Implantable anti-clogging device for maintenance of cerebrospinal fluid shunt patency
First Claim
1. An implantable anti-clogging device for maintaining patency of a shunt that includes a tube, the device comprising:
- a housing made of a biocompatible material, enclosing a compartment therein, and having a passageway therethrough with entry and exit ports, the passageway having a lumen configured and dimensioned to receive a section of the shunt tube; and
an energy generator contained within the compartment, the energy generator generating vibratory energy transmitted to the section of the shunt tube to thereby maintain fluid flow in the shunt.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Cerebrospinal fluid shunts (implantable devices for diversion of excess fluid from the brain to other body cavities) used to treat hydrocephalus often malfunction. A common etiology of shunt malfunction is obstruction of the distal catheter tip by accumulating particulate matter such as fat or proteinaceous debris. The proposed implantable device maintains the patency of the cerebrospinal fluid shunt with mechanical energy which serves to “scrub” the catheter lumen of particulate debris. The proposed device accomplishes this by housing a source of mechanical energy which is coupled to the external aspect of the catheter, itself traversing through a bore in the device. The energy source secondarily induces a waveform in the cerebrospinal fluid flowing through the catheter. The fluid waveform exerts shearing forces on the catheter wall and serves to disrupt the formation and accumulation of debris that potentially could occlude the shunt catheter, thereby maintaining patency of the shunt.
33 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An implantable anti-clogging device for maintaining patency of a shunt that includes a tube, the device comprising:
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a housing made of a biocompatible material, enclosing a compartment therein, and having a passageway therethrough with entry and exit ports, the passageway having a lumen configured and dimensioned to receive a section of the shunt tube; and
an energy generator contained within the compartment, the energy generator generating vibratory energy transmitted to the section of the shunt tube to thereby maintain fluid flow in the shunt. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification