Device for the treatment of hydrocephalus

• US 7,118,548 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2001
• Issued: 10/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SINU Shunt A/S
• Original Assignee: SINU Shunt A/S
• Inventors: Børgesen, Svend Erik
• Primary Examiner(s): Thanh, Loan H.
• Application Number:
  US09/858,951
• Publication Number:
  US 20020128588A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,972 Days
• Field of Search: 604 8- 10, 604/128, 604/129, 604/523
• US Class Current: 604/9
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 27/006 Cerebrospinal drainage; Accessories therefor, e.g. valves

Abstract

A cerebrospinal fluid shunt system comprises a brain ventricular catheter for insertion into the brain ventricle so as to drain cerebrospinal fluid from the brain ventricle. The system also comprises a sinus sagittalis catheter for insertion into the sinus sagittalis for feeding the cerebrospinal fluid into sinus sagittalis. A shunt main body is connected at one end thereof to the brain ventricle catheter and at another end thereof to the sinus sagittalis catheter. The shunt main body can provide fluidic communication between the brain ventricle catheter and the sinus sagittalis catheter. The system further comprises a tubular flow passage restricting member defined within the shunt main body. The tubular flow passage restricting member defines a resistance to flow of 8-12 mm Hg/ml/min.

Claims

1. A cerebrospinal fluid shunt system comprising:

brain ventricle catheter to insert into the brain ventricle so to drain cerebrospinal fluid from the brain ventricle;

sinus sagittalis catheter to insert into the sinus sagittalis for feeding the cerebrospinal fluid into the sinus sagittalis;

shunt main body connected at one location thereof to the brain ventricle catheter and at another location thereof to the sinus sagittalis catheter to provide fluidic communication between the brain ventricle catheter and the sinus sagittalis catheter, and

flow restricting passage defined within the shunt main body to maintain a substantially constant resistance to flow of the shunt system within the range of 8-12 mmHg/ml/min.

2. A cerebrospinal fluid shunt system according to claim 1, wherein the substantially constant resistance to flow of the shunt system is about 10 mmHg/ml/min.

3. A cerebrospinal fluid shunt system according to claim 1, further comprising a check valve within the shunt main body to prevent the cerebrospinal fluid from flowing back from the sinus sagittalis catheter to the brain ventricle catheter.

4. A cerebrospinal fluid shunt system according to claim 1, wherein the flow restricting passage comprises a tubular passage having an internal radius of about 0.20 mm or less.

6. A cerebrospinal fluid shunt system according to claim 1, wherein the flow restricting passage maintains the substantially constant resistance to flow independent of an orientation of the shunt main body.

7. A cerebrospinal fluid shunt system according to claim 1, wherein the substantially constant resistance to flow of the shunt system is about 10 mmHg/ml/min.

8. A cerebrospinal fluid shunt system according to claim 1, wherein the substantially constant resistance to flow of the shunt system is about 8 mmHg/ml/min.

19. A cerebrospinal fluid shunt system according to claim 1, wherein the substantially constant resistance to flow of the shunt system is about 8 mmHg/ml/min.

20. A cerebrospinal fluid shunt system according to claim 1, wherein the substantially constant flow of the shunt system is about 10 mmHg/ml/min.

25. A cerebrospinal fluid shunt system according to claim 1, wherein the flow restricting passage comprises a tubular passage having an internal radius of about 0.15 mm.

26. A cerebrospinal fluid shunt system according to claim 1, wherein the flow restricting passage comprises a tubular passage having an internal radius of about 0.10 mm.

5. A cerebrospinal fluid shunt system comprising:

a brain ventricle catheter sized to insert into a brain ventricle of a person so as to drain cerebrospinal fluid from the brain ventricle;

a sinus sagittalis catheter sized to insert into a sinus sagittalis of a person to feed cerebrospinal fluid into the sinus sagittalis;

a main body connected at one location thereon to the brain ventricle catheter and at another location thereon to the sinus sagittalis catheter to provide fluidic communication between the brain ventricle catheter and the sinus sagittalis catheter; and

a flow restricting passage structure defined within the main body to maintain a substantially constant resistance to flow of the shunt system within the range of 8-12 mmHg/ml/min independent of an orientation of the main body.

9. A cerebrospinal fluid shunt system according to claim 5, wherein the flow restricting passage comprises a tubular passage having an internal radius of about 0.20 mm or less.

10. A cerebrospinal fluid shunt system according to claim 5, wherein the brain ventricle catheter is connected to a first end of the main body, and the sinus sagittalis catheter is connected to a second end of the main body.

21. A cerebrospinal fluid shunt system according to claim 5, wherein the substantially constant resistance to flow of the shunt system is about 8 mmHg/ml/min.

22. A cerebrospinal fluid shunt system according to claim 5, wherein the substantially constant resistance to flow of the shunt system is about 12 mmHg/ml/min.

27. A cerebrospinal fluid shunt system according to claim 5, wherein the flow restricting passage comprises a tubular passage having an internal radius of about 0.15 mm.

28. A cerebrospinal fluid shunt system according to claim 5, wherein the flow restricting passage comprises a tubular passage having an internal radius of about 0.10 mm.

11. A cerebrospinal fluid shunt system comprising:

means for insertion into the brain ventricle so as to drain cerebrospinal fluid from the brain ventricle;

means for insertion into the sinus sagittalis for feeding the cerebrospinal fluid into the sinus sagittalis;

means for providing fluidic communication between the means for insertion into the brain ventricle and the means for insertion into the sinus sagittalis, the means for providing fluidic communication connected at one location thereof to the means for insertion into the brain ventricle and at another locations thereof to the means for insertion into the sinus sagittalis; and

means, defined within the means for providing fluidic communication, for maintaining a substantially constant resistance to flow of the shunt system within the range of 8-12 mmHg/ml/min.

12. A cerebrospinal fluid shunt system according to claim 11, wherein the substantially constant resistance to flow of the shunt system is about 10 mmHg/ml/min.

13. A cerebrospinal fluid shunt system according to claim 11, further comprising means, disposed within the means for providing fluidic communication, for preventing the cerebrospinal fluid from flowing back from the means for insertion into the sinus sagittalis to the means for insertion into the brain ventricle.

14. A cerebrospinal fluid shunt system according to claim 11, wherein the means for maintaining a resistance to flow comprises a tubular passage having an internal radius of about 0.20 mm or less.

15. A cerebrospinal fluid shunt system according to claim 11, wherein the means for maintaining a substantially constant resistance to flow maintains a resistance to flow of the shunt system of 8-12 mmHg/ml/min, independent of an orientation of the means for providing fluidic communication.

23. A cerebrospinal fluid shunt system according to claim 11, wherein the substantially constant resistance to flow of the shunt system is about 8 mmHg/ml/min.

24. A cerebrospinal fluid shunt system according to claim 11, wherein the substantially constant resistance to flow of the shunt system is about 12 mmHg/ml/min.

29. A cerebrospinal fluid shunt system according to claim 11, wherein the flow restricting passage comprises a tubular passage having an internal radius of about 0.15 mm.

30. A cerebrospinal fluid system according to claim 11, wherein the flow restricting passage comprises a tubular passage having an internal radius of about 0.10 mm.

16. A cerebrospinal fluid shunt system comprising:

a shunt body sized to extend between a brain ventricle of a person and a sinus sagittalis of the person to provide fluidic communication between the brain ventricle and the sinus sagittalis, the shunt body having a flow restricting structure defined therein to maintain a substantially constant resistance to flow of the shunt system within the range of 8-12 mmHg/ml/min independent of an orientation of the shunt body.

17. A cerebrospinal fluid shunt system according to claim 16, wherein the substantially constant resistance to flow of the shunt system is about 8 mmHg/ml/min.

18. A cerebrospinal fluid shunt system according to claim 16 wherein the substantially constant resistance to flow of the shunt system is about 0.12 mmHg/ml/min.

31. A cerebrospinal fluid shunt system in situ, comprising:

a brain ventricle catheter having an end thereof inserted into a brain ventricle of a patient, so as to drain cerebrospinal fluid from the brain ventricle;

a sinus sagittalis catheter having an end thereof inserted into the sinus sagittalis of the patient for feeding of the cerebrospinal fluid from the brain ventricle into the sinus sagittalis;

a shunt main body connected at one location thereof to the brain ventricle catheter and at another location thereof to the sinus sagittalis catheter to provide fluidic communication between the brain ventricle catheter and the sinus sagittalis catheter; and

a flow restricting passage defined within the shunt main body to maintain a substantially constant resistance to flow from the brain ventricle to the sinus sagittalis within the range of 8-12 mmHg/ml/min.