Competitive Brief · Clinical Pupillometry

PupilMetrics Neuro vs. the pupillometer market

Auditable by design

Objective pupillometry software for clinical and research neurology — measured against the dedicated hardware instruments and mobile apps clinicians compare it to.

Capability matrix

Neuro column emphasized
  PupilMetrics NeuroSoftware · CNRI NPi-300NeurOptics PLR-3000NeurOptics ReflexBrightlamp RAPDx / EyeKinetixKonan
Form factor Software — desktop + phone/tablet, any UVC/webcam Dedicated IR handheld Dedicated IR handheld iPhone app Benchtop pupillograph
Primary market Clinical + research neurology Critical care / neuro-ICU Research / clinical Concussion screening Ophthalmology / RAPD
Headline metric Full PLR panel + PIPR, age-normed NPi (0–4.9 index) NPi + T75 Latency, constriction rate RAPD magnitude (log units)
Single-number index PMi — published formula NPi — proprietary NPi — proprietary No No
T75 recovery Yes Extrapolate only Yes No No
PIPR / melanopsin Yes No No No No
Anisocoria Yes Manual, 2 scans Manual Limited Yes (binocular)
RAPD No (monocular) No No No Yes (core)
Drug-effect monitoring Dedicated module No No No No
Serial trend tracking Built-in Via SmartGuard / EHR Limited App history Yes
Regulatory Research-use / licensed software FDA cleared, CE FDA cleared Class I 510(k)-exempt FDA cleared
Approx. cost Software license — no proprietary hardware ~$4–5k+/unit + disposables ~$4–5k+/unit $39.99/mo · $399.99/yr Capital equipment

The auditable index

New · PMi
PMi · PupilMetrics index
4.2/ 5
Normal range

PMi = 5·e−0.35 z̄

A single 0–5 score in the shape clinicians already read at the bedside — but every term, weight and age-norm is published in plr_pmi.dart. Each PLR parameter becomes a directional z-score against age-adjusted references, penalized only toward the pathological side, then combined as a weighted mean and mapped to the scale. Not equivalent to any cleared device’s index — the shape is familiar on purpose, the math is open on purpose.

Abnormal < 3 Borderline 3–4 Normal ≥ 4
Constriction % w 1.5 Peak velocity w 1.5 Latency w 1.0 T75 recovery w 1.0 PIPR w 0.75 ML PI-ratio w 0.5 Deformation disabled

Missing terms drop out and the surviving weights re-normalize; a poor-quality capture withholds the score entirely. Every contribution is returned for term-by-term inspection. PMi-1.0.0-experimental — unvalidated, not a substitute for any cleared index; research / illustrative use only.

Advantage Where Neuro leads

  • Widest metric panel. The only option here that reports T75 and PIPR together alongside the full velocity / amplitude / latency set, with cited age norms. The NPi-300 can't give T75 at all.
  • The one index you can audit. PMi distills the panel to a single 0–5 score in the shape clinicians know — with the entire formula, weights and age-norms published, where the proprietary NPi keeps them sealed.
  • No hardware, no consumables. Runs on standard or UVC cameras — sidestepping the recurring per-patient SmartGuard disposable that the handheld ecosystem depends on.
  • Longitudinal by design. Drug-effect monitoring and serial comparison are built-in modules, not an EHR add-on.
  • Cross-platform & 16 languages versus single-device or iPhone-only tools.

Honest read Where rivals lead

  • NPi-300 owns the NPi index — the deepest neuro-ICU validation literature and trusted EHR integration. Neuro reports raw parameters, not that proprietary score.
  • Konan does true binocular RAPD, the key gap for optic-nerve / afferent-defect work that Neuro's monocular flow doesn't cover.
  • Regulatory maturity. Rivals are FDA-cleared diagnostic instruments; Neuro is research-use / licensed software — it matters for procurement and reimbursement.
  • Controlled optics. Handhelds fix illumination and working distance; Neuro's accuracy depends on camera quality and iris calibration.