Apparatus and method for adjusting a locking mechanism of a shunt valve
First Claim
1. A shunt valve assembly comprising:
- a housing having an inlet port and an outlet port, the housing configured to carry a fluid between the inlet port and the outlet port;
a valve coupled to the housing and in fluid communication with the inlet port and the outlet port, the valve having a pressure setting mechanism configured to adjust a pressure at which the valve will release fluid from the inlet port to the outlet port;
an electromechanical brake assembly having a brake member disposed in proximity to the pressure setting mechanism; and
a signal receiver in electrical communication with the electromechanical brake assembly, the signal receiver configured to receive an activation signal and transmit a positioning signal to the electromechanical brake assembly, in response to receiving the activation signal, to;
(i) position the brake member in a first position relative to the pressure setting mechanism when the activation signal has a first value, and(ii) position the brake member in a second position relative to the pressure setting mechanism when the activation signal has a second value.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A shunt valve assembly includes an electromechanical brake mechanism that locks a position of a pressure setting mechanism within a shunt valve assembly. The electromechanical brake can maintain the position of the pressure setting mechanism in the presence of a relatively strong magnetic field to maintain a set pressure differential within the shunt valve assembly. In certain cases, the shunt valve requires repositioning of the pressure setting mechanism within the shunt valve assembly to adjust a fluid flow rate through the shunt valve assembly. A clinician can activate an external controller to transmit a signal to the shunt valve assembly through magnetically coupled antennas between the controller and the shunt valve. The shunt valve assembly utilizes the signal to activate the braking mechanism and unlock the pressure setting mechanism. The clinician then operates the controller to non-invasively reposition the pressure setting mechanism and adjust the pressure at which the shunt valve opens.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A shunt valve assembly comprising:
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a housing having an inlet port and an outlet port, the housing configured to carry a fluid between the inlet port and the outlet port; a valve coupled to the housing and in fluid communication with the inlet port and the outlet port, the valve having a pressure setting mechanism configured to adjust a pressure at which the valve will release fluid from the inlet port to the outlet port; an electromechanical brake assembly having a brake member disposed in proximity to the pressure setting mechanism; and a signal receiver in electrical communication with the electromechanical brake assembly, the signal receiver configured to receive an activation signal and transmit a positioning signal to the electromechanical brake assembly, in response to receiving the activation signal, to; (i) position the brake member in a first position relative to the pressure setting mechanism when the activation signal has a first value, and (ii) position the brake member in a second position relative to the pressure setting mechanism when the activation signal has a second value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A shunt valve system comprising:
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a shunt valve assembly having; a housing having an inlet port and an outlet port, the housing configured to carry a fluid between the inlet port and the outlet port, a valve coupled to the housing, the valve having a pressure setting mechanism configured to adjust a pressure of the fluid carried by the housing, an electromechanical brake assembly having a brake member disposed in proximity to the pressure setting mechanism, and a signal receiver in electrical communication with the electromechanical brake assembly; and a controller having a signal transmitter configured to transmit an activation signal to the signal receiver of the shunt valve assembly, the signal receiver configured to receive the activation signal and transmit a positioning signal to the electromechanical brake assembly, in response to receiving the activation signal, (i) to position the brake member in a first position relative to the pressure setting mechanism when the activation signal has a first value, and (ii) to position the brake member in a second position relative to the pressure setting mechanism when the activation signal has a second value. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for positioning a pressure setting mechanism of a shunt valve assembly comprising:
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orienting a controller relative to a shunt valve assembly, the controller having a signal transmitter and the shunt valve assembly having a signal receiver in electrical communication with an electromechanical brake assembly, the electromechanical brake assembly having a brake member disposed in proximity to a pressure setting mechanism of the shunt valve assembly; transmitting, via the signal transmitter, an activation signal to the signal receiver of the shunt valve assembly; and generating, via the signal receiver, a positioning signal (i) to position the brake member of the electromechanical brake assembly in a first position relative to the pressure setting mechanism when the activation signal has a first value and (ii) to position the brake member in a second position relative to the pressure setting mechanism when the activation signal has a second value. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification