Fillable cassette apparatus and method

• US 20010010238A1
• Filed: 03/15/2001
• Published: 08/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smiths Medical ASD, Inc. (Smiths Group International Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sims Deltec, Inc.
• Inventors: Bynum, Gail
• Granted Patent: US 6,374,876 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 141/9
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/045 for filling, e.g. for filling reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1409 in series, e.g. first substance passing through container holding second substance, e.g. reconstitution systems needle sets A61M5/162
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14228 with linear peristaltic action, i.e. comprising at least three pressurising members or a helical member
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/12 Pressure infusion

Abstract

A cassette is described including a housing, an inner reservoir located within the housing, a valve coupled to the inner reservoir and coupled to the housing, and a delivery conduit coupled to the inner reservoir and emerging from the delivery opening of the cassette. The cassette also includes a dispensing apparatus that defines a passage and has a first activating device that opens the valve of the cassette. The dispensing apparatus also has a second activating member capable of establishing fluid communication with a medicant container. A method of mixing a powdered drug and a liquid includes establishing fluid communication between the reservoir and the medicant container, dispensing at least a portion of the liquid into the medicant container, and transferring the mixed drug into the reservoir. A method of filling a cassette includes the steps of introducing the drug into the cassette, closing a first access port, evacuating the inner reservoir through a second access port, and introducing the drug to fill the cassette through the first access port.

Claims

1. A cassette for use with a drug administered using a drug pump, comprising:

a housing defining a transfer opening and a delivery opening;

an inner reservoir located within the housing, the inner reservoir defining a delivery port and a transfer port;

a valve having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion coupled to the inner reservoir at the transfer port, the second portion coupled to the housing at the transfer opening; and

a delivery conduit coupled to the inner reservoir at the delivery port, the delivery conduit emerging from the delivery opening of the cassette.

2. The cassette of

claim 1

, wherein the delivery conduit comprises a pump portion and the housing comprises a pressure plate supporting the pump portion of the delivery conduit, the pressure plate including two hooks at one end of the pressure plate and an anchor at an opposite end.

3. The cassette of

claim 2

, further comprising a pump control module engaging the two hooks and the anchor of the pressure plate to mount the housing to the pump control module, the pump control module comprising a pump mechanism for pumping fluid through the pump portion of the delivery conduit.

4. The cassette of

claim 1

, wherein the valve includes a luer-activated valve.

5. The cassette of

claim 1

, further comprising a dispensing apparatus defining a passage, the dispensing apparatus comprising a first activating device that opens the valve of the cassette to allow fluid transfer and a second activating device capable of establishing fluid communication with a medicant container.

6. The cassette of

claim 5

, wherein the first activating device includes a luer fitting.

7. The cassette of

claim 5

, wherein the second activating device includes a spike for piercing a septum of the medicant container.

8. The cassette of

claim 5

, wherein the dispensing apparatus defines an air vent to the passage.

9. The cassette of

claim 1

, further comprising a dispensing apparatus defining a passage and comprising:

a dispensing pin having a luer-activated valve, an air vent to the passage, and a spike capable of establishing fluid communication with a medicant container; and

a male-to-male luer adapter having a first luer and a second luer;

wherein the adapter and the dispensing pin are connectable to define the passage.

10. The cassette of

claim 1

, wherein the inner reservoir comprises a flexible bag.

11. The cassette of

claim 1

, wherein the inner reservoir contains a liquid and further comprising a medicant container containing a powdered drug.

12. The cassette of

claim 11

, wherein the liquid is selected from the group consisting of saline, water and a dextrose solution.

13. The cassette of

claim 1

, wherein the inner reservoir contains a powdered drug and further comprising a medicant container containing a liquid.

14. The cassette of

claim 1

, wherein the housing further defines a recessed portion, the delivery opening being located at the recessed portion.

15. A cassette for use with a drug administered using a drug pump, comprising:

a housing mountable to a pump control module, the housing including a pressure plate for supporting a delivery conduit adjacent to a pump mechanism of the pump control module, the pressure plate including two hooks at one location on the pressure plate and a loop-shaped anchor at a second location spaced from the first location, the two hooks and the anchor mountable to the pump control module;

an inner reservoir located within the housing, the inner reservoir including a flexible bag for holding fluid;

a delivery conduit extending from the inner reservoir and supported by the pressure plate; and

an access mechanism for selectively providing fluid access to the inner reservoir from external of the housing, separate from the delivery conduit.

16. The cassette of

claim 15

, wherein the access mechanism includes a luer-activated valve mounted to the housing, and a dispensing apparatus connectable to the valve and connectable to a medicant container, wherein the dispensing apparatus includes a reciprocal luer fitting for activating the valve to permit fluid communication with the inner reservoir.

17. The cassette of

claim 15

, wherein the access mechanism includes a septum spike and an air vent to the atmosphere.

18. A method of mixing a drug for administration in a cassette, comprising:

providing a cassette including an outer housing, an inner reservoir containing a liquid, and a delivery conduit connectable to a patient;

establishing fluid communication through a fluid transfer connection separate from the delivery conduit between the reservoir of the cassette and a medicant container containing a drug;

dispensing at least a portion of the liquid from the cassette into the medicant container to reconstitute the drug; and

transferring the reconstituted drug into the cassette.

19. The method of

claim 18

, further comprising the steps of:

connecting the delivery conduit to the fluid transfer connection so the inner reservoir and delivery conduit define a closed system; and

activating a pump mechanism on a portion of the delivery conduit to circulate the reconstituted drug within the closed system of the inner reservoir, whereby the reconstituted drug is further mixed.

20. The method of

claim 18

, further comprising the step of providing a dispensing apparatus, and the step of establishing fluid communication further comprising establishing fluid communication between the dispensing apparatus and the cassette, and between the dispensing apparatus and the medicant container.

21. The method of

claim 18

, wherein the dispensing step includes positioning the cassette above the medicant container.

22. The method of

claim 18

, wherein the transferring step includes positioning the medicant container above the cassette.

23. A method of mixing a drug for administration in a cassette, comprising of:

providing a cassette including an outer housing, an inner reservoir containing a powdered drug, and a delivery conduit connectable to a patient;

establishing fluid communication through a connection separate from the delivery conduit between the inner reservoir of the cassette and a medicant container containing a liquid; and

dispensing the liquid from the medicant container to be mixed with the drug.

24. A method of filling a cassette with a drug for administration using a drug pump, comprising:

providing a cassette including an inner reservoir in fluid communication with a first and second access port;

evacuating the inner reservoir through the second access port; and

introducing the drug into the cassette through the first access port.

25. The method of

claim 24

, further comprising the step of introducing an initial amount of the drug into the cassette before evacuating the inner reservoir.

26. The method of

claim 24

, wherein the cassette further includes a delivery conduit coupled to the first access port, and the step of introducing an initial amount of drug into the cassette comprises introducing the initial amount of drug into the delivery conduit.

27. The method of

claim 26

, further comprising the step of closing the delivery conduit before evacuating the inner reservoir.

28. The method of

claim 24

, further comprising the step of closing the second access port before introducing the drug through the first access port.

29. The method of

claim 24

, wherein the cassette further includes a delivery conduit coupled to the second access port, the step of evacuating the inner reservoir comprising evacuating the inner reservoir through the delivery conduit.

30. The method of

claim 29

, further comprising the step of closing the second access port before introducing the drug into the cassette.

31. The method of

claim 24

, wherein the step of introducing comprises pumping the drug into the inner reservoir.

32. The method of

claim 24

, wherein introducing the drug comprises filling the inner reservoir.