Accelerometer Array for Noninvasive Brain Vascular Condition Detection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current diagnostic methods for stroke, such as CT scans, MRI, and angiography, are invasive, costly, and limited in availability, making it difficult to detect vascular conditions like aneurysms and differentiate between ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes in a timely manner, which hinders early intervention and continuous monitoring.
Innovation Solution
A non-invasive system using an array of accelerometers or sensors attached to the head to record vibration signatures of blood vessels, which are analyzed using a neural network to localize vascular features and present data in a clinically relevant manner, allowing for continuous monitoring and differentiation between stroke types.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If CT scans, MRI, and angiography are used for stroke diagnosis, then diagnostic accuracy is improved, but the procedure becomes invasive, costly, and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical imaging systems (CT scanners, MRI machines, angiography equipment) with a simplified sensor-based system that uses accelerometers and other sensors to detect vascular conditions through mechanical vibrations and physiological signals, eliminating the need for expensive and complex imaging equipment
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer of sensors and signal processing that translates complex physiological data into diagnostic information, serving as a bridge between the patient's vascular system and the diagnostic system, thereby simplifying the overall diagnostic process while maintaining accuracy
2Measurement precision
If advanced imaging systems are used for early stroke detection, then detection capability is improved, but availability is limited to major hospital centers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs inexpensive, portable sensor devices that can be deployed widely without requiring expensive infrastructure, making the system accessible in various healthcare settings including smaller clinics and remote locations, thereby improving availability while maintaining detection capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the essential diagnostic function from complex centralized imaging systems and implements it through distributed, standalone sensor units that can operate independently, enabling widespread deployment across different healthcare facilities without requiring major hospital centers
3Productivity
If tPA is administered within three hours of stroke onset, then treatment effectiveness is improved, but early differentiation of stroke types is required to avoid harm
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary detection and classification of stroke type using portable sensors before treatment decisions are made, enabling early differentiation between ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes so that appropriate treatment can be administered within the critical three-hour window without causing harm from incorrect therapy
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables rapid, non-invasive detection and localization of vascular conditions, facilitating timely treatment decisions and continuous monitoring of stroke patients, improving the ability to differentiate between ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes and providing a comprehensive map of cerebral vasculature.
Implementation Method 1
A non-invasive system using an array of accelerometers or sensors attached to the head to record vibration signatures of blood vessels
Data Source
AI summary
Vascular conditions are detected non-invasively in the human body using a collection of information from small local regions of the vasculature, or from a specific signature or “BrainPulse” that can be derived from a patient's heartbeat-induced cranium movements. An array of accelerometers or other sensors are engaged against the head of a patient and skull movements, preferably under 100 Hz, are recorded. Vibration signatures of vessel structures such as branches, aneurysms, stenosis, etc. using random, periodic, band limited or transient analysis provides a library for further processing. The signature library is used to localize the origin of the recognized vascular feature, and the localized feature is presented to the physician in a clinically relevant manner.