Shunt

• US 20040030278A1
• Filed: 04/29/2003
• Published: 02/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daniele Rigamonti, John A. Cowan, Jr., Kieran Murphy, Michael Williams
• Original Assignee: Daniele Rigamonti, John A. Cowan, Jr., Kieran Murphy, Michael Williams
• Inventors: Cowan, John A. Jr., Williams, Michael, Murphy, Kieran, Rigamonti, Daniele
• Granted Patent: US 6,932,787 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/9
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0019 Cleaning catheters or the like, e.g. for reuse of the device, for avoiding replacement
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 battery-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 27/002 Implant devices for drainage of body fluids from one part of the body to another intraocular A61F9/00781; middle ear A61F11/202
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 27/006 Cerebrospinal drainage; Accessories therefor, e.g. valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/04 having pierceable self-sealing members

Abstract

A shunt for draining cerebral spinal fluid from the brain is provided. In an embodiment, the shunt includes a master control unit that is located in the abdomen, which interconnects a ventricular catheter and a second catheter, typically located in the peritoneal cavity. In a specific embodiment, the master control unit includes a variety of ‘smart’ features including at least one access port to allow the injection of solutions for the prevention or removal of blockages in the catheter, and/or antibiotics. The access port can have other uses, such as allowing a point of access for physical navigation of a catheter or the like within the shunt, thereby providing another option for breaking-up blockages, and/or allowing an access point for repairing the shunt'"'"'s components. Additionally, the master control unit includes a diagnostic unit that transmits, either wirelessly or through a wired connection via the access port, diagnostic information about the status of the patient and/or the shunt.

Claims

1. A shunt for draining cerebral spinal fluid comprising:

a first catheter for insertion into a CSF space of a patient for receiving CSF;

a second catheter for insertion into a drainage cavity and for draining said CSF;

a master control unit for insertion into said patient in a biocompatible location, said master control unit interconnecting said first and second catheters via a catheter line, said master control unit having a regulator for selectively draining an excess of said CSF;

at least one access port intermediate said first catheter and said second catheter and for placement subcutaneously such that when inserted into said patient said access port provides a point of access to said shunt for allowing a treatment a condition associated with said shunt without requiring said shunt'"'"'s removal.

2. The shunt according to claim 1 wherein at least one of said CSF space is a ventricle.

3. The shunt according to claim 1 wherein said drainage space is one of said patient'"'"'s peritoneum, pleural space or vascular space.

4. The shunt according to claim 1 wherein said biocompatible location is one of said patient'"'"'s skull, chest cavity or abdomen.

5. The shunt according to claim 1 wherein said regulator is a mechanical flow-valve regulator.

6. The shunt according to claim 1 wherein said regulator is a microprocessor based valve-gauge assembly for determining when said CSF requires draining and allowing said CSF to drain from said ventricle to said drainage cavity.

7. The shunt according to claim 6 wherein said microprocessor based valve-gauge assembly has a normally-open position to allow a preset amount of drainage of CSF in the event of a power-failure to valve-gauge assembly.

8. The shunt according to claim 1 further comprising a diagnostic unit for detecting abnormal metabolic activity within said patient, and a transmitter for delivering said activity to a receiver external to said patient.

9. The shunt according to claim 8 wherein said transmitter is operable to perform said delivery wirelessly to said receiver.

10. The shunt according to claim 8 wherein said transmitter includes a memory buffer for accumulating data from said diagnostic unit prior to said delivery,

11. The shunt according to claim 1 wherein said condition is a blockage and said at least one access port allows an introduction point of introduction of a blockage-ablation device within said catheter line for physically breaking-up said blockage.

12. The shunt according to claim 11 wherein said blockage-ablation device is a micro-catheter with a tip suitable for piercing said blockage.

13. The shunt according to claim 11 wherein said blockage-ablation device is a radio-frequency ablation device.

14. The shunt according to claim 11 wherein said at least one access ports is mounted on an exterior of said master control, said control unit further having a fluid bladder accessible via said access port for injection of at least one solution for treatment of a condition.

15. The shunt according to claim 1 wherein said condition a blockage and a solution for treatment thereof and injection via said access port is an anticoagulant or a thrombolytic.

16. The shunt according to claim 1 wherein said condition an infection and a solution for treatment thereof and injection via said access port is an antibiotic.

17. The shunt according to claim 1 wherein said at least one access port includes a self-healing plastic membrane.

18. The shunt according to claim 1 comprising at least two access ports and wherein one of said access ports is located on said catheter line intermediate said master control unit and said second catheter and wherein a second one of said access ports is located on said catheter line intermediate said first catheter and said master control unit.

19. The shunt according to claim 6 wherein said shunt further comprises a transmitter connected to said valve-gauge assembly for gathering pressure information therefrom, said transmitter for reporting said pressure information to a receiver external to said patient.

20. The shunt according to claim 1 wherein at least a portion of said shunt has an antibiotic coating.

21. A shunt for draining cerebral spinal fluid comprising:

a first catheter for insertion into a CSF space of a patient for receiving CSF;

a second catheter for insertion into a drainage cavity and for draining said CSF;

a master control unit for insertion into said patient in a biocompatible location, said master control unit interconnecting said first and second catheters via a catheter line, said master control unit having a regulator for selectively draining an excess of said CSF;

said master control unit including a diagnostic unit for detecting abnormal activity within said patient, and a transmitter for delivering said activity to a computing device external to said patient.

22. A shunt for draining cerebral spinal fluid comprising:

a first catheter for insertion into a CSF space of a patient for receiving CSF;

a second catheter for insertion into a drainage cavity and for draining said CSF;

a master control unit for insertion into said patient in a biocompatible location, said master control unit interconnecting said first and second catheters via a catheter line, said master control unit having a regulator for selectively draining an excess of said CSF, said regulator being a microprocessor based valve-gauge assembly for determining when said CSF requires draining and allowing said CSF to drain from said ventricle to said drainage cavity.