Celda

Project information

Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus, NPH, is a neurological condition in which the body does not properly regulate cerebrospinal fluid, the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord. As this fluid builds up, it can affect brain function and cause symptoms such as difficulties with walking, thinking, balance, and bladder control. Because these symptoms often resemble dementia or Parkinson’s disease, NPH is frequently overlooked. Some estimates suggest that around 10% of dementia diagnoses may actually be NPH, yet only about 20% of cases are reliably identified. When diagnosed early, however, many patients can significantly improve their symptoms and maintain their autonomy through shunt surgery. This makes access to accurate diagnostic equipment essential.

A central bottleneck is the limited availability of cerebrospinal fluid infusion testing. In this diagnostic procedure, artificial cerebrospinal fluid is infused into the patient’s CSF system through a lumbar puncture to help clinicians assess CSF dynamics and reliably identify NPH. Today, however, these tests are difficult to offer widely. They depend on complex, largely immobile equipment that often requires a dedicated room, specially trained nurses and staff, continuous monitoring of both the patient and the device, and precise data annotation throughout the procedure.

As a result, CSF infusion tests are mainly available in a small number of specialist clinics and neurological centers. This limited accessibility delays diagnosis for many patients who could benefit from timely treatment. My thesis project therefore aims to envision a mobile CSF diagnostic system that moves infusion testing from a specialist procedure towards routine clinical care. By making the test easier to perform in more hospitals and by less specialized clinical teams, the goal is to help more patients receive reliable diagnosis and treatment.

Methods

I began the project by analyzing existing CSF diagnostic devices, current infusion testing workflows, and the clinical contexts in which these procedures are performed. This research was carried out through hospital visits, workflow observations, and user interviews. Through conversations with researchers, neurologists, neurosurgeons, nurses, and biomedical engineers at Umeå University Hospital, I identified several key barriers in today’s practice: complex setup, stationary equipment, dependence on specialist expertise, and the need for accurate data annotation during long and sensitive pressure measurements.

Using physical and digital prototypes, as well as Wizard of Oz techniques, I explored how the CSF testing experience could be redesigned. On the physical side, I investigated how a new device form factor could make the system easier to move, prepare, and use close to the patient. On the digital side, I redesigned how the device could guide users through each step of the test and support the capture of relevant data annotations during the investigation. This allowed me to prototype not only the product itself, but the full clinical experience around it: preparation, setup, testing, documentation, and data review.

Result

Celda-NXT envisions a guided and mobile CSF diagnostic system that brings infusion testing closer to the patient.

The system rethinks the current CSF testing setup through three connected elements: a compact syringe-pump-based infusion device that automates the infusion process, a disposable sterile flow kit that connects directly to the patient, and a digital workflow that guides the user through setup and testing. It is designed to reduce procedural errors and support more consistent data capture. Automation and machine learning are used to detect and annotate relevant events during pressure measurement, such as patient movement, coughing, or other moments that may affect the recorded data.

Together, these elements reduce setup complexity, support more reliable data collection, and make it possible for less experienced users to perform infusion tests directly at the bedside and across different hospital settings, rather than only in dedicated examination rooms. In this way, Celda-NXT helps extend advanced CSF dynamics diagnostics beyond highly specialized expert centers and enables more patients to be diagnosed.