Thermodynamically driven reversible infuser pump for use as a remotely controlled gastric band
First Claim
1. An implantable device, comprising:
- a sealed case;
an accumulator encompassed by the case and operably configured for selective movement between a first volume and a second volume;
a propellant in a cavity defined in the sealed case outside of the accumulator, the propellant having a liquid phase and a gas phase at body temperature that exerts a pressure bias upon the accumulator; and
a heat flux element operably configured to adjust temperature in the cavity to reverse the bias upon the accumulator.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An implantable artificial sphincter system provides long-term adjustment via transcutaneous energy transfer (TET), minimizing invasive adjustment through adding or removing fluid via a syringe. An infuser device provides bi-directional fluid transfer via a flexible conduit to a sphincter band, such as a gastric band, by a combination of thermodynamic actuation and a piezo-electrically disengaged drum brake assembly that thereby achieves a desirable small volume device. A propellant within a propellant cavity surrounds a metal bellows accumulator biased at body temperature to either expand or collapse the bellows accumulator with the opposite direction of movement effected by a thermal element that heats in combination with a negatively-biased propellant or cools in combination with a positively-biased propellant. A drum brake assembly locks the metal bellows accumulator in place between adjustments by thermodynamic actuation by activating piezo-electric stack actuators that disengage calipers from a brake drum attached to the bellows accumulator.
92 Citations
27 Claims
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1. An implantable device, comprising:
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a sealed case;
an accumulator encompassed by the case and operably configured for selective movement between a first volume and a second volume;
a propellant in a cavity defined in the sealed case outside of the accumulator, the propellant having a liquid phase and a gas phase at body temperature that exerts a pressure bias upon the accumulator; and
a heat flux element operably configured to adjust temperature in the cavity to reverse the bias upon the accumulator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An implantable apparatus, comprising:
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a hydraulically inflatable therapeutic member; and
an implantable device, comprising;
a sealed case, an accumulator in fluid communication with the hydraulically inflatable therapeutic member, encompassed by the case and operably configured for selective movement between a first volume and a second volume, a propellant in a cavity defined in the sealed case outside of the accumulator, the propellant having a liquid phase and a gas phase at body temperature that exerts a pressure bias upon the accumulator, and a heat flux element operably configured to adjust temperature in the cavity to reverse the bias upon the accumulator. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. An implantable device, comprising:
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a sealed case;
an accumulator encompassed by the case and operably configured for selective movement between a first volume and a second volume;
a propellant in a cavity defined in the sealed case outside of the accumulator, the propellant having a liquid phase and a gas phase at body temperature that exerts a negative gauge pressure upon the accumulator;
a heating element operably increases temperature in the cavity to exert a positive gauge pressure upon the accumulator;
a volume braking mechanism operably configured to lock the cylindrical bellows accumulator at a current volume; and
an adjustment control operably configured to activate the heating element and to release the volume braking mechanism to dispense fluid and to release the volume braking mechanism to draw fluid. - View Dependent Claims (27)
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Specification