Systems and methods allowing for reservoir filling and infusion medium delivery

• US 20080051765A1
• Filed: 11/20/2006
• Published: 02/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Minimed Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Minimed Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Mounce, R. Paul
• Application Number:
  US11/602,052
• Publication Number:
  US 20080051765A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/890.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/1406 Septums, pierceable membranes
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2096 Combination of a vial and a syringe for transferring or mixing their contents
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14252 with needle insertion means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14268 with a reusable and a disposable component
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14573 with a replaceable reservoir for quick connection/disconnection with a driving system
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/0266 Shape memory materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2207/00 Methods of manufacture, assembly or production
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/045 for filling, e.g. for filling reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1413 Modular systems comprising interconnecting elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14248 of the skin patch type
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1456 with a replaceable reservoir comprising a piston rod to be moved into the reservoir, e.g. the piston rod is part of the removable reservoir
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/385 using hydrophobic filters

Abstract

A system includes a durable portion with a durable housing and a separable disposable portion with a disposable housing that selectively engage with and disengage from each other. The disposable housing secures to a patient and may be disposed of after it has been in use for a prescribed period. Components that normally come into contact with a patient or with an infusion medium may be part of the disposable portion to allow for disposal after a prescribed use. A reservoir for holding the infusion medium may be part of the disposable portion, and may be supported by the disposable housing. The durable portion may include other components such as electronics for controlling delivery of the infusion medium from the reservoir, and a drive device including a motor and drive linkage.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a reservoir for receiving an infusion medium from an infusion medium container, the reservoir comprising;

a collapsible housing having an interior volume for holding the infusion medium, the collapsible housing being collapsible from an expanded state to reduce the interior volume and being expandable from a collapsed state to increase the interior volume, the collapsible housing being biased toward the expanded state;

wherein the collapsible housing is configured such that upon the collapsible housing being expanded toward the expanded state, a pressure differential is created between the interior volume of the collapsible housing and the infusion medium container sufficient to transfer the infusion medium from the infusion medium container to the interior volume of the collapsible housing.

2. The system of claim 1,

wherein the collapsible housing comprises a bellows.

3. The system of claim 1,

wherein the collapsible housing comprises a metal.

4. The system of claim 1,

wherein the collapsible housing comprises plastic.

5. The system of claim 1,

wherein the collapsible housing comprises at least one of titanium and stainless steel.

6. The system of claim 1,

wherein the collapsible housing comprises TOPAS™

.

7. The system of claim 1,

wherein the collapsible housing includes a bias member for biasing the collapsible housing toward the expanded state.

8. The system of claim 7,

wherein the bias member comprises a spring.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a base adapted to be secured to a user;

a durable housing portion configured to be selectively engaged with and disengaged from the base; and

electronic circuitry contained in the durable housing portion;

wherein the reservoir is supported by the base; and

wherein the electronic circuitry is configured to control a delivery of the infusion medium from the reservoir to a body of the user when the durable housing portion and the base are engaged.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a lever that is moveable among a plurality of positions including a first position and a second position;

wherein the lever is able to keep the collapsible housing in the collapsed state when the collapsible housing is in the collapsed state and the lever is in the first position; and

wherein the collapsible housing is able to expand to a particular expanded state when the lever is in the second position.

11. The system of claim 1,

wherein the reservoir further comprises a port in fluid flow communication with the interior volume of the collapsible housing;

and

wherein the port is connectable to the infusion medium container.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a base adapted to be secured to a user; and

a durable housing portion configured to be selectively engaged with and disengaged from the base;

wherein the reservoir is supported by the base.

13. The system of claim 1,

wherein the collapsible housing is formed of a material that provides a bias force toward the expanded state.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a lever that is moveable among multiple positions along an expansion direction of the collapsible housing;

wherein the lever is able to keep the collapsible housing in the collapsed state when the collapsible housing is in the collapsed state and the lever is in one of the multiple positions; and

wherein the collapsible housing is able to expand to the expanded state when the lever is in another one of the multiple positions.

15. A method for using a system, the system comprising a reservoir for receiving an infusion medium from an infusion medium container, the reservoir comprising a collapsible housing having an interior volume for holding the infusion medium, the collapsible housing being collapsible from an expanded state to reduce the interior volume and being expandable from a collapsed state to increase the interior volume, the collapsible housing biased toward the expanded state, the method comprising:

establishing a transfer path between the infusion medium container and the collapsible housing; and

causing the collapsible housing to expand toward the expanded state so as to create a pressure differential between the interior volume of the collapsible housing and the infusion medium container sufficient to transfer the infusion medium from the infusion medium container to the interior volume of the collapsible housing.

16. The method of claim 15,

wherein the system further comprises a lever that is moveable among a plurality of positions including a first position and a second position;

wherein the lever is able to keep the collapsible housing in the collapsed state when the collapsible housing is in the collapsed state and the lever is in the first position;

wherein the collapsible housing is able to expand to the expanded state when the lever is in the second position; and

wherein the step of causing the collapsible housing to expand, comprises;

moving the lever from the first position to the second position to cause the collapsible housing to expand toward the expanded state so as to create the pressure differential between the interior volume of the collapsible housing and the infusion medium container sufficient to transfer the infusion medium from the infusion medium container to the interior volume of the collapsible housing.