Bilateral syringe tethered remote micro-pump

• US 6,610,030 B1
• Filed: 11/07/2000
• Issued: 08/26/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Anthony Baxter
• Original Assignee: Anthony Baxter
• Inventors: Baxter, Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Casler, Brian L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, CATHERINE SERKE
• Application Number:
  US09/619,040
• Time in Patent Office: 1,022 Days
• Field of Search: 604/131, 604/151, 604/154, 604/155, 604/246, 604/890.1, 222/251, 222/135, 222/293-296, 417/572
• US Class Current: 604/155
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2250/00 Specially adapted for animals
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1456 with a replaceable reservoir comprising a piston rod to be moved into the reservoir, e.g. the piston rod is part of the removable reservoir
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31531 Microsyringes, e.g. having piston bore diameter close or equal to needle shaft diameter
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/724 Devices having flexible or movable element

Abstract

A microinjection pump for administration of fluid pharmacological compounds to unrestrained and freely behaving animals is provided. The micro-pump employs a screw drive mechanism that is actuated by a small stepper motor. The pump moves fluids by direct mechanical displacement from two micro-syringes arranged in parallel. The drive mechanism incorporates a threaded central drive screw that is attached to the stepper motor drive shaft, The threads of the central drive screw engage the threads of two parallel, but oppositely turned (left hand turned and right hand turned) threaded rods. By the frictional action of the helical threads of the threaded drive screw with the threads of the threaded rods the threaded rods are moved linearly and depress the plungers of the attached micro-liter syringes. Medications are administered to animals through flexible tubing. An attached electrical swivel allows power to be delivered to the pump motor while allowing the micro-injector to pivot and move with the animal without binding or twisting the flexible tubing.

Claims

1. A tethered remote bilateral micro-injection pump for infusing fluid pharmacological compounds comprising:

a central drive screw having threads,

two threaded rods having threads of the same pitch as the central drive screw, one of the threaded rods having left hand turned threads and the other of the threaded rods having right hand turned threads,

the threaded rods are removable and interchangeable with alternate threaded rods of the same diameter having different thread pitch thereby allowing variability in a rate of linear movement and fluid extrusion from two bilaterally arranged micro-syringes comprising two barrels with each of the two barrels having a plunger head and a micro-syringe clamp holding the two barrels stationary,

wherein the threads of the two threaded rods engage the threads of the central screw in a manner similar to both a rack and pinion and a worm drive allowing both threaded rods to move in a same direction when engaged by the central drive screw that is rotating in a clockwise direction whereby the threaded rods depress each of the plunger heads of the two bilaterally arranged micro-syringes causing extrusion of fluid from the micro-syringes into and through capillary tubing attached to the micro-syringes for delivery of fluids into a freely behaving animal.

2. The micro-injection pump according to claim 1, further comprising a stepper motor affixed to the central drive screw by a bolt, a 4 channel electrical swivel communicator and modular socket connector wired to the stepper motor, associated electronics providing a motor step size of 15 degrees, wherein the bolt and the central drive screw are turned in a rotary and stepwise manner by the stepper motor and thereby through friction move the two threaded rods in the same direction, wherein in a reverse driving mode, the stepper motor and the central drive screw cause the two threaded rods to move in an opposite direction, retracting the plungers, taking up fluid and filling the micro-syringes.