Device for Delivering a Liquid, the Device Comprising a Pump and a Valve

• US 20100028170A1
• Filed: 09/03/2007
• Published: 02/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deboitech SA
• Original Assignee: Debiotech S.A.
• Inventors: Schneeberger, Niklaus, Vallet, Véronique, Chappel, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 8,167,581 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 417/296
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14264 with means for compensating influence from the environment
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/0244 Micromachined materials, e.g. made from silicon wafers, microelectromechanical systems [MEMS] or comprising nanotechnology
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14244 adapted to be carried by the patient, e.g. portable on the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/16881 Regulating valves on-off valves, e.g. clamps A61M39/28

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for delivering a liquid, which device comprises a pump, and an anti-siphon valve external to the pump and having an inlet channel connected to the outlet duct of the pump, and an outlet channel, between which channels a seat and a moving member are disposed that are suitable for co-operating together and that define, between the inlet channel and the outlet channel, a leaktight liquid flow zone, said moving member being suitable for going from an opening position making it possible for liquid to flow through said flow zone, to a closure position in which the moving member comes into contact with the seat of the valve and prevents any flow through said flow zone, said moving member being subjected to the pressure of a reference chamber that is not in fluid communication with the outlet channel. Application to obtaining a pump for injecting liquid medication.

Claims

1-32. -32. (canceled)

33. A device for delivering a liquid, which device comprises:

a pump of the positive displacement type having an inlet valve, an outlet valve and an inlet duct suitable for being connected to a liquid reservoir and connected to said inlet valve of the pump, an outlet duct connected to said outlet valve of the pump, which outlet valve is made of hard materials, and a pumping portion having control means provided with a pumping membrane and a pumping chamber whose volume varies as a function of the deformation of the pumping membrane;

an anti-siphon valve external to the pump and having an inlet channel connected directly to the outlet duct of the pump, and an outlet channel, between which inlet and outlet channels a seat and a moving member are disposed that are suitable for co-operating together and that define, between the inlet channel and the outlet channel, a leaktight liquid flow zone; and

a reference chamber that is not in- fluid communication with the outlet channel and in which the pressure is a reference pressure (P_ref),

wherein said moving member is suitable for going from an opening position making it possible for liquid to flow through said flow zone, to a closure position in which the moving member comes into contact with the seat of the valve and prevents any flow through said flow zone, said moving member being subjected to said reference pressure (P_ref), wherein said reference pressure (P_ref) is substantially equal to the pressure prevailing, when the pump is at rest, in the inlet duct of the pump, and wherein the seat and/or the moving member of said anti-siphon valve is made of a soft material.

34. The device according to claim 33, wherein the moving member of the anti-siphon valve is caused to go between its closure position and its opening position at least by the pressure (P,,f) prevailing in the reference chamber.

35. The device according to claim 34, wherein the moving member is in the opening position when said valve is in the equilibrium position in which the pressures in the inlet channel (P_in), in the outlet channel (P_out), and in the reference chamber (P_ref) are mutually equal;

wherein the moving member goes into its closure position, from said equilibrium position of the anti-siphon valve, if the pressure in the outlet channel (P_out) decreases at least by the value of a predetermined outlet pressure threshold (T_out), the pressures in the inlet channel (P_in) and in the reference chamber (P_ref) remaining constant;

and wherein the moving member goes into its closure position, from said equilibrium position of the anti-siphon valve, if the pressure in the reference chamber (P_ref) increases at least by the absolute value of a predetermined inlet pressure threshold (T_in), the pressures in the outlet channel (P_out) and in the reference chamber (P_ref) remaining constant.

36. The device according to claim 33, wherein the pump is a micropump.

37. The device according to claim 35, wherein said outlet channel of the anti-siphon valve is connected to an injection line, and in that said predetermined closure pressure threshold (T_out) is less than the inverse of the siphon pressure (−

P_siph) prevailing in the valve, if said injection line is disposed vertically with the distal end downwards.

38. The device according to claim 33, wherein said valve presents a valve body in which said inlet channel, said flow zone, and the outlet channel are formed.

39. The device according to claim 38, wherein said moving member belongs to a flexible film that is fastened in leaktight manner to the surface of the valve body, and that extends along said flow zone.

40. The device according to claim 39, wherein said film is made of an elastic material.

41. The device according to claim 33, wherein said reference chamber is in communication with the inlet duct of the pump.

42. The device according to claim 33, wherein it further comprises a liquid reservoir connected to said inlet duct of a pump.

43. The device according to claim 42, wherein the reference chamber is subjected to the same pressure (P_ref) as the pressure (P_res) prevailing in the liquid reservoir.

44. The device according to claim 42, wherein said liquid reservoir presents a variable volume.

45. The device according to claim 43, wherein the pressure (P_res) prevailing in said liquid reservoir is substantially equal to the pressure prevailing outside the liquid reservoir.

46. The device according to claim 44, wherein said liquid reservoir comprises a stationary reservoir body and a moving reservoir wall defining the cavity of said liquid reservoir.

47. The device according to claim 46, wherein said moving reservoir wall is fastened in leaktight manner to the outside surface of the stationary reservoir body.

48. The device according to claim 46, wherein said moving reservoir wall is formed of a flexible film that is preferably made of polymer material.

49. The device according to claim 48, wherein said moving reservoir wall is made of an elastic material.

50. The device according to claim 45, wherein said valve presents a valve body in which said inlet channel, said flow zone, and the outlet channel are formed and wherein said stationary valve body and said stationary reservoir body are formed in a single piece forming a stationary body.

51. The device according to claim 50, wherein said valve and said liquid reservoir are defined by the same surface of said stationary body forming the valve body and the reservoir body.

52. The device according to claim 48, wherein said valve presents a valve body in which said inlet channel, said flow zone, and the outlet channel are formed and wherein said moving member belongs to a flexible film that is fastened in leaktight manner to the surface of the valve body, and that extends along said flow zone, and wherein said flexible film of the moving member and the flexible film of said moving reservoir wall are made of the same flexible film.

53. The device according to claim 52, wherein said flexible film comprises a flexible first layer and a soft second layer that is situated on the face of the film that faces towards the reservoir and towards the seat of the anti-siphon valve.

54. The device according to claim 51, wherein it further comprises a liquid reservoir connected to said inlet duct of the pump, wherein said liquid reservoir presents a variable volume, wherein said liquid reservoir comprises a stationary reservoir body and a moving reservoir wall defining the cavity of said liquid reservoir, wherein said moving reservoir wall is formed of a flexible film that is preferably made of polymer material, wherein said valve presents a valve body in which said inlet channel said flow zone, and the outlet channel are formed and wherein said moving member belongs to a flexible film that is fastened in leaktight manner to the surface of the valve body, and that extends along said flow zone, wherein said flexible film of the moving member and the flexible film of said moving reservoir wall are made of the same flexible film, and wherein said flexible film is fastened against said surface of the stationary body in leaktight manner so as to form said flow zone of said anti-siphon valve and the cavity of said liquid reservoir.

55. The device according to claim 54, wherein said flexible film is fastened in leaktight manner against said stationary body by ultrasound welding, by heat-sealing, or by laser welding.

56. The device according to claim 54, wherein said flexible film is fastened in leaktight manner against said stationary body for adhesive bonding.

57. The device according to claim 54, wherein said flexible film is fastened in leaktight manner against said stationary body by means of precision fitting under pressure.

58. The device according to claim 54, wherein said flexible film is fastened in leaktight manner against said stationary body by a retaining technique.

59. The device according to claim 46, wherein said liquid reservoir further comprises a cover mounted on said stationary reservoir body, said moving reservoir wall being received between said cover and said stationary reservoir body.

60. The device according to claim 59, wherein said reference chamber is connected to the space defined between the cover and the moving reservoir wall.

61. The device according to claim 50, wherein said liquid reservoir presents a variable volume, wherein said liquid reservoir comprises a stationary reservoir body and a moving reservoir wall defining the cavity of said liquid reservoir, wherein said liquid reservoir further comprises a cover mounted on said stationary reservoir body, said moving reservoir wall being received between said cover and said stationary reservoir body, wherein said reference chamber is connected to the space defined between the cover and the moving reservoir wall, wherein said cover is mounted on said stationary body forming said stationary valve body and wherein said stationary reservoir body said cover and said stationary body defining a space that encloses said liquid reservoir and said reference chamber.

62. The device according to claim 61, wherein said pump is self-priming in the absence of the anti-siphon valve, i.e. said pump has a compression ratio that is higher than the ratio of the absolute opening pressures of the inlet and the outlet valves.

63. The device according to claim 62, wherein the pump has a small pumping volume that is smaller than 10 μ

l, preferably smaller than 1 μ

l, and preferably smaller than 500 nl.

64. The device according to claim 63, wherein the pump is manufactured using micro-machining techniques.