Implantable pumps and cannulas therefor
First Claim
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1. An implantable pump, comprising:
- a drug reservoir chamber and an electrolyte chamber surrounded, at least in part, by a wall comprising parylene and separated from each other by an expandable parylene diaphragm, the diaphragm forming a lower boundary of one of the chambers and an upper boundary of the other chamber, the electrolyte chamber including an electrolyte liquid therein;
a cannula, made at least in part from parylene, for conducting liquid from the drug reservoir chamber;
electrolysis electrodes for causing, in response to a current supplied thereto, evolution of a gas in the electrolyte chamber to thereby expand the diaphragm from a space-efficient corrugated configuration having a first surface area of contact with the electrolyte liquid to an expanded configuration having a second surface area of contact with the electrolyte liquid wherein the first surface area being greater than the second surface area, so as to force the liquid from the drug reservoir through the cannula, whereby following cessation of the current, the diaphragm recovers the space-efficient corrugated configuration and re-establishes the first surface area of contact with the electrolyte liquid without reducing a volume of the drug reservoir chamber;
a sensor, made at least in part from parylene, for monitoring at least one of a flow rate of liquid flowing through the cannula or a pressure inside the implantable pump; and
circuitry for adjusting delivery of the liquid through the cannula by controlling, in response to the sensor, the electrolysis electrodes so as to vary an amount of liquid forced from the drug reservoir chamber.
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Abstract
In various embodiments, an implantable pump includes a cannula. The pump (e.g., the cannula thereof) may include, for example, flow sensors, pressure sensors, filters, and/or other components.
290 Citations
27 Claims
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1. An implantable pump, comprising:
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a drug reservoir chamber and an electrolyte chamber surrounded, at least in part, by a wall comprising parylene and separated from each other by an expandable parylene diaphragm, the diaphragm forming a lower boundary of one of the chambers and an upper boundary of the other chamber, the electrolyte chamber including an electrolyte liquid therein; a cannula, made at least in part from parylene, for conducting liquid from the drug reservoir chamber; electrolysis electrodes for causing, in response to a current supplied thereto, evolution of a gas in the electrolyte chamber to thereby expand the diaphragm from a space-efficient corrugated configuration having a first surface area of contact with the electrolyte liquid to an expanded configuration having a second surface area of contact with the electrolyte liquid wherein the first surface area being greater than the second surface area, so as to force the liquid from the drug reservoir through the cannula, whereby following cessation of the current, the diaphragm recovers the space-efficient corrugated configuration and re-establishes the first surface area of contact with the electrolyte liquid without reducing a volume of the drug reservoir chamber; a sensor, made at least in part from parylene, for monitoring at least one of a flow rate of liquid flowing through the cannula or a pressure inside the implantable pump; and circuitry for adjusting delivery of the liquid through the cannula by controlling, in response to the sensor, the electrolysis electrodes so as to vary an amount of liquid forced from the drug reservoir chamber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification