Engineering
Creating a Novel Device to Improve the Evacuation of Subdural Hematomas
Jaden Tepper
Engineering
Jaden Tepper
A subdural hematoma (SDH) is a common brain injury characterized by a hemorrhage in the subdural space. SDH is extremely dangerous, and the mortality rate for patients with an acute SDH is 36% to 79%. There are two main surgical techniques utilized to drain SDH. The first is a craniotomy, where a large section of the skull is removed, allowing easy access to the hemorrhage. However, this technique is very invasive. The second utilizes a burr hole to access the hematoma. This operation is less invasive, but the blood can not be as easily evacuated. This study's goal was to enhance the non-invasive nature of a burr hole with improved access to the hematoma through the creation of a novel device. The device created to accomplish this goal consists of a two-tube design. There is a flexible inner tube and a rigid outer tube. When combined, they give the surgeon access to the entirety of the SDH. Two versions of the device were tested on brain-like gelatin models and were compared to the commonly used burr hole method. Five tests of the novel device (M=82.4%, SD=2.70%) compared to five tests with the control procedure (M=67.2%, SD=1.92%) demonstrated statistically significant improved SDH evacuation rates, t(8)=10.25, p<0.01. The newly created novel instrument for evacuating SDH could serve as a viable alternative to current procedures, improving evacuation rates while maintaining minimal invasiveness.