Apparatus and method for non-invasive measurement of intracranial pressure
First Claim
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1. A method of determining intracranial pressure (ICP) of a patient comprising:
- (a) observing a vessel in a patient'"'"'s eye;
(b) causing a pressure inside the eye to increase;
(c) determining when the observed vessel collapses in response to increasing the pressure inside the eye;
(d) estimating the pressure inside the eye on or about the time the vessel collapses; and
(e) estimating the ICP as a function of the estimated pressure inside the eye.
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Abstract
An intracranial pressure (ICP) within a patient'"'"'s skull can be determined by observing a vessel in the patient'"'"'s eye, desirably in the red and/or infrared (IR) spectrum, while causing the pressure inside the eye to increase. On or about the time the observed vessel collapses in response to increasing the pressure inside the eye, the pressure inside the eye is determined. The ICP can then be determined as a function of the pressure inside the eye. Desirably, the vessel being observed is the central retinal vein of the eye.
108 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method of determining intracranial pressure (ICP) of a patient comprising:
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(a) observing a vessel in a patient'"'"'s eye;
(b) causing a pressure inside the eye to increase;
(c) determining when the observed vessel collapses in response to increasing the pressure inside the eye;
(d) estimating the pressure inside the eye on or about the time the vessel collapses; and
(e) estimating the ICP as a function of the estimated pressure inside the eye. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An apparatus for determining intracranial pressure (ICP) of a patient comprising:
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a camera for electronically acquiring a plurality of images of an interior of an eye of the patient;
a pressure loading device for applying a load to an exterior of the eye to increase a pressure inside the eye;
a load detector for electronically determining an amount of the load applied to the exterior of the eye by the pressure loading device; and
a controller for processing the images acquired by the camera to automatically determine when a vessel in the interior of the eye collapses in response to increasing the pressure inside the eye, for acquiring from the load detector the amount of the load applied to the exterior of the eye by the pressure loading device on or about the time the vessel collapses, and for determining the ICP as a function of amount of the load applied to the exterior of the eye on or about the time the vessel collapses. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of determining intracranial pressure (ICP) of a patient comprising:
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(a) acquiring electronic images of a vessel in an interior of a patient'"'"'s eye;
(b) applying an increasing load to the exterior of the eye, whereupon a pressure inside the eye increases, until the vessel is determined to collapse from the acquired electronic images;
(c) determining the load applied to the exterior of the eye on or about the time the vessel collapses; and
(d) estimating the ICP as a function of the load applied to the exterior of the eye on or about the time the vessel collapses. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification