Brain monitoring cap for newborns promises more effective detection of brain seizures

A £1.6 million research grant will help Imperial, Great Ormond Street Hospital and startup Polymer Bionics further develop and demonstrate an innovative EEG cap for newborn babies.

A cap that promises to significantly improve the process and accuracy for detecting brain seizures in newborn babies is moving into its next phase of development and clinical evaluation with a £1.6 million award from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). 

The soft dry-electrode electroencephalogram (EEG) cap is made by Polymer Bionics, a startup collaborating with the Green Research Group at Imperial. It will now be further developed and then tested in a clinical setting with the help of researchers in Imperial’s Department of Bioengineering and at Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Continuous EEG monitoring is still difficult to deliver quickly and reliably in busy neonatal units. Through this NIHR-funded collaboration we have a real opportunity to turn cutting edge neurotechnology into a rapidly and easily deployable device. Professor Rylie Green Department of Bioengineering

“Seizures are often the first warning sign of serious brain problems in newborns, yet continuous EEG monitoring is still difficult to deliver quickly and reliably in busy neonatal units,” explained Professor Rylie Green, head of the Department of Bioengineering and co-founder of Polymer Bionics. “Through this NIHR‑funded collaboration between Imperial, Great Ormond Street Hospital and Polymer Bionics, we have a real opportunity to turn cutting‑edge neurotechnology into a rapidly and easily deployable device.”

The cap, called BabEEG, can be applied in under five minutes by non-specialist staff, addressing a major barrier to timely EEG monitoring for newborns at risk of seizures. By reducing delays in EEG setup and interpretation, the cap aims to support earlier diagnosis and treatment of neonatal seizures, improving outcomes for babies and families while reducing pressure on overstretched clinical teams.

The NIHR-funded project, which runs for 36 months, will focus on integrating wireless functionality into the cap, developing early-stage AI tools to support seizure detection, and conducting a feasibility study in a real neonatal care setting with a view to deployment across NHS Trust hospitals.

“This NIHR award is another major milestone for Polymer Bionics and for BabEEG,” said Ben Green, the company’s managing director and co-founder. “It recognises both the clinical need and the potential of Polymer Bionics’ advanced materials and device technology to improve access to timely EEG monitoring for newborns. We’re excited to work closely with clinicians, parents and researchers to take the next steps towards NHS adoption.”

The project is expected to run until 2028, after which the findings will be disseminated through clinical, academic and public channels.

Polymer Bionics was founded in 2021 to develop advanced flexible polymer-based bioelectronics and medical devices. The team focuses on pushing the boundaries of materials science to improve patient outcomes, with capabilities spanning biocompatible polymers, smart materials for medical and research devices, and advanced drug delivery systems.