Automatic Device for Transferring Fluid

• US 20150151041A1
• Filed: 02/11/2015
• Published: 06/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roche Diabetes Care Inc. (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Roche Diagnostics Operations Incorporated (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Yodfat, Ofer, Gescheit, Illai J, Gescheit, Iddo
• Granted Patent: US 11,419,790 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2089 Containers or vials which are to be joined to each other in order to mix their contents combinations of vial and syringe for mixing their contents A61J1/2096
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/22 with means for metering the amount of fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/00 General identification or selection means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/18 with alarm
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/502 User interfaces, e.g. screens or keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/52 with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/045 for filling, e.g. for filling reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1413 Modular systems comprising interconnecting elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14248 of the skin patch type

Abstract

A transfer station for transferring a medical fluid between at least one supply container and at least one administration container of an infusion device is described. In an embodiment, the transfer station comprises at least one supply port configured for fluidic connection of the at least one supply container to the transfer station, and at least one exit port configured for fluidic connection of the at least one administration container to the transfer station. A transfer mechanism for automatically transferring a predetermined amount of medical fluid from the at least one supply container to the at least one administration container, and an electronic processing unit connected to an actuation means are provided with the transfer station. A processing unit controls the transfer mechanism and fluid transfer conditions according to a predetermined transfer demand entered by the actuation means.

Claims

1. A transfer station for transferring a medical fluid between at least one supply container and at least one administration container of an infusion device, the transfer station comprising:

at least one supply port configured for fluidic connection of the at least one supply container to the transfer station;

at least one exit port configured for fluidic connection of the at least one administration container to the transfer station;

a transfer mechanism for automatically transferring a predetermined amount of medical fluid from the at least one supply container to the at least one administration container; and

an electronic processing unit connected to an actuation means;

wherein the processing unit controls the transfer mechanism and fluid transfer conditions according to a predetermined transfer demand entered by the actuation means.

2. The transfer station according to claim 1, wherein the at least one administration container comprises a tag or marking, wherein the tag or marking is adapted to store or indicate one or more fluid transfer or filling conditions under which the at least one administration container has been filled.

3. The transfer station according to claim 1, further comprising a housing having a first housing chamber accommodating at least the transfer mechanism and the processing unit, and a second housing chamber for at least partly accommodating the administration container.

4. The transfer station according to claim 3, wherein the actuation means comprises at least one control button accessible from outside the first housing chamber and/or by an actuation signal sent to the processing unit from outside the housing.

5. The transfer station according to claim 1, further comprising an up-button and a down-button configured to set a transfer demand such that the up-button increases and the down-button decreases a demanded amount of medical fluid to be transferred.

6. The transfer station according to claim 1, further comprising a go-button configured to manually actuate and a stop-button configured to manually terminate a transfer process.

7. The transfer station according to claim 3, wherein the first housing chamber comprises a display connected to the processing unit for displaying a set transfer demand and/or a transfer status of the transfer station.

8. The transfer station according to claim 1, further comprising a tactile and/or audible indicator for indicating a transfer status of the transfer station.

9. The transfer station according to claim 1, further comprising a motor for driving the transfer mechanism according to a command of the processing unit.

10. The transfer station according to claim 1, wherein the transfer mechanism interacts with a driven element of the administration container, which driven element exerts a transfer force for transferring the medical fluid.

11. The transfer station according to claim 1, further comprising an antenna configured for remote control of the transfer station and/or for wireless communication with the infusion device.

12. The transfer station according to claim 3, further comprising a support extending in an angled position from the housing such that the transfer station is supported in a partially vertical position with the supply container arranged above the administration container.

13. The transfer station according to claim 12, wherein the support is pivotably arranged at the housing.

14. The transfer station of claim 1, wherein one or more filling conditions are compared to one or more predefined filling criteria, and wherein the use of the infusion device is disallowed if one or more predefined filling criteria are not met.

15. The transfer station of claim 1, wherein the functioning of the infusion device is modified if one or more predefined filling criteria are not met.

16. The transfer station of claim 15, wherein the infusion device is provided with a display and wherein the display providing access to functions of the infusion device is modified if one or more predefined filling criteria are not met.

17. The transfer station of claim 1, wherein the functioning of the infusion device is allowed or permitted or enabled or authorized if one or more predefined filling criteria are met.

18. The transfer station of claim 1, wherein one or more operations performable by the infusion device are allowed to be performed if one or more predefined filling criteria are met.

19. The transfer station of claim 18, wherein an operation of the infusion device is an basal injection operation or a bolus injection operation.

20. The transfer station of claim 1, wherein an alert is emitted if the one or more filling criteria are not met.

21. The transfer station of claim 1, wherein predefined filling criteria are based on data associated with one or more filling operations, wherein the data is selected from the group consisting of:

duration of filling operations, average speed of filling operations, profile of filling including a plurality of filling sequences and associated filling speeds operations, inclination during filling operations, movements during filling operations as assessed by one or more accelerometer devices, temperature during filing operations, status data on complimentary or partial or complete filling operations and any combination thereof.

22. The transfer station of claim 1, wherein the transfer station is password or passcode enabled.

23. A transfer system comprising:

at least one supply container;

at least one administration container; and

a transfer station comprising;

at least one supply port configured for fluidic connection of the supply container to the transfer station;

at least one exit port configured for fluidic connection of the at least one administration container to the transfer station;

a transfer mechanism for automatically transferring a predetermined amount of medical fluid from the at least one supply to the at least one administration container; and

an electronic processing unit connected to an actuation means;

wherein the processing unit controls the transfer mechanism and fluid transfer conditions according to a predetermined transfer demand entered by the actuation means.

24. The transfer system according to claim 23, further comprising an infusion device, the infusion device comprising a readout means for recognizing a tag or marking on the administration container, which tag or marking indicates that the administration container has been filled automatically according to a predetermined transfer demand by the transfer mechanism.

25. A method for transferring a medical fluid between at least one supply container and at least one administration container of an infusion device comprising the steps of:

fluidly connecting the at least one supply container and the at least one administration container to a transfer station, the transfer station comprising a transfer mechanism and an electronic processing unit connected to an actuation means,

setting a transfer demand with the actuation means, and

automatically transferring the medical fluid from the at least one supply container to the at least one administration container,

wherein the electronic processing unit controls the transfer mechanism according to the transfer demand entered by the actuation means.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the at least one administration container is marked by a tag or marking, which indicates that the at least one administration container has been filled automatically.

27. The method according to claim 25, wherein the transfer mechanism transfers an amount of medical fluid according to a predetermined transfer velocity controlled by the processing unit.

28. The method according to claim 25, further comprising showing an indication when the supply container is empty before a demanded amount of medical fluid has been transferred.

29. The method according to claim 25, wherein an air transfer prevention process is automatically accomplished before the transfer of the demanded amount of medical fluid.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein the air transfer prevention process comprises:

transferring a small amount of medical fluid, which is smaller than the demanded amount of medical fluid, from the at least one supply container to the at least one administration container,

transferring the small amount of medical fluid back from the at least one administration container to the at least one supply container,

optionally, repeating one or more times the steps of transferring a small amount of fluid and transferring back the small amount of fluid, and

transferring the demanded amount of medical fluid to the at least one administration container.

31. The method according to claim 25, wherein after transfer of the demanded amount of medical fluid the at least one administration container is ejected from the transfer station, connected to the infusion device and the infusion device is automatically updated with the amount of medical fluid in the administration container.