A hydrocephalus shunt arrangement for draining cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in a patient includes a ventricle catheter, a first drainage line, a control valve, a second drainage line, and an intracranial device. The ventricle catheter is inserted into a ventricle space of the brain of a patient. The first drainage line is connected to the ventricle catheter. The control valve is connected to the first drainage line and controls the drainage of CSF from the cranium of the patient through the second drainage line into a drainage area inside an abdominal cavity of the patient. The intracranial device is implanted under the skin of the patient in or at the cranium and connected to the ventricle catheter or the control valve. The intracranial device includes a corrugated metal membrane covering a chamber disposed within a rigid housing. The control valve produces a desired, controlled, drainage of excess CSF.

A method for treatment of a brain and/or spinal cord includes inserting a flexible catheter into a cerebrospinal fluid space, the flexible catheter including two lumens adapted to allow a fluid to circulate therein in a closed loop within the flexible catheter and the flexible catheter being adapted to be connected to a device for cooling and circulating the fluid. The cerebrospinal fluid in the cerebrospinal fluid space is cooled with the flexible catheter to enable selective central nervous system cooling. The functional status of the brain and/or spinal cord is monitored, and the treatment of the brain and/or spinal cord is modified to adjust for any change in the functional status of the brain and/or spinal cord.

A method for removing particles from a bodily fluid in a patient with a filtering device, the filtering device being implantable in the patient's body and the method comprising the steps: pass bodily fluid of the patient through a tube forming a main fluid, filtering the bodily fluid passing through said main fluid passageway with a filter connected to the tube, collecting particles in the bodily fluid to be removed passing through the tube, and cleaning the filter with a filter cleaning device by removing particles collected by the filter out of the fluid passageway.

A method for controlling and implanting an implantable drainage device is provided. The device is adapted to move body fluid from one part of the body of a patient to another part of the body. The invention also extends to a filter adapted to filter particles from a drained fluid.

The present invention relates to an implantable cassette for holding filters. The cassette is provided with a revolving compartment having a plurality of segments. Each segment is for holding a filter for filtering blood. Also provided is attachment means for attaching the cassette to a blood flow passageway to thereby allow blood to flow through a first segment of the revolving compartment. An operation device for revolving the revolving compartment, to thereby move the first segment out of the blood flow passageway, is also provided.

Disclosed are a fluid drainage devices and methods of use for drainage of edematous tissues of a patient. The devices include an inlet catheter comprising a plurality of lumens configured to receive fluid from the edematous tissues, wherein the plurality of lumens run axially parallel in the inlet catheter; an outlet catheter configured to be anchored at a sink; an implantable pump coupled to the inlet catheter and the outlet catheter, the pump having a rotating portion including a permanent magnet, the rotating portion configured to rotate in response to a magnetic force external to the patient to move fluid from the inlet of the inlet catheter to the second end of the outlet catheter; and an external controller configured to transcutaneously couple to the permanent magnet of the rotating portion to apply the magnetic force to the implantable pump.

Systems and methods are provided herein that generally involve shunting fluid, e.g., shunting cerebrospinal fluid in the treatment of hydrocephalus. Self-cleaning catheters are provided which include split tips configured such that pulsatile flow of fluid in a cavity in which the catheter is inserted can cause the tips to strike one another and thereby clear obstructions. Catheters with built-in flow indicators are also provided. Exemplary flow indicators include projections that extend radially inward from the interior surface of the catheter and which include imageable portions (e.g., portions which are visible under magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)). Movement of the flow indicators caused by fluid flowing through the catheter can be detected using MRI, thereby providing a reliable indication as to whether the catheter is partially or completely blocked. Systems and methods for flushing a shunt system are also disclosed herein, as are various systems and methods for opening auxiliary fluid pathways through a shunt system.

An externally programmable shunt valve assembly that includes a magnetic rotor that is operable in response to an externally applied magnetic field and configured to increase or decrease the working pressure of the shunt valve assembly in finite increments.

In one embodiment, a system for evacuating subdural hematomas includes an inlet configured to be placed in fluid communication with a subdural space, an irrigation reservoir in fluid communication with the inlet and configured to supply irrigation fluid to the inlet and the subdural space, an outlet separate from the inlet and also configured to be placed in fluid communication with the subdural space, and a pump in fluid communication with the outlet and configured to create negative pressure within the subdural space and evacuate fluid from the subdural space.

A blood clot removal device for removing blood clots from the vascular system of a patient is implantable in the patient's body. The blood clot removal device comprises a blood flow passageway to be connected to the patient's vascular system to allow circulation of the patient's blood through the blood flow passageway, a filter provided in the blood flow passageway for collecting blood clots occurring in the blood flowing through the blood flow passageway, and a cleaning device for moving blood clots collected by the filter out of the blood flow passageway. By means of such blood clot removal device, the risk of blood clots reaching sensitive areas of the patient's body, such as the brain, is reduced.