Systems, devices, and methods including infection-fighting and monitoring shunts
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An implantable shunt system, comprising:
- a body structure having a surface defining one or more fluid-flow passageways configured to receive a biological fluid of a biological subject; and
one or more energy emitters configured to emit a pulsed thermal sterilizing stimulus of a character and for a time sufficient to induce apoptosis without substantially inducing necrosis of at least a portion of cells within the biological fluid proximate the surface of the body structure in response to a real-time detected change of an index of refraction parameter associated with the biological fluid within the interior of at least one fluid passageway, wherein the change in the index of refraction parameter is an indication of an infectious agent within the biological fluid.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Systems, devices, methods, and compositions are described for providing an actively controllable shunt configured to, for example, monitor, treat, or prevent an infection.
228 Citations
29 Claims
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1. An implantable shunt system, comprising:
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a body structure having a surface defining one or more fluid-flow passageways configured to receive a biological fluid of a biological subject; and one or more energy emitters configured to emit a pulsed thermal sterilizing stimulus of a character and for a time sufficient to induce apoptosis without substantially inducing necrosis of at least a portion of cells within the biological fluid proximate the surface of the body structure in response to a real-time detected change of an index of refraction parameter associated with the biological fluid within the interior of at least one fluid passageway, wherein the change in the index of refraction parameter is an indication of an infectious agent within the biological fluid. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of inhibiting a microbial colonization in the cerebrospinal fluid of a biological subject, comprising:
selectively energizing one or more regions of at least one cerebrospinal fluid-flow passageway of an indwelling implant via one or more pulsed thermal stimuli emitting components in response to an automatically detected real time optical density parameter associated with a cerebrospinal fluid received within the at least one cerebrospinal fluid-flow passageway;
wherein the optical density parameter is indicative of a microbial colonization of the cerebrospinal fluid.- View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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20. A method, comprising:
providing a pulsed thermal sterilizing stimulus to an interior of at least one cerebrospinal fluid-flow passageway of an implanted device in response to a real-time detected change in a refractive index parameter indicative of a presence of an infectious agent within the at least one cerebrospinal fluid-flow passageway of the implanted device. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method, comprising:
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providing a pulsed thermal sterilizing stimulus to an interior of at least one cerebrospinal fluid-flow passageway of an implanted device in response to a change in a refractive index parameter indicative of a presence of an infectious agent within the at least one cerebrospinal fluid-flow passageway of the implanted device; and providing a pulsed thermal sterilizing stimulus to a tissue proximate an outer surface of the implanted device; wherein providing pulsed thermal sterilizing stimulus includes independently delivering, in vivo, at least one of a first pulsed thermal sterilizing stimulus to a cerebrospinal fluid received within the interior of at least one fluid-flow passageway and a second pulsed thermal sterilizing stimulus to a tissue proximate the outer surface of the implanted cerebrospinal fluid management device in response to a real-time detected change in an index of refraction parameter associated with the cerebrospinal fluid received within the interior of at least one fluid-flow passageway.
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28. A method, comprising:
delivering one or more pulsed thermal stimuli to at least one of an interior or an exterior of a cerebrospinal fluid-flow passageway of an indwelling implant apparatus in response to a real-time detected in vivo detected change in a refractive parameter indicative of a presence of an infectious agent proximate the exterior or the interior of the cerebrospinal fluid-flow passageway. - View Dependent Claims (29)
Specification