The use of Tympanic Membrane Displacement (TMD) measurements for assessing inner ear pressure has been the subject of research over the past 15 or more years. In most people, the inner ear fluids are connected through to the intracranial fluids, so that a change in intracranial pressure (ICP) is reflected in terms of a corresponding change in inner ear pressure.

Applications of the TMD technique (i.e. the MMS-11 CCFP Analyser) include screening of patients with audiovestibular disorders to investigate whether an abnormal ICP is the underlying cause. Also accurate ICP measurements are vital for the successful treatment and monitoring of many seriously ill patients with neurological problems. The development of the ‘MMS-11 Cerebral and Cochlear Fluid Pressure (CCFP) Analyser’ by Marchbanks Measurement Systems has provided the opportunity for a number of diverse research projects where intracranial pressure needs to be assessed non-invasively.