Transcutaneous telemetry of cerebrospinal fluid shunt programmable-valve pressure using near-infrared (NIR) light
First Claim
1. In a programmable valve system of the type which is implanted in a medical patient and used to divert cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from an intraventricular space of the patient to a terminus such as the patient peritoneal cavity;
- said system including means for establishing a flow path for said CSF to said terminus, which flow path includes a normally closed valve and means for adjusting the opening pressure of said valve in order to regulate the quantity of CSF diverted;
the improvement enabling an observer to be apprised of the actual opening pressure setting of the said valve, comprising;
(a) means implantable at said patient and responsive to said actual opening pressure setting for generating an NIR telemetry signal indicative of said actual setting for transcutaneous transmission through the skin of said patient to an external point; and
(b)means positionable externally of said patient for receiving said telemetry signal at said external point and for producing therefrom observer intelligible data indicating the said actual opening pressure setting of said valve.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An improvement for a programmable valve system of the type which is implanted in a medical patient and used to divert cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from an intraventricular space of the patient to a terminus such as the patient peritoneal cavity. Such system includes means for establishing a flow path for the CSF to the terminus, which flow path includes a normally closed valve and means for adjusting the opening pressure of the valve in order to regulate the quantity of CSF diverted. The improvement enables an operator to be apprised of the actual opening pressure setting of the valve. A sensor is implantable at the patient and responds to the actual opening pressure setting, by generating an NIR telemetry signal indicative of the actual setting. This signal is transcutaneously transmitted through the skin of the patient to an external point. The telemetry signal is processed to produce observer intelligible data indicating the opening pressure setting of the valve.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. In a programmable valve system of the type which is implanted in a medical patient and used to divert cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from an intraventricular space of the patient to a terminus such as the patient peritoneal cavity;
- said system including means for establishing a flow path for said CSF to said terminus, which flow path includes a normally closed valve and means for adjusting the opening pressure of said valve in order to regulate the quantity of CSF diverted;
the improvement enabling an observer to be apprised of the actual opening pressure setting of the said valve, comprising;
(a) means implantable at said patient and responsive to said actual opening pressure setting for generating an NIR telemetry signal indicative of said actual setting for transcutaneous transmission through the skin of said patient to an external point; and
(b)means positionable externally of said patient for receiving said telemetry signal at said external point and for producing therefrom observer intelligible data indicating the said actual opening pressure setting of said valve. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
- said system including means for establishing a flow path for said CSF to said terminus, which flow path includes a normally closed valve and means for adjusting the opening pressure of said valve in order to regulate the quantity of CSF diverted;
Specification