SURGICAL DRAIN FOR SHUNTING FLUID

• US 3,654,932 A
• Filed: 11/26/1969
• Issued: 04/11/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: John B. Newkirk, Paul K. Predecki, Wolff M. Kirsch
• Original Assignee: John B. Newkirk, Paul K. Predecki, Wolff M. Kirsch
• Inventors: Newkirk, John B., Predecki, Paul K., Kirsch, Wolff M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Truluck, Dalton L.
• Application Number:
  US04/880,178
• Time in Patent Office: 867 Days
• Field of Search: 128/350,35V,274 251/342
• US Class Current: 604/9
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/02 Holding devices, e.g. on the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 27/006 Cerebrospinal drainage; Accessories therefor, e.g. valves

Abstract

Hydrocephalus shunt which includes a subcutaneous pump, devoid of rigid or metallic parts, characterized by a one-way slit valve which may be distorted and opened by digital pressure in the plane of the slit to break up and dislodge any particulate matter which may be clogging the valve. The body of the pump includes means for positioning said pump, following subcutaneously implanting thereof, within the body tissue such that the slit is maintained in a position generally normal to the surface of the cranium. Said means of said pump may include projections which may be sewed to soft tissue beneath the scalp or may include a pump of predetermined cross section such as of oval crosssectional configuration.

Claims

1. A surgical drain for shunting fluid from a body cavity, said drain being adapted to be subcutaneously implanted, said drain comprising:

a. an inlet conduit adapted to have a first end thereof disposed within a body cavity;

b. an outlet conduit adapted to have a first end thereof positioned outside of said body cavity for discharge of fluid, said first end having a normally closed, one-way slit valve formed therein and adapted to be opened by a differential pressure between the body cavity and the position of discharge of the fluid; and

c. an elongate, generally cylindrically shaped, pump tube constructed from a resilient, nonmetallic material, such as silicone rubber, and interconnecting said inlet and outlet conduits, said pump tube including means for determining the clogging up of said surgical drain at any one of three separate points, said means including;

1. an inlet into said pump tube, said inlet comprising an end wall integrally formed with said pump tube, said end wall having a slit formed therein to form a one-way slit valve, said slit adapted to be opened by digital pressure applied thereto in a direction substantially in the plane of a slit and radially outwardly from the slit without creating undesirable back pressure in the inlet conduit, thereby enabling the determination whether said slit valve has become clogged up, 2. a single pump chamber disposed downstream from the slit valve of said pump tube, taken with respect to the direction of fluid flow from the inlet of the pump tube to the outlet conduit, (i) said pump chamber being of sufficient length that, upon actuation thereof by application of digital pressure thereto, fluid is caused to flow only through the outlet conduit and the slit valve formed in the outlet conduit without opening of otherwise affecting the operation of the slit valve or the pump tube thereby enabling the determination whether clogging up of said outlet conduit or its slit valve exists, (ii) said pump chamber, upon actuation thereof by application of digital pressure thereto and simultaneous opening of the pump tube slit valve by application of digital pressure thereto in the plane of the slit thereof, causing fluid to flow in opposite directions, thereby enabling the determination whether clogging up of said inlet conduit exists where it has previously been determined that neither the pump tube inlet slit valve nor the outlet conduit and its slit valve is clogged up, And 3. means for affixing and maintaining said pump tube, following subcutaneously implanting thereof, within body tissue such that the slit in the pump tube slit valve is disposed in a predetermined position substantially normal to the skin whereby digital pressure applied to said slit valve will distort said end wall and open the slit without rotating said slit out of its said predetermined position normal to the skin, whereby said means enables the opening of said pump tube slit valve with the application of minimum digital pressure.

2. A drain in accordance with claim 1 wherein the means for affixing the pump tube to body tissue comprises a pair of opposed projecting flat wings integrally formed thereon.

3. means for affixing and maintaining said pump tube, following subcutaneously implanting thereof, within body tissue such that the slit in the pump tube slit valve is disposed in a predetermined position substantially normal to the skin whereby digital pressure applied to said slit valve will distort said end wall and open the slit without rotating said slit out of its said predetermined position normal to the skin, whereby said means enables the opening of said pump tube slit valve with the application of minimum digital pressure.

4. In a surgical drain for shunting fluid from a body cavity, such as ventricle cavity, and of the type adapted to be subcutaneously implanted and including a flexible pump tube which may be compressed by digital pressure applied to the skin, the pump having a one-way slit valve, the drain also having a one-way outlet valve, the valves being normally closed and adapted to be opened by the differential pressure between the cavity and the position of discharge of the fluid, the improvements in combination comprising:

a. said slit valve being disposed within the pump tube adjacent one end thereof and having an end wall with a transversely extending normally closed slit therein, b. the pump tube and end wall being integrally formed of resilient non-metallic material, such as silicone rubber, c. the slit adapted to be opened by digital pressure applied to the pump tube in a direction substantially in the plane of the slit and at a position on the pump tube adjacent and radially outward from the slit, d. said pump tube including means for positioning said tube, following subcutaneously implanting thereof, within body tissue such that the slit is disposed substantially normal to the skin, whereby digital pressure applied to same may distort said end wall and open the slit, and e. the drain tube is formed of at least two telescoping sealed portions having different diameters for permitting it to be lengthened to accomodate body growth, the portion having the larger diameter including an annular, radially inwardly extending rib formed on the inner surface thereof, the portion having the smaller diameter including one or more annular radially outwardly extending ribs formed on the outer surface thereof, each rib of one of said portions being disposed in sealing engagement with the adjacent surface of the other said portion, and the rib of one portion cooperating with an adjacent rib of the other portion to resist longitudinal separation of one portion from the other.