Neuromonitoring Assists Treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury

A new line of neuromonitoring devices measure intracranial pressure (ICP), oxygen, temperature, and cerebral blood flow (CBP), aiding in the management of traumatic brain injury (TBI).

The Hummingbird line of neuromonitoring devices is led by the Hummingbird Synergy, designed to provide integrated access for concurrent monitoring of ICP, Oxygen, or CBP while providing ventricular drainage; it does so through a single burr-hole, a design that minimizes the potential for patient complications and infections. Dedicated access ports allow an Oxygen or CBP probe to be placed precisely and reproducibly. ICP is measured through a proprietary sensor partially filled with air, using air-coupled transduction (ACT). The airwaves are carried to a reusable pressure transducer housed in the proprietary iManage Air Management System (AMS) on the terminal end of the patient monitor cable. The use of ACT eliminates the need for leveling, a feature of fluid filled systems, as well as the need for costly equipment between the sensor and the patient monitor, since the sensor can be reset while it is still in the brain.


The Hummingbird neuromonitoring devices are magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) compatible and offer the only ventricular catheter with a sensor located in the parenchyma, thus avoiding measurement problems in a slit, shifted, or occluded ventricle. The Hummingbird line of neuromonitoring devices are products of InnerSpace (Tustin, CA, USA), and also include the Hummingbird Ventricular and Hummingbird Parenchyma devices.

"We are very pleased to add the Hummingbird series to our portfolio of neuromonitoring products,” said Ben Bobo, Vice President of InnerSpace. "With these products and our national sales and marketing support network, InnerSpace is more than ever a resource and partner with surgeons and nurses working to treat traumatic brain injury that affects thousands of patients a year.”

ICP is the pressure in the cranium and thus in the brain tissue and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). ICP is maintained in a tight normal range dynamically, through the production and absorption of CSF. ICP, at rest, is normally 7 mmHg – 15 mmHg for a supine adult, and becomes negative (averaging −10 mmHg) in the vertical position. One of the most damaging aspects of TBI is an elevated ICP due to intracranial hematoma or cerebral edema, which is usually fatal if prolonged, as an increase in pressure can crush brain tissue, shift brain structures, contribute to hydrocephalus, cause the brain to herniate, and restrict blood supply to the brain.

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