2002 Volume 26 Issue 4 Pages 612-615
An implantable micro-pump for treatment of fetal hydrocephalus has been designed, fabricated, and tested. The moving part of the pump consists of a magnet attached to an elastic film. When an external alternating magnetic field is applied, the elastic film vibrates angularly and can produce a unidirectional movement of fluid. The pump requires no power supply cables and can be easily driven by the coil placed outside the mother’s body. The 2-cm-long prototype satisfied the pumping conditions required for treatment under a low magnetic field. This result demonstrates that the pump proposed here is applicable for the shunt system for fetal hydrocephalus.
