ADJUSTABLE VALVE SETTING WITH MOTOR CONTROL

• US 20110112460A1
• Filed: 11/09/2009
• Published: 05/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Xomed Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Xomed Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Murphy, John Murdock
• Granted Patent: US 8,241,240 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/9
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0219 of externally powered implanted units
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/031 Intracranial pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 27/006 Cerebrospinal drainage; Accessories therefor, e.g. valves
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/0675 Electromagnet aspects, e.g. electric supply therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 37/0041 for measuring valve parameters F16K37/0033 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7878 With bias adjustment indicator

Abstract

An implantable medical device is disclosed that includes a valve body and a valve rotor adjustable with respect to the valve body. A tool can be utilized to determine and control a position of the valve rotor with respect to the valve body. The tool can include a valve body position reader, a valve rotor position reader and a valve rotor position controller to determine a valve setting for the device and adjust the valve setting as desired.

Claims

1. A positioning tool for controlling a valve rotor with respect to a valve body in an implantable medical device, comprising:

a valve body position reader configured to excite a circuit on the valve body and sense energy from the circuit after the circuit is excited to determine a position for the valve body with respect to the positioning tool;

a valve rotor position reader including a magnetic sensor to sense a position of the valve rotor with respect to the positioning tool;

a processing module configured to determine a position of the valve rotor with respect to the valve body; and

a valve rotor position controller adapted to alter the position of the valve rotor with respect to the valve body.

2. The positioning tool of claim 1 wherein the valve rotor position reader is configured to calculate the valve rotor position using magnetic sensors.

3. The positioning tool of claim 1 and further comprising a stator configured to measure valve rotor position based on back EMF in a plurality of stator coils.

4. The positioning tool of claim 1 wherein the valve rotor is rotatable about the valve body.

5. The positioning tool of claim 1 wherein the valve rotor position reader includes a plurality of magnetic sensors for determining the position of the valve body.

6. The positioning tool of claim 1 wherein the valve body position reader includes at least one coil to energize the circuit in the valve body.

7. The positioning tool of claim 1 wherein the valve body position reader includes at least one coil to determine the position of the valve body.

8. The positioning tool of claim 1 wherein the processing module is configured to calculate a valve setting for the implantable medical device from a plurality of valve settings, the valve setting being indicative of pressure and/or flow characteristics of fluid through the device.

9. The positioning tool of claim 1 wherein the plurality of stator coils include three stator coils that can be positioned equally about the valve rotor.

10. The positioning tool of claim 1 wherein the plurality of stator coils include six stator coils that can be positioned equally about the valve rotor.

11. The positioning tool of claim 1 wherein the driver provides drive currents to the plurality of stator coils to induce electromagnetic force voltages in the valve rotor.

12. A system comprising:

an implantable medical device comprising a valve body and a valve rotor adjustable with respect to the valve body, the valve body including a resonant circuit and the valve rotor including a permanent magnet;

a positioning tool comprising;

a valve body position reader configured to determine orientation of the valve body with respect to the position tool using the resonant circuit;

a valve rotor position reader configured to determine a position of the valve rotor with respect to the positioning tool using the permanent magnet;

a processor configured to determine a valve setting for the implantable medical device based on the orientation of the valve body and the position of the valve rotor; and

a valve rotor position controller having a stator with a plurality of stator coils and a driver electrically coupled to the stator to provide current to the stator coils to selectively position the valve rotor with respect to the valve body.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the valve rotor is rotatable with respect to the valve body.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the positioning tool further includes a plurality of magnetic sensors configured to determine a position of the valve rotor with respect to the tool.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein the positioning tool further comprises a processing module configured to calculate a valve setting for the implantable medical device from a plurality of valve settings, the valve setting being indicative of pressure and/or flow characteristics of fluid through the device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein a number of the plurality of valve settings is at least ten.

17. The system of claim 12 wherein the plurality of stator coils include three stator coils that can be positioned equally about the valve rotor.

18. The system of claim 12 wherein the driver provides drive currents to the plurality of stator coils to induce electromagnetic force voltages in the permanent magnet of the valve rotor.

19. A method, comprising:

providing a tool having an excitation coil, a sensing coil and at least one magnetic sensor;

placing the positioning tool proximate an implantable medical device, the implantable medical device having a valve body and a valve rotor adjustable with respect to the valve body, the valve body including a resonant circuit and the valve rotor including a permanent magnet;

energizing the resonant circuit using the excitation coil;

sensing energy form the resonant circuit with the sensing coil;

determining an orientation of the valve body with respect to the tool based on the sensed energy;

determining a position of the valve rotor with respect to the positioning tool using the at least one magnetic sensor;

determining a position of the valve rotor with respect to the valve body as a function of the orientation of the valve body and the position of the valve rotor with respect to the positioning tool.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

providing a stator with a plurality of stator coils in the tool;

providing drive currents to the stator coils in the tool to adjust the position of the valve rotor with respect to the valve body.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

providing drive currents to the plurality of stator coils to induce electromagnetic force voltages in the permanent magnet of the valve rotor.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein the valve rotor is rotatable with respect to the valve body.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

determining a position of the valve rotor with respect to the tool using a plurality of magnetic sensors.

24. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

calculating a valve setting for the implantable medical device from a plurality of valve settings, the valve setting being indicative of pressure and/or flow characteristics of fluid through the device.

25. The method of claim 19 wherein the plurality of stator coils include three stator coils that can be positioned equally about the valve rotor.