Implantable fluid dispensing system

• US 4,505,710 A
• Filed: 05/13/1983
• Issued: 03/19/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Earl R. Collins
• Original Assignee: Earl R. Collins
• Inventors: Collins, Earl R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coven, Edward M.
• Application Number:
  US06/494,544
• Time in Patent Office: 676 Days
• Field of Search: 604/66, 604/50, 604/31, 604/131, 604/140, 604/143, 604/144, 604/891, 604/892, 222/146 HE, 222/94, 222/214
• US Class Current: 604/891.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3523 using telemetric means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14276 specially adapted for implantation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/155 pressurised by gas introduced into the reservoir

Abstract

A drug dispensing device for in-vivo implantation has a diaphragm defining a movable wall of a container for drug fluid, the diaphragm being moved by expanding gas volumes differentially activated by electric heater means controlled by a calendar-clock to induce drug fluid through a constant flow valve in one wall of the container and into the living organism, discretely, or continuously over a period of time or at intervals controlled by the clock. The container is refilled with fresh drug by injection through the skin and a puncturable seal valve while the diaphragm is actuated in a reverse direction by heater activation. The dispensing program can be changed externally by electromagnetically coupled signals; the controller batteries can be similarly recharged by external coupling to a power source. Freshness of the drug and the size of the container determine the time between refills.

Claims

1. A fluid dispensing device for implantation in a biological system, which comprises:

a container having a closed wall, a closed end, and an end having a first and a second aperture;

a unidirectional flow valve in said first aperture, adapted to conduct fluid away from said container;

fill valve means in said second aperture adapted to conduct fluid into said container;

a reciprocable diaphragm in said container, defining a first volume between the closed end of said container and said diaphragm, and a second volume between said diaphragm and said end having first and second apertures;

a gas in the first volume of said container;

a first heater in thermal contact with said gas in the first volume in said container, for expanding said gas;

an expandable container having first and second concentric, closed, expandable walls and first and second ends, in said container, in contact with said diapragm at the first end, and in contact with the aperture end of said container at the second end, said expandable container surrounding a third volume inward from said first and second concentric expandable walls and between said diaphragm and the aperture end of said container;

a gas in said expandable container; and

a second heater in thermal contact with said gas in said expandable container for expanding said gas;

control means connected to said first and second heater adapted to actuate said first and said second heaters autonomously from stored instructions in said control means;

whereby said control means energizes said heaters differentially, urging said diaphragm in one direction or its opposite, forcing fluid out of said unidirectional valve and alternately drawing in fluid through said fill valve means to fill the dispensable fluid third volume in said container.

2. A fluid dispensing device for implantation in a biological system, which comprises:

a container having a closed wall, a closed end, and an end having a first and a second aperture;

a unidirectional flow valve in said first aperture, adapted to conduct fluid away from said container;

fill valve means in said second aperture adapted to conduit fluid into said container;

a reciprocable diaphragm in said container, defining a first volume between the closed end of said container and said diaphragm, and a second volume between said diaphragm and said end having first and second apertures;

a fluorohydrocarbon refrigerant gas in the first volume of said container;

a first heater in thermal contact with said gas in the first volume in said container, for expanding said gas;

an expandable container having first and second concentric, closed, expandable walls and first and second ends, in said container, in contact with said diaphragm at the first end, and in contact with the aperture end of said container at the second end, said expandable container surrounding a third volume inward from said first and second concentric expandable walls and between said diaphragm and the aperture end of said container;

a fluorohydrocarbon refrigerant gas in said expandable container;

a second heater in thermal contact with said gas in said expandable container for expanding said gas;

control means connected to said first and second heater adapted to actuate said first and said second heaters autonomously from stored instructions in said control means;

whereby said control means energizes said heaters differentially, urging said diaphragm in one direction or its opposite, forcing fluid out of said unidirectional valve and alternately drawing fluid through said fill valve means to fill the dispensable fluid third volume in said container.

3. A fluid dispensing device for implantation in a biological system, which comprises:

a container having a closed wall, a closed end, and an end having a first and a second aperture;

a unidirectional flow valve in said first aperture, adapted to conduct fluid away from said container.

fill valve means in said second aperture adapted to conduct fluid into said container;

a reciprocable diaphragm in said container, defining a first volume between the closed end of said container and said diaphragm, and a second volume between said diaphragm and said end having first and second apertures;

a Freon 11 gas in the first volume of said container;

a first heater in thermal contact with said gas in the first volume in said container, for expanding said gas;

an expandable container having first and second concentric, closed, expandable walls and first and second ends, in said container, in contact with said diaphragm at the first end, and in contact with the aperture end of said container at the second end, said expandable container surrounding a third volume inward from said first and second concentric expandable walls and between said diaphragm and the aperture end of said container;

a Freon 22 gas in said expandable container;

a second heater in thermal contact with said gas in said expandable container for expanding said gas;

control means connected to said first and second heater adapted to actuate said first and second heaters autonomously from stored instructions in said control means;

whereby said control means energizes said heaters differentially, urging said diaphragm in one direction or its opposite, forcing fluid out of said unidirectional valve and alternately drawing fluid through said fill valve means to fill the dispensable fluid third volume in said container.

4. A fluid dispensing device for implantation in a biological system, which comprises:

a container having a closed wall, a closed end, and an end having a first and a second aperture;

a unidirectional flow valve in said first aperture, adapted to conduct fluid away from said container;

fill valve means in said second aperture adapted to conduct fluid into said container;

a reciprocable diaphragm in said container, defining a first volume between the closed end of said container and said diaphragm, and a second volume between said diaphragm and said end having first and second apertures;

a saturated vapor gas in the first volume of said container;

a first heater in thermal contact with said gas in the first volume in said container, for expanding said gas;

a first bellows having a first end connected to said diaphragm in fluid-tight relationship thereto and a second end connected in a fluid-tight relationship to the aperture end of said container;

a second bellows concentric with said first bellows, spaced radially therefrom, having a first end connected to said diaphragm in fluid-tight relationship thereto, and a second end connected in fluid-tight relationship to the aperture end of said container, creating a volume between bellows;

a saturated vapor in the volume created by said first and said second bellows, said diaphragm, and said aperture end of said container; and

,

a second heater in contact with said saturated vapor;

control means connected to said first and second heater, adapted to actuate said first and said second heaters autonomously from stored instructions in said control means;

whereby said control means energizes said heaters differentially urging said diaphragm in one direction or its opposite, forcing fluid out of said unidirectional valve and alternately drawing in fluid through said fill valve means to fill the dispensable fluid third volume in said container.

5. A fluid dispensing device for implantation in a biological system, which comprises:

a container having a closed wall, a closed end, and an end having a first and a second aperture;

a unidirectional flow valve in said first aperture, adapted to conduct fluid away from said container;

fill valve means in said second aperture adapted to conduct fluid into said container;

a reciprocable diaphragm in said container, defining a first volume between the closed end of said container and said diaphragm, and a second volume between said diaphragm and said end having first and second apertures;

a saturated vapor gas in the first volume of said container;

a first heater in thermal contact with said gas in the first volume in said container, for expanding said gas;

a first bellows having a first end connected to said diaphragm in fluid-tight relationship thereto and a second end connected in a fluid-tight relationship to the aperture end of said container;

a second bellows concentric with said first bellows, spaced radially therefrom, having a first end connected to said diaphragm in fluid-tight relationship thereto, and a second end connected in fluid-tight relationship to the aperture end of said container, creating a volume between bellows;

a saturated vapor in the volume created by said first and said second bellows, said diaphragm, and said aperture end of said container;

a second heater in contact with said saturated vapor;

a calendar clock providing year, month, day and seconds timing pulses;

a memory having stored data indicating the number of seconds clock pulses the unidirectional valve pressure P₁ should be high, and the day of the month and time of the day the unidirectional valve pressure P₁ should be high, the last position of said diaphragm after a P₁ event, and procedural instructions for a microprocessor;

a valve pressure sensor adapted to read the pressure P₁ at said unidirectional flow valve input;

a diaphragm position sensor;

a microprocessor programmed to read said memory, said diaphragm position sensor, and said pressure sensor, and actuate said first and second heaters to move said diaphragm in accordance with procedural instructions and data in said memory; and

an interface means adapted to set up circuits for executing control functions from signals from said microprocessor;

whereby a time pules energizes said first and second heaters differentially causing movement of said diaphragm in the direction of the greater gas expansion force and no movement when there is no differential, and sensing the positing of the diaphragm after each movement for logging the dosage and initiating refill cycle, is done automatically.