Combined pressure and flow sensor integrated in a shunt system

摘要

A shunt system (10) for implantation into a patient for diverting excess fluid from the lateral ventricles of the patient's brain to a diversion site. The present shunt includes a pressure transducer (52) for measuring ICP, a rate of flow transducer (54) for measuring the flow rate of the CSF flowing within the shunt, and telemetry circuitry. A remote reader (14) with an antenna (64) is provided to selectively interrogate and provide inductive power to the implanted shunt. Upon interrogation, the pressure and rate of flow measurements are calibrated, multiplexed and transmitted on a carrier signal back to the remote reader/antenna. The reader/antenna extracts the pressure and flow rate data from the carrier wave and further separates the data by demultiplexing the signal. The reader further includes a barometer (110) for providing local barometric pressure and uses this information together with the data from the implanted transducers to calculate and display real-time adjusted ICP, CSF flow-rate within the shunt and brain compliance.