Pump

• US 20030216714A1
• Filed: 04/30/2003
• Published: 11/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Renishaw PLC
• Original Assignee: Renishaw PLC
• Inventors: Gill, Steven Streatfield
• Granted Patent: US 7,341,577 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/890.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/045 for filling, e.g. for filling reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/0693 Brain, cerebrum
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14232 Roller pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14276 specially adapted for implantation

Abstract

The pump includes a metering pump including a rotor, at least two lengths of tubing against which the rotor is movable to urge the drug therethrough, and an outlet port associated with each of the at least two lengths of tubing. In this way, a drug may be supplied to more than one neurological target.

Claims

1. An implantable drug delivery pump comprising:

a metering pump including a rotor, at least two lengths of tubing against which the rotor is moveable to urge the drug therethrough; and

an outlet port associated with each of the at least two lengths of tubing.

2. An implantable drug delivery pump according to claim 1, wherein the metering pump includes a housing having an interior wall, and each of the lengths of tubing is arranged between the rotor and the interior wall of the housing whereby the rotor urges the drug through the lengths of tubing.

3. An implantable drug delivery pump according to claim 1, wherein the rotor includes two rotor arms.

4. An implantable drug delivery pump according to claim 1, wherein the rotor includes three rotor arms.

5. An implantable drug delivery pump according to claim 1, wherein the rotor includes four rotor arms.

6. An implantable drug delivery pump according to claim 1, wherein the metering pump includes between three and six lengths of tubing.

7. An implantable drug delivery pump according to claim 1 further comprising a motor for moving the rotor.

8. An implantable drug delivery pump according to claim 1, wherein the rotor carries a roller for engagement with the lengths of tubing.

9. An implantable drug delivery pump according to claim 1 further comprising a refill port through which a drug is insertable.

10. An implantable drug delivery pump according to claim 9, wherein the refill port includes a seal.

11. An implantable drug delivery pump according to claim 9 further comprising a filter unit through which the inserted drug passes.

12. An implantable drug delivery pump according to claim 11, wherein the filter unit is cylindrical with a central filling well.

13. An implantable drug delivery pump according to claim 12, wherein the filter unit includes a fluted filter.

14. An implantable drug delivery pump according to claim 11, wherein the filter is a bacteriological filter.

27. An implantable drug delivery system according to claim 21, wherein the pump unit is arranged with the features of claim 1.

29. A method of delivering a drug using the apparatus of claim 1.

30. The pump according to claim 1 for use in therapy.

32. The use of a pump according to claim 1 for the delivery of a therapeutic agent to a plurality of delivery sites.

15. A drug reservoir unit comprising:

an outer housing;

a reservoir container disposed within the outer housing and arranged to be variable in volume; and

a port through which a drug may fill or exit from the reservoir container leading to a separately located pump.

16. A drug reservoir unit according to claim 15, wherein the reservoir container is in part defined by the outer housing.

17. A drug reservoir unit according to claim 15, wherein the reservoir container is defined, at least in part, by a bellows.

18. A drug reservoir unit according to claim 15, wherein the reservoir container is defined, at least in part, by a resilient bladder.

19. A drug reservoir unit according to claim 18, wherein the bladder is constructed from two resilient discs joined in face-to-face relationship at their peripheries.

20. A drug reservoir unit according to claim 18, wherein the outer housing is dome-shaped.

28. An implantable drug delivery system according to claim 21, wherein the reservoir unit is arranged with the features of claim 15.

21. An implantable drug delivery system comprising:

a drug reservoir unit for holding a drug;

a pump unit disposed remotely from the drug reservoir unit and including a metering pump arranged for pumping a drug from the drug reservoir unit to a delivery zone; and

a supply tube disposed between the pump unit and the drug reservoir unit.

22. An implantable drug delivery system according to claim 21 further comprising an outlet tube leading from the pump unit to the delivery zone.

23. An implantable drug delivery system according to claim 22, wherein a plurality of outlet tubes are arranged to lead to a plurality of delivery zones.

24. An implantable drug delivery system according to claim 21, wherein the pump unit further includes a drug refill port through which the reservoir is filled.

25. An implantable drug delivery system according to claim 24, wherein the drug refill port is arranged to fill the reservoir via the supply tube.

26. An implantable drug delivery system according to claim 21 further comprising one or more neurosurgical catheters for delivering the drug to delivery zones.

31. The system according to claim 21 for use in therapy.

33. The use of a system according to claim 21 for the delivery of a therapeutic agent to a plurality of delivery sites.