Non-invasive Device for Diagnosis of Compartment Syndrome

Nascent will adapt recent work at the Mayo Clinic in vibro-acoustics to make a non-invasive, portable sensor for the diagnosis of compartment syndrome-a condition in which high pressure within a closed fascial space (muscle compartment) reduces capillaryblood perfusion below the level necessary for tissue viability. Vibro-acoustics is a form of elasticity imaging in which a focused ultrasound beam is used to apply a localized pressure field to a tissue. This pressure produces an acoustic responseproportional to the size, shape and viscoelastic properties of the tissue. In a recent laboratory test, this acoustic response was highly correlated with the internal pressure of a latex tube filled with water.In the Phase 1, Nascent proposes a series of phantom studies to test the ability of vibro-acoustics to measure intramuscular pressure. In addition, Nascent will design and test low-cost, portable instrumentation suitable for field studies of thevibro-acoustic sensor. A series of human cadaver tests will be conducted to provide final validation of this instrumentation for compartment syndrome diagnosis. This sensor will provide a portable, non-invasive method for diagnosing compartment syndrome for both military and civilian uses. A portable, low-cost vibro-acoustic sensor may also have other uses in medical diagnostics and nondestructive evaluation ofmaterials.