Drainage systems for excess body fluids and associated methods are disclosed herein. A body fluid drainage system in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology, for example, can include a catheter that has an exterior surface, a proximal portion, and a distal portion opposite the proximal portion. The body fluid drainage system can further include a valve device, a pressure sensor, and a controller operatively coupled to the valve device and the pressure sensor. The valve device can include an actuator positioned over the exterior surface of the catheter. The actuator is movable between an open position that allows body fluid flow through the catheter, a closed position that at least substantially obstructs the body fluid flow through the catheter, and intermediate positions that partially obstruct the body fluid flow through the catheter. The controller can change the position of the actuator in response to a predetermined condition of the pressure sensor.

A method for measuring an intracranial fluid bioimpedance in a patient's head, to help detect an abnormality, may involve: securing a volumetric integral phase-shift spectroscopy (VIPS) device to the patient's head; measuring the intracranial fluid bioimpedance with the VIPS device by measuring a phase shift between a magnetic field transmitted from a transmitter on one side of a VIPS device and a magnetic field received at a receiver on another side of the VIPS device, at one or more frequencies; and detecting an abnormality in the intracranial bioimpedance fluid, using a processor in the VIPS device.

Embodiments relate to a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique in which the two-dimensional (2D) Displacement Encoding with Stimulated Echoes (DENSE) imaging technique and the multiband technique are combined to provide a 2D multi-slice quantitative assessment of displacement, deformation, and mechanics indices of tissue. The scan time is equivalent to the short scan time of the conventional single slice 2D imaging while providing spatial volumetric coverage similar to three-dimensional (3D) imaging. The techniques are combined in both the sequence (i.e., data acquisition) and reconstruction sides. Quantification of tissue displacement and motion is achieved through the combination and further evaluation of tissue mechanical properties is provided by calculating different indices based on the displacement and motion values.

Utilization of a contact device placed on the eye in order to detect physical and chemical parameters of the body as well as the non-invasive delivery of compounds according to these physical and chemical parameters, with signals being transmitted continuously as electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared and the like. One of the parameters to be detected includes non-invasive blood analysis utilizing chemical changes and chemical products that are found in the conjunctiva and in the tear film. A transensor mounted in the contact device laying on the cornea or the surface of the eye is capable of evaluating and measuring physical and chemical parameters in the eye including non-invasive blood analysis. The system utilizes eye lid motion and/or closure of the eye lid to activate a microminiature radio frequency sensitive transensor mounted in the contact device. The signal can be communicated by wires or radio telemetered to an externally placed receiver. The signal can then be processed, analyzed and stored. Several parameters can be detected including a complete non-invasive analysis of blood components, measurement of systemic and ocular blood flow, measurement of heart rate and respiratory rate, tracking operations, detection of ovulation, detection of radiation and drug effects, diagnosis of ocular and systemic disorders and the like.

An apparatus for minimally-invasive, including non-invasive, prevention and/or treatment of hydrocephalus and method for use of the same are disclosed. In one embodiment of the apparatus, a housing is sized for superjacent contact with a skull having a fontanel. Within the housing, a compartment includes a pressure applicator, such as a fluid-filled bladder, under the control of a pressure regulator. The pressure applicator is configured to selectively apply an external pressure to the fontanel. The compartment includes a pressure sensor configured to measure intracranial pulse pressure of the fontanel. Further, in one embodiment, the apparatus can cause pulse pressure modulation by adjusting the intracranial pulse pressure via the pressure applicator. This enables a non-invasive measurement of the pulse pressure and modulation thereof in infants, for example.

Novel tools and techniques for assessing, predicting and/or estimating effectiveness of fluid resuscitation of a patient and/or an amount of fluid needed for effective resuscitation of the patient, in some cases, noninvasively.

A system and method for non-invasively estimating an absolute blood flow of a vascular region in a subject using optical data are provided. In some aspects, the method includes acquiring optical data from the vascular region using one or more optical sensors placed about the subject, and determining, using the optical data, an index of blood flow and. a blood volume associated with the vascular region. The method also includes computing a blood inflow and a blood outflow using the index of blood flow and the blood volume, and estimating an absolute blood flow using the blood inflow and blood outflow. The method further includes generating a report indicative of the absolute blood flow of the vascular region.

Novel tools and techniques are provided for assessing, predicting and/or estimating a physiological state of a patient, based on variance of the patient's compensatory reserve index (“CRI”) before, during, and/or after a physical perturbation. In some embodiments, the system might receive a first set of physiological data from one or more sensors at a first time relative to a physical perturbation of the patient, and might calculate a first set of CRI values of the patient. The system might receive a second set of physiological data at a second time relative to the physical perturbation, calculate a second set of CRI values, analyze the two sets of CRI values against a pre-existing model, estimate a physiological state (e.g., hydration, etc.) of the patient, and display the estimate on a display device. The system might also control an infusion device to infuse fluids into the patient based on estimated hydration state.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure comprise improved systems and methods for monitoring physiological parameters such as intracranial pressure (“ICP”), intracranial temperature, and subject head position. For example, in some embodiments, an implantable apparatus for measuring ICP can be implanted into a subject skull. The apparatus can comprise an implant body having a hermetically sealed chamber housing a gas at a reference pressure, and a pressure conduction catheter having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the distal end is configured to extend into the brain through a burr hole in the skull and includes a plurality of ports. A barrier can cover the ports of the distal end of the pressure conduction catheter, wherein the barrier and pressure conduction catheter are filled with a number of gas molecules so that the barrier is not in tension in a predefined range of ICPs.

The invention relates to a device for detecting a malfunctioning of a valve/catheters assembly for shunting a cerebrospinal fluid or the like, characterized in that it comprises: a chamber (6) which is placed inside the said housing; a laminar canal (4), a sensor (7) for measuring a pressure in the said chamber; a flexible membrane (5) separating the sensor from the chamber (6); control and communications electronics (8,9) able to exchange with an external reader in order to transmit a measurement by the said sensor, the sensor (7) being attached to the flexible membrane (5) with which it is in contact.