Normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) is a disease caused by imbalance of the fluid, CSF, that surrounds the brain and spinal marrow. The condition often leads to walking dysfunctions, urinary incontinence and dementia, and can be severely disabling. Treatment is possible in form of a shunt that leads CSF from the brain down to the abdomen. However, today NPH is often confused with diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, which is why the number of affected is far bigger than those with a correct diagnose.
More than anything, it is the lack of spreading and acceptance that has stunted the development of measuring the outflow resistance of CSF with infusion technique. In order for the method to reach the goal to become standard it would require the implementation and validation of new ideas to reduce the examination time without losing accuracy. Also, large multi centers are needed for examination and follow-ups of shunt patients. The process of reaching this goal has started through the Umeå University project aiming to develop measurements and follow-ups of the brain’s pressure and flow dynamics when a case of NPH is suspected. With help from earlier CMTF projects, the world unique equipment for infusion examinations for determining the brain’s pressure and flow systems has been produced and is now being used with good results in Umeå and four other university hospitals in Sweden and Dennmark.
The interdisciplinary research group which has spent the last five years building a broad operation around the measuring technique sees the current project plan as an iterate process resulting in a clinical multi center study. Further development of theoretical models as well as clinical evaluation will be done parallel with scientific presentations. The project is also part of a bigger project concerning hydrocephalus and CSF-dynamics which is supported by VR, SSF and VINNOVA.
The project’s need to develop is as big as its commercial potential. Both patients and doctors profits from a measuring system that separates NPH from other diseases and can predict results of surgery. Consequences of the wrong treatment and unnecessary surgeries can be avoided and thus suffering, time and medical costs can be saved.
The commercial potential becomes even more evident in numbers. An estimated market of 2000 pieces of equipment needs to be filled. Each equipment costs 300 000- 500 000 SEK and to that comes the cost of disposable tube sets for each examination, about 200 sets per machine worth 2000 SEK. Likvor is a medical technical company recently formed in Umeå to distribute the disposable tube sets and manage the produktification and commercialization of the infusion examinations machine. A patent has been turned in and further applications are being prepared.
The work will be carried out over a period three years.
CMTF, c/o Tillämpad fysik och elektronik
Umeå universitet, 901 87 Umeå
Tel: +46 (0)90-786 96 38.
E-post: Britt Andersson.
