Transcutaneous telemetry of cerebrospinal fluid shunt programmable-valve pressure using near-infrared (NIR) light
First Claim
1. A programmable valve system of the type which is implanted in a medical patient and used to divert a quantity cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from an intraventricular space of the patient to a terminus cavity;
- said system including means for establishing a flow path for the CSF to the terminus cavity, which flow path includes a normally closed valve and means for adjusting a pressure setting of the normally closed valve in order to regulate the quantity of CSF diverted;
an improvement enabling an observer to be apprised of the pressure setting, comprising;
(a) a transmitting means, implantable in the medical patient, responsive to the pressure setting, for generating a (near infrared) NIR telemetry signal and indicative of the pressure setting, for transcutaneous transmission through the skin of the medical patient to an external point; and
(b) a receiving means positionable externally of the medical patient, for receiving the NIR telemetry signal at the external point and for producing therefrom observer intelligible data indicating the pressure setting;
wherein the transmitting means comprises;
a NIR emitter emitting a NIR light beam;
a mirror reflecting a first portion of the NIR light beam as a reflected light beam and transmitting a second portion of the NIR light beam as a transcutaneous light beam carrying the telemetry signal;
an optical encoder positioned on the normally closed valve to encode the pressure setting into the reflected light beam as an encoded light beam;
a first photodetector detecting the encoded light beam; and
,an electronic circuit, connected to the photodetector, modulating the NIR emitter at an output frequency in proportion to the pressure setting as detected from the encoded light beam;
wherein the receiving means comprises;
a display device; and
,a second photodetector detecting the transcutaneous light beam;
a frequency detector, connected to the second photo detector, detecting the output frequency;
a microprocessor, connected to the frequency detector, for determining the pressure setting based on the output frequency.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An improvement for a programmable valve system of the type implanted in a patient and used to divert cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from an intraventricular space to a terminus such as the 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 programmable valve system of the type which is implanted in a medical patient and used to divert a quantity cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from an intraventricular space of the patient to a terminus cavity;
- said system including means for establishing a flow path for the CSF to the terminus cavity, which flow path includes a normally closed valve and means for adjusting a pressure setting of the normally closed valve in order to regulate the quantity of CSF diverted;
an improvement enabling an observer to be apprised of the pressure setting, comprising; (a) a transmitting means, implantable in the medical patient, responsive to the pressure setting, for generating a (near infrared) NIR telemetry signal and indicative of the pressure setting, for transcutaneous transmission through the skin of the medical patient to an external point; and (b) a receiving means positionable externally of the medical patient, for receiving the NIR telemetry signal at the external point and for producing therefrom observer intelligible data indicating the pressure setting; wherein the transmitting means comprises; a NIR emitter emitting a NIR light beam; a mirror reflecting a first portion of the NIR light beam as a reflected light beam and transmitting a second portion of the NIR light beam as a transcutaneous light beam carrying the telemetry signal; an optical encoder positioned on the normally closed valve to encode the pressure setting into the reflected light beam as an encoded light beam; a first photodetector detecting the encoded light beam; and
,an electronic circuit, connected to the photodetector, modulating the NIR emitter at an output frequency in proportion to the pressure setting as detected from the encoded light beam; wherein the receiving means comprises; a display device; and
,a second photodetector detecting the transcutaneous light beam; a frequency detector, connected to the second photo detector, detecting the output frequency; a microprocessor, connected to the frequency detector, for determining the pressure setting based on the output frequency. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
- said system including means for establishing a flow path for the CSF to the terminus cavity, which flow path includes a normally closed valve and means for adjusting a pressure setting of the normally closed valve in order to regulate the quantity of CSF diverted;
Specification