Methods and devices for noninvasive pressure measurment in ventricular shunts

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a system and method for monitoring the intraluminal pressure in a ventricular shunt. The shunt may have one or more measurement nodes housing a pressure-sensitive body that changes dimensions in response to the pressure of the cerebrospinal fluid within the lumen of the shunt. The change in the dimensions of the pressure-sensitive body may be measured transcutaneously using an ultrasonic transducer and processed using a processor to estimate the intraluminal pressure. The shunt may include one or more pressure-measurement nodes distributed along the length of the shunt to enable the detection of shunt occlusions and valve malfunctioning.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a ventricular shunt and a monitoring unit in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2A shows a front view of the shunt of FIG. 1.

FIG. 2B shows a side view of the shunt of FIG. 1.

FIG. 2C shows a front view of a measurement node of the shunt of FIG. 1.

FIG. 2D shows a side view of a measurement node of the shunt of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of an ultrasound probe positioned on the measurement node of the shunt of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of the ultrasound probe positioned on an embodiment the measurement node of the shunt of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5A shows a front view of another embodiment of the shunt.

FIG. 5B shows a side view of another embodiment of the shunt.

FIG. 6A shows a front view of another embodiment of the measurement node.

FIG. 6B shows a side view of another embodiment of the measurement node.

FIG. 7A shows a front view of another embodiment of the measurement node.

FIG. 7B shows a side view of another embodiment of the measurement node.

FIG. 8A shows a front view of another embodiment of the shunt.

FIG. 8B shows a side view of another embodiment of the shunt.

FIG. 9 shows a front view of another embodiment of the shunt.

Claims

1. A ventricular shunt for draining a cerebrospinal fluid from a brain comprising: a tubing with a lumen;a first node disposed at a first location along the length of the tubing;the first node includes a first body that is configured to change dimensions in response to a first pressure at the first location;

2. The shunt of claim 1, wherein the dimensions of the first body is measured ultrasonically.

3. The shunt of claim 1, wherein the dimensions of the first body are used to determine the first pressure at the first location.

4. The shunt of claim 1, wherein the first pressure is determined from the dimensions of the first body using a predetermined calibration.

5. A ventricular shunt for draining a cerebrospinal fluid from a brain comprising: a tubing with a lumen;a first node disposed at a first location along the length of the tubing;a second node disposed at a second location along the length of the tubing;the first node includes a first body that is configured to change dimensions in response to a first pressure at the first location;the second node includes a second body that is configured to change dimensions in response to a second pressure at the second location;

6. The shunt of claim 5, wherein the dimensions of the first body and the dimensions of the second body are measured ultrasonically.

7. The shunt of claim 5, wherein the dimensions of the first body are used to determine the first pressure and the dimensions of the second body are used to determine the second pressure.

8. The shunt of claim 5, wherein a difference between the first pressure and the second pressure is used to detect occlusion between the first location and the second location.