Implantable infusion pump

• US 5,722,957 A
• Filed: 03/15/1996
• Issued: 03/03/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aqulinx Medical, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Fresenius AG (Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA)
• Inventors: Steinbach, Bernd
• Primary Examiner(s): Rimell, Sam
• Assistant Examiner(s): Racunas, Robert V.
• Application Number:
  US08/618,432
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• Field of Search: 604/93, 604/131, 604/132, 604/133, 604/140, 604/141, 604/145-147, 604/153, 604/246, 604/410
• US Class Current: 604/141
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14276 specially adapted for implantation

Abstract

The invention concerns an implantable infusion pump for the dosed administration of medication into the human body, comprising a pump chamber which is formed by a lower chamber part and an upper chamber part connected thereto, whereby the pumping chamber is divided into two subchambers by a gas impermeable flexible partition, the first subchamber is delimited by the upper chamber part and the flexible partition and is designed as a reservoir for medicinal solutions, the upper chamber part has a refilling opening which is sealed by at least one piercable septum and the reservoir for medicinal solutions is connected via an outlet opening and possibly an outlet reduction arrangement with an outlet catheter, and the second subchamber is delimited by the lower chamber part and the flexible partition and is designed as a pressure chamber to accommodate the hexafluorobutane used as a propellant, in particular 1,1,1,4,4,4-hexafluorobutane. The implantable infusion pump according to the invention is without problems from a safety standpoint, has a pumping rate independent of the medication volume, a relatively small temperature gradient, is safe and simple to handle, medication compatible, simple and cost effective to produce and consists of biocompatible material and mutually compatible materials.

Claims

1. An implantable infusion pump for the dosed administration of medication into the human body, comprising a pumping chamber, which is formed by a lower chamber part and an upper chamber part connected thereto, wherein

a) the implantable pumping chamber is divided by a gas impermeable flexible partition into two subchambers,

b) the first subchamber is delimited by the upper chamber part and the flexible partition and designed as a reservoir for medicinal solutions, the upper part of the chamber has a refill opening which is sealed by at least one piercable septum, and the reservoir for medicinal solutions is connected via an outlet opening to an outlet catheter, and

c) the second subchamber is delimited by the lower chamber part and the flexible partition and is designed as a pressure chamber accommodating a halogenized hydrocarbon propellant, wherein the propellant is hexafluorobutane.

2. The infusion pump according to claim 1, wherein the propellant is 1,1,1,4,4,4-hexafluorobutane.