 Mike Coppola and Alene Pichly told us about the Transcranial Doppler (TCD) product made by Compumedics DWL / DWL USA, Inc. The Transcranial Doppler (TCD) was invented in the 1950's and use became widespread in the '80's. It is a non-invasive way to measure blood flow to the brain. It can diagnose a variety of conditions, including 1) Acute ischemic stroke; 2) Vasospasm; 3) Cerbral microemboli, aka a TIA or Transient ischemic Attack; and 4) when a baseline is available, a concussion. Mike believes that a TCD should be used at sporting events in every high school and college to more conclusively determine whether an athlete has suffered a concussion. TCD can also diagnose a PFO, aka Patent Foramen Ovale, which is a hole in the wall between the two upper chambers of the heart -- surprisingly, one in four Americans have this condition.
Mike conducted a demonstration using Alene as his patient. Mike used some lubricant and placed the probe of the TCD near Alene's temple. Mike only needed two weeks of training to be able to use the device. We were able to see a visualization of the blood flow through Alene's Medial Cerebral Artery (MCA). The blood velocity and other factors looked good for Alene with no emboli present.
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Greg McCormac has been an educator for 30 years. A Bachelor’s degree from UC Irvine and a teaching credential for UC Davis led Greg to teach high school science for about 8 years. A Master’s degree in biology prompted his move to joining the faculty at American River College. Greg has been an administrator since 2016 at both Cosumnes River College supporting the Humanities and Social Sciences and currently at Folsom Lake College where he oversees the Math, Science, and Engineering division..png)
