Provided herein are systems and methods for monitoring and treatment of an injury. The system includes a control device, an implantable device and/or a wearable device, the implantable device configured to be implanted into a body, the implantable device having a sensing device for sensing a condition of the injury and a treatment device configured to apply a treatment to the injury based on the sensed conditions of the injury. Signals of the sensed condition are sent to the control device, and the control device controls the treatment device of the implantable device to apply treatment for the injury. When a wearable device is included, the wearable device may be configured to sense another condition related to the injury and send signal indicative thereof to the control device.

A self cleaning inlet head for use on a shunt. The head has a tube with openings disposed in predetermined positions in its wall, and a cleaning element installed inside the tube. The cleaning element may comprise a central shaft with a number of bristles protruding therefrom, preferably in locations substantially identical to the positions of the openings in the wall of the tube. Mutual vibratory motion between the cleaning element and the tube causes at least some of the bristles to enter the openings, thereby keeping them clear, and preventing tissue growth into them. The vibratory motion may be generated by the action of an external field on a responsive part of the cleaning element, such as an external magnetic field operating on a magnetic or magnetized part of the cleaning element or the bristles. Alternatively, the external field may be an ultrasound field operating on the bristles.

The present invention relates to a method of implanting a blood clot removal device in a patient's body, by cutting the skin of the patient's body, dissecting an area of the patient's vascular system, placing the blot clot removal device at the dissected area, and connecting a blood flow passageway of the blood clot removal device to the patient's vascular system to allow circulation of the patient's blood through the blood flow passageway.

The present invention relates to a biologically active medical device, which includes a matrix seeded with progenitor cells, and then covered by ciliated tissue. The matrix is capable of enabling cellular migration. The ciliated tissue is ependymal cells that express at least one of tight junctional complexes, zonula adherens, and gap junctions. The progenitor cells include subpendymal progenitor cells. In some cases the progenitor cells include stem cells, and the ciliated tissue includes at least one of Choroid cells, tanacytes, and circumventricular organs. In some embodiments, the medical device is oriented into a tubular structure in order to form a cerebrospinal shunt. Additional cells and structures may be imbedded within the matrix, such as glia, endothelial cells, stem cells, and blood vessels. The medical device may also be incorporated into a bioreactor including a flexible inner tube defining an anthropomorphically shaped lumen.

A process for treating glaucoma whereby the treatment can be accomplished by the use of medication or by surgery, or both, in order to control or prevent the occurrence of glaucoma. The optic nerve is aligned within and between two distinct pressurized spaces and within the dural sheath, the intraocular space and the intracranial space having an intraocular pressure (IOP) and an intracranial pressure (ICP), respectively. Medicine can be administered to raise the intracranial pressure in order to reach a desirable lower translaminar pressure difference across these two pressurized spaces which are separated by the lamina cribrosa in order to treat glaucoma. An alternate closely related mode of the treatment process is the implanting of a shunt substantially between the intraocular space and the intracranial space in order to beneficially equalize pressure differentials across the intraocular space and the intracranial space.

Systems and methods for filtering materials from biologic fluids are discussed. Embodiments may be used to filter cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from a human or animal subject. The method may include the steps of withdrawing fluid comprising CSF, filtering the volume into permeate and retentate by passing the fluid through a tangential flow filter, and returning the permeate to the subject. During operation of the system, various parameters may be modified, such as flow rate.

Described herein is the use of CSF, more particularly external CSF or CSF-like compositions for the treatment and prevention of different diseases. More particularly, the application provides for the administration of CSF to the intrathecal space or the cerebral ventricles of a patient to increase intracranial pressure and/or CSF flow.

An externally programmable shunt valve assembly that includes a motor having a 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. The motor may further include a position sensing mechanism that allows a position of the rotor, and associated pressure setting of the valve, to be determined using an external magnetic sensor. In certain examples the motor further includes a mechanical brake that is magnetically operable between a locked position and an unlocked position and which, in the locked position, prevents rotation of the rotor.

Disclosed herein are cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) circulation systems and devices. Also disclosed are methods of using the systems and devices for the processing of CSF and for the treatment of brain or central nervous system diseases, disorders, and injuries. In particular, CSF may be processed to remove various molecules targets, including viruses, bacteria, exosomes, cells, proteins, debris, toxins, and inflammatory mediators. CSF may also be warmed, cooled, and/or oxygenated, and medications or substances may be added to the CSF for targeted treatment of a disease or disorder.

Disclosed is a self-cleaning catheter system for fluid passage including a catheter, configured to be implanted in a body cavity of a subject and including at least one aperture fluidly coupling the catheter to the outside thereof, a cleaning unit configured for motion in the catheter such as to at least one of mechanically prevent, remove and mitigate occlusion in the at least one aperture, and an implantable controller. The cleaning unit is functionally associated with the controller, which is configured to (i) receive at least one signal indicative of a state of occlusion in the catheter, and (ii) provide an indication of the state of occlusion at least if the at least one signal indicates a blockage in the catheter and/or (iii) activate the cleaning unit if the at least one signal indicates a blockage of the catheter.