NON-INVASIVELY ADJUSTABLE DRAINAGE DEVICE

• US 20110066098A1
• Filed: 11/23/2007
• Published: 03/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ecole polytechnique fãdãrale de lausanne epfl (Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft)
• Original Assignee: Ecole polytechnique fãdãrale de lausanne epfl (Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft)
• Inventors: Stergiopulos, Nikolaos
• Granted Patent: US 9,375,347 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/9
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0013 for adjusting fluid pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0069 Sealing means
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0096 Markers and sensors for detecting a position or changes of a position of an implant, e.g. RF sensors, ultrasound markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/00781 Apparatus for modifying intraocular pressure, e.g. for glaucoma treatment drainage implants in general A61M27/002
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3515 using magnetic means
• 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: F16K 3/34 Arrangements for modifying the way in which the rate of flow varies during the actuation of the valve

Abstract

The device comprises at least an inlet tube for the passage of fluid to be drained, said tube being connected to a chamber wherein said chamber comprises rotating means for adjusting the flow rate in said tube.

Claims

1. An adjustable drainage device comprising at least an inlet tube for the passage of fluid to be drained, said tube being connected to a chamber wherein said chamber comprises rotating means for adjusting the flow rate in said tube.

2. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein said chamber has at least an inlet opening connected to the tube and at least one outlet opening allowing the drained fluid to leave the chamber, said rotating means comprise an element with a variable opening so that the rotational relative position of the element with respect to the chamber imposes a variable resistance to fluid flow, either at the level of the inlet opening or at the level of the at least one outlet opening.

3. The device as defined in claim 2, wherein said variable opening is a slit with a variable section or holes with variable diameters or a porous media with different porosities.

4. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein the tube is connected to the chamber via a variable sub-chamber with a membrane and wherein said rotating means comprise an elliptic-shaped cylinder pressing at variable degrees on the membrane, depending on its rotational position, and thus imposing variables degrees of constriction on the tube sectional area.

5. The device as defined in claim 4, wherein said tube is a vessel or a bodily duct.

6. The device as defined in claim 4, wherein said sub-chamber is formed by said membrane and a clip.

7. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein it further comprises additional means for realizing a step rotation of the rotating means.

8. The device as defined in claim 7, wherein said additional means for realizing a step rotation of the rotating means comprise a gear-like system cooperating with a flexible beam.

9. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein said rotating comprise a permanent magnet for detecting and adjusting the rotational position of said rotating means.

10. (canceled)

11. (canceled)

12. A system for draining bodily fluids, comprising:

At least one inlet tube for the passage of fluid to be drained;

A chamber interconnected to one end of the tube, the chamber comprising rotating means for adjusting the flow rate in the tube;

A detector for determining the position of the rotating means; and

,

Positioning means for positioning the rotating means to adjust the flow rate in the tube.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the rotating means comprises a permanent magnet for detecting and adjusting the rotational position of the rotating means, and wherein the detector comprises magnetoresistive sensors for detecting the position of the permanent magnet and the positioning means comprises an electromagnet for aligning the permanent magnet.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the detector comprises a rim and the magnetoresistive sensors are mounted on the rim.