Importance

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Abstract

A surgically-implantable shunt valve for venting cerebrospinal fluid in the treatment of hydrocephalus and for shunting other body fluids, the valve having a flexible diaphragm mounted within a non-metallic housing, a plate mounted on the flexible diaphragm, the plate having a circular aperture and the diaphragm having an opening aligned with the aperture, the diaphragm being generally coplanar with the plate, the diaphragm and plate dividing the housing into inlet and outlet chambers that communicate through the aperture, the inlet and outlet chambers being generally free of blind cavities so as to inhibit collection of debris, the valve having a valve element (such as a spherical ball) residing on the inlet side of the aperture, the valve element being biased against the circular periphery of the aperture to keep it closed until the cerebrospinal fluid pressure in the inlet chamber exceeds a preselected popping pressure, and the valve having a screw for making external adjustments to the popping pressure.

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First Claim