Headset connected to a black mannequin head with a white headband and cable, placed on a white surface.

TRANSCRANIAL OBERSERVATIONAL NETWORK
FOR HYDROCEPHALUS INVESTIGATION

Human Centered Science
This is Tohni

Improving quality of life for hydrocephalus patients of all ages.

Learn more
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Prototype

  • Research icon

    Research

    How do we make a device that will effectively measure intracranial pressure in a non-invasive and intuitive way?

  • Design icon

    Design

    To prove the concept of TONHI, we designed a prototype and wiring setup that will simulate rising intracranial pressure.

  • Build icon

    Build

    Putting it all together, we created a high quality prototype of TONHI, proving that a design of this nature can be made in the future.

Technical Specifications

With the TONHI technology, it is possible to read intracranial pressure to predict whether or not a symptom is telling of a hydrocephalus ‘episode’. Instead of focusing on precautionary technology for the condition, TONHI strives to create a reliable, life-saving reactionary device that will quickly tell them if they are in need of another shunt replacement. To accomplish this, TONHI uses transcranial doppler ultrasounds to gather information used to calculate pressure and transmits the information into an app; if the pressure is above the patient’s baseline and they are experiencing symptoms, medical attention is required.

Transcranial Dopplers

Transcranial ultrasound dopplers will be placed at both transtemporal lobes and the suboccipital lobe of the patient to capture blood flow information and intracranial pressure.

01

Mobile App

Once the patient has used TONHI, they will get immediate results in a mobile app as waveforms. This is will show them if there has been an intracranial pressure increase.

02

A white headset with blue indicator lights on a wooden surface, with a black mannequin head bust and a cluttered workshop in the background.
A mannequin head on a wooden table with a white headset connected to a white electronic box. The background shows an office or workshop with various tools, supplies, and computers.
Four people standing in a room with technological equipment. A man with long hair and a beanie, a man with glasses, a woman with curly hair in a sweatshirt, and a man with glasses wearing a polo shirt. A mannequin head with a virtual reality headset is on the table in front of them.
Monitor displaying brainwave data with three sections labeled Left Temporal, Right Temporal, and Suboccipital, each showing pulsatility index scores and line graphs, mounted on a pole in a clinical or laboratory setting.
A man and a young woman standing together in a workshop, smiling for the camera. The man is wearing glasses and a dark jacket, while the young woman is dressed in a light-colored sweatshirt with 'LONDON 77 ENGLAND' written on it. In front of them on the table is a mannequin head with a device resembling a brainwave or EEG cap connected to a small white box, with cables running from the cap to the box.

Impact

Sofia’s TONHI Innovation: A Life-Saving Science Project

Niagara Falls Innovation Club | March 14, 2026

 

About

Although one can develop hydrocephalus at any age, Tony Gazzellone was born with congenital hydrocephalus in a time where medical treatment and understanding of the condition were limited. Born in 1960, Tony was diagnosed with hydrocephalus at age 7. At the time, he and his family were living in Italy, and the treatment, or shunt insertion, had about a 30% success rate and a steep price (Ransohoff et. al). His mother moved them to Canada where the success rates were slightly higher, and he got his first shunt. Now, having survived nine shunt replacement surgeries, Tony lives to care for his family, and lead a fulfilling life. Inspired by Tony’s story, we are determined to create a product that will not only improve the quality of life for all hydrocephalus patients, but also shed more light on a condition that has been out of the medical research spotlight for far too long.