US4332255A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Shunt valve
Assignee: Johnson and Johnson Professional Inc
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Filing: 1980-09-23
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Granted: 1982-06-01
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Expires: 2000-09-23
Abstract
Abstract In a surgically implantable shunt system for venting cerebrospinal fluid in the treatment of hydrocephaly, a valve and the method of testing it are disclosed. The valve comprises an elongate hollow valve body into which a flat plate tightly fits, partitioning the valve body into an outlet and an inlet chamber. The flat plate has a circular aperture connecting the chambers and upon which rests a spherical ball of diameter larger than the aperture. A flat spring biases the ball against the circular periphery of the aperture creating a circular seal and providing a precisely defined back pressure, low hysteresis and low susceptiblity to bridging by debris. Testing for leakage is accomplished by illuminating with light of a suitable frequency the aperture with ball seated and detecting any light transmitted therethrough.
Inventors
- 👤 Salomon Hakim
- 👤 Carlos A. Hakim
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 16:08
CPC Classifications
F; F16; F16K; F16K1/00; F16K1/14; A; A61; A61M; A61M27/00; A61M27/002; A61M27/006; F16K15/00; F16K15/02; F16K15/04; F16K15/044; F16K15/046; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S604/00; Y10S604/905
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
157 words
In a surgically implantable shunt system in which cerebrospinal fluid is vented from a cerebroventricular catheter to a drainage catheter, a valve for presenting a precisely controllable back pressure to the ventricles, said valve comprising: an elongate, hollow valve body; a flat plate partitioning said valve body so as to form an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber, said ventricular catheter being coupled so said inlet chamber and said drainage catheter being coupled to said outlet chamber, said plate being provided with a circular aperture connecting said inlet and outlet chambers; a spherical ball of diameter larger than said aperture for controllably restricting flow through said aperture; and a spring including a cantilevered flat portion overlying said ball and biasing it against the circular periphery of said aperture whereby a circular seal is selectively effected between said ball and said plate, providing a precisely defined back pressure with low hysteresis and low susceptibility to bridging by debris.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
157 words
In a surgically implantable shunt system in which cerebrospinal fluid is vented from a cerebroventricular catheter to a drainage catheter, a valve for presenting a precisely controllable back pressure to the ventricles, said valve comprising: an elongate, hollow valve body; a flat plate partitioning said valve body so as to form an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber, said ventricular catheter being coupled so said inlet chamber and said drainage catheter being coupled to said outlet chamber, said plate being provided with a circular aperture connecting said inlet and outlet chambers; a spherical ball of diameter larger than said aperture for controllably restricting flow through said aperture; and a spring including a cantilevered flat portion overlying said ball and biasing it against the circular periphery of said aperture whereby a circular seal is selectively effected between said ball and said plate, providing a precisely defined back pressure with low hysteresis and low susceptibility to bridging by debris.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
172 words
In a surgically implantable shunt system in which cerebrospinal fluid is vented from a cerebroventricular catheter to a drainage catheter, a valve for presenting a precisely controllable back pressure to the ventricles, said valve comprising: an elongate, hollow valve body; a stainless steel flat plate partitioning said valve body so as to form an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber, said ventricular catheter being coupled to said inlet chamber and said drainage catheter being coupled to said outlet chamber, said plate being provided with a highly polished circular aperture connecting said inlet and outlet chambers; a highly polished, spherical sapphire ball of diameter larger than said aperture for controllably restricting flow through said aperture; and a metallic spring including a cantilevered flat portion parallel to the plane of said aperture overlying said ball and biasing it against the circular periphery of said aperture whereby a circular seal is selectively effected between said ball and said plate, providing a precisely defined back pressure with low hysteresis and low susceptibility to bridging by debris.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
172 words
In a surgically implantable shunt system in which cerebrospinal fluid is vented from a cerebroventricular catheter to a drainage catheter, a valve for presenting a precisely controllable back pressure to the ventricles, said valve comprising: an elongate, hollow valve body; a stainless steel flat plate partitioning said valve body so as to form an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber, said ventricular catheter being coupled to said inlet chamber and said drainage catheter being coupled to said outlet chamber, said plate being provided with a highly polished circular aperture connecting said inlet and outlet chambers; a highly polished, spherical sapphire ball of diameter larger than said aperture for controllably restricting flow through said aperture; and a metallic spring including a cantilevered flat portion parallel to the plane of said aperture overlying said ball and biasing it against the circular periphery of said aperture whereby a circular seal is selectively effected between said ball and said plate, providing a precisely defined back pressure with low hysteresis and low susceptibility to bridging by debris.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
14 words
The valve of claim 2 wherein said flat plate is approximately 0.01 inch thick.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
The valve of claim 2 wherein said circular aperture is approximately 0.057 inch in diameter and said ball is approximately 0.620 inch in diameter.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
39 words
The valve of claim 1 wherein said flat plate includes a struck up rear portion said struck up portion adapted to apply an adjustable level of force against said spring to establish a desired value of said back pressure.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
66 words
The valve of claim 1 wherein said flat plate includes a struck up rear portion, and said spring includes a semicircular bend and is adapted for attachment to said flat plate; wherein said spring is attached to said flat plate at a location so that said semicircular bend presses against said struck up rear portion so as to establish a desired value of said back pressure.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
37 words
The valve of claim 1 further including screw means threadably supported by said valve body and adapted for adjustably pressing against said cantilevered flat portion of said spring to establish a desired value of said back pressure.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1985-05-31 | 1985-11-30 | 1986-06-01 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1989-05-31 | 1989-11-30 | 1990-06-01 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1993-05-31 | 1993-11-30 | 1994-06-01 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |