Flexible manufacture of polymeric tubing including flow-altering structures

• US 10,357,899 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2015
• Issued: 07/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MiniPumps, LLC
• Original Assignee: MiniPumps, LLC
• Inventors: Jiang, Fukang, Dunn, Andrew, Liu, Changgeng
• Primary Examiner(s): Farrar, Lauren P
• Application Number:
  US14/818,506
• Publication Number:
  US 20160039121A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,448 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2207/00 Methods of manufacture, assembly or production
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/08 Tubes; Storage means specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/142 Pressure infusion, e.g. using pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14276 specially adapted for implantation
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/52 soluble or fusible in particular used in injection moulding B29C45/4457
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 41/02 for making articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 41/045 the axis being placed vertically, e.g. spin casting
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 41/42 Removing articles from moulds, cores or other substrates B29C33/444 and B29C37/0017 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2045/00 Use of polymers of unsaturated cyclic compounds having no unsaturated aliphatic groups in a side-chain, e.g. coumarone-indene resins or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2891/00 Use of waxes as mould material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2901/12 Thermoplastic materials
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2905/08 Transition metals
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2905/10 Copper
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/753 Medical equipment; Accessories therefor bloodbags, medical bags B29L2031/7148; artificial eyes B29L2011/0008
• CPC Class Codes: C23F 1/00 Etching metallic material by chemical means manufacture of printing surfaces B41C; manufacture of printed circuits H05K
• CPC Class Codes: C23F 1/02 Local etching
• CPC Class Codes: C23F 1/18 for etching copper or alloys thereof

Abstract

Tubular polymeric structures are formed by creating a convex mold conforming to a fluid pathway design, depositing a coating of polymer over the mold, and in situ removing the mold without drawing it against the polymer. The resulting structures are fabricated with flow-altering features.

Claims

1. An implantable pump comprising:

first and second walls forming a chamber therebetween, the first wall comprising (i) an expandable diaphragm so as to vary a volume of the chamber and (ii) a rigid frame surrounding the diaphragm;

a plurality of apertures through the rigid frame;

an ejection mechanism for selectively expanding the first wall; and

a tubular conduit bonded to an exterior face of the rigid frame such that a lumen of the tubular conduit surrounds the apertures, actuation of the ejection mechanism forcing fluid from the chamber and through the tubular conduit via the apertures so as to filter the fluid.

2. The implantable pump of claim 1, wherein the apertures are sized to provide a target degree of filtration or a target flow alteration.

3. The implantable pump of claim 1, wherein the apertures have a diameter of about 5 microns.

4. The implantable pump of claim 1, wherein the apertures are spaced apart by about 20 microns.

5. The implantable pump of claim 1, further comprising a flow restrictor coupled to the tubular conduit.

6. The implantable pump of claim 1, further comprising a valve coupled to the tubular conduit.

7. The implantable pump of claim 1, further comprising a refill port for periodically flushing contents of the chamber and/or obstructions to the apertures.

8. The implantable pump of claim 7, wherein the refill port is molded into the second wall.

9. The pump of claim 1, further comprising a second tubular conduit having a sealed end face and bonded to an exterior face of the second wall for fluidically coupling the chamber to the apertures.