SBIR Phase I: Non-invasive Pulse Waveform Analysis for Measuring Intracranial Pressure

这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目将产生第一个用于测量头部和大脑内压力的手持式非侵入式设备。拟议中的设备将是一个简单的传感器，可以放置在皮肤上，并将确定脑压从？脉搏？在进出头部的血管中脉搏波分析是一种用于监测心血管健康的成熟技术，但这是第一次开发这种技术来监测颅骨和大脑内的压力。NeuroDx的初步研究表明，该技术可能是一种有用的方法，可以快速筛查患者的潜在有害的头部和脑压升高。这项研究的更广泛影响将是提供一种新方法，用于测量严重头部损伤后大脑健康的一个重要决定因素（美国每年有235，000例非军事病例）以及脑肿瘤和其他神经系统疾病患者（美国每年有110，000例）。测量头部内压力的现有方法使用必须放置在颅骨内的探针，需要手术和特殊设施。拟议的设备将使头部和脑压监测没有风险的病人，并在现场情况下（如由第一反应）。这项拟议的研究有望显着提高我们对头部和脑损伤动力学的理解。它将有一个强大的教育组成部分，通过德雷克塞尔大学？的合作教育计划。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will result in the first hand-held, non-invasive device for measuring pressure within the head and brain. The proposed device will be a simple sensor that can be placed against the skin and that will determine brain pressure from the ?pulse? within blood vessels traveling to and from the head. Pulse wave analysis is an established technique for monitoring cardiovascular health, but this is the first time such a technique will be developed for monitoring pressure within the skull and brain. Preliminary studies by NeuroDx suggest that the technique may be useful as a way of rapidly screening patients for potentially harmful elevated head and brain pressure.The broader impacts of this research will be to provide a new method for measuring an important determinant of brain health following serious head injury (235,000 non-military cases in the U.S. annually) and in patients with brain tumors and other neurological disorders (110,000 cases in the U.S. annually). Existing methods for measuring pressure within the head use a probe that must be placed within the skull, requiring surgery and special facilities. The proposed device will enable head and brain pressure to be monitored without risk to the patient, and in field situations (such as by first-responders). The proposed study is expected to significantly improve our understanding of the dynamics of head and brain injury. It will have a strong educational component through Drexel University?s Co-op Educational Program.