Wearable wireless device to continuously track cerebrospinal fluid flow in hydrocephalus
Official title: Development of wireless, wearable flow sensors for continuous, long-term tracking of cerebrospinal fluid dynamics in patients with hydrocephalus
Funded at Rhaeos, INC. · NIH-11190499 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project builds a small, wireless wearable that continuously tracks cerebrospinal fluid flow to help people with hydrocephalus and their care teams spot shunt problems earlier.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rhaeos, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Evanston, United States) |
| Project start | September 18, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $428,779 |
| NIH project number | 4UH3NS130338-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11190499 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be people with hydrocephalus who have a ventricular shunt in place or who are scheduled to receive one and can wear a small sensor over the shunt site.
✕Less likely to help
People without ventricular shunts, those treated by non-shunt methods, or patients whose anatomy or skin conditions prevent placement of a wearable sensor are unlikely to benefit.
What this research studies
You would wear a small patch that uses tiny thermal sensors to detect fluid flow under the skin where a ventricular shunt sits and wirelessly sends continuous data. The device is designed to run 24 hours, including during sleep, to capture long-term changes in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow. The team will refine the sensor hardware and software in the lab and then test device performance and safety in clinical settings with people who have shunts. The goal is to provide both quick spot checks and ongoing monitoring to improve detection of shunt blockages or failures.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help patients and clinicians detect shunt problems sooner, reduce emergency visits and surgeries, and improve long-term care of hydrocephalus.
How similar studies have gone: Rhaeos previously developed a spot-check wearable flow sensor that showed promise for brief checks, while continuous, 24-hour wearable CSF monitoring is a newer and less-tested extension of that work.
Where this research is happening
-
Rhaeos, INC.
Evanston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Webb, Richard Chad — Rhaeos, INC.
- Study coordinator: Webb, Richard Chad
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.