The primary goal of the μNTS project was to develop a fNIRS/DOT device that is fully wearable and usable in natural environments. Pioneering in its field, it was the first fNIRS/DOT device to feature more than 1000 optical channels. This significant technological advancement established the groundwork for the ANIMATE project.

 

ANIMATE, funded by the EPSRC, leverages the technology developed by μNTS to confront a vital healthcare challenge: the early diagnosis and treatment of cerebral palsy in newborn infants. As the most common form of childhood disability in Europe, cerebral palsy profoundly affects the quality of life and annually impacts around 1,800 children in the UK. Traditional diagnostic methods usually postpone the detection of cerebral palsy until the child is between one and two years old, which greatly diminishes the potential effectiveness of early treatments.

 

The ANIMATE project is dedicated to altering this trajectory by introducing an innovative wearable functional brain imaging technology tailored for infants. This technology is designed with an emphasis on patient comfort, accuracy, high resolution, and the ability to tolerate motion, making it perfectly suited for use at an infant's bedside. ANIMATE is committed to facilitating the early identification of abnormal motor development, deploying advanced, high-resolution, wearable brain imaging technology for infants, and deepening the understanding of the onset and progression of cerebral palsy.