Infusion pump assembly

• US 8,491,570 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2008
• Issued: 07/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deka Products Limited Partnership
• Original Assignee: Deka Products Limited Partnership
• Inventors: Kamen, Dean, Kerwin, John Matthew, Murphy, Colin Holmes
• Primary Examiner(s): SHUMATE, VICTORIA PEARL
• Application Number:
  US12/347,985
• Publication Number:
  US 20090299277A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,665 Days
• Field of Search: 604/65, 604/67, 604/118, 604/131, 604/132, 604151-153, 604/246, 604/247, 604/257, 604/890.1
• US Class Current: 604/890.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14268 with a reusable and a disposable component
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/0266 Shape memory materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3375 Acoustical, e.g. ultrasonic, measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3569 sublocal, e.g. between console and disposable
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6018 providing set-up signals for the apparatus configuration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8237 Charging means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/086 Docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1413 Modular systems comprising interconnecting elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14244 adapted to be carried by the patient, e.g. portable on the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14248 of the skin patch type
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/16809 by repeated filling and emptying of an intermediate volume pressure infusion using positive displacement pumps A61M5/142
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/16886 for measuring fluid flow rate, i.e. flowmeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/172 electrical or electronic A61M5/16804, A61M5/16831 take precedence

Abstract

A wearable infusion pump assembly including a reservoir for receiving an infusible fluid, and a fluid delivery system configured to deliver the infusible fluid from the reservoir to an external infusion set. The fluid delivery system includes a volume sensor assembly configured to receive a quantity of the infusible fluid from the reservoir. The volume sensor assembly includes an acoustically contiguous region having a volume that varies based upon the quantity of infusible fluid received from the reservoir, and an acoustic energy emitter configured to provide acoustic energy at a plurality of frequencies to excite a gas included within the acoustically contiguous region.

Claims

1. A wearable infusion pump assembly comprising:

a reservoir for receiving an infusible fluid;

a fluid delivery system configured to deliver the infusible fluid from the reservoir to an external infusion set, wherein the fluid delivery system includes;

a volume sensor assembly configured to receive, and measure the volume of, a quantity of the infusible fluid from the reservoir, the volume sensor assembly including;

an acoustically contiguous region having a volume that varies based upon the quantity of infusible fluid received from the reservoir,

an acoustic energy emitter configured to provide acoustic energy at a plurality of frequencies to excite a gas included within the acoustically contiguous region for measuring the volume of the quantity of the infusible fluid,

a first acoustic energy receptor for receiving at least a portion of the acoustic energy provided by the acoustic energy emitter and defining an acoustic response for each of the plurality of frequencies, and

a second acoustic energy receptor for receiving at least a portion of the acoustic energy provided by the acoustic energy emitter and defining an acoustic reference for each of the plurality of frequencies;

a disposable housing assembly including the reservoir, a first portion of the fluid delivery system, a first portion of a pump assembly, a first portion of a first valve assembly, and a first portion of a second valve assembly;

a reusable housing assembly including a second portion of the fluid delivery system, a second portion of the pump assembly, a second portion of the first valve assembly, and a second portion of the second valve assembly;

at least one processor; and

a computer readable medium coupled to the at least one processor, the computer readable medium including a plurality of instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising;

determining a phase relationship between the acoustic response and the reference for each of the plurality of frequencies, and

calculating a change of volume characteristic based, at least in part, upon the phase relationship between the acoustic response and the acoustic reference for each of the plurality of frequencies;

wherein the pump assembly is configured to extract the quantity of the infusible fluid from the reservoir and provide the quantity of the infusible fluid to the volume sensor assembly;

wherein the first valve assembly is configured to selectively isolate the pump assembly from the reservoir; and

wherein the second valve assembly is configured to selectively isolate the volume sensor assembly from the external infusion set.

2. The wearable infusion pump assembly of claim 1 wherein the acoustically contiguous region includes:

a variable volume chamber having a volume that varies based upon the quantity of infusible fluid received from the reservoir,

at least one fixed volume chamber having a volume that is constant regardless of the quantity of infusible fluid received from the reservoir, and

at least one acoustic port for acoustically coupling the variable volume chamber to the at least one fixed volume chamber.

3. The wearable infusion pump assembly of claim 2 wherein:

the first acoustic energy receptor is an invariable microphone positioned proximate the variable volume chamber; and

the second acoustic energy receptor is a reference microphone positioned proximate the at least one fixed volume chamber.

4. A wearable infusion pump assembly comprising:

a reusable housing assembly;

a disposable housing assembly including a reservoir for receiving an infusible fluid;

a releasable engagement assembly configured to allow the reusable housing assembly to releasably engage the disposable housing assembly; and

a filling station including an infusible fluid supply, the filling station comprising at least one locking tab, wherein the filling station releasably engages the disposable portion, and wherein the filling station is configured to releasably fluidly couple the reservoir and effectuate the delivery of the infusible fluid from the filling station to the reservoir.

5. The wearable infusion pump assembly of claim 4, wherein the filling station includes a plurality of moveable button assemblies that interact with the disposable portion when the filling station is clipped thereto to adjust a volume of the reservoir.

6. The wearable infusion pump assembly of claim 5, wherein the plurality of moveable button assemblies are cantilever members.