Wireless Flow-sensing System for Intracranial Catheter Shunt Valve
Electrical Engineering
Team 20
Dylan Wickizer, Michael Do, Daniel Hurr, Jake Rybarczyk, Tasia Grzecka
Summary
Our project is a low frequency wireless MEMS flow valve sensor designed to assess the functionality of hydrocephalus shunt systems noninvasively. By transmitting a 200 kHz signal modulated at 1kHz to an implanted antiparallel diode assembly, the system generates a 600 kHz third harmonic when the valve is open, which is detected and analyzed using an AM radio and an FFT through a microcontroller. This simplified harmonic sensing approach eliminates the need for implanted power sources, reduces complexity compared to existing systems and aims to provide clinicians with a reliable, low cost method to evaluate shunt valve performance.