155 results about "Hydrocephalus" patented technology

Methods and apparatus for treating hydrocephalus caused by obstructions in the ventricular system and subarachnoid space of the brain. Embodiments include medical devices and methods for use within the subarachnoid space of the central nervous system to gain access to and treat an obstruction within the ventricles of the brain or a subarachnoid hemorrhage. The obstruction may be aspirated by an aspiration catheter for use in the subarachnoid space. A subarachnoid delivery catheter may then be used to deliver an intraventricular shunt to the opening in the obstruction via the subarachnoid space. A distal end of the delivery catheter is navigated across the obstruction to deploy the intraventricular shunt therein. The intraventricular shunt so positioned reopens the pathway between the ventricles and permits the return of normal cerebrospinal fluid flow there through.

The invention relates to systems and methods for assessing blood flow in single or multiple vessels and segments, for assessing vascular health, for conducting clinical trials, for screening therapeutic interventions for effect, for assessing risk factors, for evaluating intracranial pressure and for analyzing the results in a defined manner. The invention enables direct monitoring of therapies, substances and devices on blood vessels, especially those of the cerebral vasculature. Relevant blood flow parameters include mean flow velocity, systolic acceleration, and pulsatility index. Measurement and analysis of these parameters, and others, provides details regarding the vascular health of individual and multiple vessels and a global analysis of an individual's overall vascular health. The invention can track the onset, progression and treatment efficacy in an individual experiencing increased intracranial pressure, or can help identify underlying vulnerabilities of the vascular system to normal pressures, associated with and manifested as hydrocphalus or dementia.

A shunt system for controlling the flow of fluid from one region of a patient to a different region of the patient's body. The shunt system includes endoscopic placement features so that the system can be placed endoscopically in a minimally invasive surgery. Also provided is a single fluid flow control device having flow control characteristics previously obtainable only by connecting in series two or more shunt system components. In addition, the shunt system includes a selectively engageable locking mechanism that allows the system to be assembled quickly and easily, without the need for sutures or adhesives. The present assembly process minimizes the possibility of any unintended fluid leakage from the device.

Normal pressure hydrocephalus is treated by removing cerebralspinal fluid (CSF) from a CSF space of a patient. In particular, CSF is drained while pressure within the CSF space remains within an expected normal range for the patient.

Hydrocephalus valves, the valve pressure of which, when the patient is in the standing position, is determined at least partly by the weight of an additional gravitation part, are provided with an adjustable spring which partly or fully neutralizes the action of the weight. The abstract of the disclosure is submitted herewith as required by 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b). As stated in 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b): A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification must commence on a separate sheet, preferably following the claims, under the heading “Abstract of the Disclosure.” The purpose of the abstract is to enable the Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and gist of the technical disclosure. The abstract shall not be used for interpreting the scope of the claims. Therefore, any statements made relating to the abstract are not intended to limit the claims in any manner and should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any manner.

Methods and devices are provided for shunting fluid to treat hydrocephalous, and in particular for treating normal pressure hydrocephalous, or Alzheimer's, Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (IIH), or any other condition in which it is necessary to drain and/or cleanse CSF. The methods and devices utilize a shunt having an inlet port, and outlet port, and a flow control component for controlling fluid flow from the inlet port to the outlet port. The shunt can be implanted at a location along or within a patient's spinal column. In one exemplary embodiment, an inlet port of a shunt can be implanted within the subarachnoid space, and an outlet port of a shunt can be implanted at a drainage site. In certain exemplary embodiments, the cerebrospinal fluid is drained into the epidural space.

The present invention relates to devices and systems that alter intracranial compliance, cerebral blood flow and/or intracranial pressure pulsatility/waveform by oscillating the contraction and expansion of a compressible composition within the cranial or spinal cavities such that they increase intracranial capacity. The contraction and expansion of the compressible composition in the oscillating compliance devices can be due to an individual's intracranial pressure, the result of the expansion and compression of a reservoir which is mediated by the contractility of the heart or driven by a pump gaited to a biorhythm. The invention also relates to methods for protecting an individual's brain from abnormal arterial pulsations and for altering an individual's cerebral blood flow using the devices and systems of the invention. The oscillating compliance devices can be used to treat several diseases and/or conditions characterized by altered/abnormal intracranial compliance, cerebral blood flow and/or intracranial pressure pulsatility/waveform, including hydrocephalus, stroke, dementia and migraine headaches, vasospasms, congestive heart failure, cardiopulmonary bypass or carotid endarterectomy.

An implantable system for the treatment of hydrocephalus includes a plurality of microneedles in a fixed array relative to each other adapted to extend from the subarachnoid space containing CSF surrounding the brain, through dura mater forming the wall of the superior sagital sinus. A microvalve is associated with a proximal end of each of the microneedles and is adapted to permit the flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from the subarachnoid space through the wall of the superior sagital sinus and deposited in the venous return of the brain. The method of treating hydrocephalus with the system of this invention also constitutes a part of the invention.

An implantable hydrocephalus shunt system. The abstract of the disclosure is submitted herewith as required by 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b). As stated in 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b): A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification must commence on a separate sheet, preferably following the claims, under the heading “Abstract of the Disclosure.” The purpose of the abstract is to enable the Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and gist of the technical disclosure. The abstract shall not be used for interpreting the scope of the claims. Therefore, any statements made relating to the abstract are not intended to limit the claims in any manner and should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any manner.

The present invention relates to a method and system to regulate pressure in an object, and is especially suitable for regulating intracranial pressure in people suffering from hydrocephalus. The system includes the measurement of physical parameters other than the pressure to be regulated, especially the present position of the object, such as the inclination.

The invention relates to a subcutaneous valve having opening pressure that can be adjusted non-invasively from the outside, said valve comprising a body presenting a chamber with a cylindrical inside side wall, an inlet duct and an outlet duct for cerebospinal fluid both opening out in said side wall, a valve member such as a ball placed at the inside end of said inlet duct, a spring blade fitting closely to the side wall of said chamber and urging the valve member against its seat, and a moving member controlled from the outside and provided with means for locking it in a determined position, the length of the spring blade acting on the valve member being determined by the position of said moving member. The valve is remarkable in that said moving member is constituted by a resilient flexible arcuate blade fitting closely to the cylindrical inside wall of said chamber. The valve is applicable to the treatment of hydrocephalus.

A method and device for shunting fluid from high pressure volumes to low pressure volumes to treat various medical problems caused by an imbalance or malfunction of the regulation of flow between these volumes. Typical problems where the method and device are employed include the treatment of incontinence, treatment of hydrocephalus, treatment of elevated intra-cranial pressure, treatment of elevated intra-ocular pressure and the like. The controlled release of fluid from the high pressure volume is accomplished by inserting a sponge using an insertion device such as an endoscope. The sponge retains and releases fluid in response to a pressure differential between the high and lower pressure volumes. The sponge material may be natural or synthetic and sponges with different porosity and fluid retention are provided to achieve desired flow characteristics. The sponges can be provided with different shapes to allow it to conform to the anatomy and may have additional or integral modules that attach it to the anatomical structures.

An implantable system for the treatment of hydrocephalus has a plurality of hollow microneedles in a fixed array. The microneedles have passages there through and are of a size to extend through dura mater with a proximal end on one side of the dura mater and a distal end communicating with the venous system in an area on a second side of the dura mater. An array of microvalves associated with a proximal end of the microneedles include segments movable by a pressure build up of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) within the interior of the brain to provide open communication between the interior of the brain on one side of the dura mater and the venous system on the second side of the dura mater. A plurality of fluid transmitting members has distal ends communicating with the microvalves and a proximal end communicating with the ventricular space of the brain. The fluid transmitting members transmit CSF from the ventricular space through the microvalves and micro needles in fluid communication with the fluid transmitting members to prevent an excessive pressure build up of CSF within the interior of the brain

The invention discloses a new external Chinese medicinal composition for treating hydrocephalus and a preparation method thereof. The Chinese medicinal composition mainly comprises the following raw material medicaments: szechuan lovage rhizome, grassleaf sweelflag rhizome, manchurian wildginger, incised notopterygium rhizome, fineleaf schizonepeta herb, divaricate saposhnikovia root, cassia twig, Chinese ligusticum rhizome, angelica dahurlica, kudzuvine root, flos chrysanthemi, baical skullcap root, ash bark, lightyellow sophora root, radix scrophulariae, red paeony root, giant knotweed rhizome, natural indigo, vietnamese sophora root, Indian buead, Chinese lobelia herb, cortex lycii radicis, rhubarb, akebia stem, oriental waterplantain rhizome, plantain seed, India madder root, cattail pollen, rosewood heart wood, peach seed, safflower, root of red-rooted salvia, common burreed rhizome, zedoary, ground beeltle, storax, borneol, camphor, toad venom, musk, benzoin, sandalwood, mint, pubescent angelica root, beautiful sweetgum fruit, radix stephaniae tetrandrae, glandularstalk St paulswort herb, cortex acanthopanax radicis, swordlike atractylodes rhizome, herba agastachis, cortex magnoliae officinalis, talc, manshurian dutchmanspipe stem, ricepaperplant pith, Japanese climbing rern spore, pyrrosia leaf, longhairy antenoron herb, prepared common monkshood daughter root, costustoot, cyperus rotunus, szechwan chinaberry fruit, pangolin scales and the like. The Chinese medicinal composition can be prepared into any external preparation used commonly according to the conventional method of Chinese medicinal preparations. The external Chinese medicinal composition can improve symptoms such as increased intracranial pressure, pain of bilateral tempus or whole skull, nausea, cephaloedema or optic atrophy, mental retardation, dyskinesia, phenomena from slow walk and disequilibrium to incapability of walking and finally ill-health in beds, dysphrenia and hypomnesis.

A valve for use in a shunt system to drain fluid from one part of a patient's body to another is provided. In an exemplary embodiment, the valve is operable at a threshold pressure that is selectively adjustable up to at least about 400 mm H₂O at increments in the range of about 10 mm H₂O to 40 mm H₂O. The ability of the valve to operate at a high threshold pressure and to be adjusted at relatively small increments renders the valve particularly advantageous for use in younger hydrocephalus patients. In particular, the operating pressure of the valve can be gradually limited in small increments over a period of time to slowly force the patient's own resorption system to circulate cerebrospinal fluid. At high operating pressures of at least about 400 mm H₂O shunt independence can be achieved thereby allowing the shunt to be successfully removed.

Systems and methods for use in monitoring treatment of pressure-related conditions, such as hydrocephalus, include an implantable vessel, and a meter including one or more microfluidic channels connected to the vessel. The microfluidic channels may be configured to detect at least one of pressure and fluid flow rate through the vessel and to be read out remotely by a wirelessly coupled external device. The meter may include a passive resonant (LC) circuit. A dynamic flap may be included in the microfluidic channel that may act as part of the LC circuit. An external device may also be configured to inductively couple remotely to the LC circuit, with-out physical connections to the implantable vessel or pressure meter, and to display a pressure acting on the pressure meter and/or a fluid flow through the meter.

Methods and devices are provided for shunting fluid to treat hydrocephalous, and in particular for treating normal pressure hydrocephalous, or Alzheimer's, Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (IIH), or any other condition in which it is necessary to drain and/or cleanse CSF. The methods and devices utilize a shunt having an inlet port, and outlet port, and a flow control component for controlling fluid flow from the inlet port to the outlet port. The shunt can be implanted at a location along or within a patient's spinal column. In one exemplary embodiment, an inlet port of a shunt can be implanted within the subarachnoid space, and an outlet port of a shunt can be implanted at a drainage site. In certain exemplary embodiments, the cerebrospinal fluid is drained into the epidural space.