New, rapid blood test (Abbott’s i-STAT Alinity TBI test) is being used by a Long Island hospital (North Shore University Hospital) to detect mild traumatic brain injuries, including concussions, in under 30 minutes. This revolutionary test analyzes blood for two specific proteins (GFAP and UCH-L1) released by damaged brain cells, significantly accelerating diagnosis and reducing the need for unnecessary CT scans.Key Aspects of the New TBI Blood Test:
- Speed: Results are available in 15–30 minutes, whereas traditional evaluations could take over 3 hours.
- Accuracy: The test has a high accuracy rate in identifying brain lesions and aiding in TBI evaluation, with a high negative predictive value of 99.3%, allowing doctors to quickly rule out severe brain injuries.
- Mechanism: It works by measuring two brain-specific proteins (GFAP and UCH-L1) that enter the bloodstream shortly after a concussion.
- Implementation: North Shore University Hospital in New York is the first in the state to implement this test, aiding in the rapid assessment of patients 18 and older within 12 hours of injury.
- Benefits: This test reduces radiation exposure and saves time and costs by helping doctors decide if a patient needs a costly CT scan.
This objective tool addresses the limitations of subjective symptom reporting, particularly beneficial for immediately assessing athletes or patients with mild, otherwise undetectable brain damage.
I asked CLAUDE about cost. Answer:
Here’s the honest answer on cost — the public data is limited because Abbott doesn’t publish list prices, but here’s what is documented:
The instrument (hardware): According to a manufacturer representative (Abbott Laboratories, September 2021), the retail cost of the i-STAT Alinity system is approximately $10,000, with discounts available if purchasing multiple systems. Other i-STAT cartridges retail for approximately $16 per test. American Academy of Family Physicians
The test cartridge cost is not publicly disclosed by Abbott. The ~$16 figure cited by AAFP is for other i-STAT cartridges generally, not the TBI-specific cartridge, which measures two specialized biomarkers (GFAP and UCH-L1) and is likely priced significantly higher.
An important cost advantage of the lab-based Alinity i version: the Alinity i instrument is in wide use in hospitals within and beyond the USA for its ability to measure a variety of hormones, antigens, and other compounds — this obviates the need to purchase a new instrument dedicated to the TBI test. Expenditure reduction based on estimates of the number of neuroimaging procedures avoided will be greater because the analyzer itself does not add to the cost of the TBI test. PubMed Central
The cost savings argument: Having a blood test available could help reduce the number of unnecessary CT scans by up to 40%, potentially reducing costs to the healthcare system and the patient, as well as the amount of time they spend in the emergency department. Abbott MediaRoom
Bottom line: The per-test cartridge cost for the TBI-specific test isn’t publicly available — Abbott negotiates pricing institutionally. To get an actual price you would need to contact Abbott’s point-of-care sales team directly, or look at what CMS has assigned as a reimbursement code, which would give you a proxy for the going rate.