Cerebrospinal fluid shunt valve

A surgically-implantable shunt valve for venting cerebrospinal fluid in the treatment of hydrocephalus and for shunting other body fluids, said valve comprising

• a housing constructed of a surgically-implantable, non-metallic material,
• a diaphragm support consisting of a single flexible diaphragm mounted within said housing,
• a plate mounted on said flexible diaphragm, said plate being provided with a circular aperture and said diaphragm having an opening aligned with said aperture.
• said diaphragm being generally coplanar with said plate,
• said diaphragm and plate dividing said housing into an inlet and an outlet chamber that communicate through said aperture,
• said inlet and outlet chambers being generally free of blind cavities so as to inhibit collection of debris,
• a valve element of diameter larger than said aperture, said valve element residing on the inlet side of said aperture,
• means for biasing said valve element signal the circular periphery of said aperture so as to keep said aperture closed until the cerebrospinal fluid pressure in said inlet chamber exceeds a preselected popping pressure and so as to open said aperture when said popping pressure is exceeded so as to vent cerebrospinal fluid through said aperture into said outlet chamber,
• said popping pressure being on the order of cerebrospinal fluid pressures (i.e, less than 300 mm H.sub.2 O,)
• said housing including inlet and outlet ports communicating with said inlet and outlet chambers respectively for connecting said inlet and outlet chambers to external catheters or other fluid conduits, and
• screw means for making external adjustments to said preselected popping pressure.