Light, thin, and flexible medication infusion apparatuses attachable to user's skin

• US 6,699,234 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2001
• Issued: 03/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Show-Way Yeh
• Original Assignee: Show-Way Yeh
• Inventors: Yeh, Show-Way
• Primary Examiner(s): Look, Edward K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fristoe, Jr., John K
• Application Number:
  US09/810,838
• Publication Number:
  US 20020133120A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,082 Days
• Field of Search: 604/890.1, 604/891.1, 604/500, 604/502, 604/503, 604/131, 604/151, 604/152, 604/153, 604/154, 604/245, 604/246, 604/257, 604/288.01, 604/288.02, 604/288.03
• US Class Current: 604/890.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3576 with non implanted data transmission devices, e.g. using external transmitter or receiver
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/50 with microprocessors or computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 battery-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14248 of the skin patch type

Abstract

Four models of apparatuses and their variants are presented. All of them have multiple reservoir cells, a pump, a pump controller, one or more batteries on a flexible pad so that the apparatuses can be adhesive to the user'"'"'s skin as a big and thick Band-Aid. The user will feel comfortable when he or she bends his to her body. The first model, each reservoir cell contains a medicine bag that contains the medicine. The rest space of the reservoir cells contains the air. Pumping the air into the reservoir cells will press out the medicine from the medicine bags into the user'"'"'s body. The second model, each reservoir cell contains the medicine and an air bag. Pumping air into the air bags will press out the medicine from the reservoir cells into the user'"'"'s body. The third model is similar with the second one where the medicine is drawn from the reservoir cells and pressed into the user'"'"'s body. The forth model is similar with the first one where the medicine is drawn from the medicine bags and pressed into the user'"'"'body. The motor and the associated parts is small, simple; and light. The reservoir cells can be small and, hence, the apparatus is thin. Separating the monitor and controller from the apparatus, the apparatus that is attached to the user'"'"'s skin is even smaller and lighter. Hence, the user will feel much more convenient than using conventional ones.

Claims

1. A thin and bendable medicine infusion apparatus attachable to the user'"'"'s skin or carried under the user'"'"'s clothes comprising:

a monitor and controller composed of separated compartments linked with soft cables;

an air pump for pumping the air when supplied with commands;

any number of thin and small reservoir cells each including;

a flexible membrane which is transformable by a pressure of the air;

a medicine compartment and an air compartment which are formed in said reservoir cell by said membrane;

a medicine delivery portion in said reservoir cell for delivering the medicine into or out of said medicine compartment; and

an air introduction portion in said reservoir cell for delivering the air pumped by said air pump into said air compartment;

soft cables linking said monitor and controller and said air pump;

soft air pipes linking all said air introduction portion and said air pump; and

soft medicine pipes linking all said medicine delivery portion and the insertion device;

wherein the air pumped by said air pump is introduced into said air compartments through said air introduction portions to increase the inner pressure of said air compartments to press said membranes, the medicine in said medicine compartments is delivered through said medicine delivery portions by the pressure of said membranes, and said medicine infusion apparatus is bendable.

2. The thin and flexible medication infusion apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

said membrane is a medicine bag containing the medicine;

said medicine compartment is in said medicine bag; and

said air compartment is in said reservoir cell and out of said medicine bag

wherein the air pumped by said air pump is introduced into said reservoir cells through said air introduction portions to increase the inner pressure of said reservoir cells to press said medicine bags, the medicine in said medicine bags is delivered through said medicine delivery portions by the pressure of said medicine bags, and said medicine infusion apparatus is bendable.

3. The thin and flexible medication infusion apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

said membrane is an air bag containing the air;

said air compartment is in said air bag; and

said medicine compartment is in said reservoir cell and out of said air bag;

wherein the air pumped by said air pump is introduced into said air bags to increase the inner pressure of said air bags to press said air bags, the medicine in said reservoir cells is delivered through said medicine delivery portion by the pressure of said air bags, and said medicine infusion apparatus is bendable.

7. The thin and flexible medication infusion apparatus as in any one of claims 2 and 5 wherein:

each said reservoir cell is further divided into cellular air cells; and

each said cellular air cell contains a cellular medicine bag.

8. The thin and flexible medication infusion apparatus as in any one of claims 2 and 5 wherein:

each said medicine bag is a narrow medicine bag; and

each said reservoir cell is a narrow tunnel containing said narrow medicine bag.

9. The thin and flexible medication infusion apparatus of claim 7 wherein each said cellular air cell is a narrow tunnel containing said cellular medicine bag.

10. The thin and flexible medication infusion apparatus as in any one of claims 3 and 6 wherein:

each said reservoir cell is further divided into cellular medicine cells; and

each said cellular medicine cell contains a cellular air bag.

11. The thin and flexible medication infusion apparatus as in any one of claims 3 and 6 wherein:

each said air bag is a narrow air bag; and

each said reservoir cell is a narrow medicine tunnel containing one said narrow air bag.

12. The thin and flexible medication infusion apparatus of claim 10 wherein each said cellular medicine cell is a narrow medicine tunnel containing said cellular air bag.

13. The thin and flexible medication infusion apparatus as in any one of claims 1, and 4, wherein said reservoir cells are install on a flexible pad.

4. A thin and bendable medicine infusion apparatus attachable to the user'"'"'s skin or carried under the user'"'"'s clothes comprising:

a monitor and controller composed of separated compartments linked with soft cables;

an medicine pump for drawing the medicine when supplied with commands;

any number of thin and small reservoir cells each including;

a flexible membrane which is transformable by a pressure of the air;

a medicine compartment and an air compartment which are formed in said reservoir cell by said membrane;

a medicine delivery portion in said reservoir cell for delivering the medicine into or out of said medicine compartment; and

an air introduction portion in said reservoir cell for delivering the air pumped by said air pump into said air compartment;

soft cables linking said monitor and controller and said medicine pump; and

soft medicine pipes linking all said medicine delivery portion and said medicine pump;

wherein the medicine in said medicine compartments is drawn out of said medicine compartments through said medicine delivery portions by said medicine pump to decrease the inner pressure of said medicine compartments to extract said membranes, the inner pressure of said air compartments is decreased, the air is sucked into said air compartments through said air introduction portions, and said medicine infusion apparatus is bendable.

5. The thin and flexible medication infusion apparatus of claim 4 wherein:

said membrane is a medicine bag containing the medicine;

said medicine compartment is in said medicine bag; and

said air compartment is in said reservoir cell and out of said medicine bags

wherein the medicine in said medicine bags is drawn out of said medicine bags through said medicine delivery portions by said medicine pump to decrease the inner pressure of said medicine bags to extract said membranes, the inner pressure of said reservoir cells is decreased, the air is sucked into said reservoir cells through said air introduction portions, and said medicine infusion apparatus is bendable.

6. The thin and flexible medication infusion apparatus of claim 4 wherein:

said membrane is an air bag containing the air;

said air compartment is in said air bag; and

said medicine compartment is in said reservoir cell and out of said air bag;

wherein the medicine in said reservoir cells is drawn out of said reservoir cells through said medicine delivery portions by said medicine pump to decrease the inner pressure of said air bags to extract said air bags, the inner pressure of said air bags is decreased, the air is sucked into said air bags through said air introduction portions, and said medicine infusion apparatus is bendable.