Patent ID: 7766855

Claim:
An adjustable hydrocephalus valve arrangement configured to be implanted subcutaneously in a hydrocephalus patient to equalize the pressure of the liquor in the skull of the patient by draining excess liquor from the ventricles of the brain in the skull of the patient, said arrangement comprising: a valve being configured to control the pressure and flow of liquor through said valve arrangement; a hose line being connected to said valve; said hose line being configured to conduct liquor from the skull of the patient into the superior vena cava or into the abdomen of the patient; said valve comprising: a housing; an inlet being configured and disposed to permit liquor to enter said housing; an outlet being configured and disposed to permit liquor to exit said housing; a closable valve opening being disposed between said inlet and said outlet; a movable closing structure being disposed in said valve housing; said movable closing structure comprising one of: a ball, a ring, and a disc; said closing structure being configured, at least upon the patient being in an upright position, to be pressed by gravity against said valve opening to restrict flow of liquor through said valve opening and thus control the valve pressure, which valve pressure is at least partly determined by the weight of said closing structure; a percutaneously adjustable spring being disposed in said housing; an adjustment device being configured and disposed to adjust said adjustable spring; said adjustable spring being configured and disposed to partly or completely compensate for the weight of said closing structure upon the patient being in an upright position; said valve housing being at least partially elastic and comprising friction surfaces; said adjustment device comprising friction surfaces; said friction surfaces of said valve housing being configured and disposed to be in frictional contact with said friction surfaces of said adjustment device to thus minimize unintentional movement of said adjustment device upon said valve housing not being compressed; and said friction surfaces of said valve housing being configured and disposed to be in diminished frictional contact with said friction surfaces of said adjustment device to thus permit an adjustment movement of said adjustment device upon said valve housing being compressed.