Formerly doing business as Allez PhysiOnix Ltd., PhysioSonics, Inc. manufactures and markets noninvasive neurological products. A University of Washington spinoff, the firm is developing ultrasound imaging technology to monitor blood flow in the brain: a methodology non-invasively to determine intracranial pressure (ICP), a critical determinant of brain function. Head trauma is the major cause of death in persons under the age of 45, typically due to increased ICP. Intracranial pressure can also result from tumors, stroke, and other neurological disorders. More than 1 million patents may need their ICP monitored each year. Currently there is no non-invasive method for determining the levels of ICP. It can only be measured through highly invasive procedures requiring the participation of neurosurgeons. ICP monitoring is only conducted for 100,000 patients per year. This limited monitoring hinders the early diagnosis of many brain maladies, and reduces the chance of successful treatment of these maladies. A simple non-invasive method of monitoring ICP would allow early measurement both in and outside of a hospital setting, and should improve the medical outcome for many patients. In an initial project, the team developed an empirical method to determine ICP non-invasively based on transcranial Doppler (TCD) measurements of the brain and supporting physiological data. Currently the device requires the services of a skilled neuro-sonographer to manipulate the transducer. This project will help to evolve the technology to the point that it can be more easily deployed, without special skills, in a user-independent manner.
