Systems of external drainage of cerebrospinal fluid

Abstract

The watery solution continually produced inside the brain in the choroid plexus tissues is named cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Humans are estimated to produce about 0.5 ml/kg per hour, or about 500 ml or more of CSF each day. A discrepancy in CSF production and absorption cumulates an excess of fluid in the brain. Elevated levels of CSF are associated with traumatic brain injury, meninge infections (meningitis) and a pediatric disease known as hydrocephalus. In all of these cases, an increasing fluid pressure (intracranial pressure), resulting in permanent brain injury and death, can be observed. Following the diagnosis of hydrocephalus, there are few options other than surgery for treatment. Most surgeons use various types of systems called shunts to channel the fluid from the ventricles to other sites in the body such as the abdominal cavity (internal shunts). Liquor can also be drained towards an external reservoir (external shunts). In the present work an apparatus operating as bench test has been developed for testing external shunts. Utilizing automated control and data acquisition system, in order to realize the experiments, hydrodynamics characteristics of several shunts parts can be rapidly obtained.