Pivoting joint infusion assembly

• US 6,579,267 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2001
• Issued: 06/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ViCentra B.V.
• Original Assignee: Applied Diabetes Research, Inc.
• Inventors: Lynch, George R., Nelson, Andrew, Petitjean, Gilles
• Primary Examiner(s): Walczak, David J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ramana, Anuradha
• Application Number:
  US09/896,149
• Publication Number:
  US 20020095138A1
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• Field of Search: 604/890.1, 604/93.01, 604/115, 604/158, 604/161, 604/164.01, 604/164.04, 604/164.07, 604/165.01, 604/165.03, 604/174, 604/178-180, 604/264, 128/DIG.26, 128/DIG.6
• US Class Current: 604/174
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14252 with needle insertion means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/1581 Right-angle needle-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/1587 suitable for being connected to an infusion line after insertion into a patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/02 Access sites
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14244 adapted to be carried by the patient, e.g. portable on the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14248 of the skin patch type
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/158 Needles for infusions; Accessories therefor, e.g. for inserting infusion needles, or for holding them on the body

Abstract

System for the subcutaneous delivery into the body of a patient of a fluid from a remote vessel. The system includes a main assembly and placement member with a needle. A delivery tube for carrying the fluid is attached at a near end to the remote reservoir or vessel. At removed end, the delivery tube has a needle for engagement with the main assembly. The main assembly includes a rotating member that when the rotating is perpendicular to the main assembly, it will accept the handle and needle for emplacement of the body onto a patient. After the handle and needle are removed, the delivery tube can be attached to the rotating member which can then be rotated down to a position along to and adjacent the skin of the patient. This provides for a flush mounted infusion device.

Claims

1. A system for the subcutaneous delivery into the body of a patient, of a fluid, from a remote vessel, the system comprising:

main assembly emplacement member having a needle thereon;

a delivery tube having a near end and a removed end, the delivery tube for carrying a fluid, the delivery tube attached at the near end to the remote vessel and at the removed end having a rotating member engagement device, which includes a needle; and

a main assembly including a body having a cannula depending therefrom and a rotating member, including an engagement arm of the rotating member for rotating with respect to the body, from a first position providing axial alignment of the engagement arm of the rotating member with the cannula to a second position, the second position providing fluid communication between a removed end of the engagement arm of the rotating member and the cannula when the delivery tube is attached thereto.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the rotating member is a ball joint and the engagement arm includes a first septum.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the ball joint includes a second septum positioned such that when the ball joint is in the first position, the first and second septum are aligned with the cannula.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the engagement arm is elongated and includes a channel and the first septum is located at one end of the channel and a second end of the channel is in communication with the cannula when the rotating member is in the second position.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein a third end of the channel is in communication with the second septum.

6. The system of claim 2 wherein the ball joint includes support arms projecting therefrom for rotatably supporting the ball joint with respect to the body of the main assembly.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the body of the main assembly includes means to releaseably retain the engagement arm of the rotating member in the second position when the rotating member engagement device is attached thereto.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the body of the main assembly includes audible means to releasably retain the engagement arm of the rotating member in the second position when the rotating member engagement device is attached thereto.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the engagement arm of the rotating member projects above the upper surface of the body when in the first position, but does not project above the surface of the body when in the second position.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the rotating member engagement device of the delivery tube includes a guide for aligning it with the engagement arm of the rotating member.

11. The system of claim 1 further including a plug, engageable with the engagement arm of the rotating member, the plug for engagement with the engagement arm of the rotating member when the delivery tube is not engaged therewith.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the main assembly is made from an antibacterial material.

13. In a system for the subcutaneous delivery of a fluid to a patient, the system including a remote fluid source and a delivery tube connected at a first end to the remote fluid source and having a needle at a second end thereof, the system having a body with a cannula engaged therewith, the cannula for placement into the patient'"'"'s skin, an improvement, the improvement comprising:

a rotatable joint for engagement with the body of the system, the joint including a joint body and a first engagement arm, the engagement arm having a first septum, the joint body having walls defining a channel therein, the channel aligned in fluid communication with the cannula when the rotatable ball joint is in a second position and away from the cannula when the rotatable joint in a first position.

14. The improvement of claim 13 wherein the rotatable joint includes a second septum engaged with the channel walls such that the second septum is aligned with the first septum and the cannula when the rotatable ball joint is in the first position.

15. The improvement of claim 14 wherein the channel of the rotatable joint provides fluid communication between the first septum and the second septum.

16. The improvement of claim 15 wherein the rotatable joint is dimensioned for receipt into the body such that rotation to the second position places the first septum and the second septum and at least part of the channel in axial alignment with the cannula.

17. The improvement of claim 13 wherein the rotating joint is made of an antibacterial material.

18. The improvement of claim 13 wherein the rotating joint includes means to releaseably retain the joint to the body in the first position and also to releaseably retain the joint to the body when the joint is in the second position.

19. The improvement of claim 13 wherein the body of the joint includes means to slidably receive the second end of the delivery tube so as to guide the needle of the delivery tube into the first septum.

20. The improvement of claim 13 wherein at least part of the channel is perpendicular to the cannula and at least part of the channel is parallel to the cannula when the rotatable joint is in the first position.

21. The improvement of claim 13 wherein the first septum is recessed into the first engagement arm of the rotatable joint, the second septum is flush with the surface of the joint body.

22. The improvement of claim 13 further including a handle having a needle, and wherein at least part of the channel is dimensioned for receipt of the needle therein.