Future App May Help Diagnose Concussions By Looking At Pupils

SEATTLE (CBS) -- Concussions are a big concern for young athletes and now, developers at the University of Washington are working on an app that can help diagnose them quickly and easily.

The app focuses on the eye. When someone has a concussion, their pupils don't react as quickly to light as they should.

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The app uses the phone's light and measures the size of the eyes before and after being exposed to the light.

"The basic idea is that we're taking a video, we're looking at individual frames, we're measuring the pupil as precisely as possible," said developer Alex Mariakakis. "Something that brings the precision of a clinical device but something that is easy to use, quick to deploy."

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Clinical devices to measure pupils can cost up to $4,000. They are more accurate than the app, but the app is more accurate than a manual inspection.

The accuracy is expected to improve over time. Developers say the app may be available in two years.