Background There is considerable interest in surgical decompression as a management strategy (RescueICP) for intractable intracranial hypertension. After such an operation measurements of intracranial pressure (ICP) and thus cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) become less meaningful. Measurements of the biomechanical properties of the brain may be one measure capable of detecting changing status of such patients. However these properties of the brain are neither documented or well understood. We have developed an indentation probe capable of making measurements of human brain stiffness.
Method The device consists of an indenting tip of depth 2 mm and diameter 12 mm surrounded by an annular body of 20 mm diameter. Measurements are made by two load cells, connected through interface electronics to a laptop computer.
Findings Laboratory measurements show the probe to provide accurate and repeatable measurements over a range of zero to 10N. Inter-operator variability from six healthcare professionals had a coefficient of variance of 8.75%. Measurements obtained during surgery from a patient undergoing tumour resection were towards the lower end of the device's measurable range.
Conclusions We have determined that this indentation device has a linear response and that the inter- and intra-operator variability is low. Although the device is still in an early stage of development, preliminary results during intracranial surgery demonstrate that this device is capable of measuring in-vivo tissue stiffness. Further work is required to derive a quantitative “stiffness index” from the two load curves. In addition a standard operation method is required so that consistent and repeatable measurements are made. The device may be of value in assessing patients after decompressive craniectomy.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Arokoski JPA, Surakka J, Ojala T, Kolari P, Jurvelin JS (2005) Feasibility of the use of a novel soft tissue stiffness meter. Physiol Meas 26:215–228
Fung YC (1981) Biomechanics. mechanical properties of living tissues. Springer, New York
Gao P, Yuan Z (1999) Development of a micromechanical probe-measuring instrument for surface properties characterization. Meas Sci Technol 10:N105–108
RescueICP trial. http://www.rescueICP.com
Schmid-Schonbein GW, Woo SL-Y, Zweifach BW (1986) Frontiers in Biomechanics. Springer, New York
Taylor A, Butt W, Rosenfeld J, Shann F, Ditchfield M, Lewis E, Klug G, Wallace D, Henning R, Tibballs J (2001) A randomized trial of very early decompressive craniectomy in children with traumatic brain injury and sustained intracranial hypertension. Childs Nervous System 17(3):154–62
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2008 Springer-Verlag/Wien
About this paper
Cite this paper
Chambers, I.R., Martin, D., Clark, A., Nicklin, A., Mendelow, A.D., Mitchell, P. (2008). The measurement of brain tissue stiffness in-vivo. In: Steiger, H.J. (eds) Acta Neurochirurgica Supplements. Acta Neurochirurgica Supplementum, vol 102. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-211-85578-2_54
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-211-85578-2_54
Publisher Name: Springer, Vienna
Print ISBN: 978-3-211-85577-5
Online ISBN: 978-3-211-85578-2
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)