Objectives: One of the BrainIT group's aims is to provide an efficient multicentre infrastructure for generating quality evidence on new forms of invasive intensive care monitoring. Utilising this international collaboration, we evaluated, under laboratory conditions, the long term drift and the pressure responses of a new intraparenchymal intracranial pressure probe (Rehau AG,Germany).
Methods: The pressure probe used a pressure sensitive semiconductor chip, manufacturer calibrated. The transducer was connected directly to a Siemens ICU monitor and five days minute-by minute digital signals were stored in a computer. Various pressure patterns, such as a 0 and 20 mmHg static pressure, daily slowly increasing or decreasing pressure from 5 to 50 mmHg were used as test signals. 10 transducers have been tested.
Results: Preliminary data from the first 4 catheters demonstrated that the drift measured at 0 and 20 mmHg after five days was better than that specified by the manufacturers, ranging from -1 to 2 mmHg. The accuracy of the static measurement was expressed as the absolute difference between measured pressures and the reference, plotted against the reference pressure (figure): mean difference was 0.9±0.4 mmHg (range -1-3).
Conclusion: Long term drift was very low and was not time dependant. Measurement accuracy, tested over a wide range of pressures, was very good. The Rehau transducer seemed to perform better than manufacturer's specifications, giving high quality readings under test conditions.
Citerio G, Cormio M, Galli D, Piper I, and Chambers IR on behalf of the BrainIT group. Bench test of Rehau intraparenchymal intracranial pressure (ICP) probe. Poster presentation at the 12th International symposium on Intracranial pressure and Brain Monitoring. Hong Kong 16-26th August 2004.
Dr. Iain R. Chambers, Cleveland Unit, Middlesbrough. Tel: +44 (0)1642-854-778.
Regional Medical Physics Department, Newcastle General Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 6BE, UK.
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