Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Computational fluid dynamics of ventricular catheters used for the treatment of hydrocephalus: a 3D analysis

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Child's Nervous System Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Introduction

The most common treatment for hydrocephalus remains the ventriculoperitoneal shunt. Yet, the most frequent complication is ventricular catheter obstruction, which may account for 50–80 % of newly inserted shunts. Although many factors contribute to this, the main one is related to flow characteristics of the catheter within the hydrocephalic brain. A landmark study by Lin et al. addressed the problem of fluid characteristics in ventricular catheters using a two-dimensional simulation program of computational fluid dynamics (CFD).

Methods

The authors have studied five current commercially available ventricular catheter designs using CFD in three-dimensional automated designs. The general procedure for the development of a CFD model involves incorporating the physical dimensions of the system to be studied into a virtual wire-frame model. The shape and features of the actual physical model are transformed into coordinates for the virtual space of the computer and a CFD computational grid (mesh) is generated. The fluid properties and motion are calculated at each of these grid points. After grid generation, flow field boundary conditions are applied, and the fluid’s thermodynamic and transport properties are included. At the end, a system of strongly coupled, nonlinear, partial differential conservation equations governing the motion of the flow field are numerically solved. This numerical solution describes the fluid motion and properties.

Results

The authors calculated that most of the total fluid mass flows into the catheter’s most proximal holes. Fifty to 75 % flows into the two most proximal sets of inlets of current commercially available 12–32-hole catheters. Some flow uniformity was disclosed in Rivulet-type catheter.

Conclusions

Most commercially available ventricular catheters have an abnormally increase flow distribution pattern. New catheter designs with variable hole diameters along the catheter tip will allow the fluid to enter the catheter more uniformly along its length, thereby reducing the probability of its becoming occluded.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Payr E (1908) Drainage der Hirnventrikel Mittelst frei Transplantirter Blutgefasse; Bemerkungen ueber Hydrocephalus. Arch Klin Chir 87:801–885

    Google Scholar 

  2. Bergsneider M, Egnor MR, Johnston M, Kranz D, Madsen JR, McAllister JP 2nd, Stewart C, Walker ML, Williams MA (2006) What we don’t (but should) know about hydrocephalus. J Neurosurg 104:157–159

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Drake JM, Sainte-Rose C (1995) The shunt book. Blackwell, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  4. Drake JM, Kestle JR, Tuli S (2000) CSF shunts 50 years on—past, present and future. Childs Nerv Syst 16:800–804

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Sainte-Rose C, Piatt JH, Renier D, Pierre-Kahn A, Hirsch JF, Hoffman HJ, Humphreys RP, Hendrick EB (1991) Mechanical complications in shunts. Pediatr Neurosurg 17:2–9

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Tuli S, Drake J, Lawless J, Wigg M, Math M, Lamberti-Pasculli M (2000) Risk factors for repeated cerebrospinal shunt failures in pediatric patients with hydrocephalus. J Neurosurg 92:31–38

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Drake J, Kestle JR, Milner R, Cinalli G, Boop F, Piatt J Jr, Haines S, Schiff SJ, Cochrane DD, Steinbok P, MacNeil N (1998) Randomized trial of cerebrospinal fluid shunt valve design in pediatric hydrocephalus. Neurosurgery 43:294–305

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Harris CA, McAllister JP 2nd (2012) What we should know about the cellular and tissue response causing catheter obstruction in the treatment of hydrocephalus. Neurosurgery 70:1589–1601

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Ginsberg HJ, Sum A, Drake JM (2000) Ventriculoperitoneal shunt flow dependency on the number of patent holes in a ventricular catheter. Pediatr Neurosurg 33:7–11

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Lin J, Morris M, Olivero W, Boop F, Sanford RA (2003) Computational and experimental study of proximal flow in ventricular catheters. Technical note. J Neurosurg 99:426–431

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Clark TW, Van Canneyt K, Verdonck P (2012) Computational flow dynamics and preclinical assessment of a novel hemodialysis catheter. Semin Dial 25:574–581

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Frawley P, Geron M (2009) Combination of CFD and DOE to analyze and improve the mass flow rate in urinary catheters. J Biomech Eng 131(8):084501

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Harris CA, McAllister JP 2nd (2011) Does drainage hole size influence adhesion on ventricular catheters? Childs Nerv Syst 27:1221–1232

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Hakim S (1969) Observations on the physiopathology of the CSF pulse and prevention of ventricular catheter obstruction in valve shunts. Dev Med Child Neurol Suppl 20:42–48

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Sood S, Kim S, Ham SD, Canady AI, Greninger N (1993) Useful components of the shunt tap test for evaluation of shunt malfunction. Childs Nerv Syst 9:157–161

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Schley D, Billingham J, Marchbanks RJ (2004) A model of in-vivo hydrocephalus shunt dynamics for blockage and performance diagnostics. Math Med Biol 21:347–368

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Penn RD, Basati S, Sweetman B, Guo X, Linninger A (2011) Ventricle wall movements and cerebrospinal fluid flow in hydrocephalus. J Neurosurg 115:159–164

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Sood S, Lokuketagoda J, Ham SD (2005) Periventricular rigidity in long-term shunt-treated hydrocephalus. J Neurosurg 102:146–149

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Sood S, Kumar CR, Jamous M, Schuhmann MU, Ham SD, Canady AI (2004) Pathophysiological changes in cerebrovascular distensibility in patients undergoing chronic shunt therapy. J Neurosurg Pediatr 100:447–453

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Penn RD, Lee MC, Linninger AA, Miesel K, Lu SN, Stylos L (2005) Pressure gradients in the brain in an experimental model of hydrocephalus. J Neurosurg 102:1069–1075

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Stein SC, Guo W (2008) Have we made progress in preventing shunt failure? A critical analysis. J Neurosurg Pediatr 1:40–47

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Portnoy HD (1971) New ventricular catheter for hydrocephalic shunt. Technical note. J Neurosurg 34:702–703

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Haase J, Weeth R (1976) Multiflanged ventricular Portnoy catheter for hydrocephalus shunts. Acta Neurochir (Wien) 33:213–218

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Harris CA, Resau JH, Hudson EA, West RA, Moon C, Black AD, McAllister JP 2nd (2011) Reduction of protein adsorption and macrophage and astrocyte adhesion on ventricular catheters by polyethylene glycol and N-acetyl-L-cysteine. J Biomed Mater Res A 98:425–433

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Harris CA, Resau JH, Hudson EA, West RA, Moon C, McAllister JP 2nd (2010) Mechanical contributions to astrocyte adhesion using a novel in vitro model of catheter obstruction. Exp Neurol 222:204–210

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Prasad A, Madan VS, Buxi TB, Renjen PN, Vohra R (1991) The role of the perforated segment of the ventricular catheter in cerebrospinal fluid leakage into the brain. Br J Neurosurg 5:299–302

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Thomale UW, Hosch H, Koch A, Schulz M, Stoltenburg G, Haberl EJ, Sprung C (2010) Perforation holes in ventricular catheters—is less more? Childs Nerv Syst 26:781–789

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Cheatle JT, Bowder AN, Agrawal SK, Sather MD, Hellbusch LC (2012) Flow characteristics of cerebrospinal fluid shunt tubing. J Neurosurg Pediatr 9:191–197

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Mukerji N, Cahill J, Rodrigues D, Prakash S, Strachan R (2009) Flow dynamics in lumboperitoneal shunts and their implications in vivo. J Neurosurg 111:632–637

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Regional Department of Neurosurgery, “Virgen de la Arrixaca” University Hospital, Murcia, Spain

    Marcelo Galarza

  2. Operations Research Center, University Miguel Hernández, Elche, Spain

    Ángel Giménez, José Valero & José María Amigó

  3. Department of Health Psychology, University Miguel Hernández, Elche, Spain

    Olga Porcar Pellicer

  4. Regional Service of Neurosurgery, Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Arrixaca, 30120, El Palmar, Murcia, Spain

    Marcelo Galarza

Authors
  1. Marcelo Galarza
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ángel Giménez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. José Valero
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Olga Porcar Pellicer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. José María Amigó
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Marcelo Galarza.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Galarza, M., Giménez, Á., Valero, J. et al. Computational fluid dynamics of ventricular catheters used for the treatment of hydrocephalus: a 3D analysis. Childs Nerv Syst 30, 105–116 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00381-013-2226-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00381-013-2226-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation