Medicament dispenser

• US 6,063,059 A
• Filed: 02/25/1999
• Issued: 05/16/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pescadero Beach Holdings Corporation
• Original Assignee: Science Incorporated
• Inventors: Kriesel, Marshall S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coggins, Wynn Wood
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, ANH TUAN TUONG
• Application Number:
  US09/257,888
• Time in Patent Office: 446 Days
• Field of Search: 604/85, 604/89, 604/131, 604/132, 604/133, 604/151, 604/153, 604/156, 604/185, 604/191, 604/890.1, 604/208, 604/236, 604/246
• US Class Current: 604/133
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14506 mechanically driven, e.g. spring or clockwork
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/045 for filling, e.g. for filling reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/06 Packaging for specific medical equipment
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14248 of the skin patch type
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1454 spring-actuated, e.g. by a clockwork
• 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: A61M 5/24 Ampoule syringes, i.e. syringes with needle for use in combination with replaceable ampoules or carpules, e.g. automatic ampoules or carpules A61J1/06
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/12 Pressure infusion

Abstract

An injectable medicament dispenser for use in controllably dispensing fluid medicaments such as insulin, antibiotics, oncolytics and the like from a prefilled container at a uniform rate. The dispenser includes a unique stored energy source in the form of a compressively deformable, polymeric elastomeric member that provides the force necessary to controllably discharge the medicament from the prefilled container which is housed within the body of the device. After having been deformed, the polymeric, elastomeric member will return to its starting configuration in a highly predictable manner.

Claims

1. A dispensing apparatus for dispensing fluids comprising:

(a) a housing;

(b) a vial deployed within said housing, said vial having first and second ends and defining a reservoir having an outlet for permitting fluid flow from said fluid reservoir;

(c) stored energy means for acting upon the fluid contained within said reservoir to cause the fluid to controllably flow through said outlet means, said stored energy means comprising a stretchable, elastomeric member carried by said housing, said stretchable, elastomeric member being contractible to cause fluid flow from said reservoir;

(d) operating means carried by said housing for controllably stretching said elastomeric member;

(e) a plunger telescopically movable between said first and second ends of said vial, said plunger being operably associated with said stored energy means; and

(f) flow control means carried by said housing for controlling fluid flowing from said outlet means of said reservoir.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which said reservoir outlet means comprises a penetrable sealing means for sealably closing said first end of said chamber.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 2 in which said flow control means comprises a pierceable cannula connected to said housing for penetrating sealing means.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 3 in which said flow control means is provided with a fluid outlet port and further includes flow rate control means disposed between said cannula and said fluid outlet port for controlling the rate of fluid flow from said fluid outlet port.

5. An apparatus as defined in claim 4 in which said flow rate control means comprises a membrane having fluid passageways therethrough.

6. A dispensing apparatus for dispensing fluids comprising:

(a) a container comprising a vial having a first open end and a closed second end;

(b) a fluid reservoir disposed within said container between said first and second ends, said reservoir having an outlet for permitting fluid flow from said fluid reservoir;

(c) a plunger sealably movable within said reservoir from a first position to a second position;

(d) stored energy means for acting upon said plunger to cause the fluid to controllably flow through said outlet means, said stored energy means comprising a compressively deformable, elastomeric member carried within said reservoir, said compressively deformable elastomeric member being expandable to cause fluid flow from said reservoir;

(e) fill means operatively associated with said container for filling said reservoir with the fluid to be dispensed, said fill means comprising a closure cap connected to said first end of said vial, said closure cap having a fluid outlet; and

(f) an infusion needle connected to said closure cap proximate said fluid outlet.

7. A dispensing apparatus for dispensing fluids comprising:

(a) a housing;

(b) a fluid reservoir disposed within said housing, said reservoir having an outlet for permitting fluid flow from said fluid reservoir;

(c) stored energy means for acting upon said fluid contained within said reservoir to cause the fluid to controllably flow through said outlet means, said stored energy means comprising a stretchable, elastomeric member carried by said housing of said stretchable elastomeric member being contractible to cause fluid flow from said reservoir; and

(d) operating means carried by said housing for selectively loading said elastomeric member to achieve a specific strain energy density loading of said elastomeric member;

(e) a vial deployed within said housing, said vial having first and second ends; and

(f) a plunger telescopically movable between said first and second ends of said vial, said plunger being operably associated with said stored energy means.

8. An apparatus as defined in claim 7 in which said elastomeric member comprises a latex rubber.

9. An apparatus as defined in claim 7 in which said elastomeric member comprises a synthetic polymer.

10. An apparatus as defined in claim 7 in which said elastomeric member comprises a silicon.

11. A dispensing device for dispensing fluid comprising:

(a) an elongated body having a plurality of interconnected chambers;

(b) a fluid container receivable within one of said chambers, said fluid container having fluid outlet means and plunger means telescopically movable within said fluid container for urging fluid contained therein to flow out of said fluid outlet means;

(c) fluid flow control means carried by said elongated body, said fluid flow control means having an outlet port in communication with said fluid outlet means of said container for controlling fluid flow from said outlet port; and

(d) stored energy means disposed within one of said chambers for controllably moving said plunger means telescopically of said fluid container, said stored energy means comprising a generally dome-shaped, elastomeric member having stretchable wall portions.

12. A device as defined in claim 11 further including operating means for controllably stretching said wall portions of said elastomeric member.

13. A device as defined in claim 11 in which said operating means comprises an operating member rotatably carried by said elongated body.

14. A device as defined in claim 11 in which said elastomeric member comprises a polymer.

15. A device as defined in claim 14 in which said fluid flow control means further comprises flow rate control means disposed between said fluid outlet means of said fluid container and said outlet portion of said flow control means for controlling the rate of fluid flow through said outlet port.

16. An apparatus as defined in claim 15 in which said fluid flow control means further includes filter means for capturing particulates contained with the fluid flowing through said outlet of said fluid container.

17. A device as defined in claim 16 in which said fluid container comprises a prefilled vial containing biologic agents, said vial having a first end sealed by a penetrable septum and a second end sealable by a plunger means.

18. A device as defined in claim 16 in which said first body portion of said elongated body is threaded and in which said fluid flow control means comprises a threaded cap threadably connected to said body portion.

19. A device as defined in claim 16 in which said fluid container comprises a prefilled vial containing insulin, said vial having a first end sealed by a penetrable septum and a second end sealable by said plunger means.

20. A device as defined in claim 16 in which said fluid container comprises a prefilled vial containing analgesic said vial having a first end sealed by a penetrable septum and a second end sealable by said plunger means.

21. A device as defined in claim 16 in which said fluid container comprises a prefilled vial containing antibiotics, said vial having a first end sealed by a penetrable septum and a second end sealable by said plunger means.

22. A device as defined in claim 16 in which said fluid container comprises a prefilled vial containing chemotherapeutic agents, said vial having a first end sealed by a penetrable septum and a second end sealable by said plunger means.

23. A device as defined in claim 16 in which said fluid container comprises a prefilled vial containing radioactive dyes, said vial having a first end sealed by a penetrable septum and a second end sealable by said plunger means.

24. A device as defined in claim 16 in which said fluid container comprises a prefilled vial containing hormonal agents, said vial having a first end sealed by a penetrable septum and a second end sealable by a plunger means.