Fluid delivery apparatus with vial fill

• US 20060195057A1
• Filed: 02/13/2006
• Published: 08/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BioQ Pharma Incorporated
• Original Assignee: BioQuiddity, Inc.
• Inventors: Kriesel, Joshua W., Kriesel, Marshall S., Langerud, Alan D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,837,653 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/19
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/1402 Priming
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/1403 Flushing or purging
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14506 mechanically driven, e.g. spring or clockwork
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/045 for filling, e.g. for filling reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/141 with capillaries for restricting fluid flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14244 adapted to be carried by the patient, e.g. portable on the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/148 flexible, e.g. independent bagsA61M5/155 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/16813 by controlling the degree of opening of the flow line

Abstract

A compact fluid dispenser for use in controllably dispensing fluid medicaments, such as antibiotics, analgesics, and the like medicinal agents from the reservoir of the device. Uniquely, the dispenser includes a novel bellows-type reservoir and vial fill means for filling the bellows-type reservoir with the medicament to be dispensed. The dispenser also includes a novel stored energy source in the form of a constant force spring which controllably urges the medicinal fluid from the device reservoir. Additionally, the apparatus of the invention includes a novel adjustable flow rate control assembly that is disposed intermediate the fluid reservoir outlet and the outlet port of the device for precisely controlling the rate of fluid flow from the outlet port toward the patient. The rate control assembly includes a rate selector member for selecting the desired rate of fluid flow toward the patient and a cooperatively associated flow control plate having a plurality of fluidic micro-channels which controls the rate of fluid flow toward the selector member. The rate control plate uniquely includes a priming feature for priming the various fluid passageways of the device and purging the fluid passageways of gases that may be contained therein prior to the delivery of the medicinal fluids to the administration line of the device.

Claims

1. A dispensing apparatus for dispensing fluids to a patient comprising:

(a) a housing having a longitudinal centerline and a fluid reservoir for containing fluid to be dispensed to the patient, said fluid reservoir being provided with an inlet for permitting fluid flow into said fluid reservoir and an outlet for permitting fluid flow from said fluid reservoir, said housing further including an elongated vial receiving chamber;

(b) pusher means disposed within said housing for movement between a first position and a second position to cause said fluid contained within said fluid reservoir to flow toward said outlet of said housing;

(c) stored energy means disposed within said outer housing for acting upon said pusher means to cause said fluid pusher means to move toward said second position, said stored energy means comprising a constant force spring;

(d) fill means carried by said housing for filling said reservoir with the fluid to be dispensed, said fill means comprises a fill vial receivable within said vial receiving chamber;

(e) flow control means carried by said housing for controlling fluid flow from said reservoir to the patient, said flow control means comprising;

(i) a flow rate control assembly mounted within said housing, said flow rate control assembly including a flow rate control member having a plurality of fluidic flow control channels formed therein; and

(ii) a transversely extending selector member rotatably carried by said housing, said selector member having a head portion and a body portion, said body portion being superimposed over said flow rate control assembly and having a plurality of fluid passageways formed therein in communication with said plurality of fluidic flow control channels formed in said flow rate control assembly selector; and

(f) dispensing means connected to said housing for dispensing fluids to the patient.

2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which said housing further includes a cavity in communication with said inlet of said fluid reservoir and in which said fill means further comprises a pierceable septum disposed within said cavity.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, further including volume indicator means carried by said housing for indicating the volume of fluid within said reservoir.

4. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, further including disabling means carried by said housing for preventing fluid flow toward the patient.

5. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 further including stop means for preventing rotation of said selector member.

6. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which said body portion of said selector member includes an axially-extending flow passageway and a plurality of radially-extending flow passageways in communication with said axially-extending flow passageway.

7. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which said flow control means further comprises priming means for priming said fluidic flow control channels formed in said flow rate control assembly.

8. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which said reservoir comprises a bellows structure having an expandable and compressible, accordion-like, annular-shaped sidewall expandable from a first contracted configuration to a second expanded configuration.

9. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which said flow rate control assembly further includes a cover superimposed over said flow rate control member and a flow director member mounted intermediate said flow rate control member and said cover, said flow director member having a plurality of elongated fluidic flow control channels in communication with said plurality of fluid passageways formed in said flow rate control member.

10. The apparatus as defined in claim 9 in which said cover includes a plurality of fluid outlets and in which said plurality of elongated fluidic flow control channels in said flow director member are in communication with said plurality of fluid outlets of said cover.

11. A dispensing apparatus for dispensing fluids to a patient comprising:

(a) a housing having a longitudinal centerline and a fluid reservoir for containing fluid to be dispensed to the patient, said reservoir comprising a bellows structure having an expandable and compressible, accordion-like, annular-shaped sidewall expandable from a first contracted configuration to a second expanded configuration, said housing being provided with an inlet for permitting fluid flow into said fluid reservoir and an outlet for permitting fluid flow from said fluid reservoir;

(b) pusher means disposed within said housing for movement between a first position and a second position to cause said annular-shaped sidewall to move toward a contracted configuration and to cause said fluid contained within said fluid reservoir to flow toward said outlet of said housing;

(c) stored energy means disposed within said outer housing for acting upon said pusher means to cause said fluid pusher means to move toward said second position, said stored energy means comprising a constant force spring;

(d) fill means carried by said housing for filling said reservoir with the fluid to be dispensed;

(e) flow control means carried by said housing for controlling fluid flow from said reservoir to the patient, said flow control means comprising;

(i) a flow rate control assembly mounted within said housing, said flow rate control assembly including a flow rate control member having a plurality of fluidic flow control channels formed therein;

(ii) a transversely extending selector member rotatably carried by said housing, said selector member having a head portion and a body portion, said body portion being superimposed over, said flow rate control assembly and having a plurality of fluid passageways formed therein in communication with said plurality of fluidic flow control channels formed in said flow rate control assembly selector; and

(iii) priming means for priming said plurality of elongated fluidic micro-channels formed in said flow rate control member and said plurality of fluid passageways formed in said selector member with fluid from said reservoir; and

(f) dispensing means connected to said housing for dispensing fluids to the patient.

12. The apparatus as defined in claim 11 in which said housing includes a cavity in communication with said inlet of said fluid reservoir and in which said fill means comprises a pierceable septum disposed within said cavity.

13. The apparatus as defined in claim 11 in which said housing includes a vial receiving chamber and in which said fill means comprises a fill vial receivable within said vial receiving chamber.

14. The apparatus as defined in claim 11, further including volume indicator means carried by said housing for indicating the volume of fluid within said reservoir.

15. The apparatus as defined in claim 11, further including disabling means carried by said housing for preventing fluid flow toward the patient.

16. The apparatus as defined in claim 11 further including stop means for preventing rotation of said selector member.

17. The apparatus as defined in claim 11 in which said body portion of said selector member includes an axially-extending flow passageway and a plurality of radially-extending flow passageways in communication with said axially-extending flow passageway.

18. The apparatus as defined in claim 11 in which said plurality of elongated fluidic flow control channels of said flow rate control member have a depth of approximately 10-100 μ

m.

19. The apparatus as defined in claim 11 in which said flow rate control assembly further includes a cover superimposed over said flow rate control member and a flow director member mounted intermediate said flow rate control member and said cover, said flow director member having a plurality of elongated fluidic flow control channels in communication with said plurality of fluid passageways formed in said flow rate control member.

20. The apparatus as defined in claim 19 in which said cover includes a plurality of fluid outlets and in which said plurality of elongated fluidic flow control channels in said flow director member are in communication with said plurality of fluid outlets of said cover.

21. A dispensing apparatus for dispensing fluids to a patient comprising:

(a) a housing having a longitudinal centerline, a vial receiving chamber and a fluid reservoir for containing fluid to be dispensed to the patient, said reservoir comprising a bellows structure having an expandable and compressible, accordion-like, annular-shaped sidewall expandable from a first contracted configuration to a second expanded configuration, said housing being provided with an inlet for permitting fluid flow into said fluid reservoir and an outlet for permitting fluid flow from said fluid reservoir;

(b) pusher means disposed within said housing for movement between a first position and a second position to cause said annular-shaped sidewall to move toward a contracted configuration and to cause said fluid contained within said fluid reservoir to flow toward said outlet of said housing;

(c) stored energy means disposed within said outer housing for acting upon said pusher means to cause said fluid pusher means to move toward said second position, said stored energy means comprising a constant force spring;

(d) fill means carried by said housing for filling said reservoir with the fluid to be dispensed, said fill means comprising a fill vial receivable within said vial receiving chamber of said housing;

(e) flow control means carried by said housing for controlling fluid flow from said reservoir to the patient, said flow control means comprising;

(i) a flow rate control assembly mounted within said housing, said flow rate control assembly including a flow rate control member having a plurality of fluidic flow control channels formed therein;

(ii) a transversely extending selector member rotatably carried by said housing, said selector member having a head portion and a body portion, said body portion being superimposed over, said flow rate control assembly and having a plurality of fluid passageways formed therein in communication with said plurality of fluidic flow control channels formed in said flow rate control assembly selector; and

(iii) priming means for priming said plurality of elongated fluidic micro-channels formed in said flow rate control member and said plurality of fluid passageways formed in said selector member with fluid from said reservoir;

(f) stop means for preventing rotation of said selector member; and

(g) dispensing means connected to said housing for dispensing fluids to the patient.

22. The apparatus as defined in claim 21 in which said housing includes a cavity in communication with said inlet of said fluid reservoir and in which said fill means comprises a pierceable septum disposed within said cavity.

23. The apparatus as defined in claim 21, further including disabling means carried by said housing for preventing fluid flow toward the patient.

24. The apparatus as defined in claim 21 in which said body portion of said selector member includes an axially-extending flow passageway and a plurality of radially-extending flow passageways in communication with said axially-extending flow passageway.

25. The apparatus as defined in claim 21 in which said fluidic flow control channels have surfaces, said surfaces being modified to provide unique surface characteristics.

26. The apparatus as defined in claim 21 in which said flow control means further includes filter means for filtering fluids flowing from said reservoir toward said fluidic flow control channels of said flow rate control member.

27. The apparatus as defined in claim 21 in which said sidewall of said bellows structure is coated with a drug compatibility coating.