Fluid delivery apparatus with vial fill

• US 7,837,653 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2006
• Issued: 11/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BioQ Pharma Incorporated
• Original Assignee: BioQuiddity, Inc.
• Inventors: Kriesel, Joshua W., Kriesel, Marshall S., Langerud, Alan D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sirmons; Kevin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Schell; Laura C
• Application Number:
  US11/353,761
• Publication Number:
  US 20060195057A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,744 Days
• Field of Search: 604/131, 604/132, 604151-153, 604/890.1, 604246-248, 604133-135, 604/207, 604/211, 604/212, 604/214, 604/216, 604/218, 128/DIG.12
• US Class Current: 604/134
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/1402 Priming
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/1403 Flushing or purging
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14506 mechanically driven, e.g. spring or clockwork
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/045 for filling, e.g. for filling reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/141 with capillaries for restricting fluid flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14244 adapted to be carried by the patient, e.g. portable on the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/148 flexible, e.g. independent bagsA61M5/155 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/16813 by controlling the degree of opening of the flow line

Abstract

A compact fluid dispenser for use in controllably dispensing fluid medicaments, such as antibiotics, analgesics, and the like medicinal agents from the reservoir of the device. Uniquely, the dispenser includes a novel bellows-type reservoir and vial fill means for filling the bellows-type reservoir with the medicament to be dispensed. The dispenser also includes a novel stored energy source in the form of a constant force spring which controllably urges the medicinal fluid from the device reservoir. Additionally, the apparatus of the invention includes a novel adjustable flow rate control assembly that is disposed intermediate the fluid reservoir outlet and the outlet port of the device for precisely controlling the rate of fluid flow from the outlet port toward the patient. The rate control assembly includes a rate selector member for selecting the desired rate of fluid flow toward the patient and a cooperatively associated flow control plate having a plurality of fluidic micro-channels which controls the rate of fluid flow toward the selector member. The rate control plate uniquely includes a priming feature for priming the various fluid passageways of the device and purging the fluid passageways of gases that may be contained therein prior to the delivery of the medicinal fluids to the administration line of the device.

Claims

1. A dispensing apparatus for dispensing fluids to a patient comprising:

(a) a housing having a longitudinal centerline and a fluid reservoir for containing fluid to be dispensed to the patient, said fluid reservoir being provided with an inlet for permitting fluid flow into said fluid reservoir and an outlet for permitting fluid flow from said fluid reservoir, said housing further including an elongated vial receiving chamber;

(b) pusher means disposed within said housing for movement between a first position and a second position to cause said fluid contained within said fluid reservoir to flow toward said outlet of said housing, said pusher means comprising a pusher member having a plunger end portion disposed within said fluid reservoir;

(c) stored energy means disposed within said housing for acting upon said pusher means to cause said fluid pusher means to move toward said second position, said stored energy means comprising a constant force spring, said constant force spring comprising a high stress long deflection device that exerts a pressure directly on said pusher member causing said pusher member to act directly on the fluid within said fluid reservoir in a manner to cause the fluid to flow outwardly of said reservoir at a substantially constant rate;

(d) fill means carried by said housing for filling said reservoir with the fluid to be dispensed, said fill means comprises a fill vial receivable within said vial receiving chamber;

(e) flow control means carried by said housing for controlling fluid flow from said reservoir to the patient, said flow control means comprising;

(i) a flow rate control assembly mounted within said housing, said flow rate control assembly including a flow rate control member having a surface and a plurality of micro channels formed therein, each of said micro channels having an outlet and an inlet and being of a selected length, depth and cross-sectional area;

a distribution plate operably associated with said flow rate control member, said distribution plate having a plurality of flow control channels, each having an outlet and an inlet in communication with an outlet of a selected one of said micro channels; and

a cover member operably associated with said distribution plate, said cover member having a fluid inlet port in communication with said fluid reservoir of said housing and a plurality of spaced apart fluid outlet ports in communication with said outlets of said plurality of flow control channels of said distribution plate; and

(ii) a transversely extending selector member rotatably carried by said housing, said selector member having a head portion and a body portion, said body portion being superimposed over said flow rate control assembly and having a plurality of radially extending fluid passageways formed therein for selective communication with said plurality of spaced apart fluid outlet ports of said cover member upon rotation of said transversely extending selector member; and

(f) dispensing means connected to said housing for dispensing fluids to the patient.

2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which said housing further includes a cavity in communication with said inlet of said fluid reservoir and in which said fill means further comprises a pierceable septum disposed within said cavity.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, further including volume indicator means carried by said housing for indicating the volume of fluid within said reservoir.

4. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, further including disabling means carried by said housing for preventing fluid flow toward the patient.

5. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 further including stop means for preventing rotation of said selector member.

6. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which said body portion of said selector member includes an axially-extending flow passageway.

7. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which said flow control means further comprises priming means for priming said fluidic flow control channels formed in said flow rate control assembly.

8. A dispensing apparatus for dispensing fluids to a patient comprising:

(a) a housing having a longitudinal centerline and a fluid reservoir for containing fluid to be dispensed to the patient, said reservoir comprising a bellows structure having an expandable and compressible, accordion-like, annular-shaped sidewall expandable from a first contracted configuration to a second expanded configuration, said housing being provided with an inlet for permitting fluid flow into said fluid reservoir and an outlet for permitting fluid flow from said fluid reservoir;

(b) pusher means disposed within said housing for movement between a first position and a second position to cause said annular-shaped sidewall to move toward a contracted configuration and to cause said fluid contained within said fluid reservoir to flow toward said outlet of said housing, said pusher means comprising a pusher member having a pusher head, said pusher head being in direct engagement with said bellows structure to cause said expandable sidewall to move from said second expanded configuration to said first contracted configuration;

(c) stored energy means disposed within said housing for acting upon said pusher means to cause said fluid pusher means to move toward said second position, said stored energy means comprising a constant force spring, having spaced apart coiled portions located on either side of said pusher member and a strip portion connected to said coiled portions, said strip portion exerting a pressure directly on said pusher member causing said pusher member to act on the fluid within said fluid reservoir to cause the fluid to flow outwardly of said reservoir at a substantially constant rate;

(d) fill means carried by said housing for filling said reservoir with the fluid to be dispensed;

(e) flow control means carried by said housing for controlling fluid flow from said reservoir to the patient, said flow control means comprising;

(i) a flow rate control assembly mounted within said housing, said flow rate control assembly including a flow rate control member having a plurality of fluidic flow control channels formed therein and a distribution plate operably associated with said flow rate control member;

(ii) a transversely extending selector member rotatably carried by said housing, said selector member having a head portion and a body portion, said body portion being superimposed over, said flow rate control assembly and having a central passageway and plurality of radially extending fluid passageways formed therein in communication with said central passageway and with said distribution plate; and

(iii) priming means for priming said plurality of fluidic flow control channels formed in said flow rate control member and said plurality of fluid passageways formed in said selector member with fluid from said reservoir; and

(f) dispensing means connected to said housing for dispensing fluids to the patient.

9. The apparatus as defined in claim 8 in which said housing includes a cavity in communication with said inlet of said fluid reservoir and in which said fill means comprises a pierceable septum disposed within said cavity.

10. The apparatus as defined in claim 8 in which said housing includes a vial receiving chamber and in which said fill means comprises a fill vial receivable within said vial receiving chamber.

11. The apparatus as defined in claim 8, further including volume indicator means carried by said housing for indicating the volume of fluid within said reservoir.

12. The apparatus as defined in claim 8, further including disabling means carried by said housing for preventing fluid flow toward the patient.

13. The apparatus as defined in claim 8 further including stop means for preventing rotation of said selector member.

14. The apparatus as defined in claim 8 in which said body portion of said selector member includes an axially-extending flow passageway and a plurality of radially-extending flow passageways in communication with said axially-extending flow passageway.

15. The apparatus as defined in claim 8 in which said plurality of elongated fluidic flow control channels of said flow rate control member have a depth of approximately 10-100 μ

m.

16. The apparatus as defined in claim 8 in which said flow rate control assembly further includes a cover superimposed over said flow rate control member and a flow director member mounted intermediate said flow rate control member and said cover, said flow director member having a plurality of elongated fluidic flow control channels in communication with said plurality of fluid passageways formed in said flow rate control member.

17. The apparatus as defined in claim 16 in which said cover includes a plurality of fluid outlets and in which said plurality of elongated fluidic flow control channels in said flow director member are in communication with said plurality of fluid outlets of said cover.

18. A dispensing apparatus for dispensing fluids to a patient comprising:

(a) a housing having a longitudinal centerline, a vial receiving chamber and a fluid reservoir for containing fluid to be dispensed to the patient, said reservoir comprising a bellows structure having an expandable and compressible, accordion-like, annular-shaped sidewall expandable from a first contracted configuration to a second expanded configuration, said housing being provided with an inlet for permitting fluid flow into said fluid reservoir and an outlet for permitting fluid flow from said fluid reservoir, said housing further including an ullage portion extending into said bellows structure for ensuring that substantially all of the fluid contained within the fluid reservoir will flow outwardly of said outlet;

(b) pusher means disposed within said housing for movement between a first position and a second position to cause said annular-shaped sidewall to move toward a contracted configuration and to cause said fluid contained within said fluid reservoir to flow toward said outlet of said housing said pusher means comprising a pusher member having a pusher head in direct engagement with said bellows structure;

(c) stored energy means disposed within said outer housing for acting upon said pusher means to cause said fluid pusher means to move toward said second position, said stored energy means comprising a constant force spring, said constant force spring comprising a high stress, long deflection device that exerts a pressure directly on said pusher member causing said pusher member to act on the fluid within said fluid reservoir to cause the fluid to flow outwardly of said reservoir at a substantially constant rate;

(d) fill means carried by said housing for filling said reservoir with the fluid to be dispensed, said fill means comprising a fill vial receivable within said vial receiving chamber of said housing;

(e) flow control means carried by said housing for controlling fluid flow from said reservoir to the patient, said flow control means comprising;

(i) a flow rate control assembly mounted within said housing, said flow rate control assembly including a flow rate control plate having a surface and a plurality of longitudinally extending micro channels formed therein, said micro channels being of a selected length and depth and a top plate connected to said rate control plate, said flow rate control assembly further including a distribution plate operably associated with said flow rate control plate;

(ii) a transversely extending selector member rotatably carried by said housing, said selector member having a head portion and a body portion, said body portion being superimposed over, said flow rate control assembly and having a central passageway and a plurality of radially extending fluid passageways formed therein in communication with said central passageway and with said plurality of longitudinally extending micro channels; and

(iii) priming means for priming said plurality of elongated micro-channels formed in said flow rate control member and said plurality of fluid passageways formed in said selector member with fluid from said reservoir;

(f) stop means for preventing rotation of said selector member; and

(g) dispensing means connected to said housing for dispensing fluids to the patient.

19. The apparatus as defined in claim 18 in which said housing includes a cavity in communication with said inlet of said fluid reservoir and in which said fill means comprises a pierceable septum disposed within said cavity.

20. The apparatus as defined in claim 18, further including disabling means carried by said housing for preventing fluid flow toward the patient.

21. The apparatus as defined in claim 18 in which said body portion of said selector member includes an axially-extending flow passageway and a plurality of radially-extending flow passageways in communication with said axially-extending flow passageway.

22. The apparatus as defined in claim 18 in which said fluidic flow control channels have surfaces, said surfaces being modified to provide unique surface characteristics.

23. The apparatus as defined in claim 18 in which said flow control means further includes filter means for filtering fluids flowing from said reservoir toward said fluidic flow control channels of said flow rate control member.