Osmolar devices and methods for preventing tissue swelling
AssigneeMuhammad Taqi
InventorMuhammad Taqi
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Abstract
Disclosed herein are devices and methods for the treatment and prevention of tissue swelling. The method involves creating an opening in a patient's skull and placement of a device in the patient's brain. The device is configured to absorb fluid from the patient's brain, thereby reducing intracranial pressure. Additionally, the device may be configured to induce an osmotic pressure to drive out fluid from the brain to reduce intracranial pressure. These methods and devices provide for a localized solution to tissue swelling and accordingly obviate the need to flood patients' vascular systems with osmolar compounds that may lead to well-documented side effects.
Claims18
A device for treating brain swelling, said device occupying a device volume, said device comprising:
- a solid comprising:
- a semipermeable membrane;
- and
- solute particles enclosed in said semipermeable membrane;
- wherein said device is configured such that upon at least partial submersion of said solid in a brain fluid, said solute particles cause an osmotic gradient such that a portion of said brain fluid flows into said solid through said semipermeable membrane.
A method for treating brain swelling, comprising:
- forming an opening in a skull of a patient having a brain, wherein said opening is adjacent to a portion of said brain, said portion having excess fluid;
- and
- inserting a device into said opening, wherein said device is configured to absorb an absorbed amount of a fluid from said portion of said brain;
- wherein said device comprises:
- a solid comprising:
- a semipermeable membrane;
- and
- solute particles enclosed in said semipermeable membrane;
- wherein said device is configured such that upon said insertion and at least partial submersion of said solid in said fluid, said solute particles cause an osmotic gradient such that said absorbed amount of said fluid flows into said solid through said semipermeable membrane.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.