Patent ID: 8876744

Claim:
A system for controlling cerebrospinal fluid in a ventricular system of a subject, comprising: a shunt including: a drainage inlet configured to be disposed in the ventricular system of the subject to receive the cerebrospinal fluid; a drainage passageway in fluid communication with the drainage inlet to receive the cerebrospinal fluid; a drainage outlet in fluid communication with the drainage passageway to receive the cerebrospinal fluid, the drainage outlet being configured to be disposed in a region of the subject spaced apart from the ventricular system to drain the cerebrospinal fluid from the ventricular system; a cardiac pulse compensation unit connected to the shunt and including: a drainage valve configured to permit the cerebrospinal fluid to flow toward the drainage outlet when an input pressure of the cerebrospinal fluid at the drainage inlet exceeds a first pressure threshold; a return valve separate from and spaced apart from the drainage valve and configured to permit the cerebrospinal fluid to return to the ventricular system when the input pressure falls below a second pressure threshold; and a gravitational force compensation unit connected to the shunt and being configured to permit the cerebrospinal fluid to flow toward the drainage outlet when an input pressure of the cerebrospinal fluid at the gravitational force compensation unit exceeds a third pressure threshold, the gravitational force compensation unit varying the third pressure threshold such that a gravitational contribution to an intracranial pressure remains generally constant regardless of subject orientation.