Infusion device

• US 10,086,132 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2016
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UNM Rainforest Innovations (f/k/a STC.UNM) (The University of New Mexico)
• Original Assignee: UNM Rainforest Innovations (f/k/a STC.UNM) (The University of New Mexico)
• Inventors: Hauswald, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Hall, Deanna K
• Application Number:
  US15/330,023
• Publication Number:
  US 20160339169A1
• Time in Patent Office: 798 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/048 Anaesthetics see also A61M19/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1413 Modular systems comprising interconnecting elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1414 Hanging-up devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14216 Reciprocating piston type
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1422 with double acting or multiple pistons
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1452 pressurised by means of pistons
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1454 spring-actuated, e.g. by a clockwork
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/16809 by repeated filling and emptying of an intermediate volume pressure infusion using positive displacement pumps A61M5/142
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31535 Means improving security or handling thereof, e.g. blocking means, means preventing insufficient dosing, means allowing correction of overset dose

Abstract

A mechanical infusion pump device for injecting medication into a patient'"'"'s IV, includes an IV reservoir and a syringe communicated to the IV reservoir and having a syringe plunger connected to a filling plunger that is moved with the syringe plunger in a first syringe-filling direction to fill the syringe with fluid medication. Biasing weight(s) is/are provided on the filling plunger for exerting bias or force from gravity on the filling plunger and the syringe plunger in a second syringe-discharging direction to dispense medication from the syringe into the patient'"'"'s IV when the filling plunger is released. Only a calibrated amount of medicine can be discharged to the patent'"'"'s IV over time as determined by calibration of the biasing weights and the metering element located between the syringe and the patient'"'"'s IV for a given viscosity of the medication.

Claims

1. An infusion device, comprising an IV medication reservoir, a syringe communicated to the IV medication reservoir and having a syringe plunger operable by an individual to move the syringe plunger in a first syringe-filling direction, said syringe plunger having a biasing weight-receiving feature on which one or more biasing weights are disposed to move the syringe plunger in a second syringe-discharging direction when the syringe is filled and the syringe plunger is released to dispense an amount of medication per unit of time to a patient'"'"'s IV.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the biasing weight-receiving feature comprises a surface on the syringe plunger on which one or more of the biasing weights can be placed.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein the surface is a platform on the syringe plunger.

4. The device of claim 1 including said one or more biasing weights and a fixed or adjustable metering element between the syringe and the patient'"'"'s IV to provide a specific amount of medication to flow out of the syringe per unit time.

5. The device of claim 1 further including a one-way valve to prevent medication from being transferred from the syringe back into the IV medication reservoir when the syringe plunger is moved in the second direction.

6. The device of claim 1 further including a second one-way valve to prevent flow of medication from the patient'"'"'s IV back to the syringe when the syringe plunger is moved in the first direction.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the syringe plunger includes a manually operable outer end used to move the syringe plunger in the first syringe-filling direction.

8. The device of claim 1 further including a container in which the IV medication reservoir, the syringe, and the syringe plunger are enclosed.

9. A method of injecting medication into a patient'"'"'s IV, comprising placing one or more biasing weights on a syringe plunger or a filling plunger that is connected to a syringe plunger, drawing medication from an IV medication reservoir into a syringe by moving the syringe plunger in a first syringe-filling direction, and moving the syringe plunger in a second syringe-discharging direction by the force of the one or more weights after the syringe is filled to dispense a controlled amount of medication into the patient'"'"'s IV over a unit of time.

10. The method of claim 9 including calibrating said one or more biasing weights and a metering element located between the syringe and the patient'"'"'s IV to provide a specific amount of medication to flow out of the syringe per unit time.