Portable infusion device
First Claim
1. A device for pumping fluids which comprises:
- a housing having a first fluid port, said housing being formed with a surface having a periphery and a predetermined contour circumscribed by said periphery; and
an elastomeric membrane attached to said periphery over said contour surface to stretch said membrane into a nonlinear region of elasticity and create a potential chamber between said stretched membrane and said housing for receiving fluid therein through said first port and expelling fluid therefrom through a second port by nonlinear contraction of said membrane at a substantially constant pressure.
13 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A fluid pump for infusing medical fluids to a patient includes a housing having an inlet port and an outlet port. The housing further includes a substantially hemispherically shaped surface which is circumscribed by a periphery. An elastomeric membrane is attached to the periphery of the surface and is stretched over the surface to place the membrane in its region of nonlinear elasticity. With this combination, a potential fluid chamber is established between the surface of the housing and the stretched membrane.
In operation, fluid is injected through the inlet port and into the potential chamber between the housing and the elastomeric membrane to fill the chamber with the desired medical fluid. A fluid line is connected to the outlet port of the pump and a flow restrictor is coupled with the fluid line to control the flow of fluid from the chamber. Fluid flows from the chamber as a result of the nonlinear contraction of the elastomer membrane.
-
Citations
24 Claims
-
1. A device for pumping fluids which comprises:
-
a housing having a first fluid port, said housing being formed with a surface having a periphery and a predetermined contour circumscribed by said periphery; and an elastomeric membrane attached to said periphery over said contour surface to stretch said membrane into a nonlinear region of elasticity and create a potential chamber between said stretched membrane and said housing for receiving fluid therein through said first port and expelling fluid therefrom through a second port by nonlinear contraction of said membrane at a substantially constant pressure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A fluid pump which comprises:
-
an elastomeric membrane; means for stretching said membrane into its region of nonlinear elasticity; means for mounting said membrane on said stretching means to create a potential fluid chamber therebetween; and means for expelling fluid from said potential chamber said means for expelling comprising the nonlinear contraction of said membrane while said membrane remains in said region of nonlinear elasticity. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. A method for using fluid medicaments to a patient which comprises the steps of:
-
providing a fluid pump comprising a housing having a fluid port, said housing being formed with a surface having a periphery and a predetermined contour circumscribed by said periphery; an elastomeric membrane attached to said periphery over said contour to stretch said membrane into a nonlinear region of elasticity and create a potential chamber between said stretched membrane and said housing for receiving fluid therein through said port and expelling fluid therefrom through said port by nonlinear contraction of said membrane; filling said potential chamber through said port; connecting said port in fluid communication with the patient; and expelling fluid from said potential chamber to the patient through said port by nonlinear contraction of said membrane while said membrane remains in said nonlinear region of elasticity. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. A fluid pump comprising:
-
a housing including a contoured surface; an elastomeric membrane mounted on the housing and stretched over the contoured surface into a region of non-linear elasticity during assembly of the pump; inlet means for introducing a fluid under pressure between the elastomeric membrane and contoured surface to further non-linearly stretch the membrane, and form a chamber therebetween; and outlet means for discharging a fluid from the chamber under a pressure exerted by the elastomeric membrane; whereby a substantially uniform fluid pressure is exerted by the non-linearly stretched membrane upon the fluid during contraction of said membrane and a residual pressure is exerted by the membrane upon the contour surface after total discharge of the fluid. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
-
Specification