Transcutaneous telemetry of cerebrospinal fluid shunt programmable-valve pressure using near-infrared (NIR) light
First Claim
1. A system for regulating an internal programmable valve implanted in a medical patient comprising:
- a subcutaneous case;
a valve in the case with access to an internal fluid;
a subcutaneous magnet connected to the valve;
a transcutaneous magnet;
a magnetic flux coupling between the subcutaneous magnet and the transcutaneous magnet;
an encoder disk within the case connected to the valve;
a near infrared optical source producing a near infrared source signal;
the near infrared source signal incident on the encoder disk;
an optical receiver in communication with the near infrared source signal and generating an angular position signal related to the angular position of the encoder disk;
a conversion circuit transforming the angular position signal into an encoded near infrared optical signal;
the conversion circuit comprising a reference signal generated by a frequency generator, and a frequency divider in communication with the reference signal and the angular position signal;
the near infrared optical source connected to the frequency divider and producing a transmitted near infrared optical signal;
the near infrared optical source further comprising a beam splitter in the path of the transmitted near infrared optical signal, the beam splitter being adapted to partition the transmitted near infrared optical signal into the near infrared optical source signal and a transcutaneous near infrared data signal; and
an inductive power coupling providing power to the near infrared optical source, the optical receiver and the conversion circuit.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An improvement for a programmable valve system of the type which is implanted in a medical patient and used to divert cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from an intraventricular space of the patient to a terminus such as the patient peritoneal cavity. Such system includes means for establishing a flow path for the CSF to the terminus, which flow path includes a normally closed valve and means for adjusting the opening pressure of the valve in order to regulate the quantity of CSF diverted. The improvement enables an operator to be apprised of the actual opening pressure setting of the valve. A sensor is implantable at the patient and responds to the actual opening pressure setting, by generating an NIR telemetry signal indicative of the actual setting. This signal is transcutaneously transmitted through the skin of the patient to an external point. The telemetry signal is processed to produce observer intelligible data indicating the opening pressure setting of the valve.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A system for regulating an internal programmable valve implanted in a medical patient comprising:
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a subcutaneous case; a valve in the case with access to an internal fluid; a subcutaneous magnet connected to the valve; a transcutaneous magnet; a magnetic flux coupling between the subcutaneous magnet and the transcutaneous magnet; an encoder disk within the case connected to the valve; a near infrared optical source producing a near infrared source signal; the near infrared source signal incident on the encoder disk; an optical receiver in communication with the near infrared source signal and generating an angular position signal related to the angular position of the encoder disk; a conversion circuit transforming the angular position signal into an encoded near infrared optical signal; the conversion circuit comprising a reference signal generated by a frequency generator, and a frequency divider in communication with the reference signal and the angular position signal; the near infrared optical source connected to the frequency divider and producing a transmitted near infrared optical signal; the near infrared optical source further comprising a beam splitter in the path of the transmitted near infrared optical signal, the beam splitter being adapted to partition the transmitted near infrared optical signal into the near infrared optical source signal and a transcutaneous near infrared data signal; and an inductive power coupling providing power to the near infrared optical source, the optical receiver and the conversion circuit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification