US 12,133,761 B1
Non-invasive dynamic measurement of intracranial reserve space and brain atrophy using cranial pressure
David Michaeli, Ashkelon (IL); and Menashe Michaeli, Ashkelon (IL)
Filed by David Michaeli, Ashkelon (IL); and Menashe Michaeli, Ashkelon (IL)
Filed on Jun. 8, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/207,264.
Int. Cl. A61B 8/08 (2006.01); A61B 8/00 (2006.01); G01S 7/52 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 8/0816 (2013.01) [A61B 8/4444 (2013.01); A61B 8/5207 (2013.01); A61B 8/5223 (2013.01); G01S 7/52038 (2013.01); A61B 8/4281 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for determining information concerning a brain atrophy of a mammalian subject, comprising:
an at least two-dimensional multi-frequency ultrasound probe configured to emit and receive ultrasound waves into and from a head of the subject and to produce a signal of intracranial brain tissue pulsations in at least two of a horizontal (axial) spatial, a vertical (coronal) and a sagittal spatial dimension, the brain tissue pulsations responsive to pulses of a heart systole and/or respiration waves;
a pressure applicator mechanism, including at least one surface and a manometer, configured to non-invasively apply an external pressure to at least one of the locations Li of the skull of the subject using the at least one surface; and
one or more processors configured to
receive the signal and at least one output of the external pressure from the pressure applicator mechanism,
derive from the signal an intracranial brain tissue pulsation waveform and determine a length of an interval that starts at an endpoint of a first decline of a baseline of the waveform occurring after the external pressure is applied, the endpoint adjacent a sharp upturn of the baseline during the interval, the interval ending when either (A) an amplitude of the waveform has declined by a predefined amount relative to the amplitude at a predefined point in time or (B) the waveform is compressed so as to exhibit a predefined decline in variability, and
determine from the length of time of the interval a presence of and, if so, an amount or a degree of, the brain atrophy and output the determination,
wherein the at least one of the locations, Li, comprises at least two of the following locations, Li, of the cranium: (i) frontal, (ii) temporal, (iii) parietal, (iv) occipital, and further comprising using the one or more processors to determine the intracranial location of the brain atrophy based on which time interval (T) of the at least two of the locations, Li, is longest.