Development of a Smart Cervical Collar System for Feedback Control of Intracranial Pressure after Traumatic Head Injury

While mild traumatic brain injury may affect brain cells temporarily, more-serious traumatic brain injury can result in bruising, torn tissues, bleeding, and other physical damage to the brain. These injuries can result in long-term complications or death. Studies have shown that care for brain injuries should begin as soon as possible after an injury occurs, and that by reducing intercranial pressure common in traumatic brain injuries some of those complications may be mitigated. The objective of this research is to assess how applying a negative inspiratory pressure instantaneously lowers intracranial pressure and how this reduction persists over time with continued enhanced negative inspiration pressure. There is research that suggests that ICP is reduced approximately 0.75 mmHg for every 1 mmHg reduction in ETP, in animal models, and this study shows promise for positive outcomes on humans using a cervical collar with a vacuum chamber that regulates pressure on the ventral areas of the neck.