Systems, devices, and methods including infection-fighting and monitoring shunts
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An implantable shunt system, comprising:
- a body structure having an outer surface and an inner surface defining one or more fluid-flow passageways configured to receive a cerebrospinal fluid of a biological subject; and
one or more energy emitters configured to direct an energy stimulus to at least one of an interior and an exterior of at least one of the one or more fluid-flow passageways, the energy stimulus of a character and for a duration sufficient to induce programmed cell death of at least a portion of cells, without substantially inducing necrosis of at least a portion of cells, proximate at least one of the outer surface and the inner surface of the body structure.
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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.
312 Citations
48 Claims
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1. An implantable shunt system, comprising:
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a body structure having an outer surface and an inner surface defining one or more fluid-flow passageways configured to receive a cerebrospinal fluid of a biological subject; and one or more energy emitters configured to direct an energy stimulus to at least one of an interior and an exterior of at least one of the one or more fluid-flow passageways, the energy stimulus of a character and for a duration sufficient to induce programmed cell death of at least a portion of cells, without substantially inducing necrosis of at least a portion of cells, proximate at least one of the outer surface and the inner surface of the body structure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. An in vivo method of treating an infectious agent, comprising:
providing an energy stimulus for a time and amount sufficient to induce programmed cell death of an infectious agent, without substantially inducing necrosis of at least a portion of cells, within a cerebrospinal fluid of a mammal, the cerebrospinal fluid received within one or more fluid-flow passageways of an indwelling implant including one or more energy-emitting components energetically coupleable to an interior of the one or more fluid-flow passageways. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A method of inhibiting a microbial proliferation in the cerebrospinal fluid of a biological subject, comprising:
- selectively energizing one or more regions of at least one fluid-flow passageway of an indwelling implant cerebrospinal fluid management system for a time and amount sufficient to induce programmed cell death of a microbe via one or more energy-emitting components in optical communication with an interior of the least one fluid-flow passageway.
- View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
Specification