VALVELESS IMPEDANCE PUMP DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEMS
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An implant unit, comprising:
- a pump chamber including a flexible wall, an inlet opening and an outlet opening;
a force-transferring member configured to compress the flexible wall at an actuation position, wherein the actuation positiongenerally defines a first sub-chamber located between the inlet opening and the actuation position and a second sub-chamber located between the outlet opening and the actuation position, andis located such that compression of the flexible wall at the actuation location while a fluid is in the pump chamber results in a higher fluid pressure in the first sub-chamber relative to the second sub-chamber and a net fluid flow through the pump chamber; and
a housing sized for implantation in a living human or other animal and separating an internal space containing the pump chamber and the force-transferring member from an exterior, the housing including an external surface facing the exterior and formed from a biocompatible material, a first housing opening in fluid communication with the pump chamber inlet and a second housing opening in fluid communication with the pump chamber outlet.
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Abstract
A drug-delivery unit suitable for implantation into a patient body may include a valveless impedance pump. In some implementations the unit may include an actuator, control electronics and a battery, and may communicate with an external patient interface unit. The patient interface unit can be used to control operation of the implant and to download data from the implant. The patient interface unit can also be used to charge the implant and/or a separate charger can be used. In other implementations, a drug-delivery implant unit may lack internal electronics and instead rely on an externally-supplied magnetic field to actuate the pump.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. An implant unit, comprising:
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a pump chamber including a flexible wall, an inlet opening and an outlet opening; a force-transferring member configured to compress the flexible wall at an actuation position, wherein the actuation position generally defines a first sub-chamber located between the inlet opening and the actuation position and a second sub-chamber located between the outlet opening and the actuation position, and is located such that compression of the flexible wall at the actuation location while a fluid is in the pump chamber results in a higher fluid pressure in the first sub-chamber relative to the second sub-chamber and a net fluid flow through the pump chamber; and a housing sized for implantation in a living human or other animal and separating an internal space containing the pump chamber and the force-transferring member from an exterior, the housing including an external surface facing the exterior and formed from a biocompatible material, a first housing opening in fluid communication with the pump chamber inlet and a second housing opening in fluid communication with the pump chamber outlet. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. An implant unit, comprising:
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a housing sized for implantation into the body of a living human and having a biocompatible exterior; a valveless impedance pump contained within the housing; a drug reservoir, in fluid communication with the valveless impedance pump, containing a supply of solid drug removable by flow of vehicle passing through the valveless impedance pump and the drug reservoir; a first fluid conduit in fluid communication with one of the valveless impedance pump and the drug reservoir; a second fluid conduit in fluid communication with the other of the valveless impedance pump and the drug reservoir; and a third fluid conduit in placing the valveless impedance pump in fluid communication with the drug reservoir. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
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26. A patient interface unit, comprising:
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a display; and at least one processor configured to wirelessly communicate, to a drug delivery implant unit after the drug delivery implant unit has been implanted into a living human or other animal, an activation instruction, a deactivation instruction, and instructions to modify at least one of the following scheduled future times at which the drug delivery implant unit will activate a drug delivery pump to commence a drug delivery sequence, and the duration of a future drug delivery sequence. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28)
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Specification