Wireless Implants Offer Hope to Brain Injury Patients

During a recent presentation, Dr. Mohammad-Reza Tofighi, Penn State associate professor of electrical engineering and Penn State World Campus instructor, spoke to a room packed with students, faculty, and staff about his research on wireless intracranial pressure devices for the assessment of traumatic brain injuries (TBI). The need for improved monitoring is real. There are 1.7 million traumatic brain injuries (TBI) each year, which account for nearly a third (30.5%) of all injury-related deaths in the United States.

Tofighi, with the help of leading biomedical researchers and surgeons in the Philadelphia area, was presenting research focused on changing the way TBI are monitored. The initial call for this research came from a well-respected surgeon at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, who had been searching for alternative treatments for hydrocephalus, the excessive accumulation of fluid in the brain. Although hydrocephalus was once known as "water on the brain," the "water" is actually cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) - a clear fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. The excessive accumulation of CSF can cause harmful pressure on brain tissue.

The most current monitoring for hydrocephalus involves surgically inserting a shunt system to divert the CSF so it can be absorbed as part of the normal circulatory process. This process requires prolonged hospitalization and monitoring, and significantly impacts the daily life of the patient. The traditional shunt system has many drawbacks, including a high infection rate.

Tofighi was approached to assist on a research project that allows patients suffering from hydrocephalus more freedom through the use of a wireless implant, providing a monitoring system that medical practitioners can check remotely. A live animal study was conducted, and research remains ongoing to verify the device's longevity compared to the standard procedure.

Tofighi says he's driven by "using communications technology to help make people's lives better." He adds that the most surprising aspect of this research, and research in general, is that it goes in "a different direction than you expect," and that "the impact for the foreseeable future is wide-open as wireless technology is in its infancy."

Tofighi is one of many talented, respected experts in his field, teaching electrical engineering in a traditional classroom setting and online via Penn State World Campus. The World Campus offers you the opportunity to receive an education identical to that received by on-campus students.

Our College of Engineering is consistently ranked among the nation's best engineering schools, according to U.S. News & World Report. And when you graduate, you'll receive a diploma identical to those earned by students at our physical campus.

Editor's Note: This is a sponsored post brought to you by The Pennsylvania State University.