LIOR Pupillometry – Objective Pupil Assessment for Frontline Neurological Care

Jason Benaim, a Critical Care Paramedic and founder of LIOR Pupillometry, submitted an unmet need focused on making pupil assessment more objective and accessible in neurological care and was recognized with a $5,000 MDDC Discovery Sprint Award.

Changes in pupil size and reactivity can provide an important early signal of neurological deterioration. Yet in ambulances, critical care transport, emergency departments, and other point-of-care settings, pupil assessment is still commonly performed with a penlight and described subjectively as “brisk,” “sluggish,” or “reactive.” LIOR Pupillometry is developing a pocket-sized digital pupillometer designed to bring objective, quantitative pupil measurement closer to the point of care. Using infrared imaging and a distance-independent measurement approach, LIOR aims to provide fast, repeatable measurements that clinicians can trend over time and communicate consistently across providers and care settings. Inspired by Jason Benaim’s experience caring for neurologically vulnerable patients in critical care transport, LIOR is working toward a simple goal: making an important neurological assessment less dependent on who is holding the penlight.