Systems, devices, and methods including infection-fighting and monitoring shunts

• US 8,414,517 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2010
• Issued: 04/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gearbox LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Dacey, Ralph G. Jr., Hyde, Roderick A., Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Kare, Jordin T., Leuthardt, Eric C., Myhrvold, Nathan P., Rivet, Dennis J., Smith, Michael A., Sweeney, Elizabeth A., Tegreene, Clarence T., Wood, Lowell L. Jr., Wood, Victoria Y. H.
• Primary Examiner(s): DEAK, LESLIE R
• Application Number:
  US12/800,793
• Publication Number:
  US 20100240017A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,054 Days
• Field of Search: 604/6.08, 604/8, 604/9, 604/20
• US Class Current: 604/8
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/20 using laser
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0084 for introduction into the body, e.g. by catheters A61B5/1459 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/053 Measuring electrical impedance or conductance of a portion of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/145 Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration, pH value; Measuring characteristics of body fluids or tissues, e.g. interstitial fluid, cerebral tissuemeasuring of blood pressure or blood flow A61B5/02; non-radiation detecting or locating of foreign bodies in blood A61B5/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14503 invasive, e.g. introduced into the body by a catheter or needle or using implanted sensors A61B5/1459, A61B5/1464, A61B5/1473, A61B5/1482, A61B5/14865 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14539 for measuring pH
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14546 for measuring analytes not otherwise provided for, e.g. ions, cytochromes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1459 invasive, e.g. introduced into the body by a catheter A61B5/1464 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1473 invasive, e.g. introduced into the body by a catheter A61B5/1482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/412 Detecting or monitoring sepsis
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/0011 using physical methods
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/08 Radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/14 Plasma, i.e. ionised gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/24 Medical instruments, e.g. endoscopes, catheters, sharps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 27/006 Cerebrospinal drainage; Accessories therefor, e.g. valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14276 specially adapted for implantation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/205 for promoting a biological process
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37252 Details of algorithms or data aspects of communication system, e.g. handshaking, transmitting specific data or segmenting data
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3785 generated by biological activity or substance, e.g. body movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 : from an external energy source
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/40 : Applying electric fields by inductive or capacitive coupling microwave apparatus A61N5/00; Applying radio-frequency signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/403 : for thermotherapy, e.g. hyperthermia
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0651 : Diodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0652 : Arrays of diodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0661 : ultraviolet
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/02 : using microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0601 : Apparatus for use inside the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0624 : for eliminating microbes, germs, bacteria on or in the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/10 : X-ray therapy; Gamma-ray therapy; Particle-irradiation therapy A61N5/01 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/00 : Ultrasound therapy lithotripsy A61B17/22, A61B17/225; massage using supersonic vibration A61H23/00 ; using ultrasound for introducing media into the body A61M37/0092

Abstract

Systems, devices, methods, and compositions are described for providing an actively controllable shunt configured to, for example, monitor, treat, or prevent an infection.

Claims

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;

one or more energy emitters configured to emit an energy stimulus to one or more regions proximate at least one of the outer surface and the inner surface of the body structure, the energy stimulus of a character and for a duration sufficient to induce programmed cell death 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; and

a sensor component in optical communication along an optical path with at least one of the one or more energy emitters;

wherein the sensor component includes a biological molecule capture layer having an array of different binding molecules that specifically bind one or more target molecules.

2. The implantable shunt system of claim 1, wherein the one or more energy emitters are configured to direct a pulsed optical energy waveform along an optical path of a character and for a duration sufficient to cause a biological mass within a cerebrospinal fluid interrogated by the pulsed optical energy waveform to temporarily expand.

3. The implantable shunt system of claim 1, wherein the one or more energy emitters are configured to direct a pulsed optical energy stimulus along an optical path in an amount and for a duration sufficient to elicit the formation of acoustic waves associated with changes in a biological mass present along the optical path.

4. The implantable shunt system of claim 1, further comprising:

a controller operably coupled to the one or more energy emitters, the controller configured to control at least one parameter associated with a delivery of the energy stimulus.

5. The implantable shunt system of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one processor, the at least one processor communicably coupled to at least one of the one or more energy emitters and configured to control at least one of

a duration time, an amount of energy, a delivery schedule, a delivery pattern, an excitation amount, an excitation type, and a delivery location

associated with the delivery of the energy stimulus.

6. The implantable shunt system of claim 1, wherein the sensor component is configured to detect spectral information.

7. The implantable shunt system of claim 1, wherein the sensor component includes one or more sensors configured to detect at least one characteristic associated with the cerebrospinal fluid of the biological subject.

8. The implantable shunt system of claim 1, wherein the sensor component is configured to detect at least one of an emitted energy and a remitted energy, and to generate a response based on the detected at least one of the emitted energy and the remitted energy.

9. The implantable shunt system of claim 1, wherein the sensor component includes one or more sensors configured to detect at least one physiological characteristic associated with the biological subject.

10. The implantable shunt system of claim 9, further comprising:

one or more processors configured to perform a comparison of the detected at least one physiological characteristic of the biological subject to stored reference data, and to generate a response based at least in part on the comparison.

11. 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;

one or more energy emitters configured to emit an energy stimulus to one or more regions proximate at least one of the outer surface and the inner surface of the body structure, the energy stimulus of a character and for a duration sufficient to induce programmed cell death 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; and

a sensor component in optical communication along an optical path with at least one of the one or more energy emitters;

wherein the sensor component includes one or more sensors configured to detect at least one characteristic associated with the cerebrospinal fluid of the biological subject;

wherein the at least one characteristic associated with the cerebrospinal fluid includes at least one of a psychotic disorder indication parameter, a psychotic state indication parameter, a psychotic trait indication parameter, a psychosis indication parameter, and a predisposition for a psychosis indication parameter.

12. 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;

one or more energy emitters configured to emit an energy stimulus to one or more regions proximate at least one of the outer surface and the inner surface of the body structure, the energy stimulus of a character and for a duration sufficient to induce programmed cell death 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;

a sensor component in optical communication along an optical path with at least one of the one or more energy emitters; and

one or more processors configured to perform a comparison of the at least one characteristic associated with the cerebrospinal fluid to stored reference data, and to generate a response based at least in part on the comparison;

wherein the sensor component includes one or more sensors configured to detect at least one characteristic associated with the cerebrospinal fluid of the biological subject.

13. The implantable shunt system of claim 12, wherein the generated response includes a psychiatric disorder probability score.

14. 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;

one or more energy emitters configured to emit an energy stimulus to one or more regions proximate at least one of the outer surface and the inner surface of the body structure, the energy stimulus of a character and for a duration sufficient to induce programmed cell death 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; and

a sensor component in optical communication along an optical path with at least one of the one or more energy emitters;

wherein the sensor component includes one or more refractive index sensors.

15. 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;

one or more energy emitters configured to emit an energy stimulus to one or more regions proximate at least one of the outer surface and the inner surface of the body structure, the energy stimulus of a character and for a duration sufficient to induce programmed cell death 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; and

a sensor component in optical communication along an optical path with at least one of the one or more energy emitters;

wherein the sensor component includes one or more surface plasmon resonance sensors.

16. A method, comprising:

providing an energy stimulus to an interior of one or more fluid-flow passageways of an in vivo implanted cerebrospinal fluid management device in response to a change in an optical parameter associated with a cerebrospinal fluid received within the at least one fluid-flow passageway;

wherein providing the energy stimulus to the interior of the one or more fluid-flow passageways of an in vivo implanted cerebrospinal fluid management device includes providing an energy stimulus to an interior of one or more fluid-flow passageways of an in vivo implanted cerebrospinal fluid management device in response to a change in a refractive index parameter associated with a cerebrospinal fluid received within the at least one fluid-flow passageway.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein providing the energy stimulus includes concurrently or sequentially providing at least a first energy stimulus and a second energy stimulus the second energy stimulus different from the first energy stimulus;

wherein the first energy stimulus comprises one of an electromagnetic energy stimulus, an electrical energy stimulus, an ultrasonic energy stimulus, or a thermal energy stimulus, and the second energy stimulus comprises a different one of an electromagnetic energy stimulus, an electrical energy stimulus, an ultrasonic energy stimulus, or a thermal energy stimulus.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

providing an energy stimulus to a tissue proximate an outer surface of the implantable fluid management device.