Apparatus and methods for administering bioactive compositions
First Claim
1. An apparatus for administering a bioactive composition to a subject, comprising:
- a plurality of inkjet dispensers, each inkjet dispenser being operable to dispense discrete quantities of droplets of the bioactive composition;
a mixing unit having a plurality of mixing chambers, each mixing chamber being configured to receive the bioactive composition dispensed from a respective inkjet dispenser, each mixing chamber having an inlet for receiving an infusion liquid to be mixed with the bioactive composition and an outlet for discharging a mixture of the infusion liquid and the bioactive composition; and
a plurality of fluid reservoirs for containing the bioactive composition, each fluid reservoir being fluidly connected to a respective inkjet dispenser;
wherein each inkjet dispenser comprises an ejection orifice, the ejection orifices being formed in a die interposed between the fluid reservoirs and the mixing chambers, each ejection orifice being fluidly connected to a respective fluid reservoir and operable to eject a controlled amount of the bioactive composition into a respective mixing chamber.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Bioactive agents are dosed by a jet dispenser using inkjet technology, such as that used in printing devices. The jet dispenser dispenses precise amounts of bioactive agent into a fluid manifold, in which the bioactive agent can be mixed with an infusion liquid for infusing into a patient. A controller may control delivery of one or more drugs, timing of drug administration, or change drug regimens in response to a changing medical condition of a patient. A drop detector can be used to detect various characteristics of the droplets of the bioactive agent dispensed by the jet dispenser and provide a feedback signal to the controller to determine whether a detected characteristic satisfies a predetermined condition. Methods for administering bioactive agents using a jet dispenser also are disclosed.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus for administering a bioactive composition to a subject, comprising:
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a plurality of inkjet dispensers, each inkjet dispenser being operable to dispense discrete quantities of droplets of the bioactive composition; a mixing unit having a plurality of mixing chambers, each mixing chamber being configured to receive the bioactive composition dispensed from a respective inkjet dispenser, each mixing chamber having an inlet for receiving an infusion liquid to be mixed with the bioactive composition and an outlet for discharging a mixture of the infusion liquid and the bioactive composition; and a plurality of fluid reservoirs for containing the bioactive composition, each fluid reservoir being fluidly connected to a respective inkjet dispenser; wherein each inkjet dispenser comprises an ejection orifice, the ejection orifices being formed in a die interposed between the fluid reservoirs and the mixing chambers, each ejection orifice being fluidly connected to a respective fluid reservoir and operable to eject a controlled amount of the bioactive composition into a respective mixing chamber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification