Patent ID: 8551011
Filing Date: 2013-10-08
Classification: A61B,A61M

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for evaluating cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow rate or flow status in a CSF shunt applied to the body of a patient for transmitting said CSF between first and second locations of said body, said apparatus comprising: a single pad that is adapted to be placed against the skin of a patient over the location of the CSF shunt, said pad comprising a plurality of temperature sensors that are configured to be aligned in a first direction that is transverse to the CSF shunt and wherein one of said plurality of temperature sensors is configured to be aligned with the CSF shunt, each of said temperature sensors configured to generate respective temperature data, said plurality of sensors comprising three temperature sensors and wherein said one of said plurality of sensors is located between the other two temperature sensors; and a sensor processing device that is electrically coupled to said pad for receiving temperature data from each of said temperature sensors, said sensor processing device using said temperature data to determine a flow rate or flow status of said CSF through said shunt when a temperature source is applied to said pad, and wherein said sensor processing device is configured to obtain said temperature data and is configured to generate a resultant temperature signal: wherein T 1 corresponds to the temperature data from said one of said plurality of sensors that is located between the other two sensors and wherein T 2 and T 3 corresponds to the temperature data from the other two sensors, respectively.