Non-invasive Device for Diagnosis of Compartment Syndrome

Nascent will develop a noninvasive, portable and low-cost ultrasonic sensor that can accurately diagnose compartment syndrome in battlefield conditions. The sensor employs an ultrasonic pulsed phase locked loop (P2L2) to measure sub-micrometer changes inmuscle compartment width. In Phase I, these changes were shown to correlate with changes in intramuscular pressure (IMP). More significantly, Nascent determined that the P2L2 is sensitive enough to detect arterial pulses in the muscle compartment. Thissensitivity makes possible more sophisticated diagnostics for compartment syndrome than is now possible with direct measurement of IMP using invasive, catheter-based measurements.In Phase II, Nascent proposes to convert its existing, laboratory-based P2L2 into a portable instrument suitable for use in battlefield care, hospitals, trauma centers, and disaster sites. This instrument will be tested on human subjects at University ofCalifornia, San Diego School of Medicine. Additional tests will be conducted at the College of William and Mary's Department of Kinesiology in Williamsburg, Virginia, while Nascent will receive consulting assistance in medical ultrasound technology fromthe Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. This sensor will provide a portable, noninvasive method for diagnosing compartment syndrome for both military and civilian uses. The technology could also lead to a new class of low-cost, portable physiology monitoring tools based on ultrasoniccharacterization of the mechanical properties of tissue.