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A wireless sensor sends brain pressure data to a remote clinical monitoring system.

Hydrocephalus, the accumulation of excess cerebrospinal fluid in the cerebral ventricles, can cause dangerous increases in intracranial pressure that can damage brain tissue and prove fatal if left unchecked. The condition is often treated with shunts—thin silicone tubes that drain excess cerebrospinal fluid into a body cavity, where it is absorbed. The treatment is usually effective, but potential complications such as infection and obstruction can cause shunts to malfunction.

In order to ensure that hydrocephalus treatment is successful, Campus Micro Technologies GmbH (Bremen, Germany) has developed a wireless sensor that can evaluate intracranial pressure continuously for more than 10 years. Small enough to be used for infants afflicted with the disease, the sensor is placed directly under the cranial bone by means of minimally invasive surgery. A remote device carried on the body powers the sensor through the skin and also reads data transmitted by the sensor.

The implant is an alternative to intraventricular catheters, which measure and stabilize elevated intracranial pressure simultaneously, but the catheters are invasive and can only remain in the brain for a limited time. “Our vision is that hydrocephalus patients supervise intracranial pressure at home,” explains Campus Micro Technologies’ project manager, Matthias Wenzel. The sensor will be presented at Medica, which starts on 15 November in Düsseldorf.

The implant was developed in conjunction with Healthy AIMS (Ambient Intelligent Microsystems for Health), a European Union Framework VI project that has secured more than €16 million to fund research on intelligent medical implants and ambulatory measurement devices. With the cooperation of the organization, Campus Micro Technologies has also developed a telemetric intraocular sensor that is suitable for monitoring pressure within the eye for glaucoma treatment. Integrated with an artificial lens, the sensor can be used to detect increases in pressure that can damage the optic nerve and eventually cause blindness. Partnering with a growing network of manufacturing firms, the company also develops custom intelligent sensors and systems for medical device OEMs.

For more information, contact, Campus Micro Technologies GmbH, Universitätsallee 29, 28359 Bremen, Germany; phone: +49 421 2020783; fax: +49 421 2020900; mail: info@campus-micro-technologies.de; Internet: www.campus-micro-technologies.de.