SBIR Phase II: Millimeter-Scale Wireless Sensor Node for Intracranial Pressure Monitoring

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）二期项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力允许实现商业毫米级颅内压（ICP）监测产品，可以帮助神经外科医生治疗脑积水患者。虽然SBIR二期项目的目标是开发上述ICP监测仪，但该技术也可以转化为“智能粉尘”的开发，开辟下一代计算范式。这将标志着物联网大规模实现的一个重要里程碑，极大地加速了毫米级无线传感器节点的技术采用和研究影响。该技术的采用可以引入多个市场，包括但不限于医疗、工业和消费领域。这将开辟许多新的商业机会，以前受能源消耗和尺寸的限制，预示着一个前所未有的外形和寿命的计算新时代。这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）二期项目的重点是开发毫米级颅内压（ICP）监测仪，以改善脑积水的治疗。脑积水是脑脊液（CSF）在脑室区积聚的一种疾病，可导致头部肿大、癫痫和死亡。脑积水唯一可行的治疗方法是外科植入医用分流器，将多余的脑脊液分流到身体的其他部位。现有分流器的最大问题是它们缺乏任何嵌入式监控功能。一旦安装分流器，就没有办法在医院设置之外测量内部压力。该监测器实现了“智能分流”解决方案，可以连续多年记录分流器内的ICP信息。这些数据是无线读出的，可以用来防止分流故障，改善这种终身疾病的治疗。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project allows for the realization of a commercial millimeter-scale intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring product that can help neurosurgeons in treating patients with hydrocephalus. While the goal of this SBIR Phase II project is the development of said ICP monitor, the technology can also be translated to the development of 'smart dust', opening up the next generation of computing paradigm. This will mark a significant milestone towards massive-scale realization of internet of things, dramatically accelerating the technology adoption and research impact of millimeter-scale wireless sensor nodes. The technology adoption can be introduced to multiple markets including, but not limited to, medical, industrial, and consumer spaces. This would open up many new commercial opportunities that were previously limited by energy consumption and size, heralding a new era of computing in an unprecedented form factor and lifetime.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project focuses on the development of a millimeter-scale intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring for improved treatment of hydrocephalus. Hydrocephalus is a condition in which cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) builds up in the brain's ventricle area, causing head enlargement, epilepsy, and death. The only practical treatment for hydrocephalus is surgical implant of medical shunts, which relieves excess CSF to other parts of the body. The biggest problem with existing shunts is that they lack any embedded monitoring feature. Once the shunt is installed, there is no way to measure the internal pressure outside of hospital settings. The proposed monitor enables a 'smart shunt' solution, which continuously records ICP information inside the shunt for many years. This data is read out wirelessly and can be used to prevent shunt failures and improve the treatment of this lifelong disease.