Objectives: To describe computer system for intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring and for infusion testing (IT), and to present current possibilities of analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure signal.
System description: Computer system for pressure signal measurement and acquisition consists of three sensors: for ICP, infusion pressure during IT, and blood pressure measurements. Electric signal from the sensors is transmitted to Temed RMN-201M cardiomonitor, and next after enhancement is subjected to Data Shuttle DS-12-8-5B-AO analog to digital converter. Digital output signal is recorded and analysed'on standard personal computer. Original Windows-compatible software was developed to control the system. The program consists of three blocs: configuration, measurement and readout, and enables selection of voltage range for each of the signal channels, measurement resolution, sampling frequency, calibration and zeroing of the sensors, visualisation of pressure signals on graph, data storage in text format and automatic analysis of IT. Main characteristics of the system include: high sampling frequency (up to 500 Hz), simultaneous data recording from all signal channels, and access to terminal cistern with one puncture needle on IT. Laboratory and clinical tests confirmed high precision of the developed system. ICP CURVE ANALYSIS: The developed software allows for evaluation of the main parameters, of CSF dynamics, prediction of IT course before a steady state is reached as well as spectral analysis of pressure signal.
Conclusions: Computer measurement system developed at our department is clinically useful and allows for high precision signal acquisition necessary for advanced scientific analyses of hydrocephalus and intracranial pressure.