Systems and methods allowing for reservoir filling and infusion medium delivery

• US 7,794,434 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2006
• Issued: 09/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Minimed Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Minimed Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Kavazov, Julian D., Mounce, R. Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Lucchesi; Nicholas D
• Assistant Examiner(s): LANDRY II, GERALD ERNEST
• Application Number:
  US11/602,173
• Publication Number:
  US 20080097321A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,394 Days
• Field of Search: 604/32, 604/38, 604/155, 604/131, 604/216
• US Class Current: 604/216
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/1406 Septums, pierceable membranes
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2096 Combination of a vial and a syringe for transferring or mixing their contents
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14252 with needle insertion means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14268 with a reusable and a disposable component
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14573 with a replaceable reservoir for quick connection/disconnection with a driving system
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/0266 Shape memory materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2207/00 Methods of manufacture, assembly or production
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/045 for filling, e.g. for filling reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1413 Modular systems comprising interconnecting elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14248 of the skin patch type
• 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 5/385 using hydrophobic filters

Abstract

A system includes a durable portion with a durable housing and a separable disposable portion with a disposable housing that selectively engage with and disengage from each other. The disposable housing secures to a patient and may be disposed of after it has been in use for a prescribed period. Components that normally come into contact with a patient or with an infusion medium may be part of the disposable portion to allow for disposal after a prescribed use. A reservoir for holding the infusion medium may be part of the disposable portion, and may be supported by the disposable housing. The durable portion may include other components such as electronics for controlling delivery of the infusion medium from the reservoir, and a drive device including a motor and drive linkage.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a reservoir for receiving an infusion medium from an infusion medium container, the infusion medium container having an interior volume for holding the infusion medium, the reservoir comprising;

a collapsible housing having an interior volume for holding the infusion medium, the collapsible housing being collapsible from an expanded state to reduce the interior volume of the collapsible housing and being expandable from a collapsed state to increase the interior volume of the collapsible housing; and

a chamber housing having an interior volume bordered on at least one side by the collapsible housing such that the interior volume of the chamber housing increases as the collapsible housing collapses toward the collapsed state and such that the interior volume of the chamber housing decreases as the collapsible housing expands toward the expanded state, at least a portion of the infusion medium container located external to the chamber housing;

wherein the collapsible housing and the chamber housing are configured such that when (i) a gaseous pressure within the interior volume of the chamber housing is less than a particular gaseous pressure within the interior volume of the infusion medium container and (ii) the collapsible housing is in the collapsed state and (iii) a path for transferring the infusion medium is established between the interior volume of the infusion medium container and the interior volume of the collapsible housing, the collapsible housing and the chamber housing allow for a pressure differential between the interior volume of the chamber housing and the interior volume of the infusion medium container to cause the collapsible housing to expand and to cause the infusion medium to be pushed from the infusion medium container to the collapsible housing;

the system further comprising;

a base adapted to be secured to a user; and

a durable housing portion configured to be selectively engaged with and disengaged from the base;

wherein the reservoir is supported by the base.

2. The system of claim 1,

wherein the collapsible housing comprises a bellows.

3. The system of claim 1,

wherein the collapsible housing comprises plastic.

4. The system of claim 1,

wherein the collapsible housing comprises a metal.

6. The system of claim 1,

wherein the reservoir further comprises a port in fluid flow communication with the interior volume of the collapsible housing;

and

wherein the port is connectable to the infusion medium container.

7. The system of claim 1,

wherein the system is configured such that the infusion medium is able to be transferred from the collapsible housing to a body of a user.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the collapsible housing is contained substantially within the chamber housing.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the collapsible housing is configured to expand to the expanded state as a vacuum is applied to the interior volume of the chamber housing.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the interior volume of the infusion medium container remains constant relative to the interior volume of the collapsible housing as the infusion medium is transferred from the infusion medium container to the collapsible housing.

5. A system, comprising:

a reservoir for receiving an infusion medium from an infusion medium container, the infusion medium container having an interior volume for holding the infusion medium, the reservoir comprising;

a collapsible housing having an interior volume for holding the infusion medium, the collapsible housing being collapsible from an expanded state to reduce the interior volume of the collapsible housing and being expandable from a collapsed state to increase the interior volume of the collapsible housing; and

a chamber housing having an interior volume bordered on at least one side by the collapsible housing such that the interior volume of the chamber housing increases as the collapsible housing collapses toward the collapsed state and such that the interior volume of the chamber housing decreases as the collapsible housing expands toward the expanded state, at least a portion of the infusion medium container located external to the chamber housing;

wherein the collapsible housing and the chamber housing are configured such that when (i) a gaseous pressure within the interior volume of the chamber housing is less than a particular gaseous pressure within the interior volume of the infusion medium container and (ii) the collapsible housing is in the collapsed state and (iii) a path for transferring the infusion medium is established between the interior volume of the infusion medium container and the interior volume of the collapsible housing, the collapsible housing and the chamber housing allow for a pressure differential between the interior volume of the chamber housing and the interior volume of the infusion medium container to cause the collapsible housing to expand and to cause the infusion medium to be pushed from the infusion medium container to the collapsible housing;

the system further comprising;

a base adapted to be secured to a user;

a durable housing portion configured to be selectively engaged with and disengaged from the base; and

electronic circuitry contained in the durable housing portion;

wherein the reservoir is supported by the base; and

wherein the electronic circuitry is configured to control a delivery of the infusion medium from the reservoir to a body of the user when the durable housing portion and the base are engaged.

8. A method of making a system, the method comprising:

providing a chamber housing;

providing a collapsible housing having an interior volume for receiving an infusion medium from an infusion medium container, at least a portion of the infusion medium container located external to the chamber housing, the collapsible housing being collapsible from an expanded state to reduce the interior volume of the collapsible housing and being expandable from a collapsed state to increase the interior volume of the collapsible housing;

arranging the collapsible housing relative to the chamber housing so that an interior volume of the chamber housing is boarded on at least one side by the collapsible housing and such that the interior volume of the chamber housing increases as the collapsible housing collapses toward the collapsed state and the interior volume of the chamber housing decreases as the collapsible housing expands toward the expanded state;

configuring the collapsible housing and the chamber housing to allow for a pressure differential between the interior volume of the chamber housing and the interior volume of the infusion medium container to cause the collapsible housing to expand and to cause the infusion medium to be pushed from the infusion medium container to the collapsible housing in a case where (i) a gaseous pressure within the interior volume of the chamber housing is less than a particular gaseous pressure within the interior volume of the infusion medium container and (ii) the collapsible housing is in the collapsed state and (iii) a path for transferring the infusion medium is established between the interior volume of the infusion medium container and the interior volume of the collapsible housing;

providing a base that is adapted to be secured to a user; and

providing a durable housing portion that is configured to be selectively engaged with and disengaged from the base;

wherein the base is configured to support the chamber housing and the collapsible housing.

9. A method for using a system, the system comprising a reservoir for receiving an infusion medium from an infusion medium container, the infusion medium container having an interior volume for holding the infusion medium, the reservoir comprising a collapsible housing having an interior volume for holding the infusion medium, the collapsible housing being collapsible from an expanded state to reduce the interior volume of the collapsible housing and being expandable from a collapsed state to increase the interior volume of the collapsible housing, the reservoir further comprising a chamber housing having an interior volume bordered on at least one side by the collapsible housing such that the interior volume of the chamber housing increases as the collapsible housing collapses toward the collapsed state and such that the interior volume of the chamber housing decreases as the collapsible housing expands toward the expanded state, at least a portion of the infusion medium container located external to the chamber housing, the method comprising:

establishing a path for transferring the infusion medium between the interior volume of the infusion medium container and the interior volume of the collapsible housing when (i) a gaseous pressure within the interior volume of the chamber housing is less than a particular gaseous pressure within the interior volume of the infusion medium container and (ii) the collapsible housing is in the collapsed state, such that a pressure differential between the interior volume of the chamber housing and the interior volume of the infusion medium container causes the collapsible housing to expand and to cause the infusion medium to be pushed from the infusion medium container to the collapsible housing;

supporting the reservoir on a base;

engaging a durable housing portion with the base, said durable housing portion configured to be selectively engaged with and disengaged from the base; and

securing the base to a user.

13. A system for receiving an infusion medium from an infusion medium container, the system comprising:

a chamber housing having an interior volume;

a collapsible housing having an interior volume for receiving an infusion medium from an interior volume of an infusion medium container, the collapsible housing being collapsible from an expanded state to reduce the interior volume of the collapsible housing and being expandable from a collapsed state to increase the interior volume of the collapsible housing, at least a portion of the collapsible housing arranged within the chamber housing such that the interior volume of the chamber housing is displaced by the collapsible housing as the collapsible housing expands toward the expanded state;

the collapsible housing and the chamber housing configured to transfer infusion media from the infusion media container to the collapsible housing in a case where (i) a gaseous pressure within the interior volume of the chamber housing is less than a particular gaseous pressure within the interior volume of the infusion medium container and (ii) a path for transferring the infusion medium is established between the interior volume of the infusion medium container and the interior volume of the collapsible housing;

a base adapted to be secured to a user; and

a durable housing portion configured to be selectively engaged with and disengaged from the base

wherein the base is configured to support the chamber housing and the collapsible housing.

14. The reservoir system of claim 13, wherein at least a portion of the infusion medium container is located external to the chamber housing.