SELF CLEANING SHUNT

• US 20160287848A1
• Filed: 06/20/2016
• Published: 10/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TECHNION RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION, LTD.
• Original Assignee: TECHNION RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION, LTD.
• Inventors: Samoocha, Or, Zaaroor, Menashe, Shoham, Moshe
• Granted Patent: US 10,058,685 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0019 Cleaning catheters or the like, e.g. for reuse of the device, for avoiding replacement
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 27/006 Cerebrospinal drainage; Accessories therefor, e.g. valves
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 9/027 Cleaning the internal surfaces; Removal of blockages

Abstract

A self cleaning inlet head for use on a shunt. The head has a tube with openings disposed in predetermined positions in its wall, and a cleaning element installed inside the tube. The cleaning element may comprise a central shaft with a number of bristles protruding therefrom, preferably in locations substantially identical to the positions of the openings in the wall of the tube. Mutual vibratory motion between the cleaning element and the tube causes at least some of the bristles to enter the openings, thereby keeping them clear, and preventing tissue growth into them. The vibratory motion may be generated by the action of an external field on a responsive part of the cleaning element, such as an external magnetic field operating on a magnetic or magnetized part of the cleaning element or the bristles. Alternatively, the external field may be an ultrasound field operating on the bristles.

Claims

1. A fluid inlet head, comprising:

a first tube comprising a plurality of openings disposed in its wall; and

a cleaning element comprising a plurality of bristles protruding therefrom, said cleaning element being adapted to be installed within said first tube such that one or more of said plurality of bristles can enter one or more of said plurality of openings;

wherein said cleaning element is adapted to vibrate when subjected to a vibration generating system, such that said one or more of said plurality of bristles can move at least one of;

(a) laterally within said one or more of said plurality of openings, and

(b) in and out of said one or more of said plurality of openings.

2. A fluid inlet head according to claim 1, wherein said first tube is essentially cylindrical.

3. A fluid inlet head according to claim 1, wherein said openings are disposed in predetermined lateral and radial positions in a wall of said first tube, and said plurality of bristles protrude from said cleaning element in lateral and radial locations substantially aligned with the lateral and radial positions of said plurality of openings in the wall of said first tube.

4. A fluid inlet head according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of bristles are attached to a central shaft of said cleaning element.

5. A fluid inlet head according to claim 1, wherein said vibration generating system is configured to generate an external field which operates on said cleaning element.

6. A fluid inlet head according to claim 5, wherein said external field is an alternating magnetic field, and said cleaning element comprises at least one of a magnetic material and a magnetized material.

7. A fluid inlet head according to claim 6, wherein said shaft is constructed of at least one of a magnetic material and a magnetized material.

8. A fluid inlet head according to claim 6, wherein at least some of said bristles are constructed of at least one of a magnetic material and a magnetized material.

9. A fluid inlet head according to claim 1, wherein said vibration generating system is a vibration transducer disposed on said cleaning element.

10. A fluid inlet head according to claim 9 and wherein said vibration transducer is any one of a mechanical, electromagnetic, or piezoelectric transducer.

11. A fluid inlet head according to claim 1, wherein the vibration generating system is external to the fluid inlet head and is configured to apply an ultrasound field having a frequency in the range of the mechanical self-resonant frequency of at least some of said plurality of bristles.

12. A fluid inlet head according to claim 1, wherein the length of said plurality of bristles is such that they do not protrude substantially through said plurality of openings beyond the outer surface of said wall of said first tube.

13. A fluid inlet head according to claim 1, further comprising a second tube adapted for installation inside said first tube, wherein said second tube comprises a plurality of openings, at least some of which are disposed in its wall in the same predetermined lateral and radial locations as the plurality of openings of said first tube, such that the one or more of the plurality of bristles on said cleaning element can enter the one or more of said plurality of openings in said first tube only when one or more of said plurality of openings of said second tube are aligned with the one or more of the plurality of openings of said first tube.

14. A fluid inlet head according to claim 13, further comprising a mechanism for changing the alignment of the one or more of said plurality of openings of said first tube and the one or more of said plurality of openings of said second tube.

15. A fluid inlet head, comprising:

a first tube having a plurality of openings disposed in its wall; and

a cleaning element comprising a plurality of bristles protruding therefrom, said cleaning element being adapted to be installed within said first tube; and

a vibration generator disposed on said cleaning element;

wherein said cleaning element is adapted to vibrate upon activation of said vibration generator, such that at least one of said plurality of bristles moves within at least one of said plurality of openings.

16. A fluid inlet head according to claim 15, wherein said vibration generator comprises a battery.

17. A fluid inlet head according to claim 16, wherein said battery is configured to be recharged via an externally applied induced field.

18. A fluid inlet head according to claim 15, wherein said vibration generator is configured to connect to an external power source.