Ambulatory System for Hydrocephalus Shunt Monitoring

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Each year, there are over 10,000 newborns diagnosed with hydrocephalus in the United States. Hydrocephalus, an excessive accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) within the head, is a lifelong disease with no known cure. Fortunately, hydrocephalus can be managed with CSF shunts. Shunts redirect excessive CSF to another part of the body for absorption into the circulatory system. Unfortunately, 30-40% of shunts fail in the first year. Mechanical malfunctions are the most common cause of failure and can lead to recurrent complications of hydrocephalus. Therefore, to reduce the risk of sustaining permanent brain damage or blindness, rapid diagnosis of shunt failure is critically important. The current protocol for detecting shunt failure and its location is time-consuming and expensive since it relies on symptom diagnosis, brain scans, and percutaneous shunt tapping. Consequently, our ultimate objective is to develop an ambulatory system that can rapidly detect shunt failure and its location without brain scans and invasive procedures, thereby reducing patient risk and healthcare costs. To accomplish this, we propose the use of a distributed network of micro-miniature, wireless, battery-less pressure sensors which are strategically placed in the shunt and ventricular space. The Specific Aims for the Phase I feasibility study will be to develop the pressure sensor and to establish in vivo biocompatibility of the sensor materials. A Phase II project would involve in vivo implementation of the pressure sensors for monitoring of shunt functionality. The completion of the combined Phase I and Phase II project would give hydrocephalus sufferers and their families a sense of security by providing them with an ambulatory system that can rapidly detect shunt failures, thereby practically eliminating the risks of sustaining permanent brain damage, blindness, or even death.