We are collaborating with the company Upfront Diagnostics to improve the emergency care of patients with a suspected severe stroke.

Problem

Every year, worldwide, more than 4 million people have a stroke. Large Vessel Occlusion (LVO) strokes tend to be very severe. Patients experiencing an LVO stroke need to be identified quickly so they can get vital treatment which is only available at specialist centres. However, currently, there are no specific tests that can be used in ambulances to help diagnose this type of stroke. So most patients are taken to their nearest hospital where they are assessed and then transferred to a specialist centre. This delays their access to vital treatment.

Action

• We are supporting Upfront Diagnostics as they develop LVOne, a test to help diagnose LVO stroke in an ambulance so patients get faster treatment.
• In collaboration with the Newcastle University Stroke Research Group, we have helped the company secure around £2.5 million funding, from Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) Healthcare and Innovate UK.
• We are also supporting them to design and evaluate their test.

Outcome

• We have provided statistical expertise to optimise the measurements that the test collects.
• We also facilitated meetings with members of the North East Stroke Patient and Carer Panel, and North East Ambulance Service, so the test would meet the needs of patients and a busy ambulance service.
• We recently evaluated the accuracy of LVOne in a real-world population of 609 patients across six large stroke services.
• We have successfully secured £500,000 SBRI Phase 3 funding for a 12-month project to collect real-world evidence to support NHS adoption of the test.

Impact

• Our research helped to refine the design of the test.
• With our support, the company obtained a UKCA mark for the test in 2024.
• By saving potentially 70-90 minutes of treatment time per patient, the test could increase a patient’s chance of a complete recovery by 20%.
• The test could save the NHS £2 billion per year.