Fluid delivery systems and methods
First Claim
1. A method of dispensing fluid comprising:
- (a) pumping fluid into a resilient variable-volume dispensing chamber, the dispensing chamber in series with a normally present finite fluid impedance and an output, the impedance being sufficient so as to cause expansion of the dispensing chamber as it receives pumped fluid even while some fluid flows through the output;
(b) repeatedly measuring a parameter related to volume of the dispensing chamber over time; and
(c) controlling the pumping of fluid based on repeated measurements of the parameter to produce a desired fluid flow through the output.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of dispensing fluid includes three processes. A first one of these processes includes pumping fluid into a resilient variable-volume dispensing chamber. The dispensing chamber is in series with a normally present finite fluid impedance and an output. The impedance is sufficient so as to cause expansion of the dispensing chamber as it receives pumped fluid even while some fluid flows through the output. Another one of these processes includes repeatedly measuring a parameter related to volume of the dispensing chamber over time. A third one of these processes includes controlling the pumping of fluid based on repeated measurements of the parameter to produce a desired fluid flow through the output. A corresponding system for dispensing fluid implements these processes.
477 Citations
133 Claims
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1. A method of dispensing fluid comprising:
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(a) pumping fluid into a resilient variable-volume dispensing chamber, the dispensing chamber in series with a normally present finite fluid impedance and an output, the impedance being sufficient so as to cause expansion of the dispensing chamber as it receives pumped fluid even while some fluid flows through the output;
(b) repeatedly measuring a parameter related to volume of the dispensing chamber over time; and
(c) controlling the pumping of fluid based on repeated measurements of the parameter to produce a desired fluid flow through the output. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A device for dispensing fluid, the device comprising:
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a patch-sized housing;
a pump enclosed in the housing;
a dispensing assembly, downstream of the pump and in fluid communication with it, the dispensing assembly having a resilient dispensing chamber and a sensor for measuring quantitatively a parameter related to a volume of the dispensing chamber or the volume'"'"'s derivative with respect to time;
wherein the pump ejects fluid in a pulsatile manner so as to cyclically expand the resilient dispensing chamber, the chamber repeatedly delivering fluid through an exit; and
a control loop coupled to the sensor and the pump for controlling actuation of the pump during normal flow conditions based on the measured parameter so as to achieve delivery of fluid having a desired cumulative volume, the loop including a controller that determines the cumulative volume of fluid delivered through the exit based on the measured parameter. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A device for dispensing fluid, the device comprising:
a patch-sized housing, the housing enclosing a source of pressurized fluid in series with a downstream flow-impeding tortuous conduit. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66)
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67. A device for dispensing fluid, the device comprising:
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a patch-sized housing, a pump disposed within the housing, the pump having a pump outlet;
a dispensing chamber also disposed in the housing, the dispensing chamber having a dispensing inlet and a dispensing outlet, wherein the dispensing inlet is coupled to the pump outlet; and
a tortuous conduit coupled to the dispensing outlet to provide flow-impedance. - View Dependent Claims (68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87)
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88. A method for measuring flow of fluid delivered through a line, the method comprising:
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acoustically exciting gas in an acoustically contiguous region at only a single frequency, to produce an acoustic response, during a course of change of a volume of a subregion of the acoustically contiguous region caused by flow of the fluid in a zone coupled to the volume of the subregion;
determining a phase relationship between the acoustic response, as measured at a first position in the acoustically contiguous region, and a reference for the single frequency;
calculating a change of volume of the subregion based on temporal evolution of the phase relationship; and
inferring a measure of fluid flow through the line based on the change of volume of gas in the subregion. - View Dependent Claims (89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107)
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108. A system for measuring flow of fluid delivered through a line, the system comprising:
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an acoustic energy source for acoustically exciting gas in an acoustically contiguous region at only a single frequency, to produce an acoustic response, during a course of change of a volume of a subregion of the acoustically contiguous region caused by flow of the fluid in a zone coupled to the volume of the subregion;
a first acoustic transducer, mounted at a first position in the acoustically contiguous region, for producing an electrical signal based on the acoustic response, the electrical signal of the first acoustic transducer having a phase relationship with respect to a reference; and
a processor, coupled to the first acoustic transducer and to the reference, implementing a flow determination process for determining a quantity related to change of volume of the subregion based on temporal evolution of the phase relationship; and
for inferring a measure of fluid flow through the line based on the change of volume of gas in the subregion. - View Dependent Claims (109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133)
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Specification