Vivonics, Inc. SBIR Phase I Award, February 2020

Vivonics is proposing a novel approach to address the needs of a non-invasive and real-time system to measure intracranial pressure (ICP) to support development of medical countermeasures. The proposed Intracranial Pressure Assessment and Screening System for Viral or Bacterial Infections (IPASS-VBI) leverages Vivonics expertise in non-invasively assessing ICP in humans due to traumatic brain injuries (TBI) by means of non-invasive optical-based technologies. The proposed system is based on our ongoing development of an ICP monitor (IPASS), which uses non-invasive estimates of ICP ranges, for medics and clinicians to screen and monitor ICP changes and fluctuations in time. The proposed IPASS-VBI is based on non-invasive near-infrared (NIR) measurements, which allows for a fast and easy assessment of ICP changes. Unique among the various approaches to non-invasive ICP measurement currently under development, the IPASS-VBI requires only two body-surface mounted sensors (typically located on the ear lobe and forehead) to provide continuous readings from a portable device. The IPASS-VBI system will be designed and engineered to be easy to use and provide reliable and real-time readings of ICP changes.