Systems and methods allowing for reservoir air bubble management
First Claim
1. A system for managing air bubbles, the system comprising:
- a reservoir having a wall defining an interior volume for containing fluidic media, the reservoir having a port for expelling fluidic media from the interior volume of the reservoir, the wall of the reservoir defining one or more air passages that extend out of the interior volume of the reservoir through the wall of the reservoir;
a plunger head moveable within the reservoir, the plunger head arranged such that the interior volume of the reservoir is on one side of the plunger head and a chamber of the reservoir is on an opposite side of the plunger head from the interior volume of the reservoir, the plunger head in contact with fluidic media when fluidic media is in the interior volume of the reservoir; and
one or more filters, each of the one or more filters located in a respective air passage of the one or more air passages, each of the one or more filters configured to allow air in the interior volume of the reservoir to pass through the filter and to exit the reservoir through the respective air passage of the one or more air passages as the plunger head moves within the reservoir to expel fluidic media from the interior volume of the reservoir out the port of the reservoir.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to limiting a presence of air bubbles in fluidic media in a reservoir. Air passages may allow air to escape from fluidic media in a reservoir. Membranes may allow for trapping air bubbles in fluidic media before fluidic media enters a reservoir. A membrane may allow air to flow from a first reservoir containing fluidic media to a second reservoir while plunger heads within each of the reservoirs are moved within the reservoirs. An inner reservoir with a membrane may be moveable within an outer reservoir to allow air to move from the outer reservoir to the inner reservoir. An inner reservoir containing pressurized gas may allow fluidic media to be transferred to an outer reservoir.
297 Citations
35 Claims
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1. A system for managing air bubbles, the system comprising:
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a reservoir having a wall defining an interior volume for containing fluidic media, the reservoir having a port for expelling fluidic media from the interior volume of the reservoir, the wall of the reservoir defining one or more air passages that extend out of the interior volume of the reservoir through the wall of the reservoir; a plunger head moveable within the reservoir, the plunger head arranged such that the interior volume of the reservoir is on one side of the plunger head and a chamber of the reservoir is on an opposite side of the plunger head from the interior volume of the reservoir, the plunger head in contact with fluidic media when fluidic media is in the interior volume of the reservoir; and one or more filters, each of the one or more filters located in a respective air passage of the one or more air passages, each of the one or more filters configured to allow air in the interior volume of the reservoir to pass through the filter and to exit the reservoir through the respective air passage of the one or more air passages as the plunger head moves within the reservoir to expel fluidic media from the interior volume of the reservoir out the port of the reservoir. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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8. A method of making a system for managing air bubbles, the method comprising:
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providing a reservoir having a wall defining an interior volume for containing fluidic media, the reservoir having a port for expelling fluidic media from the interior volume of the reservoir, the wall of the reservoir defining one or more air passages that extend out of the interior volume of the reservoir through the wall of the reservoir; arranging a plunger head moveable within the reservoir, the plunger head arranged such that the interior volume of the reservoir is on one side of the plunger head and a chamber of the reservoir is on an opposite side of the plunger head from the interior volume of the reservoir, the plunger head in contact with fluidic media when fluidic media is in the interior volume of the reservoir; and locating each of one or more filters in a respective air passage of the one or more air passages, each of the one or more filters configured to allow air in the interior volume of the reservoir to pass through the filter and to exit the reservoir through the respective air passage of the one or more air passages as the plunger head moves within the reservoir to expel fluidic media from the interior volume of the reservoir out the port of the reservoir. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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15. A system of managing air bubbles, the system comprising:
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a reservoir having an interior volume for containing fluidic media, the reservoir having a port for expelling fluidic media from the interior volume of the reservoir, the reservoir having one or more air passages that extend out of the interior volume of the reservoir; a plunger head moveable within the reservoir, the plunger head arranged such that the interior volume of the reservoir is on one side of the plunger head and a chamber of the reservoir is on an opposite side of the plunger head from the interior volume of the reservoir; one or more filters, each of the one or more filters located in a respective air passage of the one or more air passages; and a bellows member arranged in the chamber of the reservoir, the bellows member connected to the plunger head; wherein the one or more air passages is arranged in the plunger head from a first surface of the plunger head to a second surface of the plunger head, the first surface of the plunger head in contact with fluidic media in a case where fluidic media is in the interior volume of the reservoir; and wherein each of the one or more filter is located within the respective air passage of the one or more air passages of the plunger head, each of the one or more filters configured to allow air to pass from the interior volume of the reservoir to an interior volume of the bellows member through the respective air passage of the one or more air passages of the plunger head, each of the one or more filters configured to inhibit fluidic media from passing from the interior volume of the reservoir to the interior volume of the bellows member through the respective air passage of the one or more air passages of the plunger head in a case where fluidic media is in the interior volume of the reservoir.
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16. A method of making a system for managing air bubbles, the method comprising:
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providing a reservoir having an interior volume for containing fluidic media, the reservoir having a port for expelling fluidic media from the interior volume of the reservoir, the reservoir having one or more air passages that extend out of the interior volume of the reservoir; arranging a plunger head moveable within the reservoir, the plunger head arranged such that the interior volume of the reservoir is on one side of the plunger head and a chamber of the reservoir is on an opposite side of the plunger head from the interior volume of the reservoir; locating each of one or more filters in a respective air passage of the one or more air passages; arranging a bellows member in the chamber of the reservoir; and connecting the bellows member to the plunger head; wherein the one or more air passages are arranged in the plunger head from a first surface of the plunger head to a second surface of the plunger head, the first surface of the plunger head in contact with fluidic media in a case where fluidic media is in the interior volume of the reservoir; and wherein each of the one or more filters is configured to allow air to pass from the interior volume of the reservoir to an interior volume of the bellows member through the respective air passage of the one or more air passages of the plunger head, each of the one or more filters configured to inhibit fluidic media from passing from the interior volume of the reservoir to the interior volume of the bellows member through the respective air passage of the one or more air passages of the plunger head in a case where fluidic media is in the interior volume of the reservoir.
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Specification