Fluid transportation device

• US 20070154336A1
• Filed: 11/13/2006
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Misuzu Industry Company Limited, Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Misuzu Industry Company Limited, Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Susumu, Kawasumi, Kazuo, Mochizuki, Eiji, Miyazaki, Hajime, Miyasaka, Mamoru, Hashimoto, Nao, Mori, Toshio
• Application Number:
  US11/598,077
• Publication Number:
  US 20070154336A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 417/474
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14506 mechanically driven, e.g. spring or clockwork
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/0208 Subcutaneous access sites for injecting or removing fluids transcutaneous access sites A61M39/0247; implantable infusion devices A61M5/14276
• 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: A61M 5/14232 Roller pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1424 Manually operated pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14276 specially adapted for implantation
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 23/025 the pump being located directly adjacent the reservoir
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/082 the tubular flexible member being pressed against a wall by a number of elements, each having an alternating movement in a direction perpendicular to the axes of the tubular member and each having its own driving mechanism

Abstract

A fluid transportation device includes: an outer case having a sealed space; a tube having elasticity; a fluid transport mechanism having fingers that occlude the tube and a cam that successively presses the plurality of fingers; a driving force transmission mechanism disposed so as to be overlapped with the fluid transport mechanism, and transmitting a driving force to the fluid transport mechanism; a reservoir disposed at a position so as not to overlap the fluid transport mechanism and the driving force transmission mechanism; a port through which the fluid is injected into the reservoir; and an electric power supply supplying electric power to the driving force transmission mechanism. In this fluid transportation device, at least the fluid transport mechanism, the driving force transmission mechanism, and the electric power supply are housed in the sealed space of the outer case.

Claims

1. A fluid transportation device comprising:

an outer case constituted from an upper cover and a lower cover, having a sealed space;

a tube having elasticity;

a fluid transport mechanism, having a plurality of fingers that occlude the tube and a cam that successively presses the plurality of fingers from an inlet portion to an outlet portion, making a fluid flow continuously by squeezing the tube;

a driving force transmission mechanism disposed so as to be overlapped with the fluid transport mechanism, transmitting a driving force to the fluid transport mechanism;

a reservoir disposed at a position at which it does not overlap with the fluid transport mechanism and the driving force transmission mechanism, being in communication with the inlet portion of the tube, and containing the fluid;

a port injecting the fluid into the reservoir; and

an electric power supply supplying electric power to the driving force transmission mechanism, wherein

at least the fluid transport mechanism, the driving force transmission mechanism, and the electric power supply are housed in the sealed space of the outer case.

2. The fluid transportation device according to claim 1, wherein

the reservoir is housed in the sealed space of the outer case.

3. The fluid transportation device according to claim 1, wherein

the reservoir is held at an outer side of the outer case and inclines with respect to a surface of the outer case.

4. The fluid transportation device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a reservoir frame disposed on the outer side of the outer case, wherein the reservoir is detachably mounted via the reservoir frame.

5. The fluid transportation device according to claim 1, wherein

the driving force transmission mechanism includes:

a step motor; and

a watch movement, which in turn includes a wheel train having an hour wheel that protrudes in the direction of the fluid transport mechanism, and

the cam is insertingly attached to an axial portion of the hour wheel.

6. The fluid transportation device according to claim 1, wherein

the port is disposed so as to penetrate through the upper cover.

7. The fluid transportation device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a fluid flow inlet provided at the reservoir and being in communication with the tube; and

a fluid injection inlet, being in communication with the port, wherein

the fluid flow inlet and the fluid injection inlet are disposed at separated positions so that the fluid flows in the interior of the reservoir.

8. The fluid transportation device according to claim 1, wherein

the reservoir is formed of a deformable pouch.

9. The fluid transportation device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a fluid injection plug provided on the port and being formed of a material with elasticity, wherein

when a syringe-needle-like injection needle is inserted into the fluid injection plug to inject a fluid into the interior of the reservoir and the injection needle is thereafter extracted, the portion at which the injection needle was inserted becomes sealed by the elasticity of the fluid injection plug itself.

10. A fluid transportation device used for implantation under skin, the fluid transportation device comprising:

an outer case having a skin side surface and a rear surface, the skin side surface facing the skin when the fluid transportation device is implanted under the skin;

a port disposed at the skin side surface, having an injection opening which is exposed to the exterior of the outer case and enables injection of a fluid from the exterior;

a reservoir storing the fluid injected from the port;

a fluid conducting portion communicated with the reservoir, to allow the fluid to be conducted;

a micropump feeding the fluid to the exterior via the fluid conducting portion; and

a battery supplying power to the micropump.

11. The fluid transportation device according to claim 10, wherein

the reservoir and the micropump are separately disposed each other in plan view, and the port is disposed between the reservoir and the micropump in plan view.

12. The fluid transportation device according to claim 10, wherein

the port has a protrusion formed to protrude from the outer case, and the injection opening is formed in the protrusion.

13. The fluid transportation device according to claim 10, wherein

the battery is disposed so as to be overlapped with the reservoir in plan view and is disposed opposite the port across the reservoir in cross-sectional view.

14. The fluid transportation device according to claim 10, wherein

the port is disposed at a position so as not to overlap the battery in plan view.

15. The fluid transportation device according to claim 10, further comprising:

an IC controlling operations of the micropump;

a circuit substrate on which the IC is packaged; and

a signal supplying port disposed so as to be exposed from the outer case to enable a control program for controlling the operations of the micropump to be supplied to the IC.

16. The fluid transportation device according to claim 10, further comprising:

an attachment portion formed on the outer case in order to attach to a subject.

17. The fluid transportation device according to claim 10, wherein

the outer case has inclined surfaces at least at a portion of outer walls extending from the skin side surface to the rear surface.

18. The fluid transportation device according to claim 17, wherein

the outer case has vertical hold surfaces on outer walls extending from the skin side surface to the rear surface.

19. The fluid transportation device according to claim 17, wherein

the outer case includes:

a first-narrow-side outer wall formed along a narrow-width direction at a first end of a wide-width direction; and

a second-narrow-side outer wall formed along the narrow-width direction at a second end of the wide-width direction, and

the inclined surfaces are formed incliningly so that the first-narrow-side outer wall and the second-narrow-side outer wall converge from the rear surface toward the skin side surface of the outer case.

20. The fluid transportation device according to claim 17, wherein

the outer case includes:

a first-wide-side outer wall formed along a wide-width direction at a first end of a narrow-width direction; and

a second-wide-side outer wall formed along the wide-width direction at a second end of the narrow-width direction, and

the inclined surfaces are formed incliningly so that the first-wide-side outer wall and the second-wide-side outer wall converge from the rear surface toward the skin side surface of the outer case.