We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress
Sign In
Advertise with Us

Download Mobile App




Ventricular Catheter Flushing System Restores CSF Flow

By HospiMedica International staff writers
Posted on 06 Jun 2018
Print article
Image: The new ventricular catheter and flusher system is designed to restore CSF flow (Photo courtesy of Anuncia).
Image: The new ventricular catheter and flusher system is designed to restore CSF flow (Photo courtesy of Anuncia).
A non-invasive retrograde flushing system helps clinicians restore or increase cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow in a blocked ventricular catheter shunt.

The Anuncia (Lowell, MA, USA) Alivio System is designed to provide a non-invasive option for neurosurgeons to restore CSF flow in a non-flowing shunt, which may potentially avert emergency revision surgery. The system, which can be used in conjunction with any CSF shunt flow-regulating valve and drainage catheter, is comprised of a flusher and a ventricular catheter (VC) with a unique relief membrane that restores or increase CSF flow in a and unblocks occluded inlet holes.

The flusher component does not regulate CSF flow in the implanted shunt system; instead, it allows fluid from the ventricular catheter to flows freely, without restriction through a passive flow channel. During flushing, the passive channel is manually occluded to create temporary one-way flow into the VC. After a controlled and limited fluid pulse is sent from the flusher, the flush dome refills with CSF from the VC and resumes free flowing fluid through the passive flow channel.

In the case of completely obstructed flow through the shunt, retrograde flushing of the VC is performed by depression of the flush dome, which sends a controlled and limited pulse of fluid--either native CSF or sterile saline introduced during a priming procedure before implant--into the VC. In a life-threatening case of a severely occluded catheter, the relief membrane of the VC opens to restore antigrade flow in the shunt system.

“If you have a shunt, you are always worried about what might happen in the future. Close to half of shunts will have a revision within the first year of implantation. About 80% will require a revision within 10 years,” said neurosurgeon Joseph Madsen, MD, co-inventor of the Alivio system. “I am delighted that my fellow neurosurgeons will have an option to intervene non-invasively when treating hydrocephalus patients who come in with complications related to ventricular shunt obstruction.”

Hydrocephalus is a condition in which an excess of CSF accumulates within the ventricles and increases pressure in the brain. But even as implanted CSF shunts help relieve the pressure build-up, according to the Hydrocephalus Association (Bethesda, MD, USA), at least 50% of patients suffer from shunt failures and blockages within two years, requiring repeated revision surgeries. The costs of these often-emergent, revision surgeries to restore CSF flow and alleviate painful symptoms present a heavy emotional and financial burden to patients, families, and healthcare facilities.

Related Links:
Anuncia
Hydrocephalus Association

Gold Member
STI Test
Vivalytic Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) Array
Gold Member
SARS‑CoV‑2/Flu A/Flu B/RSV Sample-To-Answer Test
SARS‑CoV‑2/Flu A/Flu B/RSV Cartridge (CE-IVD)
Silver Member
Compact 14-Day Uninterrupted Holter ECG
NR-314P
New
LED Phototherapy System
Bililed Mini+

Print article

Channels

Critical Care

view channel
Image: The permeable wearable electronics developed for long-term biosignal monitoring (Photo courtesy of CityUHK)

Super Permeable Wearable Electronics Enable Long-Term Biosignal Monitoring

Wearable electronics have become integral to enhancing health and fitness by offering continuous tracking of physiological signals over extended periods. This monitoring is crucial for understanding an... Read more

Patient Care

view channel
Image: The newly-launched solution can transform operating room scheduling and boost utilization rates (Photo courtesy of Fujitsu)

Surgical Capacity Optimization Solution Helps Hospitals Boost OR Utilization

An innovative solution has the capability to transform surgical capacity utilization by targeting the root cause of surgical block time inefficiencies. Fujitsu Limited’s (Tokyo, Japan) Surgical Capacity... Read more

Health IT

view channel
Image: First ever institution-specific model provides significant performance advantage over current population-derived models (Photo courtesy of Mount Sinai)

Machine Learning Model Improves Mortality Risk Prediction for Cardiac Surgery Patients

Machine learning algorithms have been deployed to create predictive models in various medical fields, with some demonstrating improved outcomes compared to their standard-of-care counterparts.... Read more

Point of Care

view channel
Image: The PATHFAST hs-cTnI-II high-sensitivity troponin assay has been developed for the PATHFAST Biomarker Analyzer (Photo courtesy of Polymedco)

POC Myocardial Infarction Test Delivers Results in 17 Minutes

Chest pain is the second leading cause of emergency department (ED) visits by adults in the United States, generating over 7 million visits annually. In the event of a suspected heart attack, physicians... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2024 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.