A new ultrasound system for non-invasive detection of raised intracranial pressure

ICP måles idag ved å sette inn en trykksensor gjennom et hull som bores i kraniet. Prosedyren gjennomføres på nevrokirurgiske operasjonsrom av spesialisert personell, med høy kostnad og risiko for infeksjon og blødning. Det er derfor et stort globalt behov for en enklere metode for måling av ICP. Nisonic sin ultralydbaserte metode kan både bidra til redusere kostnader for sykehus og helsevesen, redusere risiko for komplikasjoner samt muliggjøre tidlig diagnostikk. BIA prosjektet skal bidra til å utvikle ny teknologi og metoder for å forbedre klinisk nøyaktighet og automatisere målemetoden. Hovedmål er derfor å oppnå både høy diagnostisk nøyaktighet og forenkling av målingene slik at de kan gjennomføres av helsepersonell uten spesialkompetanse.

Methods for automated processing of optic nerve sheath ultrasound images has been developed and implemented in software. The implemented methods and the software is the basis for the future business of Nisonic AS.

Raised intracranial pressure (ICP) may impede blood flow through the brain and cause ischemia. Without early detection and timely treatment, this can lead to permanent brain damage or death. Several neurological conditions are associated with raised ICP, e.g. traumatic brain injury (TBI), stroke, hydrocephalus, infections or brain tumour. For severe TBI patients, monitoring of ICP is mandatory. ICP is currently measured invasively by inserting a pressure sensor through a cranial burr hole. This is done in a neurosurgical operating room by highly specialized personnel, with high cost and a non-negligible risk of infection and bleeding. By the time a patient reaches the operating room, ischemic damage may already have occurred. There is therefore a large unmet clinical need for a simpler method for measuring the ICP. A non-invasive alternative for estimation of ICP will not only serve to reduce cost and risk of complications, but also provide diagnosis for patients with suspected raised ICP who are for some reason not eligible for invasive ICP measurement. This could eventually change the paradigm of diagnosing raised ICP, and the potential for improved patient welfare and reduced social cost is huge globally. The overall aim of the current project proposal is to reduce user-dependence, which is identified as a major challenge for both clinical accuracy and market penetration. Primary objective is therefore to achieve both high diagnostic accuracy and sufficient repeatability, i.e. small difference between users with different levels of expertise. Research partners in the project are SINTEF and Oslo University Hospital, Ullevål.