STTR Phase I: Portable Ultrasound Devices for Noninvasively Monitoring Intracranial Pressure

该小型企业技术转让（STTR）I期项目开发了一种便携式超声设备，用于无创监测颅内压（ICP）。开发这种装置的关键问题是灵敏度、准确度、重复性和便携性。波士顿应用技术公司（BATi）和佛罗里达大学（UF）将开发这种具有新型超声测量技术的仪器。与单纯测量声速的方法相比，改进后的测量方法具有更高的灵敏度和更高的精度。这种独特的方法也与脉冲发生器电压的任何变化无关，因此仪器自校准本身就可行。结合超声换能器的有效电子驱动电路的设计和实现，开发的无创ICP测量仪器将是灵敏的，准确的，可靠的，和portable.The更广泛的影响，这项研究是大大有利于受害者的头部创伤的测量ICP的改进手段。该设备在商业临床实践中的潜力是巨大的。颅内压的早期非侵入性测量有助于降低与头部创伤相关的死亡率和发病率。严重的头部打击，可能是由汽车或摩托车事故造成的，可能会导致大脑肿胀和颅内压升高。该设备还可用于民用和军用急诊部门/前方手术团队/战斗支援医院，以及军用和民用医疗急救人员。

This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project develops a portable ultrasound device for non-invasively monitoring intracranial pressure (ICP). The key issues for developing such a kind of device are sensitivity, accuracy, repeatability, and portability. Boston Applied Technologies, Incorporated (BATi)and the University of Florida (UF) will develop such an instrument with a novel ultrasound measurement technique. With the improved measurement approach, better sensitivity can be achieved comparing to those measuring of acoustic velocity only, and higher accuracy will be expected than the time-of-flight method. This unique method is also independent to any changes in the pulser voltage, instrument self-calibration is thus inherently feasible. Together with the design and implementation of an efficient electronic driving circuit for ultrasound transducers, the developed non-invasive ICP measurement instrument will be sensitive, accurate, reliable, and portable.The broader impacts of this research are to greatly benefit victims of trauma to the head by improved means of measurement ICP. The potential for this apparatus in commercial clinical practice is enormous. Early non-invasive measurements of ICP can help reduce both the mortality and morbidity associated with head trauma. A severe blow to the head, as may result from a car or motorcycle accident, may cause swelling of the brain and increased intracranial pressure. The device can also be used in civilian and military emergency departments/forward surgical team/combat support hospitals, and with military and civilian medical first responders.