General Hospital and Stanford Children's Hospital, the company’s website says.