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ShuntCheck

ShuntCheck is a non-invasive diagnostic medical device which detects flow in the cerebral shunts of hydrocephalus patients. Neurosurgeons can use ShuntCheck flow results along with other diagnostic tests to assess shunt function and malfunction.

Hydrocephalus is a condition in which cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) accumulates in the brain, potentially leading to brain damage and death. It is corrected by a shunt which drains excess CSF from the brain to the abdomen. Shunts fail, typically by obstruction – a life-threatening medical condition requiring the surgical replacement of the shunt. The symptoms of shunt failure are non-specific – headache, nausea, lethargy – so diagnostic tests must be conducted to rule in or rule out surgery. Current methods of diagnosing shunt malfunction, including CT Scan, MRI, radionuclide studies and shunt tap, have limitations and risks. These limitations and risks led to the development of ShuntCheck.

ShuntCheck uses thermal dilution to detect flow. The ShuntCheck sensor, a high-tech skin thermometer, is placed over the shunt where it crosses the clavicle. The shunt, which lies just below the skin, is cooled with an ice pack placed “upstream” of the sensor. If CSF is flowing through the shunt, the cooled fluid will move “downstream” and the ShuntCheck sensor will detect a drop in temperature. Faster shunt flow results in greater temperature decreases. If the shunt is not flowing, the cooled fluid remains upstream and no temperature drop is recorded.

The sensor is connected to a laptop or tablet computer running ShuntCheck software. The sensor is connected to a laptop or tablet computer running ShuntCheck software. The computer analyzes the thermal data, determines “Flow Confirmed” or “Flow NOT Confirmed” and presents a time-temperature graph. Early clinical testing of ShuntCheck found that functioning shunts flow intermittently, which meant that a ShuntCheck reading of “Flow NOT Confirmed” did not necessarily indicate a shunt problem. This discovery led to the development of the ShuntCheck Micro-Pumper, a handheld device which vibrates the shunt valve, generating a temporary increase in flow through patent, but not through obstructed, shunts. Micro-Pumper allows ShuntCheck to differentiate between temporarily non-flowing patent shunts and obstructed shunts.