Pilot Testing for Midline Measuring Device (MMD)

University of Iowa

Status: Completed

Conditions: Ventriculo-Peritoneal Shunt Infection

Treatments: Device: midline localizer

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04883060

201704798

Details and patient eligibility

About

Identifying the exact middling on the patient's head during the planning phase of surgery is crucial yet can be challenged by patient's head position and hair. The investigators have invented a device that uses anatomical landmark to quickly and gracefully identify the midline on a patient's head. The device is a U-shaped instrument equipped with a laser pointer at the midline. The instrument also has smooth spheres that can be positioned over the patients' ears bilaterally. The midline laser pointer will identify the midline on the patients' head. this measurement procedure is typically done after the patient is placed under anesthesia. The standard way of determining the midline on the skull is simply by surgeon's vision without any measurements. This new technique will be contrasted against the standard way. The device was invented by investigators in neurosurgery (led by Dr. Matthew Howard III). This is not patented it at this time. There is no company involved in manufacturing (assembly was completed with the help of the hospital's machine shop).

Enrollment: 40 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 21 to 85 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Patients with normal pressure hydrocephalus who are scheduled to undergo a ventriculoperitoneal shunt surgery

Exclusion criteria

• Patients who are not able to consent

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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40 participants in 1 patient group

Intervention

Experimental group

Description:

Patients undergoing ventriculoperitoneal surgery where the midline localizer was used

Treatment:

Device: midline localizer