Method and apparatus for automatically modifying delivery profile of drug delivery system
First Claim
1. A method of operating an implantable drug delivery that includes a reservoir, a fluid transfer device, and a catheter, said method comprising the steps of:
- filling said reservoir with a first drug;
controllably transferring said first drug from said reservoir to said catheter and a body site in accordance with a first delivery profile specifying a schedule of at least two different flow rates during a delivery period of certain duration;
evacuating said first drug from said reservoir;
filling said reservoir with a second drug;
providing a second delivery profile specifying a schedule of flow rates for transferring said second drug to said catheter;
determining the quantity of first drug remaining by monitoring activity of the fluid transfer device, and continuing to transfer the remaining quantity of said first drug in said delivery device to said body site in accordance with said first delivery profile, after evacuating said reservoir; and
initiating controllable transfer of said second drug from said reservoir to said catheter in accordance with said second delivery profile after said remaining quantity of said first drug has been cleared from said device in accordance with the first delivery profile.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to an implantable drug delivery device which includes a fluid drug reservoir, a catheter, a controllable fluid transfer device, e.g., a pump or valve, and a drug delivery control means. The control means in accordance with the invention is configured to initially clear a first, or old, drug from the device based on the content of the Current Profile data containing a first, or old, delivery profile. After the old drug is cleared, then the control means automatically modifies the Current Profile data to match a second, or new, delivery profile for controlling delivery of a second, or new, drug.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method of operating an implantable drug delivery that includes a reservoir, a fluid transfer device, and a catheter, said method comprising the steps of:
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filling said reservoir with a first drug; controllably transferring said first drug from said reservoir to said catheter and a body site in accordance with a first delivery profile specifying a schedule of at least two different flow rates during a delivery period of certain duration; evacuating said first drug from said reservoir; filling said reservoir with a second drug; providing a second delivery profile specifying a schedule of flow rates for transferring said second drug to said catheter; determining the quantity of first drug remaining by monitoring activity of the fluid transfer device, and continuing to transfer the remaining quantity of said first drug in said delivery device to said body site in accordance with said first delivery profile, after evacuating said reservoir; and initiating controllable transfer of said second drug from said reservoir to said catheter in accordance with said second delivery profile after said remaining quantity of said first drug has been cleared from said device in accordance with the first delivery profile. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. An implantable fluid delivery device comprising:
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a reservoir for storing a fluid; a catheter for transferring fluid from said reservoir to a selected body site, said catheter having a proximal end for receiving fluid from said reservoir and a distal end for delivering fluid to said body site; a controllable pump coupling said reservoir to said catheter proximal end; a controller for storing a current delivery profile; means for introducing a first fluid into said reservoir; means for storing a first delivery profile, including at least two different flow rates during different intervals within a period of certain duration, in said controller as said current delivery profile for specifying a schedule of flow rates for said first fluid; means for supplying a second delivery profile to said controller specifying a schedule of flow rates for a second fluid; means for determining the quantity of said first fluid remaining in said delivery device by monitoring pump actuations; said controller being operable to control said pump in accordance with said current delivery profile to deliver said first fluid to said body site at rates specified by said first delivery profile and to adopt said second delivery profile as said current delivery profile in response a determination by the means for determining that said first fluid has been fully cleared from said delivery device in accordance with the first delivery profile. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An implantable drug delivery device comprising:
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a reservoir for storing a fluid drug; means for introducing a first fluid into said reservoir; a catheter for transferring a fluid from said reservoir to a selected body site, said catheter having a proximal end for receiving fluid from said reservoir and a distal end for delivering fluid to said body site; a controllable fluid transfer device coupling said reservoir to said catheter proximal end; a controller for storing a current delivery profile; means for storing a first delivery profile in said controller as said current delivery profile; means for evacuating said first fluid from said reservoir and introducing a second fluid into said reservoir; means for supplying a second delivery profile for a second fluid; means for determining the quantity of said first fluid transferred from said delivery device in accordance with said first delivery profile and any bolus delivery requests subsequent to an evacuation of the first fluid from the reservoir; means for operating said fluid transfer device in accordance with said current delivery profile to deliver said first fluid through said catheter to said body site at the schedule of flow rates specified by said first delivery profile subsequent to an evacuation of said first fluid from said reservoir; and means for adopting said second delivery profile as said current delivery profile in response to a determination by the means for determining that said first fluid being fully cleared from said delivery device. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of operating an implantable drug delivery device including a reservoir, a fluid transfer device and a catheter, the method comprising the steps of:
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transferring a first drug from the reservoir to the catheter in accordance with a first delivery profile; transferring a second drug from the reservoir to the catheter in accordance with the first delivery profile and at least one bolus delivery request, after the first drug has been evacuated from the reservoir in such a manner that a quantity of the first drug remains in the fluid transfer device and/or the catheter subsequent to the evacuation and after the reservoir has been filled with a second drug, so long as the first drug remains in the catheter; and transferring the second drug from the reservoir to the catheter in accordance with a second delivery profile, which is different than the first delivery profile, after the first drug has been cleared from the catheter in accordance with the first delivery profile and the at least one bolus delivery request. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification