Smart sensor for guiding safe delivery of anesthetic and pain drugs through epidurals

项目总结/摘要 物理科学公司(PSI)建议开发一种新的方法， 和/或麻醉药物。硬膜外注射通常用于治疗疼痛 从椎间盘突出、椎管狭窄、化学椎间盘、颈椎手术后继发的慢性疼痛 综合征和椎间盘源性慢性颈痛。它们也经常用于缓解与疼痛有关的疾病。 到出生然而，当不适当地执行时，硬膜外注射可能具有负面副作用，例如， 严重头痛感染甚至神经损伤还可能发生严重的副作用，包括 中风、瘫痪或失明。 该提案旨在通过使用一种新的、更有效的方法来克服目前与硬膜外注射相关的问题。 可靠的低相干干涉（LCI）光学感测方法，以确定存在何种组织类型 在针尖处，同时监测施加到针上的力以使其安全地进入硬膜外 使用光纤布拉格传感器间隔。 在第一阶段的努力PSSI已经开发了一个实验室原型硬膜外指导，结合 低相干干涉测量与布拉格传感在同一探头内。这种方法经过测试， 在动物组织标本上离体优化。虽然可行性得到了证明， 组织类型在某种程度上受到PSI所引起的光源的相对高强度噪声的阻碍 并用于实验。因此，我们请求NIH支持购买性能更好的光源， 以及支付合适的布拉格光栅的非经常性工程成本， 这个光源的特点。在改进设置后，该技术将在活体动物中进行评估。 根据第一阶段的研究结果，该技术将在第二阶段进一步改进，并在 人类在BWH

Project Summary/Abstract Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) proposes to develop a novel approach for guiding safer delivery of pain and/or anesthetic drugs during epidural procedures (EPs). Epidural injections are typically used to treat pain from herniated discs, spinal stenosis, chemical discs, chronic pain secondary to post-cervical surgery syndrome, and chronic neck pain of discogenic origin. They are also regularly used to alleviate pain related to birth. However, when not properly performed, the epidural injections can have negative side effects, such as severe headache, infection, and even nerve damage. Serious side effects may also occur, including stroke, paralysis, or loss of vision. This proposal aims to overcome current issues related to epidural injections by using a novel and more reliable low coherence interferometry (LCI) optical sensing approach to determine what tissue type is present at the tip of the needle, while monitoring the force applied to the needle to safely pass it into the epidural space using a fiber Bragg sensor. During the Phase I effort PSSI has developed a laboratory prototype for epidural guidance that combines low coherence interferometry with Bragg sensing within the same probe. This approach was tested and optimized ex vivo on animal tissue specimens. Although feasibility was demonstrated, the differentiation of tissue types was somewhat impeded by the relatively high intensity noise of the light source owed by PSI and used in the experiments. Therefore, we request NIH support to purchase a better performing light source, as well as to cover the nonrecurring engineering cost of suitable Bragg gratings that better match the spectral characteristics of this light source. After improving the setup, the technology will be evaluated in live animals. Based on the Phase I findings, the technology will be further improved during Phase II and validated on humans at BWH.