Liquid medicine continous infuser

• US 6,063,058 A
• Filed: 12/02/1998
• Issued: 05/16/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Piolax Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Piolax Incorporated
• Inventors: Sakamoto, Katsumi
• Primary Examiner(s): YASKO JR, JOHN D
• Application Number:
  US09/203,936
• Time in Patent Office: 531 Days
• Field of Search: 604/131, 604/132, 604/133, 604/151, 604/153, 128/DIG. 12
• US Class Current: 604/132
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/152 pressurised by contraction of elastic reservoirs containers for dispensing contents by contraction of an elastic bag provided therein, in general B65D83/0061
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/12 Pressure infusion

Abstract

There is disclosed a liquid medicine continuous infuser having a basic structure comprising a bag-shaped member that can apply a pressure to a liquid medicine accommodated inside the infuser, an inflow/outflow section for flowing in and flowing out the liquid medicine, and an area positioned inside the bag-shaped member and having a predetermined volume. The above pressure provides a predetermined characteristic curve in relation to the capacity of the bag-shaped member, and the area having the predetermined volume is for increasing the capacity of the bag-shaped member when the liquid medicine is accommodated inside the bag-shaped member. Further, the bag-shaped member is for applying a pressure to a liquid medicine accommodated inside the bag-shaped member along with the predetermined characteristic curve, with a pressure corresponding to the capacity increased by the area having the predetermined volume, when the liquid medicine is accommodated inside the bag-shaped member used, as an initial value.

Claims

1. A liquid medicine continuous infuser, comprising:

a bag-shaped member capable of applying a pressure to a liquid medicine accommodated inside said bag-shaped member, said pressure providing a predetermined characteristic curve in relation to a capacity of said bag-shaped member;

an inflow/outflow section for flowing said liquid medicine in and out; and

an area positioned inside said bag-shaped member and having a predetermined volume, said area making said bag-shaped member increase said capacity of said bag-shaped member when said liquid medicine is accommodated in said inside of said bag-shaped member, said bag-shaped member applying said pressure to said liquid medicine accommodated in said inside of said bag-shaped member along said predetermined characteristic curve, with a pressure used as an initial value and corresponding to said capacity increased by said area when said liquid medicine is accommodated in said inside of said bag-shaped member.

2. A liquid medicine continuous infuser according to claim 1, further comprising an inner bag to be filled with said liquid medicine in an inside thereof, wherein said bag-shaped member is an elastic bag and said area is formed by a fluid disposed between said elastic bag and said inner bag.

3. A liquid medicine continuous infuser according to claim 2, wherein a sum of a volume of said fluid and a volume of said inner bag when said inner bag is shriveled completely is larger than a capacity of said elastic bag in a relaxed state thereof.

4. A liquid medicine continuous infuser according to claim 1, wherein said bag-shaped member is an elastic bag and said area is formed by a core disposed inside said elastic bag.

5. A liquid medicine continuous infuser according to claim 4, wherein a volume of said core is larger than a capacity of said elastic bag in its relaxed state.

6. A liquid medicine continuous infuser according to claim 1, wherein said bag-shaped member is an elastic bag and said elastic bag has a pair of mutually opposite flat surfaces and a peripheral wall for connecting said pair of flat surfaces thereby forming a flat bag shape as a whole, and a thickness of each of said pair of flat surfaces is larger than a thickness of said peripheral wall at least at a center portion of each of said pair of flat surfaces.

7. A liquid medicine continuous infuser according to claim 6, wherein said thickness of each of said pair of flat surfaces gradually decreases in the vicinity of a portion where said pair of flat surfaces are connected to said peripheral wall.

8. A liquid medicine continuous infuser according to claim 1, wherein said bag-shaped member is an elastic bag and said elastic bag has a pair of mutually opposite flat surfaces and a peripheral wall for connecting said pair of flat surfaces thereby forming a flat bag shape as a whole, and there is provided a panel-shaped member having a higher stiffness than that of said elastic bag on said pair of flat surfaces.

9. A liquid medicine continuous infuser according to claim 1, wherein said inflow/outflow section is an inflow/outflow section provided corresponding to said peripheral wall of said elastic bag.