Measurement of fontanelle pressure. Part I. A new instrument for non-invasive measurement of intracranial pressure via the anterior fontanelle.

Intracranial pressure (ICP) is one of the most important parameters for evaluating intracranial conditons. The skulls of newborns and infants, unlike the tightly sutured skull of adults, provide non-invasive access for measurement of ICPs via the anterior fontanelle. A new transducer has been developed which is convenient for non-invasive, continuous measurement of intracranial pressure through the anterior fontanelle. The new transducer is thinner and lighter than the APT-16 type transducer (Hewlett-Packard). The principles of measurement of ICP with this new transducer, the results of basic experiments, and results obtained from clinical applications are deseribed in this report.