This disclosure provides compositions, devices, systems, and methods that reduce the likelihood, amount, or level of cellular deposition (and associated blockage and/or failure) of implantable medical devices, such as central nervous system implants. Embodiments involve use of inhibitor(s) of one or more of TLR-4, TNF-, IL-1, or IL-6, for instance, to prevent, reduce, or reverse activation of astrocyte and/or glia cells, and/or to prevent, reduce, or reverse attachment of such cells to the surface of a medical device in contact with a biological fluid, such as cerebrospinal fluid.

A filtering device for removing particles from a bodily fluid of a patient is disclosed. The device is implantable in the patient's body and comprises a tube forming a main fluid passageway for bodily fluid, through which the bodily fluid passes when the tube is implanted, wherein the tube is sized and adapted to be fluidly connected to the bodily fluid. The device further comprises a filter connected to the tube, and a filter cleaning device for cleaning the filter.

A magnetic article with a corrosion resistant barrier formed from a poly (tetrafluoro-p-xylene) conformal coating or from a parylene conformal coating having a melting point of at least about 430 C. and a moisture vapor transmission less than about 0.5 g-mm/m.sup.2/day at 90% RH and 37 C., the conformal coating being covered with a polysulfone thermoplastic overlayer.

Devices and methods for regulating and directing bodily fluids from one region of a patient to another region are disclosed. In general, an apparatus is provided that can include an implantable shunt system and a system controller. The implantable shunt system can have an adjustable valve for regulating the flow of fluid, a sensor element for measuring a physiological characteristic of a patient, and an electromechanical valve actuator that can be adapted to adjust a resistance of the valve. The implantable shunt system can be in electrical communication with the system controller. The system controller can generally be adapted to receive a physiological characteristic of the patient and operate the electromechanical valve actuator to adjust a resistance of the valve. The apparatus can also include an external programming device that is in communication with the system controller.

A system for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease is provided by moving cerebrospinal fluid containing particles know to contribute to onset of Alzheimer's disease from a source of cerebrospinal fluid to the stomach or bladder, where the particles are safely digested by gastric acid or excreted, the system including an implantable pump, an inlet catheter, an outlet catheter, and a one-way valve. The system further includes at least one filter to filter harmful particles from the cerebrospinal fluid and return the filtered cerebrospinal fluid back to the source of cerebrospinal fluid, where the harmful particles blocked by the filter may be rinsed off the filter and transported to the stomach or bladder.

A shunt device for directing fluid from a human head, and methods thereof are provided herein. The device can be mounted at a skull and include a first catheter that extends into a portion of the head such as a lateral ventricle. The first catheter can covey fluid through, and past a valve to a shunt body. The shunt body can include openings, allowing the fluid to reenter the head, for example at the subarachnoid space. The shunt body can also include other openings that can be associated with a second catheter. Fluid can thus also be conveyed out of the body or to a subgaleal pocket.

An implantable fluid management device, designed to drain excess fluid from a variety of locations in a living host into a second location within the host, such as the bladder of that host. The device may be used to treat ascites, chronic pericardial effusions, normopressure hydrocephalus, hydrocephalus, pulmonary edema, or any fluid collection within the body of a human, or a non-human mammal.

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.

A catheter system with integral sensing and clearing of occlusions is described. The system can include a catheter in fluid communication with a shunt for transporting a bodily fluid within, or out of, a patient's body. The catheter and/or the shunt can include one or more detection wires and one or more transmission wires. The detection wires can be in electrical communication with the fluid and can enable the detection of changes in electrical properties of the fluid indicating an occlusion, or other anomaly, in the catheter. The transmission wires can be in electrical communication with the fluid and can enable the application of electromagnetic energy to the occlusion to facilitate its removal. The detection wires and the transmission wires can be the same or different wires. The system can include a probe that can be externally connected to the wires to provide detection and or transmission signals.

A fluid management system for moving bodily fluid accumulated due to ascites, pleural effusion or pericardial effusion is provided including an implantable pump coupled to an inflow catheter, an outflow catheter, and optionally an anti-clog catheter. The fluid management system facilitates removal of fluid from a body region, such as the peritoneum, pleural cavity or pericardial sac, where drainage is desired to another body region, such as the urinary bladder or the peritoneal cavity. The system includes clog resistant mechanisms such as clog resistant catheters and/or programmed routines for cycling fluid through inlet catheters in predetermined time intervals and/or responsive to sensed conditions to minimize the risk that inlet catheters become clogged due to, for example, tissue ingrowth and/or solid objects within accumulated fluid.