Medication infusion device using negatively biased ambient pressure medication chamber
First Claim
1. A device for storing medication and for selectively discharging medication for application to a patient'"'"'s body, said device comprising:
- a peripheral member enclosing a chamber suitable for storing medication;
said peripheral member including a wall portion configured for transferring exterior ambient pressure into said chamber;
bias means for exerting a force on said wall portion acting in opposition to the force produced by said ambient pressure to produce a resultant pressure in said chamber which is negative with respect to said ambient pressure; and
an actuatable pump coupled to said chamber for extracting medication from said chamber for infusion into a patient'"'"'s body.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for infusing medication into a patient'"'"'s body using a medication chamber referenced to ambient pressure. The apparatus includes a medication chamber enclosed by a peripheral wall which includes a movable portion configured to transfer exterior ambient pressure into the chamber. Means are provided for exerting a negative bias force acting on the movable portion in a direction opposed to the ambient pressure force. Thus, the resultant pressure in the chamber will be negative with respect to ambient pressure, reducing the risk that the chamber can be overpressurized and produce an unintended medication discharge.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1. A device for storing medication and for selectively discharging medication for application to a patient'"'"'s body, said device comprising:
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a peripheral member enclosing a chamber suitable for storing medication; said peripheral member including a wall portion configured for transferring exterior ambient pressure into said chamber; bias means for exerting a force on said wall portion acting in opposition to the force produced by said ambient pressure to produce a resultant pressure in said chamber which is negative with respect to said ambient pressure; and an actuatable pump coupled to said chamber for extracting medication from said chamber for infusion into a patient'"'"'s body. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A medication infusion device suitable for implantation in a patient'"'"'s body, said device comprising:
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a medication chamber including an interior volume bounded by a peripheral wall; a pump coupled to said interior volume actuatable to extract medication therefrom for delivery to a patient'"'"'s body site; said peripheral wall including a portion configured for exposure to exterior ambient pressure for producing an interiorly directed ambient pressure force component against said wall portion; and means for exerting a bias force component on said wall portion directed oppositely to said inwardly directed force component for producing a resultant pressure in said interior volume which is negative with respect to said ambient pressure. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An infusion device for use in an environment with an ambient pressure, the infusion device comprising:
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a housing; a resilient member that defines an interior surface and an exterior surface carried by the housing such that a chamber is defined between the interior surface and the housing and the exterior surface is exposed to ambient pressure, the resilient member being self-biased away from the housing with enough force to create a pressure within the chamber that is negative with respect to the ambient pressure; and an electrically powered pump operably connected to the chamber. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. An infusion device for use in an environment with an ambient pressure, the infusion device comprising:
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a housing; an expandable/compressible member that defines an interior surface, an exterior surface and an internal volume carried by the housing such that the exterior surface is exposed to ambient pressure, the expandable/compressible member being movable between a fully expanded position where the internal volume is relatively large and a fully compressed position where the internal volume is relatively small and configured such that the natural state of the expandable/compressible member is the fully expanded position; and and electrically powered pump operably connected to the internal volume. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. An infusion device for use in an environment with an ambient pressure, the infusion device comprising:
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a housing; a resilient member that defines an interior surface and an exterior surface carried by the housing such that a chamber is defined between the interior surface and the housing and the exterior surface is exposed to ambient pressure, the resilient member being self-biased away from the housing with enough force to create a pressure within the chamber that is negative with respect to the ambient pressure; and a pump operably connected to the chamber; wherein the pump and the resilient member are separate structural elements.
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34. An infusion device for use in an environment with an ambient pressure, the infusion device comprising:
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a housing; an expandable/compressible member that defines an interior surface, an exterior surface and an internal volume carried by the housing such that the exterior surface is exposed to ambient pressure, the expandable/compressible member being movable between a fully expanded position where the internal volume is relatively large and a fully compressed position where the internal volume is relatively small and configured such that the natural state of the expandable/compressible member is the fully expanded position; and a pump operably connected to the internal volume; wherein the pump and the expandable/compressible member are separate structural elements.
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Specification