External programmer for magnetically-adjustable cerebrospinal fluid shunt valve
OwnerSalomon Hakim, Carlos A. Hakiminventors
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Abstract
Adjusting the popping pressure of a surgically-implanted shunt valve of the type having one or more elements adapted to move under the influence of a magnetic field, by positioning an adjustment device in proximity to the implanted valve but external to the body, providing the adjustment device with a plurality of electromagnets, selectively energizing the electromagnets through a sequence of steps in which different ones of the electromagnets are energized at successive steps, selecting the sequence of energization and the orientation and strength of the electromagnets so that the elements in the implanted device are caused to move in response to the sequence of energization to thereby adjust the popping pressure.
Claims21
The method of adjusting the working pressure of a surgically-implanted valve of the type having at least one element adapted to move under the influence of a magnetic field, said method comprising the steps of:
- positioning an adjustment device in proximity to said implanted valve but external to the body, said adjustment device including a plurality of electromagnets;
- selectively energizing said electromagnets through a sequence of steps in which different ones of said electromagnets are energized at successive steps;
- and
- selecting said sequence of energization and selecting the orientation and strength of said electromagnets so that said at least one element in said implanted device are caused to move in response to said sequence of energization to thereby adjust said working pressure.
Apparatus for externally programming a surgically-implanted valve to adjust its working pressure, said surgically-implanted valve being of the type having at least one element adapted to move under the influence of a magnetic field, said apparatus comprising:
- a housing;
- a plurality of electromagnets supported by said housing;
- and
- means electrically connected to said electromagnets for selectively energizing said electromagnets through a sequence of steps in which difference ones of said electromagnets are energized at successive steps, the sequence of energization and the orientation and strength of said electromagnets being selected so that said at least one element in said implanted device are caused to move in response to said sequence of energization to thereby adjust said working pressure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.