Implantable medication infusion device
First Claim
1. An implantable medication infusion device, comprising a pair of circular concave members positioned in opposed relation with the outer edges thereof connected together, a flexible circular diaphragm positioned between said concave members and having the edge thereof sealed to said concave members thereby to form a pressure stabilizing chamber with one of said concave members on one side of said diaphragm and a medication reservoir with the other one of said concave members on the other side of said diaphragm, a two phase fluid in said pressure stabilizing chamber for maintaining a constant pressure on said diaphragm which is greater than the body pressure of the body in which said infusion device is implanted, body means secured to at least one of said concave members and having a recess therein, a penetrable septum mounted in said body means and communicating with said recess a passageway in said body means between said recess and said reservoir, whereby said reservoir can be filled through said septum, said recess and said passageway, and a capillary unit positioned in said body means and having an inlet connected to said reservoir and an outlet communicating with the exterior of said device, said capillary unit having a flow restrictive passageway between said inlet and outlet of sufficiently small cross section to limit the flow of medication from said reservoir in response to the pressure on said diaphragm to a desired rate.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An integral fluid filter and capillary restrictor unit, or alternatively an integral fluid filter and multiple orifice restrictor unit, is resiliently positioned in a manifold body which is edge mounted to a flat cylindrical assembly which contains the medication reservoir and pressure stabilizing chamber to provide a completely self contained implantable unit which is thin, small and light weight and yet needs to be refilled only as often as the much larger stainless steel capillary tube devices with bellows type reservoirs now on the market.
-
Citations
32 Claims
- 1. An implantable medication infusion device, comprising a pair of circular concave members positioned in opposed relation with the outer edges thereof connected together, a flexible circular diaphragm positioned between said concave members and having the edge thereof sealed to said concave members thereby to form a pressure stabilizing chamber with one of said concave members on one side of said diaphragm and a medication reservoir with the other one of said concave members on the other side of said diaphragm, a two phase fluid in said pressure stabilizing chamber for maintaining a constant pressure on said diaphragm which is greater than the body pressure of the body in which said infusion device is implanted, body means secured to at least one of said concave members and having a recess therein, a penetrable septum mounted in said body means and communicating with said recess a passageway in said body means between said recess and said reservoir, whereby said reservoir can be filled through said septum, said recess and said passageway, and a capillary unit positioned in said body means and having an inlet connected to said reservoir and an outlet communicating with the exterior of said device, said capillary unit having a flow restrictive passageway between said inlet and outlet of sufficiently small cross section to limit the flow of medication from said reservoir in response to the pressure on said diaphragm to a desired rate.
- 17. An implantable medication infusion device, comprising a pair of circular concave members positioned in opposed relation with the edges thereof connected together to form a housing, a flexible diaphragm mounted within said housing to provide a pressure stabilizing chamber with one of said concave members and a medication reservoir with the other of said concave members, a two-phase fluid in said pressure stabilizing chamber for maintaining a constant pressure on said diaphragm which is greater than the body pressure of the body in which said infusion device is implanted, a manifold body offset from the edge of said housing and having a neck portion connected to one of said concave members, said manifold body having a chamber therein which is connected to said reservoir through a passageway in said neck portion, a penetrable septum mounted in said body and communicating with said chamber, whereby said reservoir can be filled by supplying medication through said septum said chamber and said passageway, and a capillary unit positioned in said chamber and having an inlet connected to said chamber and an outlet communicating with the exterior of said device, said capillary unit having a flow restrictive conduit between said inlet and said outlet of sufficient length and having a sufficiently small cross section to limit to a desired rate the flow of medication from said reservoir and through said passageway in response to the pressure exerted on said diaphragm by said two-phase fluid.
- 19. An implantable medication infusion device, comprising a medication reservoir having a movable wall portion, a pressure stabilizing chamber in communication with said movable wall portion, a two phase fluid in said pressure stabilizing chamber for maintaining a constant pressure on said movable wall portion which is greater than the body pressure of the body in which said infusion device is implanted, a catheter outlet communicating with the exterior of said device, and a flow restrictor unit interposed between said reservoir and said catheter outlet, said flow restrictor unit comprising a large number of serially connected orifices which collectively limit the flow of medication from said reservoir in response to the pressure on said movable wall portion to a desired rate.
Specification