OSMOTIC PATCH PUMP

• US 20130090633A1
• Filed: 10/08/2012
• Published: 04/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: University of Southern California
• Original Assignee: University of Southern California
• Inventors: Loeb, Gerald E.
• Application Number:
  US13/647,132
• Publication Number:
  US 20130090633A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/892.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 9/0004 Osmotic delivery systems; Sustained release driven by osmosis, thermal energy or gas
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14513 with secondary fluid driving or regulating the infusion
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14248 of the skin patch type
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49236 Fluid pump or compressor making

Abstract

An osmotic patch pump may include a dry agent on a die-cut piece of film that may exert an osmotic pressure when dissolved by a fluid. A chamber may contain the dry agent and have a chamber wall made of a semi-permeable membrane that allows fluid to enter the chamber through the membrane, but does not allow dissolved agent to escape from the chamber through the membrane. A sponge may have a surface in contact with an outer surface of the semi-permeable membrane and may be configured to soak up fluid when placed in contact with the sponge. Flow volume and rate may be controlled by user-operated micro valves. The chamber and fluid communication channels may be embossed on a substrate as part of a simple and low cost manufacturing process.

Claims

1. An osmotic patch pump comprising:

a dry agent that exerts an osmotic pressure when dissolved by a fluid;

a chamber containing the dry agent and having a chamber wall made of a semi-permeable membrane that allows fluid to enter the chamber through the membrane, but that does not allow dissolved agent to escape from the chamber through the membrane;

a sponge having a surface in contact with an outer surface of the semi-permeable membrane and configured to soak up fluid when placed in contact with the sponge;

an injector configured to inject dissolved agent into or below a patient'"'"'s skin; and

an injector fluid communication channel that allows dissolved agent to flow from the chamber to the injector.

2. The osmotic patch pump of claim 1 further comprising a die-cut piece of film within the chamber containing the dry agent.

3. The osmotic patch pump of claim 1 further comprising a substrate and wherein a portion of the chamber is embossed into the substrate.

4. The osmotic patch pump of claim 3 wherein at least a portion of the injector fluid communication channel is embossed into the substrate.

5. The osmotic patch pump of claim 1 further comprising:

multiple injector fluid communication channels, each configured to channel a different portion of the dissolved agent from the chamber to the injector; and

a user-operable valve configured to controllably block the flow of dissolved agent through one of the injector fluid communication channels when the valve is closed;

wherein the one of the injector fluid communication channels and the user-operable valve collectively cause the rate at which dissolved agent flows from the chamber to the injector to be greater when the valve is open and less when the valve is closed.

6. The osmotic patch pump of claim 5 further comprising:

for each of the injector fluid communication channels, a user-operable valve configured to controllably block the flow of dissolved agent through the injector fluid communication channel when the valve is closed;

wherein the multiple injector fluid communication channels and the user-operable valves collectively cause the rate at which dissolved agent flows from the chamber to the injector to be a function of the number of valves that are open.

7. The osmotic patch pump of claim 5 wherein the valve includes a membrane invaginated into one of the channels in a manner that blocks the flow of dissolved agent thorough the channel and an associated handle that is affixed to the membrane that can be manually pulled on to remove the membrane from the channel, thereby unblocking the channel, but without allowing dissolved agent to escape from the channel.

8. The osmotic patch pump of claim 5 further comprising a substrate and wherein at least a portion of each injector fluid communication channel is embossed into the substrate.

9. The osmotic patch pump of claim 1 further comprising:

an exhaust port;

an exhaust fluid communication channel between the chamber and the exhaust port; and

a user-operable valve configured to controllably block the flow of dissolved agent through the exhaust fluid communication channel,

wherein the exhaust port, exhaust fluid communication channel, and user-operable valve collectively cause the volume of dissolved agent that flows from the chamber to the injector to be greater when the valve is closed and less when the valve is open.

10. The osmotic patch pump of claim 9 further comprising:

multiple exhaust fluid communication channels, each configured to channel a different portion of dissolved agent from the chamber to the exhaust port; and

for each of the exhaust fluid communication channels, a user-operable valve configured to controllably block the flow of dissolved agent through the exhaust fluid communication channel,

wherein the exhaust port, exhaust fluid communication channels, and user-operable valves collectively cause the volume of dissolved agent that flows from the chamber to the injector to be a function of the number of valves that are open.

11. The osmotic patch pump of claim 9 wherein the valve includes a membrane invaginated into one of the exhaust channels in a manner that blocks the flow of dissolved agent thorough the channel and an associated handle that is affixed to the membrane that can be manually pulled on to remove the membrane from the channel, thereby unblocking the channel without allowing dissolved agent to escape from the channel.

12. The osmotic patch pump of claim 9 further comprising a substrate and wherein at least a portion of the exhaust fluid communication channel is embossed into the substrate.

13. The osmotic patch pump of claim 12 further comprising a substrate and wherein a portion of the chamber, the injector fluid communication channel, and the exhaust fluid communication channel are embossed into the substrate.

14. The osmotic patch pump of claim 9 further comprising:

multiple injector fluid communication channels, each configured to channel a different portion of dissolved agent from the chamber to the injector; and

for each injector fluid communication channel, a user-operable valve configured to controllably block the flow of dissolved agent through the injector fluid communication channel when the valve is closed;

wherein the injector fluid communication channels and the user-operable valves collectively cause the rate at which dissolved agent flows from the chamber to the injector to be a function of the number of valves that are open.

15. The osmotic patch pump of claim 1 further comprising a filter within the injector fluid communication channel that blocks the passage of un-dissolved agent or impurities in fluid that enters the chamber through the semi-permeable membrane, but not the passage of dissolved agent.

16. The osmotic patch pump of claim 1 further comprising a dissolvable plug within the injector fluid communication channel that blocks dissolved agent from flowing through the channel until the plug is dissolved by fluid surrounding the dissolved agent, thereby insuring that no dissolved agent is injected by the injector until a significant portion of dry agent within the chamber has been dissolved.

17. An osmotic patch pump comprising:

a dry agent that exerts an osmotic pressure when dissolved by a fluid;

a die-cut piece of film containing the dry agent;

a chamber containing the die-cut piece of film and the dry agent and having a chamber wall made of a semi-permeable membrane that allows fluid to enter the chamber through the membrane, but that does not allow dissolved agent to escape from the chamber through the membrane;

an injector configured to inject dissolved agent into or below a patient'"'"'s skin; and

an injector fluid communication channel that allows dissolved agent to flow from the chamber to the injector.

18. An osmotic patch pump comprising:

a dry agent that exerts an osmotic pressure when dissolved by a fluid;

a chamber containing the dry agent and having a chamber wall made of a semi-permeable membrane that allows fluid to enter the chamber through the membrane, but that does not allow dissolved agent to escape from the chamber through the membrane;

an injector configured to inject dissolved agent into or below a patient'"'"'s skin; and

multiple injector fluid communication channels, each configured to channel a different portion of dissolved agent from the chamber to the injector; and

for each injector fluid communication channel, a user-operable valve configured to controllably block the flow of dissolved agent through the injector fluid communication channel when the valve is closed;

wherein the multiple injector fluid communication channels and the user-operable valves collectively cause the rate at which dissolved agent flows from the chamber to the injector to be a function of the number of valves that are open.

19. A method of making an osmotic patch pump comprising:

creating a substrate for the pump;

positioning an injector that is configured to inject dissolved agent into or below a patient'"'"'s skin on the substrate;

embossing a portion of a chamber and a portion of an injector fluid communication channel from the portion of the chamber to the injector into the substrate;

placing a dry agent that exerts an osmotic pressure when dissolved by a fluid within the portion of the chamber; and

completing the chamber by affixing a semi-permeable membrane to the substrate.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising embossing an exhaust fluid communication channel from the portion of the chamber to an exhaust port.