Dual drug delivery device

• US 8,323,246 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2008
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Michigan
• Original Assignee: Board of Regents of the University of Michigan (University of Michigan)
• Inventors: Chiravuri, Srinivas, Evans, Allan, Gianchandani, Yogesh B., Park, Jong M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lucchesi, Nicholas D
• Assistant Examiner(s): BERDICHEVSKY, AARTI
• Application Number:
  US12/810,286
• Publication Number:
  US 20110034872A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,457 Days
• Field of Search: 604/132, 604/890.1, 604/891.1
• US Class Current: 604/132
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14513 with secondary fluid driving or regulating the infusion
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/332 Force measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/20 Blood composition characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/63 Motion, e.g. physical activity
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14276 specially adapted for implantation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/148 flexible, e.g. independent bagsA61M5/155 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1483 using flexible bags externally pressurised by fluid pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/152 pressurised by contraction of elastic reservoirs containers for dispensing contents by contraction of an elastic bag provided therein, in general B65D83/0061
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/16813 by controlling the degree of opening of the flow line
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/16827 controlling delivery of multiple fluids, e.g. sequencing, mixing or via separate flow-paths infusion of multiple fluids without using a controller A61M5/1407
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1684 by detecting the amount of infusate remaining, e.g. signalling end of infusion
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/16854 by monitoring line pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/16881 Regulating valves on-off valves, e.g. clamps A61M39/28
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1723 using feedback of body parameters, e.g. blood-sugar, pressure measurement of body parameters A61B5/00

Abstract

A liquid delivery apparatus for the intrathecal delivery of one or more medications to a patient is disclosed. The liquid delivery apparatus generally includes a liquid reservoir, a liquid metering unit fluidly connected to the liquid reservoir, and a catheter delivery tube fluidly connected to the liquid metering unit. Preferably, the liquid delivery apparatus includes two or more liquid reservoirs. In various embodiments, the liquid reservoir includes a deformable balloon and a compressive sleeve spring as a pressure source, the liquid metering unit is a piezoelectrically actuated microvalve, and/or diagnostic sensors are included in the apparatus. The disclosed apparatus are compact, volume-efficient, energy-efficient, capable of delivering accurate fluid volumes, and address problems associated with multi-medication therapies. Methods of operating the liquid delivery apparatus are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A liquid delivery apparatus comprising a liquid delivery pathway, the liquid delivery pathway comprising:

a liquid reservoir comprising a deformable balloon and a pressure source selected from the group consisting of a compressive sleeve spring and an electrolytic fluid cell;

a liquid metering unit comprising a throttle, the liquid metering unit fluidly connected to the liquid reservoir;

a pressure sensor fluidly connected to the liquid reservoir between the liquid reservoir and the liquid metering unit throttle; and

,

a catheter delivery tube fluidly connected to the liquid metering unit.

2. The liquid delivery apparatus of claim 1, wherein the liquid reservoir further comprises a refill port.

3. The liquid delivery apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a bolus port fluidly connected to the catheter delivery tube.

4. The liquid delivery apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pressure source is an electrolytic fluid cell.

5. The liquid delivery apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a liquid delivery control module, the liquid delivery control module comprising:

a microprocessor electrically connected to the throttle and the means for measuring the volume of the liquid reservoir; and

,

a battery electrically connected to the microprocessor.

6. The liquid delivery apparatus of claim 5, comprising a plurality of liquid delivery pathways, wherein the microprocessor is capable of independently controlling liquid flow through each liquid delivery pathway.

7. The liquid delivery apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of liquid delivery pathways.

8. The liquid delivery apparatus of claim 7, comprising a liquid delivery catheter fluidly connected to the catheter delivery tube of each of the plurality of liquid delivery pathways.

9. The liquid delivery apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pressure source is a compressive sleeve spring comprising a piezoresistive material.

10. The liquid delivery apparatus of claim 9, wherein the compressive sleeve spring comprises a Co/Cr/Ni alloy.

11. The liquid delivery apparatus of claim 1, wherein the throttle comprises a piezoelectrically actuated microvalve.

12. The liquid delivery apparatus of claim 11, wherein the piezoelectrically actuated microvalve comprises:

a first plate and a second plate spaced apart and joined together to define a flow path having an inlet fluidly connected to the liquid reservoir and an outlet fluidly connected to the catheter delivery tube; and

,

a piezoelectric material external to the flow path and in contact with the first plate.

13. The liquid delivery apparatus of claim 12, wherein:

the first plate comprises a silicon-on-insulator substrate;

the second plate comprises glass; and

,

the piezoelectric material comprises lead zirconium titanate.

28. A method of delivering a plurality of medications to a patient in need thereof, the method comprising:

providing the liquid delivery apparatus of claim 7, the apparatus further comprising a microprocessor electrically connected to the throttle and the pressure sensor;

charging the liquid delivery apparatus with the plurality of medications, wherein at least one liquid reservoir contains a medication that is different from the medication contained in another liquid reservoir; and

,

delivering the plurality of medications to the patient at independently controlled flow rates by independently actuating the throttle of each liquid delivery pathway in response to a flow control program stored in the microprocessor.

14. A liquid delivery apparatus comprising:

a liquid reservoir comprising a deformable balloon having an interior volume and at least one deformable interior wall in the interior volume, the at least one deformable interior wall defining a plurality of reservoir chambers in the interior volume;

a plurality of liquid metering units, each of which is fluidly connected to one of the reservoir chambers;

a at least one pressure sensor fluidly connected to at least one of the reservoir chambers between the reservoir chamber and the corresponding liquid metering unit; and

,

a plurality of catheter delivery tubes, each of which is fluidly connected to one of the liquid metering units.

15. The liquid delivery apparatus of claim 14 further comprising a liquid delivery catheter connected to each of the catheter delivery tubes.

16. The liquid delivery apparatus of claim 14, wherein the liquid reservoir further comprises a refill port.

17. The liquid delivery apparatus of claim 14 further comprising a plurality of bolus ports, each of which is fluidly connected to one of the catheter delivery tubes.

18. The liquid delivery apparatus of claim 14, wherein

the liquid reservoir further comprises a pressure source selected from the group consisting of a compressive sleeve spring, a torsion spring, and an electrolytic fluid cell;

and

each liquid metering unit comprises a throttle.

19. The liquid delivery apparatus of claim 18, wherein the pressure source is a torsion spring.

20. The liquid delivery apparatus of claim 18, wherein the pressure source is an electrolytic fluid cell.

21. The liquid delivery apparatus of claim 18, further comprising a liquid delivery control module, the liquid delivery control module comprising:

a microprocessor electrically connected to the throttle and the means for measuring the volume of the liquid in the reservoir chambers; and

a battery electrically connected to the microprocessor.

22. The liquid delivery apparatus of claim 21, wherein the microprocessor is capable of independently controlling liquid flow through each throttle.

23. The liquid delivery apparatus of claim 18, wherein the pressure source is a compressive sleeve spring.

24. The liquid delivery apparatus of claim 23, wherein the compressive sleeve spring comprises a Co/Cr/Ni alloy.

25. The liquid delivery apparatus of claim 18, wherein the throttle comprises a piezoelectrically actuated microvalve.

26. The liquid delivery apparatus of claim 25, wherein the piezoelectrically actuated microvalve comprises:

a first plate and a second plate spaced apart and joined together to define a flow path having an inlet fluidly connected to the liquid reservoir and an outlet fluidly connected to the plurality of the catheter delivery tubes; and

,

a piezoelectric material external to the flow path and in contact with the first plate.

27. The liquid delivery apparatus of claim 26, wherein:

the first plate comprises a silicon-on-insulator substrate;

the second plate comprises glass; and

,

the piezoelectric material comprises lead zirconium titanate.