Biomaterial Database

Shunt Implants - Past, Present and Future. 2021

Dwarakanath Srinivas, and Gaurav Tyagi, and Gyani J Singh

Department of Neurosurgery, NIMHANS, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.

BACKGROUND The treatment of hydrocephalus has evolved over centuries from being an enigma to the use of complex bioprosthetics. Major developments have taken place in the past few decades in shunt hardware and technology, with the use of complex flow regulating valves and biomaterials such as medical-grade silicone having revolutionized the management of hydrocephalus. OBJECTIVE To discuss the evolution of shunts over the decades and how they will evolve in the future. METHODS In this article, we mention an overview of the evolution of shunt technology and hardware from the prehistoric, pre-shunt era to the modern shunt and a brief insight into the future of hydrocephalus treatment. We review the history, development, and pioneers in shunt development and discuss the various types and parts of a shunt system. CONCLUSIONS Shunts have been developed from the works of Galen and Hippocrates to the latest technologies using in vivo flow biosensors, computational analysis of flow dynamics, and use of artificial intelligence. This has led to an individualized and appropriate management that can be provided to even the most complex cases of hydrocephalus.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D002557	Cerebrospinal Fluid Shunts	Tubes inserted to create communication between a cerebral ventricle and the internal jugular vein. Their emplacement permits draining of cerebrospinal fluid for relief of hydrocephalus or other condition leading to fluid accumulation in the ventricles.	Cerebrospinal Fluid Shunt,Shunt, Cerebrospinal Fluid,Shunts, Cerebrospinal Fluid
D005544	Forecasting	The prediction or projection of the nature of future problems or existing conditions based upon the extrapolation or interpretation of existing scientific data or by the application of scientific methodology.	Futurology,Projections and Predictions,Future,Predictions and Projections
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D006849	Hydrocephalus	Excessive accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid within the cranium which may be associated with dilation of cerebral ventricles, INTRACRANIAL HYPERTENSION; HEADACHE; lethargy; URINARY INCONTINENCE; and ATAXIA.	Communicating Hydrocephalus,Congenital Hydrocephalus,Obstructive Hydrocephalus,Post-Traumatic Hydrocephalus,Aqueductal Stenosis,Cerebral Ventriculomegaly,Fetal Cerebral Ventriculomegaly,Hydrocephalus Ex-Vacuo,Hydrocephaly,Aqueductal Stenoses,Cerebral Ventriculomegalies,Cerebral Ventriculomegalies, Fetal,Cerebral Ventriculomegaly, Fetal,Fetal Cerebral Ventriculomegalies,Hydrocephalus Ex Vacuo,Hydrocephalus Ex-Vacuos,Hydrocephalus, Communicating,Hydrocephalus, Congenital,Hydrocephalus, Obstructive,Hydrocephalus, Post-Traumatic,Post Traumatic Hydrocephalus,Stenoses, Aqueductal,Stenosis, Aqueductal,Ventriculomegalies, Cerebral,Ventriculomegalies, Fetal Cerebral,Ventriculomegaly, Cerebral,Ventriculomegaly, Fetal Cerebral
D001185	Artificial Intelligence	Theory and development of COMPUTER SYSTEMS which perform tasks that normally require human intelligence. Such tasks may include speech recognition, LEARNING; VISUAL PERCEPTION; MATHEMATICAL COMPUTING; reasoning, PROBLEM SOLVING, DECISION-MAKING, and translation of language.	AI (Artificial Intelligence),Computer Reasoning,Computer Vision Systems,Knowledge Acquisition (Computer),Knowledge Representation (Computer),Machine Intelligence,Computational Intelligence,Acquisition, Knowledge (Computer),Computer Vision System,Intelligence, Artificial,Intelligence, Computational,Intelligence, Machine,Knowledge Representations (Computer),Reasoning, Computer,Representation, Knowledge (Computer),System, Computer Vision,Systems, Computer Vision,Vision System, Computer,Vision Systems, Computer
D019736	Prostheses and Implants	Artificial substitutes for body parts, and materials inserted into tissue for functional, cosmetic, or therapeutic purposes. Prostheses can be functional, as in the case of artificial arms and legs, or cosmetic, as in the case of an artificial eye. Implants, all surgically inserted or grafted into the body, tend to be used therapeutically. IMPLANTS, EXPERIMENTAL is available for those used experimentally.	Implants, Artificial,Prostheses and Implant,Prosthesis,Prosthetic Implant,Endoprostheses,Endoprosthesis,Prostheses,Prosthetic Implants,Artificial Implant,Artificial Implants,Implant and Prostheses,Implant, Artificial,Implant, Prosthetic,Implants and Prostheses,Implants, Prosthetic