A Newly Designed Flow‐Regulating Device in Shunt Therapy of Hydrocephalus

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
A new flow‐regulating device for shunting in hydrocephalus was designed to limit an excess flow by a pressure‐head between the cerebral ventricle and the abdominal cavity in a standing position. The device has two diaphragm valves connected to each other by two lines: one is a shunting line to transfer cerebrospinal fluid and the other is a control line filled with a control fluid with a higher density than cerebrospinal fluid. The performance of the model device with a natural rubber sheet diaphragm was tested in a mock system, using glycerol for the control fluid and water for the transfer fluid in vitro. Results show that device decreases the excess flow when the pressure‐head between two valves exceeds 35 cm.