In-Line Fluid Transfer Devices And Ambulatory Infusion Devices Including The Same

• US 20100286614A1
• Filed: 05/08/2009
• Published: 11/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Minimed Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Alfred E. Mann Foundation For Scientific Research
• Inventors: Ring, Lawrence Scott
• Granted Patent: US 8,372,041 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/152
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3331 Pressure; Flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14276 specially adapted for implantation
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 17/042 the solenoid motor being separated from the fluid flow

Abstract

Fluid transfer devices for use in, for example, ambulatory infusion devices and infusions devices including fluid transfer devices.

Claims

1-30. -30. (canceled)

31. An infusion device, comprising:

a fluid transfer device including

an electromagnet including a coil, a case defining an internal volume, and a core having a fluid lumen, with an inlet and an outlet, extending therethrough, at least a portion of the core located within the internal volume defined by the case, and

a piston having a portion that is magnetic and is located within the internal volume defined by the case, movable relative to the core between a rest position and a pull-back position adjacent to the core, and biased to the rest position;

an infusion device outlet operably connected to the fluid transfer device; and

a reservoir operably connected to the fluid transfer device such that the fluid transfer device receives fluid from the reservoir.

32. An infusion device as claimed in claim 31, further comprising:

an infusion device housing; and

wherein the fluid transfer device and the reservoir are located within the infusion device housing.

33. An infusion device as claimed in claim 31, wherein the reservoir comprises a negative pressure reservoir.

34. An infusion device as claimed in claim 31, wherein the piston includes first and second longitudinal ends and does not include a fluid lumen extending therethrough.

35. An infusion device as claimed in claim 34, further comprising:

an inlet chamber associated with the first longitudinal end of the piston;

an inlet valve associated with the inlet chamber;

a bypass valve associated with the inlet chamber; and

a bypass channel extending from the bypass valve to the second longitudinal end of the piston.

36. An infusion device as claimed in claim 31, wherein the entire piston is magnetic.

37. An infusion device as claimed in claim 31, further comprising:

a spring that biases the piston to the rest position.

38. An infusion device as claimed in claim 37, wherein at least a portion of the spring is located with the electromagnet core fluid lumen.

39. An infusion device as claimed in claim 31, wherein

the core includes a seal surface that extends around the fluid lumen inlet;

the piston defines first and second longitudinal ends, the second longitudinal end of the piston facing the core seal surface; and

the fluid transfer device further comprises a gasket carried by the core seal surface or the second longitudinal end of the piston such that the gasket is in contact with the core seal surface and the second longitudinal end of the piston when the piston is in the pull-back position.

40. An infusion device as claimed in claim 31, further comprising:

an outer pump tube;

wherein the coil is carried outside the outer pump tube and the core and the piston are carried inside the outer pump tube.

41. An infusion device as claimed in claim 40, further comprising:

an inner pump tube located within the outer pump tube and defining a piston lumen, at least a portion of the piston being located within the piston lumen.

42. An infusion device as claimed in claim 41, wherein

the piston defines first and second longitudinal ends;

an inlet chamber is defined by the piston lumen and the first longitudinal end of the piston;

an outlet chamber is defined by the second longitudinal end of the piston and the electromagnet core;

a bypass channel, at least a portion of which is defined by the inner and outer pump tubes, connects the inlet chamber to the outlet chamber; and

a bypass valve is associated with the inlet chamber and the bypass channel.

43. An infusion device as claimed in claim 42, wherein the electromagnet core, the piston, the inner pump tube and the outer pump tube define a common longitudinal axis.

44. An infusion device, comprising:

a fluid transfer device including

an outer pump tube,

an inner pump tube located within the outer pump tube and defining a piston lumen,

a piston which defines first and second longitudinal ends, does not include a fluid lumen extending therethrough, and has at least a portion thereof mounted within the piston lumen such that the piston lumen and the first longitudinal end define an inlet chamber and a capillary seal is formed between the piston and the inner pump tube,

an electromagnet including a coil carried outside the outer pump tube and a core having a fluid lumen, with an inlet and an outlet, carried inside the outer pump tube such that an outlet chamber is defined between the second longitudinal end of the piston and the core,

a bypass channel defined at least in part by in the inner and outer pump tubes that connects the inlet chamber and the outlet chamber, and

a bypass valve associated with the inner pump tube, the inlet chamber and the bypass channel;

an infusion device outlet operably connected to the fluid transfer device; and

a reservoir operably connected to the fluid transfer device such that the fluid transfer device receives fluid from the reservoir.

45. An infusion device as claimed in claim 44, further comprising:

an infusion device housing; and

wherein the fluid transfer device and the reservoir are located within the infusion device housing.

46. An infusion device as claimed in claim 44, wherein the reservoir comprises a negative pressure reservoir.

47. An infusion device as claimed in claim 44, further comprising:

an inlet valve associated with the inlet chamber.

48. An infusion device as claimed in claim 47, further comprising:

an inlet tube, including a portion of the inlet valve, secured to the outer pump tube.

49. An infusion device as claimed in claim 48, wherein

the inlet valve includes an inlet valve base, defining a lumen and a seal surface, that is part of the inlet tube;

and

the inlet valve includes a resilient structure, mounted in tension on the valve base, including a valve member movable between a closed state where the valve member engages the seal surface and an open state where at least a portion of the valve member is spaced apart from the seal surface.

50. An infusion device as claimed in claim 49, wherein the piston is movable between a rest position where the first longitudinal end is in contact with the inlet valve resilient structure and a pull-back position where the second longitudinal end is in contact with the core.

51. An infusion device as claimed in claim 44, wherein at least a portion of the piston is formed from magnetic material.

52. An infusion device as claimed in claim 51, further comprising:

a spring, located within the magnetic core lumen, that biases the piston to the rest position.

53. An infusion device as claimed in claim 44, wherein

the inner pump tube defines an outer surface, a perimeter and a bypass aperture with an inlet associated with the inlet chamber and an outlet associated with the inner pump tube outer surface;

and

the bypass valve includes a resilient valve member that extends around the perimeter of the inner tube outer surface and over the bypass aperture outlet.

54. An infusion device as claimed in claim 44, wherein

the inner pump tube defines an outer surface with a longitudinally extending substantially planar portion;

the outer pump tube defines an inner surface; and

the bypass channel is defined at least in part by the outer pump tube inner surface and the substantially planar portion of inner pump tube outer surface.

55. An infusion device as claimed in claim 54, wherein

a portion of the piston is located outside the piston lumen and defines an outer surface;

and

the bypass channel is defined in part by the outer pump tube inner surface and the outer surface of the portion of the piston located outside the piston lumen.

56. An infusion device as claimed in claim 44, wherein the electromagnet core defines a cup-shaped indentation configured to receive the second longitudinal end of the piston.

57. An infusion device as claimed in claim 44, wherein the electromagnet core, the piston, the inner pump tube and the outer pump tube define a common longitudinal axis.

58. An infusion device, comprising:

a fluid transfer device including

a housing defining a piston lumen;

a piston stop, located within the housing, including a fluid lumen defining an inlet and an outlet, and

a piston which defines first and second longitudinal ends, does not include a fluid lumen extending therethrough, and has at least a portion thereof mounted within piston lumen such that the first longitudinal end and the piston lumen together define an inlet chamber having a volume and the second longitudinal end and the piston stop together define an outlet chamber,

the piston being movable between a first position, where the volume of the inlet chamber is minimized and a second position, where the piston abuts the piston stop and the prevents flow into the inlet of the piston stop lumen;

an infusion device outlet operably connected to the fluid transfer device; and

a reservoir operably connected to the fluid transfer device such that the fluid transfer device receives fluid from the reservoir.

59. An infusion device as claimed in claim 58, further comprising:

an infusion device housing; and

wherein the fluid transfer device and the reservoir are located within the infusion device housing.

60. An infusion device as claimed in claim 58, wherein the reservoir comprises a negative pressure reservoir.

61. An infusion device as claimed in claim 58, further comprising:

an electromagnet coil carried on the housing; and

a spring that biases the piston to the first position;

wherein at least a portion of the piston is magnetic and at least a portion of the piston stop is magnetic.

62. An infusion device as claimed in claim 61, wherein at least a portion of the spring is located within the piston stop fluid lumen.

63. An infusion device as claimed in claim 58, wherein the housing includes an outer pump tube and an inner pump tube, located within the outer pump tube, that defines the piston lumen.

64. An infusion device as claimed in claim 58, further comprising:

an inlet valve associated with the inlet chamber;

a bypass valve associated with the inlet chamber; and

a bypass channel extending from the bypass valve to the outlet chamber.

65. An infusion device as claimed in claim 58, wherein piston stop defines a cup-shaped indentation configured to receive the second longitudinal end of the piston.

66. An infusion device as claimed in claim 58, wherein

the piston is biased to the first position by a bias force;

and

the piston and piston lumen are configured such that the piston will move to the second position in response to an application of a predetermined pressure across the fluid transfer device.