A cerebral spinal fluid shunt plug includes a shunt plug housing having a shunt valve recess formed therein and a window recess with an access hole. The cerebral spinal fluid shunt plug also includes a shunt valve shaped and dimensioned for positioning within the shunt valve recess of the shunt plug housing and a lucent disk shaped and dimensioned for the passage through the central access hole of the shunt plug housing. In another embodiment, a cerebral spinal fluid shunt plug includes a shunt plug housing having a shunt valve recess formed therein and an intracranial monitoring device recess with an access hole. A shunt valve is positioned within the shunt valve recess of the shunt plug housing and an intracranial monitoring device is passed through the central access hole of the shunt plug housing.

Body fluid management systems and associated methods include in-line measurement and/or detection of analytes, contaminants, and/or physical characteristics for the diagnosis or detection of disease, infection, or toxicity.

The present invention provides a cerebrospinal fluid shunt system that monitors the intracranial pressures over a portion of a monitoring cycle to calculate short intervals of drainage for every monitoring cycle necessary to produce the desired pressure correction. The system operates to significantly reduce the time during which draining occurs allowing tissue surrounding the catheter to rebound from the catheter holes returning to its normal position for a sufficient amount of time to recover its normal shape.

An implantable device includes a housing having a bottom configured to face the skull and a top configured to face a scalp when implanted. The device includes a first catheter connector configured to couple to a first dual lumen catheter. The first connector extends from the housing. The device comprises a second catheter connector configured to couple to a single lumen catheter. The second catheter connector extends from the housing. The device includes an opening defined by the top of the housing. The opening is configured to be accessed by a needle percutaneously inserted through the scalp when the device is implanted. The device includes a first fluid pathway from the first catheter connector to the opening defined by the top of the housing, and the device includes a second fluid pathway from the first catheter connector to the second catheter connector.

The present disclosure generally relates to systems and methods of use for draining cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from a brain or a spinal canal in a subject, for example, to treat hydrocephalus or other conditions. In some embodiments, the disclosure relates to a device comprising a flow controller positioned within a conduit that allows CSF to flow through the conduit from a first end to a second end. This may allow the CSF to drain, for example, from an intradural space (such as a thecal sac) into, for example, a paraspinal space, paraspinal vein or other venous space, or peritoneal cavity. A variety of methods may be used to hold or anchor the device in place, for example, an expansion apparatus. In some embodiments, the device can be implanted percutaneously at a location along or within a subject's spinal column, thus reducing the need for surgery, general anesthesia, and hospitalizations.

A valve assembly (10) configured to maintain fluid flow therethrough at a constant flow rate. The valve assembly (10) including a flexible flow control member (50) defining an inner fluid chamber (90) within the flexible flow control member (50) and an inlet opening (56) to the inner fluid chamber (90). An outer fluid chamber (92) is defined between the flexible flow control member (50) and an inner surface (74) of a valve housing (20). The flexible flow control member (50) is configured to flex inward and shrink the inner fluid chamber (90) in response to a pressure decrease in the inner fluid chamber (90) relative to the outer fluid chamber (92) resulting from an increase in an inlet flow rate to maintain an outlet flow rate from the valve assembly (10) at the constant flow rate.

Disclosed is a system including a flow regulating system. The flow regulating system may assist in ensuring a selected pressure within an inlet volume. The flow regulator may be included in a shunt assembly.

Apparatus and associated methods relate to smart shunt systems. In an illustrative example, a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunt system includes an interface module and conduit(s) configured to provide selective fluid communication between a brain ventricle(s) and at least one reservoir. The interface module may be operably coupled to one or more control module(s). The control module(s) may, for example, be operably coupled to one or more actuator(s) and/or sensor(s) (e.g., in the interface module(s), external to the interface module(s)). The control module(s) may, for example, selectively operate one or more of the actuator(s) as a function of input received from one or more of the sensors based on one or more predetermined control profile(s). Various embodiments may advantageously dynamically (e.g., automatically) control physiological attributes (e.g., CSF attributes).

Magnetic-based electronic valve readers for determining a location and orientation of magnets coupled to implantable medical devices to determine a setting of the device (e.g., setting of a fluid flow control valve of the medical device). The electronic valve readers include an orientation sensing mechanism that is provided and configured to enable the electronic valve reader to: 1) allow for internal offset calculation of an orientation change of the electronic valve reader during a reading process; and/or 2) during the reading process, provide an indication or warning to the clinician that the orientation of the electronic valve reader has changed to an extent at or exceeding a predetermined angular acceptance threshold or window. Systems including the disclosed electronic valve readers and methods of reading a setting of the device are also disclosed.

A system includes a flow regulating system. The flow regulating system may assist in ensuring a selected pressure within an inlet volume. A flow regulator may be included in a shunt assembly(10).