Externally Triggerable Cannula Assembly

• US 20110295205A1
• Filed: 11/22/2010
• Published: 12/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roche Diagnostics International Ltd., Roche Diagnostics International AG (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Roche Diagnostics International Ltd.
• Inventors: Kaufmann, Heiner, Scheurer, Simon, Teutsch, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,475,410 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/136
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/1585 Needle inserters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/276 preventing unwanted use
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/158 Needles for infusions; Accessories therefor, e.g. for inserting infusion needles, or for holding them on the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3287 Accessories for bringing the needle into the body; Automatic needle insertion A61M5/20, A61M5/31525 take precedence

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a cannula assembly may include a cannula module and an inserter module. In the pre-operational state the cannula is retracted with respect to the skin-contacting surface. In operational state the cannula projects beyond the skin-contacting surface. The inserter module may include an energy store and an activation mechanism. When the energy store is at least partially discharged, the stored potential energy is transformed to kinetic energy that moves the cannula from the pre-operational state to the operational state. The activation mechanism is triggerable from outside the cannula assembly with a trigger device. The activation mechanism prevents the energy store from being discharged before it is triggered by the trigger device, and enables the energy store to be discharge after it is triggered by the trigger device to force the cannula from the pre-operational state into the operational state.

Claims

1. A cannula assembly comprising:

a cannula module comprising;

a skin-contacting surface for placing on an outer surface; and

a cannula having a pre-operational state in which the cannula is retracted with respect to the skin-contacting surface, and an operational state in which the cannula projects beyond the skin-contacting surface;

an inserter module coupled to the cannula module in the pre-operational state, the inserter module comprising;

an energy store having stored potential energy wherein when the energy store is at least partially discharged, the stored potential energy is transformed to kinetic energy that moves the cannula from the pre-operational state to the operational state; and

an activation mechanism triggerable from outside the cannula assembly with a trigger device, wherein the activation mechanism prevents the energy store from being discharged before it is triggered by the trigger device, and enables the energy store to be discharge after it is triggered by the trigger device to force the cannula from the pre-operational state into the operational state.

2. The cannula assembly according to claim 1, wherein the inserter module is releasably coupled to the cannula module.

3. The cannula assembly according to claim 1, wherein the activation mechanism comprises a blocking element such that the blocking element prevents the energy store from being discharged when in a blocking position and is released from the blocking position to cause the energy store to be at least partially discharged.

4. The cannula assembly according claim 3, wherein the activation mechanism comprises a trigger interface that receives an external trigger signal and transforms the external trigger signal into an activating effect which acts on the blocking element or an activating element to enable or cause the energy store to be at least partially discharged.

5. The cannula assembly according to claim 4, wherein the activating effect is mechanical, magnetic, electrical, electromagnetic, hydraulic, thermal, pneumatic, pyrotechnic, or a combination thereof.

6. The cannula assembly according to claim 1, wherein the activation mechanism comprises a security mechanism that moves from a blocking state in which the security mechanism prevents the activation mechanism from being triggered and prevents the energy store from being discharged, to a releasing state in which the energy store can be discharged.

7. The cannula assembly according to claim 1, wherein:

the activation mechanism comprises a blocking element and a retaining element;

the blocking element is releasably attached to the retaining element and prevents the energy store from being discharged;

the blocking element is removable from the retaining element by an activating effect, which causes the energy store to be at least partially discharged; and

the activation mechanism is triggered by moving the blocking element.

8. The cannula assembly according to claim 1, wherein the trigger device comprises:

an actuator that triggers the activation mechanism of the cannula assembly; and

a control element that initiates a triggering process of the actuator upon receiving an input, wherein the trigger device transforms the received input into the triggering process performed by the actuator.

9. The cannula assembly according to claim 8, wherein the received input is a touching, a pushing, a pulling, a rotation, or a combination thereof;

the triggering process comprises an externally supplied activating effect that is exerted on the activation mechanism and triggers the activation mechanism, wherein the externally supplied activating effect is mechanical, electromagnetic, thermal, hydraulic and/or pneumatic.

10. The cannula assembly according to claim 1, wherein the trigger device is disposed within a medical therapy device.

11. The cannula assembly according to claim 1 wherein:

the activation mechanism comprises a hook and a bearing element;

the hook comprises a hooked end releasably engaged with the bearing element and a an opposite end fixed to a plunger; and

the energy store is a biased spring.

12. The cannula assembly according to claim 11 wherein the trigger device comprises a shiftable pin that releases the hook from the bearing element to move the cannula from the pre-operational state to the operational state with a lateral force.

13. The cannula assembly according to claim 1 wherein:

the activation mechanism comprises a hook supported by a biased elastic element connected to a spongy element;

the trigger device comprises a fluid connector; and

the cannula is moved from the pre-operational state to the operational state by the spongy element with fluid from the fluid connector.

14. A cannula system for administering a fluid, the cannula system comprising:

a disposable cannula assembly comprising an energy store and a cannula, wherein the cannula moves from a pre-operational state to an operational state using energy supplied by the energy store, and a movement is triggered from outside the disposable cannula assembly; and

a reusable trigger device that is connected to and removable from a cannula assembly, wherein the reusable trigger device triggers the movement of the cannula.

15. The cannula system according to claim 14, wherein the reusable trigger device is distinct from the cannula assembly.

16. The cannula system according to claim 14, wherein:

the cannula assembly comprises an activation mechanism that is triggered from outside the cannula assembly by the reusable trigger device, wherein when triggered, the energy store is dischargeable; and

the activation mechanism comprises a security mechanism to prevent the energy store from being discharged before it is triggered by reusable the reusable trigger device, wherein;

the security mechanism has a blocking state in which the security mechanism prevents the activation mechanism from being triggered and prevents the energy store from being discharged and a releasing state in which the activation mechanism is triggerable and the energy store is dischargeable; and

the security mechanism interacts with a key element of the reusable trigger device such that it is only possible to switch from the blocking state to the releasing state when the key element and the security mechanism satisfy a matching criterion.

17. The cannula system according to claim 16, wherein the reusable trigger device is integral with a medical therapy device, the medical therapy device comprising a slot such that the activation mechanism is triggered when the cannula assembly is inserted into the slot of the medical therapy device.

18. A method for delivering fluid to a cannula, the method comprising:

receiving a trigger device with a cannula assembly comprising a cannula module and an inserter module, wherein the inserter module comprises an energy store and an activation mechanism;

receiving an input with the trigger device;

transforming the input into a trigger of the activation mechanism of the inserter module, wherein the energy store becomes dischargeable;

discharging at least in part the energy store; and

moving the cannula from a pre-operational state into an operational state using energy of the energy store.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising releasing a blocking element of the activation mechanism in order to enable the energy store to become dischargeable.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the cannula is moved into the operational state at a point in time after the trigger, and the point in time is determined at least in part by a random number generator.