COUPLING INTERFACE FOR LOCKING AN ACTUATOR OF A FLUID INFUSION DEVICE TO A STOPPER OF A FLUID RESERVOIR

• US 20170266368A1
• Filed: 03/15/2016
• Published: 09/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2016
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Minimed Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Minimed Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Pananen, Jacob E.
• Application Number:
  US15/071,013
• Publication Number:
  US 20170266368A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/045 for filling, e.g. for filling reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14 Infusion devices, e.g. infusing by gravity; Blood infusion; Accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14244 adapted to be carried by the patient, e.g. portable on the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14566 with a replaceable reservoir for receiving a piston rod of the pump

Abstract

An assembly for an infusion device that delivers fluid to a user is disclosed. The assembly includes a reservoir and a piston actuator. The reservoir includes a body section having a fluid chamber, a fitting section extending from the body section, a housing lock structure to couple the reservoir to a housing of the infusion device, and a piston located within the fluid chamber. The housing lock structure inhibits axial movement of the reservoir relative to the housing. The piston is movable relative to the body section, and it has a tip section facing the fluid chamber and a base section opposite the tip section. The base section has an actuator lock structure. The piston actuator controls axial movement of the piston within the fluid chamber, and it has a piston lock structure that cooperates with the actuator lock structure to removably couple the piston to the piston actuator.

Claims

1. A fluid reservoir for a fluid infusion device that delivers medication fluid to a user, the fluid reservoir comprising:

a primary body section having a fluid chamber defined therein;

a fitting section extending from the primary body section;

a housing lock structure to removably couple the fluid reservoir to a housing of the fluid infusion device, the housing lock structure inhibiting axial movement of the fluid reservoir relative to the housing; and

a piston located within the fluid chamber, the piston being axially movable relative to the primary body section, the piston comprising a tip section facing the fluid chamber and a base section opposite the tip section, the base section comprising an actuator lock structure to removably couple the piston to a piston actuator of the fluid infusion device.

2. The fluid reservoir of claim 1, wherein the housing lock structure comprises a first threaded structure that mates with a threaded feature of the housing.

3. The fluid reservoir of claim 2, wherein the actuator lock structure comprises a second threaded structure that mates with a threaded distal end of the piston actuator.

4. The fluid reservoir of claim 3, wherein:

the second threaded structure is formed as an internally threaded cavity of the piston; and

the threaded distal end of the piston actuator is formed as an externally threaded tip.

5. The fluid reservoir of claim 3, wherein thread pitch of the first threaded structure is different than thread pitch of the second threaded structure to facilitate coupling of the piston actuator to the piston in response to coupling the fluid reservoir to the housing.

6. The fluid reservoir of claim 1, wherein the actuator lock structure comprises a snap-fitting receptacle that mates with a compatible snap-fitting neck structure on a distal end of the piston actuator.

7. The fluid reservoir of claim 1, wherein the actuator lock structure comprises a snap-fitting neck structure that mates with a compatible snap-fitting receptacle on a distal end of the piston actuator.

8. The fluid reservoir of claim 1, further comprising a retaining structure formed at a base end of the primary body section, the retaining structure inhibiting removal of the piston from the fluid chamber.

9. A fluid infusion device to deliver medication fluid to a user, the fluid infusion device comprising:

a housing having a reservoir cavity defined therein to receive a fluid reservoir containing the medication fluid;

a reservoir lock structure integrated with or coupled to the housing, wherein the reservoir lock structure mates with a compatible housing lock structure of the fluid reservoir to inhibit axial movement of the fluid reservoir relative to the housing; and

a piston actuator comprising a distal end that includes a piston lock structure to removably couple the piston actuator to a piston of the fluid reservoir.

10. The fluid infusion device of claim 9, wherein the reservoir lock structure cooperates with the housing lock structure of the fluid reservoir to form a threaded engagement.

11. The fluid infusion device of claim 10, wherein the piston lock structure comprises locking threads formed in the distal end of the piston actuator.

12. The fluid infusion device of claim 11, wherein the distal end of the piston actuator is formed as an externally threaded tip that cooperates with an internally threaded cavity of the piston to form a threaded engagement.

13. The fluid infusion device of claim 9, wherein the piston lock structure comprises a snap-fitting receptacle that mates with a compatible snap-fitting neck structure on a base section of the piston.

14. The fluid infusion device of claim 9, wherein the piston lock structure comprises a snap-fitting neck structure that mates with a compatible snap-fitting receptacle on a base section of the piston.

15. An assembly for a fluid infusion device that delivers medication fluid to a user, the assembly comprising:

a fluid reservoir comprising;

a primary body section having a fluid chamber defined therein;

a fitting section extending from the primary body section;

a housing lock structure to removably couple the fluid reservoir to a housing of the fluid infusion device, the housing lock structure inhibiting axial movement of the fluid reservoir relative to the housing; and

a piston located within the fluid chamber, the piston being axially movable relative to the primary body section, the piston comprising a tip section facing the fluid chamber and a base section opposite the tip section, the base section comprising an actuator lock structure; and

a piston actuator to control axial movement of the piston within the fluid chamber, the piston actuator comprising a piston lock structure that cooperates with the actuator lock structure of the piston to removably couple the piston to the piston actuator.

16. The assembly of claim 15, wherein:

the actuator lock structure comprises threads integrally formed in the base section of the piston; and

the piston lock structure comprises threads integrally formed in a distal end of the piston actuator, the threads formed in the base section mating with the threads formed in the distal end to form a threaded engagement.

17. The assembly of claim 16, wherein:

the actuator lock structure is formed as an internally threaded cavity of the piston; and

the piston lock structure is formed as an externally threaded tip of the piston actuator.

18. The assembly of claim 15, wherein:

the actuator lock structure comprises a snap-fitting receptacle; and

the piston lock structure comprises a snap-fitting neck structure formed on a distal end of the piston actuator, the snap-fitting neck structure mating with the snap-fitting receptacle to form a releasable snap-fit engagement.

19. The assembly of claim 15, wherein the fluid reservoir further comprises a retaining structure formed at a base end of the primary body section, the retaining structure inhibiting removal of the piston from the fluid chamber.