Epihunter Classroom Detects Silent Epileptic Seizures
Author: Mark Winters
Published: 2018/03/19 - Updated: 2026/05/28
Publication Type: Product Release, Update
Contents: Synopsis - Definition - Introduction - Main - Insights, Updates - Related Publications
Synopsis: This information covers the Epihunter Classroom system, a digital solution designed to make absence epileptic seizures - often called "petit mal" seizures - visible to teachers, parents, and caregivers in real-world classroom settings. Unlike motor seizures, absence seizures produce no dramatic physical movements and are frequently missed, which can lead to gaps in learning and poor seizure frequency reporting to medical professionals. Epihunter addresses this directly by pairing consumer EEG headsets with a proprietary smartphone app that turns on the phone's light the moment a seizure is detected, while also generating secure online reports for parents. For families managing childhood epilepsy, the practical value is clear - it gives children greater confidence at school, helps teachers know what material needs to be repeated, and gives parents reliable, objective data to share with neurologists and healthcare providers.
At a Glance
- 1 - Absence seizures can last from a few seconds to several minutes and are easy to miss because the person simply stares or slows down, making accurate reporting to doctors extremely difficult without a detection tool.
- 2 - The Epihunter system was conceived in 2015 when co-founder Tim Buckinx's son asked him to "create a light that turns on when my brain switches off," directly shaping the core alert feature of the app.
- 3 - The company planned to follow the Classroom product with additional smart connected solutions covering people of all ages and all types of epilepsy, expanding well beyond the school environment.
- Topic Definition: Absence Seizures
Absence seizures are a form of generalized epileptic seizure characterized by brief, sudden lapses in consciousness or awareness, typically lasting between a few seconds and half a minute. During an absence seizure, the person usually stops what they are doing, stares blankly ahead, and may make small repetitive movements such as lip smacking or eye blinking, before resuming normal activity with no memory of the episode. Unlike tonic-clonic seizures, absence seizures involve no falling, convulsing, or dramatic muscle activity, which makes them easy to overlook in social and educational settings. They occur most commonly in children and are associated with a characteristic spike-and-wave pattern visible on an electroencephalogram (EEG). Also historically referred to as "petit mal" seizures, they are treated primarily with anticonvulsant medications, though accurate diagnosis depends heavily on reliable reporting of seizure frequency - something that passive observation alone often fails to provide.
Introduction
Epihunter, the revolutionary new digital solution that makes silent epileptic seizures visible, is live on global crowdfunding platform Indiegogo. It is raising funds to bring the project to life.
"'Dad can you create a light that turns on when my brain switches off?' With this question on March 15, 2015 during our bedtime-ritual with my son, my life took a new direction," says co-founder and CEO Tim Buckinx. "Private and professional became one. Suddenly all that had foregone seemed only a preparation for this moment."
Main Content
Motor seizures are very visible by their muscle and body movements. Absence seizures - also called non-motor seizures or "petits-mals" - are much more difficult to notice for the outside observer. The person involved will simply stare, react in slow motion and stop movements. Seizures can last from a few seconds to several minutes. This makes it challenging for parents to report seizure frequency to medical professionals. Moreover, it can be especially tough in the classroom, both for the child and teacher.
Epihunter meets this challenge.
Utilizing consumer EEG headsets and a proprietary app to alert teachers of epileptic absence seizures in the classroom. This way, Epihunter builds digital solutions to help normalize the daily life of people with epilepsy. It aims to facilitate observers to note exactly what is happening and hence hopes to avoid misunderstandings for those that don't fully understand what is happening.
Epihunter Classroom uses slim and nicely designed consumer headsets to send brain activity to a smartphone on the child's desk.
The innovative proprietary Epihunter Classroom app analyses the data and turns on the light of the smartphone when an absence seizure occurs. Secure online reports provide parents with objective information on seizure occurrence and frequency. The gain is triple. The child gains confidence, teachers know what content or which instructions to repeat, and parents are reassured that seizures do not remain unnoticed anymore.
"Today's digital technologies enable us to build solutions that can strongly improve the daily lives of people with epilepsy. This change can have a similar impact as eye glasses have for nearsighted people. Following the introduction of Epihunter Classroom we will expand similar smart connected solutions for people of all ages with all types of epilepsy," adds Buckinx
Epihunter Classroom is currently live on Indiegogo and can be backed with a pre-order or a contribution starting from $35.
Insights, Analysis, and Developments
Editorial Note: Absence seizures occupy an uncomfortable space in epilepsy care - frequent enough to disrupt learning and daily life, yet subtle enough that they often go unrecorded and unreported. Epihunter Classroom tackles that gap with a practical, low-barrier approach: familiar consumer hardware, a purpose-built app, and automated reporting that removes the guesswork from seizure monitoring. For children with epilepsy, the classroom is already a challenging environment, and a tool that quietly notifies a teacher without stigmatizing the child is genuinely useful. The comparison Buckinx draws to corrective eyeglasses is apt - not a cure, but a practical aid that normalizes daily functioning. Whether the broader product roadmap and funding goals were ultimately realized, the underlying concept points to a real and largely unmet need in pediatric epilepsy management, and one that wearable EEG technology is increasingly well-placed to address.Attribution/Source(s): This quality-reviewed publication was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World (DW) due to its relevance to the disability community. Originally authored by Mark Winters and published on 2018/03/19, this content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity.