Drainage system for cerebrospinal fluid

• US 20080033400A1
• Filed: 06/15/2007
• Published: 02/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Möller Medical GmbH & Co KG
• Original Assignee: Möller Medical GmbH & Co KG
• Inventors: Schroter, Werner, Traxler, Christoph, Holper, Bernd, Martens, Daniela, Holper, Manfred
• Granted Patent: US 8,608,716 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/541
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/031 Intracranial pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/73 comprising sensors or indicators for physical values
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/74 Suction control underwater drainage A61M1/61
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/0693 Brain, cerebrum
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 27/006 Cerebrospinal drainage; Accessories therefor, e.g. valves
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 2205/01 Pressure before the pump inlet
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/1253 by using two or more rollers as squeezing elements, the rollers moving on an arc of a circle during squeezing

Abstract

The object of providing a cerebrospinal fluid drainage system 1 which reacts precisely to changes in pressure in the cerebrospinal fluid, with ease of operation, is achieved by the present invention in that a pump 5 is used for draining the cerebrospinal fluid (liquor), wherein operating measured values supplied by sensors act as controlled variable for the operation of the pump. The pressure in the liquor line currently measured by a pressure sensor 10, the liquor pressure in the intracranial cavity being treated, measured intracorporeally by a pressure sensor, and/or the volume of liquor already pumped out, as operating measured value, can, for example, serve as the basis for operational control of the pump of the liquor drainage system. The liquor drainage system according to the invention has the advantage that the liquor is drained not only simply on the basis of the excess pressure in the intracranial cavity being treated, but is actively pumped out of the intracranial cavity in a controlled manner, in particular with constant measurement of the liquor pressure. In this way the pumping capacity can be regulated depending on requirement and the drainage pressure or the liquor pressure kept reliably within a specific pressure range.

Claims

1. A drainage system for the drainage of cerebrospinal fluid (liquor), with a liquor feed line and a pressure sensor, which determines the pressure in the liquor feed line, and/or a pressure sensor which determines the liquor pressure intracorporeally,

characterized in that

the drainage system comprises a pump which pumps out the cerebrospinal fluid as a function of preset operating parameters and measured operating measured values.

2. System according to claim 1, wherein the operating parameters or the operating measured values comprise at least the pressure measured in the liquor feed line or the volume of liquor pumped out.

3. System according to claim 1, wherein the pump pumps out the cerebrospinal fluid as a function of the pressure measured in the liquor feed line.

4. System according to claim 1, wherein the operating parameters or the operating measured values comprise the liquor pressure measured intracorporeally in the intracranial cavity being treated.

5. System according to claim 1, wherein the pump pumps out the cerebrospinal fluid as a function of the liquor pressure measured intracorporeally in the intracranial cavity being treated.

6. System according to claim 1, wherein the pump pumps out the cerebrospinal fluid as a function of the volume of liquor pumped out.

7. System according to claim 1, wherein the pump is constructed as a hose pump.

8. System according to claim 1, wherein the liquor drainage system comprises an intracorporeal pressure sensor which determines the liquor pressure directly in the intracranial cavity being treated.

9. System according to claim 8, wherein the intracorporeal pressure sensor is constructed as an electronic pressure sensor, in particular as a piezoresistive pressure sensor which converts changes in the liquor pressure in the intracranial cavity being treated into electric pulses.

10. System according to claim 1, wherein the pressure sensor which determines the pressure in the liquor feed line (8) is constructed as a piezoresistive pressure sensor.

11. System according to claim 10, wherein the pressure sensor on the liquor feed line is preferably arranged near the patient.

12. System according to claim 10, wherein the pressure sensor is arranged on the liquor feed line (8) as far as possible at the same height as the geometric center of the intracranial cavity.

13. System according to claim 10, wherein the pressure sensor is provided with fastening means which enable the pressure sensor to be arranged in the region of the patient'"'"'s head, preferably on the patient'"'"'s ear.

14. System according to claim 8, wherein the pressure sensor is constructed as an adhesive pad or ECG adhesive electrode which is preferably arranged on the patient'"'"'s temple and/or behind the patient'"'"'s ear.

15. System according to claim 10, wherein several pressure sensors are provided, which jointly or alternatively determine the pressure in the liquor feed line and/or determine the liquor pressure intracorporeally.

16. System according to claim 10, wherein the pressure sensor is constructed as an electronic pressure sensor, in particular as a piezoresistive pressure sensor which converts changes in pressure in the liquor feed line into electric pulses.

17. System according to claim 1, wherein the liquor drainage system comprises detection means which detect the volume of liquor pumped out.

18. System according to claim 17, wherein the detection means monitor the volume of liquor pumped out and the pressure sensor monitors the pressure in the liquor feed line continuously or at intervals.

19. System according to claim 1, wherein the liquor drainage system comprises an electronic control unit which carries out calculations required for the operation of the pump on the basis of the preset operating parameters and the measured operating measured values.

20. System according to claim 19, wherein the electronic control unit is programmable in such a way that specific operating cycles, e.g. for different medical applications, can be carried out.

21. System according to claim 18, wherein the electronic control unit comprises alarm functions which are activated if there is a deviation of a measured operating measured value from the corresponding preset operating parameter.

22. System according to claim 19, wherein the electronic control unit comprises at least one interface, such as, e.g. a cable, infrared or radio connection or a removable memory card/chip, via which operating measured values and/or operating parameters can be transmitted to an external monitoring system, an external display device or a patient monitor.

23. System according to claim 19 wherein the electronic control unit comprises electronic memory means, in which, e.g. preset operating cycles of the liquor drainage system or chronological documentation of the operation of the liquor drainage system can be stored.

24. System according to claim 1, wherein the liquor drainage system has input means via which operating parameters, such as, e.g. preset pressure limit values of the liquor pressure in the liquor feed line or preset pressure limit values of the liquor pressure in the intracranial cavity being treated, can be input into the electronic control unit.

25. System according to claim 1, wherein the liquor drainage system has operating elements via which, e.g. the operation of the pump can be directly controlled or an alarm function can be manually activated.

26. System according to claim 1, wherein the liquor drainage system has an optical display, via which set operating parameters and/or current operating measured values can be displayed.

27. System according to claim 1, wherein the liquor drainage system is equipped with a store for electric energy or an accumulator for mains-independent power supply.

28. System according to claim 1, wherein the liquor drainage system comprises a closed hose system with closed hose connections for connecting the fluid-carrying components.

29. System according to claim 28, wherein the closed hose system comprises means, in particular connecting elements which ensure that the hose connections can be used once only.

30. System according to claim 28, wherein the hose system is equipped with at least one electronic memory medium in which the use of the hose system and/or the relevant hose connections is electronically stored, so that previous use of the hose connections can be established and repeated use ruled out, in order to guarantee sterility.

31. System according to claim 29, wherein the pressure sensor is integrated into one of the connecting elements.

32. System according to claim 1, wherein the liquor drainage system comprises a drainage bag for collecting the drained cerebrospinal fluid.

33. Method for operating a drainage system according to claim 1, comprising the following steps:

determining a specific operating measured value

comparing the determined operating measured value with a preset operating parameter

specifically operating the pump as a function of the result of the comparison between the determined operating measured value and the preset operating parameter.

34. Method according to claim 33, wherein the preset operating parameters comprise one or more limit values or a range for the pressure measured in the liquor feed line.

35. Method according to claim 33, wherein the preset operating parameters comprise one or more limit values or a range for the liquor pressure measured intracorporeally in the intracranial cavity being treated.

36. Method according to o claim 33, wherein the preset operating parameters comprise one or more limit values for the volume of liquor pumped out.

37. Method according to claim 33, wherein the operation of the pump is controlled as a function of the pressure measured in the liquor feed line.

38. Method according to claim 33, wherein the operation of the pump is controlled as a function of the liquor pressure measured intracorporeally in the intracranial cavity being treated.

39. Method according to claim 33, wherein the operation of the pump is controlled as a function of the volume of liquor pumped out.

40. Method according to claim 33, comprising the additional step:

selecting a specific operating mode of the pump from a selection of operating modes as a function of the result of the comparison between the determined operating measured value and the preset operating parameter and

selectively operating the pump.

41. Method according to claim 40, wherein the selection of operating modes of the pump is made from a group of the following operating modes:

pump at standstill;

starting the pump when a preset upper limit value for the pressure in the liquor feed line has been reached;

operation of the pump for a specific period of time;

operation of the pump until a specific pumping volume has been delivered or

operation of the pump until a preset lower limit value for the pressure in the liquor feed line has been reached.

42. Method according to claim 33, wherein the pump is activated if the pressure in the liquor feed line rises above a defined upper value and the pump is deactivated if the desired pressure has ensued in the liquor feed line or a specific volume of liquor has been pumped out.

43. Method according to claim 33, wherein the pump is activated if the liquor pressure in the intracranial cavity being treated rises above a defined upper value and the pump is deactivated if the desired liquor pressure has ensued in the intracranial cavity being treated or a specific volume of liquor has been pumped out.

44. Method according to claim 33, wherein the operation or the operating mode of the pump can be changed or controlled on the basis of manual control via the manual input means.