Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are responsible for over 200,000 hospitalizations per year in the United States, and in 2021 alone they were implicated in approximately 69,400 deaths.
For clinicians, having real-time readings of intercranial pressure (ICP) is a crucial part of the decision-making process during TBI treatment. However, traditional ICP monitoring techniques typically require patients to undergo invasive surgeries to have sensors implanted, limiting their use to intensive care settings.
Now, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) have developed a new ultra-thin nanomembrane sensor that can be delivered to the brain without the need for surgery. The research is published in Advanced Healthcare Materials.
Monitoring the brain with minimal complications
Current gold-standard methods for ICP monitoring include the use of intraparenchymal microsensors or intraventricular catheters. While effective, these techniques require that a small hole be drilled in the skull in order to insert the device. Surgical skull penetration is an invasive medical procedure that carries with it infection rates up to 25% and hemorrhage risks between 5–7%. These techniques are also broadly unsuitable for long-term monitoring, meaning that they cannot be used for outpatient or other clinical care scenarios.
Motivated by finding a solution to these limitations, the Georgia Tech researchers set out to develop a novel method for ICP monitoring that might side-step the need for invasive procedures.
“During my discussion with a clinician, I was shocked to hear that they are purely relying on invasive tools only to measure intracranial pressure,” senior study author Dr. W. Hong Yeo, the Harris Saunders Jr. Endowed Professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, told Technology Networks. “The existing methods using intraventricular catheters have significant limitations, including high invasiveness, discrete data, calibration complexities and drift issues, which hinder long-term and stable monitoring.”
Their new device is made up of a capacitive thin-film nanomembrane sensor that fits into a traditional angiographic catheter, which allows the sensor to be delivered to the brain via the blood vessels.
“Our device does not require surgery to measure ICP, which is the biggest advantage of our innovative technology,” Yeo explained. “This sensor platform integrates a thin-film sensor with a stent, enabling precise real-time detection of pressure directly within the dural venous sinus without requiring skull penetration or frequent recalibration.”
Overview of the non-surgical membrane bioelectronic system for continuous ICP monitoring. Credit: Lee et al, 2025. DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202404680
The future of healthcare monitoring
One of the key challenges in developing this new sensor was to find a way to make it small enough, while still retaining the sensitivity and functionality of a much more invasive system.
“The manufacturing of tiny sensors was very challenging,” Yeo recalled. “We had to guarantee the sensor’s performance along with the miniaturization process. Thus, we spent a lot of time in selecting new materials, designs and fabrication strategies to develop the final system. Everything was possible due to the teamwork in my group and with my collaborators.”
Once the device had been made, the team carried out an in vitro evaluation of its performance, confirming its long-term stability and functionality in a model skull with simulated blood flow. It was also deployed in several pre-clinical in vivo trials using pigs, due to their “physiological similarity to human intracranial conditions.” The in vivo tests proved that the stent-based system with a guide catheter can effectively navigate complex anatomical structures and be deployed in the brain.
The study also mentions the use of the device in clinical settings, where it maintained high sensitivity despite experiencing some minor wear.
“In this published article, we [have] already worked with clinicians who are using these types of devices on a daily basis in their practice. Thus, I believe that our device can find immediate use as long as we commercialize this technology and get the necessary medical device approval,” Yeo said. “I want to further develop this platform by adding more sensors to detect and monitor different types of parameters related to human health.”
While it is impossible for scientists to completely prevent TBIs from occurring, Yeo and the team hope that better monitoring techniques could help bring about improved outcomes for patients.
“A series of in vivo studies proved our system’s accuracy and long-term stability compared to conventional microcatheters,” Yeo said. “These advancements pave the way for broader clinical applications, minimizing complications and improving patient outcomes in neurocritical care.”
Reference: Lee J, Bateman A, Kim MH, et al. Non‐surgical, in‐stent membrane bioelectronics for long‐term intracranial pressure monitoring. Adv Healthc Mater. 2025:2404680. doi: 10.1002/adhm.202404680
About the interviewee:
Dr. W. Hong Yeo is the Harris Saunders Jr. Endowed Professor in the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, and the director of three centers at the Georgia Institute of Technology, including NSF Sustainable Development of Medical Devices (NSF SUSMED), the Wearable Intelligent Systems and Healthcare Center (WISH Center) and the KIAT-Georgia Tech Semiconductor Electronics Center (K-GTSEC).
Yeo’s research focuses on understanding the fundamentals of soft materials, deformable mechanics, interfacial physics, manufacturing and hard-soft material integration for developing biomedical systems.
Yeo is an IEEE Senior Member and a recipient of a number of awards, including multiple NIH R01 Awards, NIH Trailblazer Young Investigator Award, IEEE Outstanding Engineer Award, Emory School of Medicine Research Award, Imlay Innovation Award, Lucy G. Moses Lectureship Award, Sensors Young Investigator Award, American Heart Association Innovative Project Award and Outstanding Yonsei Scholar Award. He has also founded two startup companies, Huxley Medical, Inc. and WisMedical, Inc.
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