Background: Noninvasive diagnostic methods utilizing pulse wave measurements on the surface of the head are an important tool in diagnosing various types of cerebrovascular disease. The measurement of extraorbital pressure fluctuations reflects intraocular and intracranial pressure changes and can be used to estimate pressure changes in intracranial arteries and the collateral circulation.
New method: In this paper, we describe our patented (CZ 305757) digital device for noninvasive measuring and monitoring of orbital movements using pressure detection. We conducted preclinical tests (126 measurements on 42 volunteers) to evaluate the practical capabilities of our device. Two human experts visually assessed the quality of the pressure pulsation and discriminability among various test conditions (specifically, subject lying, sitting, and the Matas carotid occlusion test).
Results: The results showed that our device provided clinically relevant outcomes with a sufficient level of detail of the pulse wave and a high reliability (not less than 85%) in all clinically relevant situations. It was possible to record the effect of the Matas carotid occlusion test.
Comparison with existing method(s): Our fully noninvasive, lightweight (185 g), portable, and wireless device provides a considerably cheaper alternative to the current diagnostic methods (e.g., transcranial ultrasound, X-ray, or MRI angiography) for specific assessment of cerebral circulation. Within a minute, it can detect the Willis circle integrity and thus eliminate the potential risks associated with the Matas test using standard EEG.
Conclusions: Our device represents an improvement and a valid alternative to the current methods diagnosing regional cerebral circulation.
Keywords: Brain vascular diagnostics; Cerebral circulation; Orbital plethysmography; Pressure pulsation.
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