A cerebrospinal fluid shunt: a theoretical concept.

An innovative shunt design for the treatment of hydrocephalus is discussed. It is based on a two-tube configuration which restores accumulator function to suppress intracranial pressure fluctuations emanating from the brain and resulting from changes in the subject's postural position. Current shunt problems of overdrainage, occlusion, and infection are addressed and corrections inherent in the proposed design are described. Specific materials and characteristics for the construction of the proposed design are suggested.