External Compression Cuff for Intracranial Perfusion Pressure Assessment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical systems are inadequate for accurately assessing and managing segmental intracranial perfusion pressure, particularly in cases of extracranial stenosis and neurotrauma, leading to unpredictable cerebral perfusion and complications such as cerebral ischemia, as they fail to account for extracranial pressure gradients and require invasive procedures for intracranial artery catheterization.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that utilize external compression cuffs to measure and redistribute intra-extracranial blood flow, estimating segmental perfusion pressure without invasive catheterization, by correlating systemic and intracranial pressures to dynamically manage cerebral blood flow and introduce therapeutic agents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If invasive catheterization of intracranial arteries is performed to measure segmental perfusion pressure, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and patient risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses external compression cuffs applied to extracranial vessels (carotid artery, jugular vein) as intermediary devices to indirectly measure intracranial hemodynamic parameters. The cuffs create controlled occlusion and release cycles that allow derivation of segmental perfusion pressure, intracranial pressure, and cerebral blood flow without direct intracranial catheterization, thus resolving the contradiction between measurement precision and procedural invasiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical invasive catheterization system with a non-invasive external compression system. By applying controlled mechanical compression to extracranial vessels and measuring the resulting hemodynamic changes, the system substitutes the need for intracranial artery catheterization while maintaining the ability to assess segmental perfusion pressure and cerebral blood flow dynamics
2Ease of operation
If extracranial compression is applied to measure intracranial pressure, then non-invasive measurement is achieved, but blood flow redistribution may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs periodic compression and release cycles of the external cuffs rather than sustained compression. The cuffs are inflated to occlude extracranial vessels temporarily, then deflated to restore flow. This periodic action allows measurement of intracranial hemodynamic parameters during the occlusion phase while minimizing harmful effects of prolonged compression, as blood flow is restored during the release phase
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors hemodynamic parameters during compression and uses feedback control to adjust compression timing and intensity. By detecting changes in blood flow velocity, pressure, and volume during compression cycles, the system optimizes the compression protocol to achieve accurate measurements while minimizing disruptive effects on cerebral blood flow distribution
3Measurement precision
If cervical compression is used to redistribute blood flow between jugular veins and vertebral venous plexus, then outflow pressure measurement is improved, but airway obstruction risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies compression locally to specific extracranial vessels (jugular veins, carotid arteries) using targeted cuff placement rather than circumferential cervical compression. The cuffs are positioned to occlude only the intended vessels while leaving the airway and surrounding structures uncompressed, thus achieving precise outflow pressure measurement without the harmful effect of airway obstruction that would result from broad cervical compression
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 non-invasive assessment and augmentation of segmental intracranial perfusion pressure, improving cerebral blood flow and allowing therapeutic interventions like selective brain cooling and thrombolytic delivery without the need for intracranial artery catheterization, enhancing treatment efficacy in conditions like carotid endarterectomy and stroke.
Implementation Method 1
compression of the extra-cranial vascular network with an external compression cuff
Implementation Method 2
interdynamics between intra-cranial and extra-cranial circulation... correlating systemic and intracranial pressures to dynamically manage cerebral blood flow
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus for the diagnostics and treatment of conditions presenting as intracranial circulation maladies in reliance upon segmental intracranial compartment pressure, which is established from the interdynamics between intra-cranial and extra-cranial circulation, and which relies upon compression of the extra-cranial vascular network in order to: measure cranial inflow and outflow pressure in the intra-extra cranial collateral (e.g., in the network supplied by the supraorbital artery), to estimate intracranial compartment segmental perfusion pressure; temporarily augment intracranial inflow pressure during a period of the compromise (e.g., common carotid cross-clamp during carotid endarterectomy or extracranial stenosis with low-flow state) and redirect extracranial blood-flow intracranially to augment cerebral circulation and/or introduce therapeutic agents or cold blood to the intracranial compartment.