INFUSION MEDIUM DELIVERY DEVICE AND METHOD WITH DRIVE DEVICE FOR DRIVING PLUNGER IN RESERVOIR

• US 20090036870A1
• Filed: 10/08/2008
• Published: 02/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Minimed Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Minimed Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Moberg, Sheldon B., Kavazov, Julian D., Hanson, Ian B., Enegren, Bradley J., Bente, Paul F. IV, Griffin, Christopher G., Mounce, R. Paul, Maule, Susie E., Holt, Mark D., Guezuraga, Robert M., Norton, Melissa D., Kovelman, Paul H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,444,607 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/506
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14268 with a reusable and a disposable component
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14573 with a replaceable reservoir for quick connection/disconnection with a driving system
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/0266 Shape memory materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/103 rotating
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/58 Means for facilitating use, e.g. by people with impaired vision
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6054 Magnetic identification systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1413 Modular systems comprising interconnecting elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14236 Screw, impeller or centrifugal type pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14244 adapted to be carried by the patient, e.g. portable on the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14248 of the skin patch type
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14526 the piston being actuated by fluid pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1456 with a replaceable reservoir comprising a piston rod to be moved into the reservoir, e.g. the piston rod is part of the removable reservoir
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/5086 for indicating if defective, used, tampered with or unsterile
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A delivery device includes first and second housing portions that selectively engage and disengage. A reservoir on one housing portion operatively engages a drive device and/or a needle inserting device on the other housing portion. Upon proper engagement of the housing portions, the reservoir operatively couples to the drive device and/or the needle inserting device. A first magnet on the first housing portion and a second magnet (or a magnetically-attractive material) on the second housing portion are positioned to magnetically interact with each other, upon operative engagement of the housing portions. A third magnet on the second housing portion may be opposed to the first magnet to help align the housing portions for connection. A magnet-responsive device may be on one or both housing portions to detect alignment and/or connection of the housing portions.

Claims

1-21. -21. (canceled)

22. A delivery device for delivering an infusion medium to a user, the device comprising:

first and second housing portions adapted to be carried by a user and configured to be selectively engaged together for operation and selectively separated from each other;

a reservoir supported by the first housing portion, the reservoir including a reservoir housing having an interior volume, a plunger head moveable within the reservoir interior to selectively change the volume of the reservoir interior and a plunger shaft extending from the plunger head to a position outside of the reservoir housing;

a nut member having an open side, the nut member being supported in a fixed relation with the plunger shaft of the reservoir, the nut member having a structure for engaging a threaded shaft in any one of a plurality of positions in a first dimension relative to the nut member;

a rotatable lead shaft supported by the second housing portion for rotation about a rotary axis, the rotatable lead shaft being supported by the second housing portion in a position to be inserted through the open side of the nut member to threadably engage with the nut member, as the first and second housing portions are brought together for operative engagement.

23. A delivery device according to claim 22, wherein the nut member comprises a generally U-shaped member having a pair of arms that are separated by a gap between the arms.

24. A delivery device according to claim 23, wherein the plunger shaft comprises a pair of rods, each rod extending from the plunger head to one respective arm of the U-shaped member.

25. A delivery device according to claim 24, wherein at least one of the nut member and at least one of the rods includes a detectable feature and wherein the delivery device further includes a sensor arranged to detect the detectable feature to provide a signal corresponding to the position of the detectable feature, wherein the position of the detectable feature corresponds to a fill state of the reservoir.

26. A delivery device according to claim 25, wherein the detectable feature comprises a magnetic material.

27. A delivery device according to claim 22, wherein the nut member includes a detectable feature and wherein the delivery device further includes a sensor arranged to detect the detectable feature to provide a signal corresponding to the position of the detectable feature, wherein the position of the detectable feature corresponds to a fill state of the reservoir.

28. A delivery device according to claim 27, wherein the detectable feature comprises a magnetic material.

29. A delivery device for delivering an infusion medium to a user, the device comprising:

a reservoir, the reservoir including a reservoir housing having an interior volume, a plunger head moveable within the reservoir interior to selectively change the volume of the reservoir interior and a plunger shaft;

a nut member having an open side, the nut member being supported in a fixed relation with the plunger shaft of the reservoir, the nut member having a structure for engaging a threaded shaft in any one of a plurality of positions in a first dimension relative to the nut member;

a rotatable lead shaft supported for rotation about a rotary axis, the rotatable lead shaft and the nut member being movable relative to each other in at least an insertion direction in which the lead shaft is inserted through the open side of the nut member to an inserted position at which the lead shaft is threadably engage with the nut member.

30. A delivery device according to claim 29, the rotatable lead shaft and the nut member being further movable relative to each other from the inserted position in a direction in which the lead shaft is withdrawn from the nut member through the open side of the nut member to disengage the lead shaft from the nut member.

31. A delivery device according to claim 29, wherein the nut member comprises a generally U-shaped member having a pair of arms that are separated by a gap between the arms.

32. A delivery device according to claim 31, wherein the plunger shaft comprises a pair of rods, each rod extending from the plunger head to one respective arm of the U-shaped member.

33. A delivery device according to claim 32, wherein at least one of the nut member and at least one of the rods includes a detectable feature and wherein the delivery device further includes a sensor arranged to detect the detectable feature to provide a signal corresponding to the position of the detectable feature, wherein the position of the detectable feature corresponds to a fill state of the reservoir.

34. A delivery device according to claim 33, wherein the detectable feature comprises a magnetic material.

35. A delivery device according to claim 29, wherein the nut member includes a detectable feature and wherein the delivery device further includes a sensor arranged to detect the detectable feature to provide a signal corresponding to the position of the detectable feature, wherein the position of the detectable feature corresponds to a fill state of the reservoir.

36. A delivery device according to claim 35, wherein the detectable feature comprises a magnetic material.

37. A delivery device according to claim 29, wherein the plunger shaft includes a detectable feature and wherein the delivery device further includes a sensor arranged to detect the detectable feature to provide a signal corresponding to the position of the detectable feature, wherein the position of the detectable feature corresponds to a fill state of the reservoir.

38. A delivery device according to claim 37, wherein the detectable feature comprises a magnetic material.

39. A method of delivering an infusion medium to a user, the method comprising:

supporting a reservoir on a first housing structure, the reservoir including a reservoir housing having an interior volume, a plunger head moveable within the reservoir interior to selectively change the volume of the reservoir interior and a plunger shaft;

supporting a nut member having an open side in a fixed relation with the plunger shaft of the reservoir, the nut member having a structure for engaging a threaded shaft in any one of a plurality of positions in a first dimension relative to the nut member;

supporting a rotatable lead shaft for rotation about a rotary axis, and for relative movement between the rotatable lead shaft and the nut member in at least an insertion direction in which the lead shaft is inserted through the open side of the nut member to an inserted position at which the lead shaft is threadably engage with the nut member.

40. A method according to claim 39, further comprising supporting the rotatable lead shaft and the nut member for further movement relative to each other from the inserted position, in a direction in which the lead shaft is withdrawn from the nut member through the open side of the nut member to disengage the lead shaft from the nut member.

41. A method according to claim 39, wherein at least one of the plunger shaft and the nut member includes a detectable feature and wherein the delivery device further includes a sensor arranged to detect the detectable feature to provide a signal corresponding to the position of the detectable feature, wherein the position of the detectable feature corresponds to a fill state of the reservoir.