NON-CONSTANT PRESSURE INFUSION PUMP
First Claim
1. A system for infusing a fluid in a living body, said system comprising:
- a reservoir to transiently store a fluid infusate for transmission to a delivery site;
a flow restrictor disposed in a fluid path between said reservoir and said delivery site;
a pressure sensing device providing pressure information to determine a pressure differential across said flow restrictor; and
a valve disposed in said fluid path between said reservoir and said delivery site, said valve operable to control infusate output from said reservoir to said delivery site as a function of said pressure differential across said flow restrictor;
wherein said reservoir, said flow restrictor, said pressure sensing device, and said valve are provided in a configuration adapted for implantation in a living body.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to an implantable infusion pump having a refillable infusate reservoir in fluid communication with a delivery site via a flow path. This flow path includes a flow resistance. The infusion pump includes a sensing device(s), positioned relative to the flow path, to provide data regarding a flow rate along the flow path. The infusion pump effects a division of a total flow period into at least a plurality of unit dose periods, each unit dose period effecting delivery of a unit dose of infusate. The cumulative effect of delivering the total number of unit dose periods is the delivery of a desired dose over the total flow period. The present invention permits a reservoir pressure to vary over any portion of total flow period but effects a constant-pressure state over each unit dose cycle.
36 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A system for infusing a fluid in a living body, said system comprising:
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a reservoir to transiently store a fluid infusate for transmission to a delivery site; a flow restrictor disposed in a fluid path between said reservoir and said delivery site; a pressure sensing device providing pressure information to determine a pressure differential across said flow restrictor; and a valve disposed in said fluid path between said reservoir and said delivery site, said valve operable to control infusate output from said reservoir to said delivery site as a function of said pressure differential across said flow restrictor; wherein said reservoir, said flow restrictor, said pressure sensing device, and said valve are provided in a configuration adapted for implantation in a living body. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for infusing a fluid in a living body, said method comprising:
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providing a reservoir, a flow restrictor, and a valve in a configuration adapted for implantation in a living body; transiently storing a fluid infusate in said reservoir for transmission to a delivery site; disposing said flow restrictor in a fluid path between said reservoir and said delivery site; determining a pressure differential across said flow restrictor; and controlling said valve disposed in said fluid path between said reservoir and said delivery site to control infusate output from said reservoir to said delivery site as a function of said pressure differential across said flow restrictor. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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21-34. -34. (canceled)
Specification