This study proposed a novel ventriculoamniotic shunt device for foetal aqueductal stenosis treatment fabricated with 3Fr or 4Fr size catheters that have a longitudinal bending stiffness with kink resistance, sufficient luminal area for cerebrospinal fluid drainage and capacity for valve integration. Computational flow dynamics studies were carried out to optimise the device design, including size of the lumen and length of the device. An in vitro pressure and flow rate measurement test circuit was constructed to assess the high pressure relieving functionality of draining cerebrospinal fluid from foetal brain. Additionally, a resistance force measurement test platform was built to quantitatively evaluate the anchor performance of various geometric designs. The valve functionality was qualitatively evaluated through the visualisation of the flow patterns in the amniotic sac with injected red coloured fluid under stereomicroscopy. These in vitro results demonstrate the feasibility of the ventriculoamniotic shunt device designed for placement in the foetal brain.
Keywords: Aqueductal stenosis; finite element analysis; nitinol; ventriculoamniotic shunt.