Clinical Investigation to Evaluate the Suitability of StrokeWave in Distinguishing Haemorragic From Ischaemic Strokes

Clinical Investigation to Evaluate the Suitability of StrokeWave in Distinguishing Haemorragic From Ischaemic Strokes

A Pilot Study Using a Microwave Device for Stroke Detection (StrokeWave) to Discriminate Between Haemorragic and Ischaemic Stroke

This is a pilot, monocentric clinical investigation to evaluate the suitability of StrokeWave in distinguishing haemorragic from ischaemic strokes. The StrokeWave is a microwave device which employs a novel technique to generate images by processing very low power (<1mW) microwaves. The trial design has been developed in order not to interfere with thw standard diagnostic approach used for the hyperacute stroke patients, nor to modify the usual standard timing of the routine assessment.

The number of participants will be 60. Patients with hyperacute stroke (within 4 hours from the onset) or with awake or unknow time of onset strokes will be enrolled in the study. All patients will be registered at emergency room of Hospital, and according to the internal procedure will be clinically evaluated by the Neurologist of the stroke team. NIHSS and mRS will be administered and scores registered. The scanning with StrokeWave will be performed in 5 minutes, after NCCT and before the CTA acquisition, in the CT room. StrokeWave will be placed on the head of the patients in the CT room passing toward the gantry of the CT avoiding any loose of time. After the StrokeWave scanning, the system will be removed. The data collected will be processed through an imaging algorithm which is integrated in the device. The final output will be composed by one or more images, plus one or more parameters describing the images.

Patients with hyperacute stroke are referred to the emergency room with a 'stroke code'. Clinical collected data includes NIHSS and mRS. Patients will undergo to NCCT in order to exclude the haemorragic nature of vascular disease. In the same diagnostic session the patient undergo to CTA with tri-phase protocol to assess LVO. Before starting the CTA acquisition with iodinate contrast injection the StrokeWave will be placed on the head of the patients in the CT room passing toward the gantry of the CT avoiding any loose of time. The scanning with the StrokeWave will be performed in about 5 minutes and the system will be removed allowing the CTA acquisition.

To generate empirical evidence that StrokeWave can detect and distinguish beteween haemorragic and ischaemic stroke at the same extent as NCCT

StrokeWave ability to distinguish between haemorragic and ischaemic stroke compared to NCCT results (concordance between ischaemic and haemorragic strokes identified with 2 methods)

Inclusion Criteria: Adult > 18 years old Patients with hyperacute stroke, i.e. which are referred to the emergency room with a 'stroke code' Exclusion Criteria: mRS >3 before the stroke onset Life expectancy <3 months GCS=3