Automated reservoir fill system

• US 8,795,231 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2012
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Minimed Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Minimed Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Chong, Colin A., Ibranyan, Arsen, Lorenzen, Eric M., Halili, Edgardo C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lucchesi, Nicholas
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, WENG WAH
• Application Number:
  US13/467,950
• Publication Number:
  US 20120289900A1
• Time in Patent Office: 818 Days
• Field of Search: 604411-416, 604122-125, 604/129, 141/18, 141/29, 141/82, 141/325, 141329-330
• US Class Current: 604/122
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/20 Arrangements for transferring or mixing fluids, e.g. from vial to syringe
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2003 Accessories used in combination with means for transfer or mixing of fluids, e.g. for activating fluid flow, separating fluids, filtering fluid or venting
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2096 Combination of a vial and a syringe for transferring or mixing their contents
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3368 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/045 for filling, e.g. for filling reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/00 Devices for bringing media into the body in a subcutaneous, intra-vascular or intramuscular way; Accessories therefor, e.g. filling or cleaning devices, arm-rests vaccination appliances for veterinary use A61D1/025 ; tube connectors, tube couplings, valves or branch units specially adapted for medical use A61M39/00; containers specially adapted for medical or pharmaceutical purposes A61J1/00; combinations of vial and syringe for mixing or transferring their contents A61J1/20; holders for containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14244 adapted to be carried by the patient, e.g. portable on the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/36 with means for eliminating or preventing injection or infusion of air into body dialysis systems, blood oxygenators A61M1/14; haemofiltration equipment A61M1/34; automatic tube cut-off A61M39/281
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 3/003 Filling medical containers such as ampoules, vials, syringes or the like

Abstract

An automated reservoir filling system for a portable medical device is disclosed. The system includes a vial sealed by a septum partially filled with a liquid and a gas occupying a headspace. The system further includes a reservoir with a volume defined between a reservoir septum and a plunger head. The plunger head is coupled to a plunger arm which is further coupled to a drive system. Further included is a transfer system with a vial end that pierces the vial septum and remains in contact with the liquid, and a reservoir end that pierces the reservoir septum and remains in the reservoir volume. A controller coupled to the drive system to actuates the drive system automatically drawing fluid from the vial to the reservoir through the degas system.

Claims

1. A system to automatically fill a reservoir for a portable medical device comprising:

a vial having a vial volume partially filled with a liquid and a gas, the gas occupying a headspace, the vial further having a vial port sealed with a vial septum;

a reservoir having a reservoir volume defined between a reservoir port and a plunger head, the plunger head coupled to a plunger arm, the plunger arm coupled to a drive system defined to move the plunger arm within a chamber, the reservoir port being sealed by a reservoir septum;

a first degas system having a temperature system to elevate the liquid temperature before the liquid enters the reservoir;

a second degas system having a valve end coupled to a check valve, the second degas system further having a headspace end defined to pierce the vial septum, the headspace end being positioned in the headspace, the check valve further being coupled to a vacuum system;

a transfer system having a vial end defined to pierce the vial septum and remain in contact with the liquid, the transfer system further having a reservoir end defined to pierce the reservoir septum and remain in the reservoir volume;

a controller coupled to the drive system, and the second degas system, the controller defined to actuate the second degas system to automatically draw a partial vacuum within the vial for a period of time before the drive system is automatically actuated to draw the fluid from the vial to the reservoir.

2. A system as defined in claim 1 requiring no electrical power, wherein the controller, the first degas system, the second degas system and the drive system are entirely mechanical systems.

3. A system as defined in claim 2, wherein the first degas system is defined as a pathway calculated to increase the temperature of the fluid by a maximum amount via friction.

4. A system as defined in claim 2, wherein the first degas system is defined as a pathway with varying cross-sectional area to induce a maximum change of temperature of the fluid.

5. A system as defined in claim 1 further comprising:

a power source and heating elements incorporated into the first degas system.

6. A system as defined in claim 5, wherein the first degas system is defined as a pathway calculated to increase the temperature of the fluid by a maximum amount via heat exchange from operation of the heating elements

7. A system as defined in claim 5, wherein the power source further powers a feedback system associated with the controller, the feedback system having a temperature sensor that determines the fluid temperature in the vial.

8. A system as defined in claim 7, wherein the heating elements are defined along a pathway calculated to increase the temperature of the fluid by a maximum amount via friction, the heating elements being activated when the feedback system determines that fluid heating in addition to friction heating is required to properly degas the fluid.

9. A system as defined in claim 5, wherein the heating elements are defined along a pathway calculated to increase the temperature of the fluid by a maximum amount via a change in cross-sectional area, the heating elements being active when the feedback system determines that fluid heating in addition to the maximum change via change in cross-sectional area is required to properly degas the fluid.

10. A system as defined in claim 5, wherein the system further powers a vibration generation device, such that activation of the vibration generation device degases the fluid within the vial.