Medication delivery apparatus including a medication metering system
First Claim
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1. A medication delivery apparatus (5), comprising:
- a reservoir (35) for holding a liquid medication; and
a metering device (25, 150) coupled to the reservoir for supplying a dose of the liquid medication to the reservoir, the metering device including;
an upper chamber (70, 165) configured to receive liquid medication, the upper chamber including a first opening through which liquid medication is received into the upper chamber, and a second opening configured to communicate liquid medication out of the upper chamber, the first opening and the second opening formed along a longitudinal axis of the reservoir/upper chamber/delivery apparatus;
a lower chamber (75, 170) coupled to the upper chamber via the second opening such that liquid medication leaving the upper chamber is communicated to the lower chamber through the second opening;
a release opening configured to selectively release liquid medication from the lower chamber;
a piston (90, 185), the piston being selectively moveable within the upper chamber from the first opening toward the second opening and the lower chamber from the second opening toward the release opening along the longitudinal axis; and
a valve (85, 180), the valve controlling selective release of the liquid medication through the release opening as the piston moves between the second opening of the upper chamber and the release opening of the lower chamber.
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Abstract
A medication delivery apparatus (5) includes a reservoir for holding a liquid medication and a metering device (25) coupled to the reservoir for supplying a dose of the liquid medication to the reservoir. The metering device includes an upper chamber, a lower chamber coupled to the upper chamber, a piston selectively moveable within the upper chamber and the lower chamber and a valve providing selective fluid communication between the lower chamber and the reservoir in response to movement of the piston.
15 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A medication delivery apparatus (5), comprising:
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a reservoir (35) for holding a liquid medication; and a metering device (25, 150) coupled to the reservoir for supplying a dose of the liquid medication to the reservoir, the metering device including; an upper chamber (70, 165) configured to receive liquid medication, the upper chamber including a first opening through which liquid medication is received into the upper chamber, and a second opening configured to communicate liquid medication out of the upper chamber, the first opening and the second opening formed along a longitudinal axis of the reservoir/upper chamber/delivery apparatus; a lower chamber (75, 170) coupled to the upper chamber via the second opening such that liquid medication leaving the upper chamber is communicated to the lower chamber through the second opening; a release opening configured to selectively release liquid medication from the lower chamber; a piston (90, 185), the piston being selectively moveable within the upper chamber from the first opening toward the second opening and the lower chamber from the second opening toward the release opening along the longitudinal axis; and a valve (85, 180), the valve controlling selective release of the liquid medication through the release opening as the piston moves between the second opening of the upper chamber and the release opening of the lower chamber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of providing a dose of a liquid medication to a reservoir (35) of a medication delivery apparatus (5), comprising:
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supplying an amount of the liquid medication to an upper chamber (70, 165) and a lower chamber (75, 170) of a metering device (25, 150), the upper chamber comprising a first opening and a second opening, the lower chamber comprising a release opening, the amount of the liquid medication being larger than the dose, the lower chamber being coupled to the upper chamber at the second opening, a first portion of the amount being held in the lower chamber and a second portion of the amount being held in the upper chamber, wherein the lower chamber is not in fluid communication with the reservoir under a static pressure of the first portion in the lower chamber; and applying a force to the first portion in the lower chamber through the upper chamber, the force causing a piston to move from the second opening toward the release opening and force at least a part of the first portion to exit the lower chamber through the release opening and be received in the reservoir of the medication delivery apparatus, the second portion being maintained within the metering device after application of the force. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification