Diaphragm pump for medical applications

• US 7,104,767 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2004
• Issued: 09/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Minimed Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Wilson Greatbatch Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Lee, J. Kelly
• Primary Examiner(s): Koczo, Jr., Michael
• Application Number:
  US11/025,414
• Publication Number:
  US 20060013710A1
• Time in Patent Office: 622 Days
• Field of Search: 417/413.1, 417/50
• US Class Current: 417/413.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/0294 Piezoelectric materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14224 Diaphragm type
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14276 specially adapted for implantation
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/046 with piezoelectric drive

Abstract

An implantable diaphragm pump for use in medical applications comprising a housing having a pump cap, a valve plate, a diaphragm, and a base plate, wherein the pump cap and the valve plate are separated by the diaphragm, and the valve plate and lower surface of the diaphragm serve to form a pump chamber. A permanent magnet is attached to the pump cap within the diaphragm chamber wherein the lower surface of the permanent magnet is adjacent to the upper surface of the diaphragm. The diaphragm having a coil and a corrugated outer periphery, wherein when electrical current flows in a first direction through the coil, the diaphragm engages the lower surface of the permanent magnet, and when electrical current flows in a direction opposite the first direction, said diaphragm engages the upper surface of the valve plate.

Claims

1. An implantable micro-diaphragm pump for use in medical applications comprising:

a housing comprising a valve plate and a micro-diaphragm;

a pump chamber between said valve plate and said micro-diaphragm;

a permanent magnet being proximate to said micro-diaphragm;

said micro-diaphragm comprising a coil, wherein varying the direction of electrical current applied to said coil shall cause the micro-diaphragm to engage either the permanent magnet or the valve plate.

2. The micro-diaphragm pump of claim 1, wherein said housing further comprises a pump cap that supports said permanent magnet and a base plate that supports said valve plate.

3. The implantable micro-diaphragm pump of claim 2, wherein said pump cap and said valve plate are separated by said micro-diaphragm.

4. The micro-diaphragm pump of claim 1, wherein said micro-diaphragm further comprises a corrugated outer periphery.

5. The implantable micro-diaphragm pump of claim 1 further comprising a spacer ring between said micro-diaphragm and said valve plate, wherein varying the thickness of said spacer ring shall vary the volume of the pump chamber.

6. The implantable micro-diaphragm pump of claim 1 further comprising an inlet and an outlet wherein the pump shall serve to either draw fluid into said pump chamber through said inlet or deliver a metered dose of said fluid through said outlet dependant upon the polarity of the coil.

7. An implantable diaphragm pump for use in medical applications comprising:

a. a housing comprising a valve plate, a diaphragm, a pump cap, and a base plate that supports said valve plate;

b. a pump chamber between said valve plate and said diaphragm;

c. a permanent magnet being proximate to said diaphragm;

d. said diaphragm comprising a coil, wherein varying the direction of electrical current applied to said coil shall cause the diaphragm to engage either the permanent magnet or the valve plate;

e. said pump cap and said diaphragm form a chamber; and

f. said pump cap further comprises a breather hole to equalize pressure between the chamber and the environment.

8. The implantable micro-diaphragm pump of claim 7 further comprising a membrane between said breather hole and said chamber.

9. An implantable diaphragm pump for use in medical applications comprising:

a housing comprising a valve plate and a diaphragm;

a pump chamber between said valve plate and said diaphragm;

a permanent magnet being proximate to said diaphragm, wherein said permanent magnet comprises a textured surface to thereby impede said diaphragm from sticking to said permanent magnet; and

said diaphragm comprising a coil, wherein varying the direction of electrical current applied to said coil shall cause the diaphragm to engage either the permanent magnet or the valve plate.

10. An implantable diaphragm pump for use in medical applications comprising:

a housing comprising a valve plate and a diaphragm, wherein said valve plate comprises a textured surface to thereby impede said diaphragm from sticking to said valve plate;

a pump chamber between said valve plate and said diaphragm;

a permanent magnet being proximate to said diaphragm; and

said diaphragm comprising a coil, wherein varying the direction of electrical current applied to said coil shall cause the diaphragm to engage either the permanent magnet or the valve plate.

11. The implantable diaphragm pump of claim 10 wherein said valve plate textured surface comprises a raised pattern wherein grooves of said raised pattern run in the direction in which fluid flows in said pump chamber.