We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress
Sign In
Advertise with Us

Download Mobile App




Adhesive Skin Sensor Monitors Ventricular Shunt Function

By HospiMedica International staff writers
Posted on 12 Nov 2018
Print article
Image: A Band-Aid like wearable sensor monitors ventricular shunts (Photo courtesy of Northwestern University).
Image: A Band-Aid like wearable sensor monitors ventricular shunts (Photo courtesy of Northwestern University).
A new study describes how epidermal electronics can be used for noninvasive, wireless, quantitative assessment of ventricular shunt function in patients with hydrocephalus.

Developed by researchers at Northwestern University (NU; Chicago, IL, USA) and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC; USA), the skin-mounted sensor incorporates arrays of thermal sensors and actuators in order to measure cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) flow through subdermal shunts. The sensor works by measuring thermal transport; when skin temperature is raised and excess CSF is draining properly, a characteristic heat signature is detected. But when the heat signature is missing, it means there is no CSF flow, and that the shunt has malfunctioned.

A very small rechargeable battery is built directly into the sensor, and the device is Bluetooth enabled, so it can communicate with a smartphone and deliver the readings via an Android app. The researchers conducted clinical trials in five patients in order to validated the sensor’s ability to detect presence of CSF flow within five minutes of placement on the skin, as well its ability to distinguish between baseline flow, diminished flow, and distal shunt failure. The study was published on October 31, 2018, in Science Translational Medicine.

“Hydrocephalus affects adults and children. Shunt malfunction symptoms, like headaches or sleepiness, are things kids can have for lots of reasons, like the flu,” said co-senior author neurologic surgeon Matthew Potts, MD, of NU. “So if a child has these symptoms, it's very hard to know, and every time your kid says they have a headache or feels a little sleepy, you automatically think, 'Is this the shunt?' We believe that this device can spare patients a lot of the danger and costs of this process.”

“It's a wearable device with a specific but useful mode of operation that's addressing an unmet need in clinical medicine,” said co-senior author Professor John Rogers, MD, PhD, of NU. “At the end of the day, from a patient perspective, it looks like a Band-Aid that's talking to their cellphone. There's nothing like this out there today.”

Hydrocephalus is a condition in which an excess of CSF accumulates within the ventricles and increases pressure in the brain, resulting in a life-threatening situation. But although implanted CSF shunts help relieve the pressure build-up, at least 50% of patients suffer from shunt failures and blockages within two years, requiring repeat surgeries. The costs of these emergent revision surgeries to restore CSF flow and alleviate painful symptoms present a heavy emotional and financial burden to patients, families, and healthcare facilities.

Related Links:
Northwestern University
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Gold Member
Real-Time Diagnostics Onscreen Viewer
GEMweb Live
Gold Member
Disposable Protective Suit For Medical Use
Disposable Protective Suit For Medical Use
Silver Member
Wireless Mobile ECG Recorder
NR-1207-3/NR-1207-E
New
LED Examination Light
LED 110

Print article

Channels

Surgical Techniques

view channel
Image: The Early Bird Bleed Monitoring System provides visual and audible indicators of the onset and progression of bleeding events (Photo courtesy of Saranas)

Novel Technology Monitors and Lowers Bleeding Complications in Patients Undergoing Heart Procedures

Bleeding complications at the femoral access site can significantly hamper recovery, affecting the success of procedures, patient satisfaction, and overall healthcare costs. It is crucial for surgeons... Read more

Patient Care

view channel
Image: The newly-launched solution can transform operating room scheduling and boost utilization rates (Photo courtesy of Fujitsu)

Surgical Capacity Optimization Solution Helps Hospitals Boost OR Utilization

An innovative solution has the capability to transform surgical capacity utilization by targeting the root cause of surgical block time inefficiencies. Fujitsu Limited’s (Tokyo, Japan) Surgical Capacity... Read more

Health IT

view channel
Image: First ever institution-specific model provides significant performance advantage over current population-derived models (Photo courtesy of Mount Sinai)

Machine Learning Model Improves Mortality Risk Prediction for Cardiac Surgery Patients

Machine learning algorithms have been deployed to create predictive models in various medical fields, with some demonstrating improved outcomes compared to their standard-of-care counterparts.... Read more

Point of Care

view channel
Image: The new eye-safe laser technology can diagnose traumatic brain injury (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

Novel Diagnostic Hand-Held Device Detects Known Biomarkers for Traumatic Brain Injury

The growing need for prompt and efficient diagnosis of traumatic brain injury (TBI), a major cause of mortality globally, has spurred the development of innovative diagnostic technologies.... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2024 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.