Light, thin, and flexible medication infusion apparatuses attachable to user's skin and watch type monitor and controller

• US 20020133120A1
• Filed: 03/16/2001
• Published: 09/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Show-Way Yeh
• Original Assignee: Show-Way Yeh
• Inventors: Yeh, Show-Way
• Granted Patent: US 6,699,234 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/131
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3576 with non implanted data transmission devices, e.g. using external transmitter or receiver
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/50 with microprocessors or computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 battery-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14248 of the skin patch type

Abstract

Four models of apparatuses and their variants are presented. All of them have multiple reservoir cells, a pump, a pump controller, one or more batteries on a flexible pad so that the apparatuses can be adhesive to the user'"'"'s skin as a big and thick Band-Aid. The user will feel comfortable when he or she bends his or her body. The first model, each reservoir cell contains a medicine bag that contains the medicine. The rest space of the reservoir cells contains the air. Pumping the air into the reservoir cells will press out the medicine from the medicine bags into the user'"'"'s body. The second model, each reservoir cell contains the medicine and an air bag. Pumping air into the air bags will press out the medicine from the reservoir cells into the user'"'"'s body. The third model is similar with the second one where the medicine is drawn from the reservoir cells and pressed into the user'"'"'s body. The forth model is similar with the first one where the medicine is drawn from the medicine bags and pressed into the user'"'"'s body. The motor and the associated parts is small, simple, and light. The reservoir cells can be small and, hence, the apparatus is thin. Separating the monitor and controller from the apparatus, the apparatus that is attached to the user'"'"'s skin is even smaller and lighter. Hence, the user will feel much more convenient than using the conventional ones. Furthermore, combining the monitor and controller with the watch, the user will feel convenient to carry the monitor and controller.

Claims

1. A light, thin, and flexible medication infusion apparatus that is bendable and attachable to the user'"'"'s skin comprising:

a flexible pad;

installing any number of hard reservoir cells on said flexible pad where the pressure in said reservoir cells will not change if said reservoir cells are pressed;

installing a soft and flexible membrane in each said reservoir cell to divide the space in all said reservoir cells into the medicine space and the air space;

filling said medicine space with the medicine to be delivered into the user'"'"'s body;

filling said air space with fluid;

installing a pumping means on said flexible pad to pump fluid;

installing a pumping controller means on said flexible pad to control said pumping means;

installing battery means on said flexible pad;

arranging, merging too small ones of, and dividing too large ones of said reservoir cells, said pumping means, said pumping controller means, and said battery means so that each hard embodiment on said flexible pad has appropriate size and any adjacent hard embodiments on said flexible pad have enough gap to let the user bend his or her body comfortably;

installing flexible cable means to link said pumping controller means and said battery means so that said battery means provides electricity to said pumping controller;

installing flexible cable means to link said pumping controller means and said pumping means so that said pumping controller means gets information from said pumping means and forwards and stops current to said pumping means at appropriate moments of time, respectively;

installing flexible medicine linking means to link all said medicine space and the insertion means that inserts into the user'"'"'s body where the pressure in said medicine linking means will not change when said apparatus is bent;

installing flexible air linking means to link all said air space and said pumping means where the pressure in said air linking means will not change when said apparatus is bent;

installing valve means to control the air flow in all said air space and in said air linking means; and

installing monitor and controller means separated from said medication infusion apparatus and installing communicating means between said monitor and controller means and said pumping controller means;

so that said medication infusion apparatus is bendable and attachable to the user'"'"'s skin;

the user can issue commands to said monitor and controller means about when and how much medicine to be delivered into the user'"'"'s body;

said monitor and controller means issues instructions to said pumping controller means about how much fluid to be pumped into said air space at the moments according to the user'"'"'s commands;

said pumping controller means controls said pumping means to pump the right amount of fluid into said air space at the right moment through said air linking means;

the right amount of medicine is pressed out from said medicine space into the user'"'"'s body through said medicine linking means and said insertion means at the right moment; and

said monitor and controller means collects information from said pumping controller means and said apparatus and displays the information to the user.

2. The light, thin, and flexible medication infusion apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

each said membrane is a medicine bag to contain the medicine;

said medicine space is in said medicine bags; and

said air space is in said reservoir cells and out of said medicine bags;

so that the user can issue commands to said monitor and controller means about when and how much medicine to be delivered into the user'"'"'s body;

said monitor and controller means issues instructions to said pumping controller means about how much fluid to be pumped into said reservoir cells at the moments according to the user'"'"'s commands;

said pumping controller means controls said pumping means to pump the right amount of fluid into said reservoir cells at the right moment through said air linking means;

the right amount of medicine is pressed out from said medicine bags into the user'"'"'s body through said medicine linking means and said insertion means at the right moment; and

said monitor and controller means collects information from said pumping controller means and said apparatus and displays the information to the user.

3. The light, thin, and flexible medication infusion apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

each said membrane is an air bag to contain the fluid;

said medicine space is in said reservoir cells and out of said air bags; and

said air space is in said air bags;

so that the user can issue commands to said monitor and controller means about when and how much medicine to be delivered into the user'"'"'s body;

said monitor and controller means issues instructions to said pumping controller means about how much fluid to be pumped into said air bags at the moments according to the user'"'"'s commands;

said pumping controller means controls said pumping means to pump the right amount of fluid into said air bags at the right moment through said air linking means;

the right amount of medicine is pressed out from said reservoir cells into the user'"'"'s body through said medicine linking means and said insertion means at the right moment; and

said monitor and controller means collects information from said pumping controller means and said apparatus and displays the information to the user.

7. The light, thin, and flexible medication infusion apparatus of claims 2 and 5 wherein:

each said reservoir cell is divided into cellular air cells; and

each said cellular air cell contains a cellular medicine bag;

so that negligible bubbles may be induced in said cellular medicine bags when said apparatus is shacked.

8. The light, thin, and flexible medication infusion apparatus of claims 2 and 5 wherein:

each said medicine bag is a narrow medicine bag; and

the inside of each said reservoir cell is a narrow air tunnel containing said narrow medicine bag;

so that negligible bubbles may be induced in said narrow medicine bags when said apparatus is shacked.

9. The light, thin, and flexible medication infusion apparatus of claim 7 wherein:

each said cellular medicine bag is a narrow cellular medicine bag to contain the medicine; and

each said cellular air cell is a narrow cellular air tunnel and contains one said narrow cellular medicine bag;

so that negligible bubbles may be induced in said narrow cellular medicine bags when said apparatus is shacked.

10. The light, thin, and flexible medication infusion apparatus of claims 3 and 6 wherein:

each said reservoir cell is divided into cellular medicine cells; and

each said cellular medicine cell contains a cellular air bag;

so that negligible bubbles may be induced in said cellular medicine cells when said apparatus is shacked.

11. The light, thin, and flexible medication infusion apparatus of claims 3 and 6 wherein:

each said air bag is a narrow air bag; and

the inside of each said reservoir cell is a narrow medicine tunnel containing one said narrow air bag;

so that negligible bubbles may be induced in said narrow medicine tunnels when said apparatus is shacked.

12. The light, thin, and flexible medication infusion apparatus of claim 10 wherein:

each said cellular air bag is a narrow cellular air bag; and

each said cellular medicine cell is a narrow cellular medicine tunnel and contains one said narrow cellular air bag;

so that negligible bubbles may be induced in said narrow cellular medicine tunnels when said apparatus is shacked.

13. The light, thin, and flexible medication infusion apparatus of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 wherein:

said flexible pad is a flexible adhesive pad;

so that said flexible medication infusion apparatus can be adhesive to the user'"'"'s skin; and

the user feels comfortable to use said flexible medication infusion apparatus.

15. The watch type device working as both a watch and a monitor and controller of other apparatus of claim 14 wherein:

said embodiment is composed of a watch embodiment and the monitor and controller embodiment where said watch embodiment has its means to show the timing information and to accept the user'"'"'s commands and said monitor and controller embodiment has its means to show the information of said apparatus and to accept the user'"'"'s commands;

said watch embodiment is pile up on top of said the monitor and controller embodiment; and

said watch embodiment and said monitor and controller embodiment are connected by a hinge means;

so that said watch type device looks like a watch when said watch embodiment is flipped down;

the user can issue commands to said apparatus by issuing commands to said monitor and controller embodiment and to get information of said apparatus from said monitor and controller embodiment when said watch embodiment is flipped up.

16. The watch type device working as both a watch and a monitor and controller of other apparatus of claim 14 wherein:

installing a monitor sequence that is a specific sequence of pressing said buttons or switches and said watch type device enters monitor mode when the user presses said monitor sequence; and

installing a watch sequence that is a specific sequence of pressing said buttons or switches and said watch type device enters watch mode when the user presses said watch sequence;

so that said displaying means displays the information of said apparatus and said buttons or switches work to accept commands or setting features of said monitor and controller functions in said monitor mode; and

said displaying means displays the timing information and said buttons or switches work to accept commands or setting features of said watch functions in said watch mode.

17. The watch type device working as both a watch and a monitor and controller of other apparatus of claim 16 wherein:

said displaying means is composed of pointing hands, timing marks, and a displaying panel;

said displaying panel displays the information of said apparatus in said monitor mode; and

said displaying panel does not display anything or display the trademarks or nice looking patterns or pictures in said watch mode;

so that said watch type device looks like a traditional watch with pointing hands and timing marks in said watch mode.

4. A light, thin, and flexible medication infusion apparatus that is bendable and attachable to the user'"'"'s skin comprising:

a flexible pad;

installing any number of hard reservoir cells on said flexible pad;

installing a soft and flexible membrane in each said reservoir cell to divide the space of all said reservoir cells into the medicine space and the air space;

filling said medicine space with the medicine to be delivered into the user'"'"'s body;

filling said air space with fluid;

installing a pumping means on said flexible pad to draw the medicine;

installing a pumping controller means on said flexible pad to control said pumping means;

installing battery means on said flexible pad;

arranging, merging too small ones of, and dividing too large ones of said reservoir cells, said pumping means, said pumping controller means, and said battery means so that each hard embodiment on said flexible pad has appropriate size and any adjacent hard embodiments on said flexible pad have enough gap to let the user bend his or her body comfortably;

installing flexible cable means to link said pumping controller means and said battery means so that said battery means provides electricity to said pumping controller;

installing flexible cable means to link said pumping controller means and said pumping means so that said pumping controller means gets information from said pumping means and forwards and stops current to said pumping means at appropriate moments of time, respectively;

installing flexible medicine linking means to link all said medicine space and said pumping means where the pressure in said medicine linking means will not change when said apparatus is bent;

installing flexible converging means to link said pumping means and the insertion means that inserts into the user'"'"'s body;

installing a hole on each said reservoir cell to let fluid flow in said air space;

installing valve means to control the medicine flow in all said medicine space and in said medicine linking means; and

installing monitor and controller means separated from said medication infusion apparatus and installing communicating means between said monitor and controller means and said pumping controller means;

so that said medication infusion apparatus is bendable and attachable to the user'"'"'s skin;

the user can issue commands to said monitor and controller means about when and how much medicine to be delivered into the user'"'"'s body;

said monitor and controller means issues instructions to said pumping controller means about how much medicine to be drawn from said medicine space at the moments according to the user'"'"'s commands;

said pumping controller means controls said pumping means to draw the right amount of medicine from said medicine space through said medicine linking means and to press the medicine into the user'"'"'s body through said converging means and said insertion means at the right moment;

fluid flows into said air space through said holes to balance the pressure in said reservoir cells; and

said monitor and controller means collects information from said pumping controller means and said apparatus and displays the information to the user.

5. The light, thin, and flexible medication infusion apparatus of claim 4 wherein:

each said membrane is a medicine bag to contain the medicine;

said medicine space is in said medicine bags;

said air space is in said reservoir cells and out of said medicine bags; and

said hole is on said reservoir cell;

so that the user can issue commands to said monitor and controller means about when and how much medicine to be delivered into the user'"'"'s body;

said monitor and controller means issues instructions to said pumping controller means about how much medicine to be drawn from said medicine bags at the moments according to the user'"'"'s commands;

said pumping controller means controls said pumping means to draw the right amount of medicine from said medicine bags through said medicine linking means and to press the medicine into the user'"'"'s body through said converging means and said insertion means at the right moment;

fluid flows into said reservoir cells through said holes to balance the pressure in said reservoir cells; and

said monitor and controller means collects information from said pumping controller means and said apparatus and displays the information to the user.

6. The light, thin, and flexible medication infusion apparatus of claim 4 wherein:

each said membrane is an air bag;

said air space is in said air bags;

said medicine space is in said reservoir cells and out of said air bags; and

said holes are on said air bags and open to the outside of said reservoir cells to let fluid flow in and out of said air bags;

so that the user can issue commands to said monitor and controller means about when and how much medicine to be delivered into the user'"'"'s body;

said monitor and controller means issues instructions to said pumping controller means about how much medicine to be drawn from said reservoir cells at the moments according to the user'"'"'s commands;

said pumping controller means controls said pumping means to draw the right amount of medicine from said reservoir cells through said medicine linking means and to press the medicine into the user'"'"'s body through said converging means and said insertion means at the right moment;

fluid flows into said air bags through said holes to balance the pressure in said reservoir cells; and

said monitor and controller means collects information from said pumping controller means and said apparatus and displays the information to the user.

14. The watch type device working as both a watch and a monitor and controller of other apparatus comprising:

installing an embodiment that has the watch functions and the monitor and controller functions;

installing displaying means on said embodiment to display timing information and the information of said apparatus; and

installing buttons or switches on said embodiment;

so that the user can issue commands to said device to control and to set features to said apparatus, to get information from said apparatus, to set timing functions, and to get timing information.