Controlled Adjustment of Medicine Dispensation from an Infusion Pump Device

• US 20090069784A1
• Filed: 09/07/2007
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Insulet Corporation, M2 Medical Group Holdings, Inc.
• Original Assignee: M2 Medical Group Holdings, Inc.
• Inventors: Estes, Mark C., Causey, James
• Granted Patent: US 7,879,026 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/500
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14268 with a reusable and a disposable component
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/31518 designed to reduce the overall size of an injection device, e.g. using flexible or pivotally connected chain-like rod members
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/332 Force measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/63 Motion, e.g. physical activity
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14244 adapted to be carried by the patient, e.g. portable on the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14566 with a replaceable reservoir for receiving a piston rod of the pump
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/16804 Flow controllers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1723 using feedback of body parameters, e.g. blood-sugar, pressure measurement of body parameters A61B5/00

Abstract

Some embodiments of an infusion pump system can incorporate an accelerometer or other motion sensor to detect the user'"'"'s activity level. If the user'"'"'s activity level indicates that he or she is exercising or otherwise at an elevated level, the infusion pump device can be configured to automatically adjust the dispensation rate of a medicine such as insulin. Accordingly, an insulin delivery rate can be corrected to account for a user'"'"'s activity level (e.g., an elevated activity level during exercise or the like).

Claims

1. A portable and wearable insulin pump system, comprising:

a disposable and non-reusable pump device having a drive system to dispense insulin, the pump device defining a space to receive an insulin cartridge;

a reusable controller device removably attached to the pump device, the controller device having control circuitry that communicates control signals to the drive system to dispense insulin at a dispensation rate when the controller device removably attached to the pump device, the controller device including a user interface; and

an accelerometer arranged in the reusable controller and electrically connected to the control circuitry, the accelerometer providing signals indicative of activity levels of the user;

wherein the controller device automatically adjusts the dispensation rate based at least in part on the signals of the accelerometer indicative of the activity levels of the user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller device automatically reduces a basal rate of insulin if signals of the accelerometer indicate an increased activity level.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller device automatically increases a basal rate of insulin if signals of the accelerometer indicate a decreased activity level.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the automatic adjustment of insulin delivery is based on an integration of detected activity levels over a recent period of time.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller device automatically adjusts the dispensation rate without instructional input from the user.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller device communicates to the user via the user interface when the dispensation rate is automatically adjusted.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the user interface comprises a display device and one or more buttons for actuation by the user.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the controller device communicates to the user via the display device to notify the user that the dispensation rate was automatically adjusted.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the pump device comprises a pump housing that defines a space that extends in a longitudinal direction to receive the medicine.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the pump device is removably attached to the controller device by guided movement of the pump device relative to the controller device in the longitudinal direction.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein a first electrical connector of the pump device mates with a second electrical connector of the controller device when the controller device and the pump device are removably attached in a fixed relationship

12. A method of automatically adjusting insulin dispensed to a patient based on an activity level of the patient, comprising

delivering insulin to a patient from an insulin pump system having disposable and non-reusable pump device having a drive system to dispense the insulin and a reusable controller device removably attached to the pump device, the controller device including control circuitry communicating control signals to the drive system and a motion sensor electrically connected to the control circuitry;

detecting movement activities of the user with the motion sensor of the controller device;

automatically adjusting a dispensation rate of the insulin to the patient based at least in part on the detected movement activities of the user.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein automatically adjusting the dispensation rate comprises reducing a basal rate of insulin if an increased activity level is detected.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein automatically adjusting the dispensation rate comprises increasing a basal rate of insulin if a decreased activity level is detected.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising integrating a series of detected movement activities of the user over a period of time, wherein the automatic adjustment the dispensation rate is based on the integration of activity levels over the recent period of time.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the dispensation rate is automatically adjusted without receiving instructional input from the user.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising wherein communicating to the user via a user interface of the controller device when the dispensation rate is automatically adjusted.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the user interface comprises a display device and one or more buttons for actuation by the user.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the controller device communicates to the user via the display device to notify the user that the dispensation rate was automatically adjusted