INTERFACING A PREFILLED SYRINGE WITH AN INFUSION PUMP TO FILL THE INFUSION PUMP

• US 20090143732A1
• Filed: 11/29/2007
• Published: 06/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Insulet Corporation
• Original Assignee: Insulet Corporation
• Inventors: O'Connor, Jason B., Malave, Luis
• Granted Patent: US 7,918,825 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/151
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/1426 with means for preventing access to the needle after use
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/0205 for injecting media
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/045 for filling, e.g. for filling reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/04 having pierceable self-sealing members
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14248 of the skin patch type

Abstract

A prefilled syringe may be interfaced with and used to fill an infusion pump with therapeutic liquid. The dispensing end of the prefilled syringe may be coupled (either directly or indirectly using a syringe cap) to a syringe coupling region of the infusion pump, for example, using a threaded engagement or snap fit engagement. As the dispensing end of the prefilled syringe is coupled to the syringe coupling region of the pump housing, a needle passes through the pump housing and/or a needle passage region of the dispensing end such that the prefilled syringe is fluidly coupled to a reservoir in the pump. In various embodiments, the needle may be located in the syringe coupling region or in a syringe cap coupled to the dispensing end of the prefilled syringe.

Claims

1. An infusion pump for interfacing with a prefilled syringe to fill the infusion pump with a therapeutic liquid, the infusion pump comprising:

a pump housing comprising a base including a syringe coupling region, the syringe coupling region including a fill port and at least one recessed engaging portion, the recessed engaging portion being recessed into the pump housing and configured to removably engage a dispensing end of a prefilled syringe or a syringe cap at a dispensing end of a prefilled syringe;

a septum covering the fill port and positioned in the syringe coupling region such that the septum is pierced by a needle extending into the dispensing end as the syringe cap engages the recessed engaging portion; and

a reservoir located within the housing and fluidly coupled to the syringe coupling region such that the needle is fluidly coupled with the reservoir when the needle passes through the fill port and the septum.

2. The infusion pump of claim 1 further comprising a syringe cap configured to be coupled to the pump housing and to a prefilled syringe, the syringe cap comprising:

a body portion;

a syringe coupling portion extending from the body portion and configured to engage the dispensing end of the prefilled syringe;

a needle extending through the body portion, the needle being configured to pass through the dispensing end of the syringe and through the fill port and the septum to fluidly couple the prefilled syringe with the reservoir; and

at least one base engaging member extending from the body portion and configured to removably engage the at least one recessed engaging portion.

3. The infusion pump of claim 2 wherein the syringe coupling portion is internally threaded and configured to engage the syringe in a threaded engagement, and wherein the base engaging member is configured to engage the recessed engaging portion in a snap fit engagement.

4. The infusion pump of claim 1 wherein the recessed engaging portion includes a lip configured to engage a cantilevered engaging member extending from the syringe cap or the dispensing end in a snap fit engagement.

5. An infusion pump for interfacing with a prefilled syringe to fill the infusion pump with a therapeutic liquid, the infusion pump comprising:

a pump housing comprising a base including a syringe coupling region, the syringe coupling region including a fill port and a recessed engaging portion recessed into the pump housing and configured to engage a dispensing end of a prefilled syringe;

a needle located in the syringe coupling region and passing through the fill port, the needle being recessed beneath an outer surface of the base and positioned within the recessed engaging portion such that the needle passes through the dispensing end of the prefilled syringe as the dispensing end of the prefilled syringe engages the recessed engaging portion; and

a reservoir located within the housing, the reservoir being fluidly coupled to the needle.

6. The infusion pump of claim 5 further comprising a protective cover positioned in the syringe coupling region, the protective cover being configured to engage the dispensing end of the prefilled syringe such that the protective cover moves from a first position covering the needle to a second position exposing the needle.

7. The infusion pump of claim 6 further comprising a needle shroud positioned around the needle and beneath the protective cover, the needle shroud being configured to move from a first position surrounding the needle to a second position exposing the needle.

8. The infusion pump of claim 5 further including a transfer tube coupled to the needle.

9. The infusion pump of claim 5 wherein the recessed engaging portion is internally threaded to engage the dispensing end of the prefilled syringe in a threaded engagement.

10. An infusion pump for interfacing with a prefilled syringe to fill the infusion pump with a therapeutic liquid, the infusion pump comprising:

a pump housing comprising a base including a syringe coupling region, the syringe coupling region including a fill port and a recessed portion recessed into the pump housing;

a needle carrier located in the recessed portion and configured to move axially within the recessed portion, the needle carrier including a body portion and a needle extending through the body portion, the needle carrier being configured to move axially from a first position to a second position in response to movement of an actuating member in the syringe coupling region, wherein the needle is recessed beneath an outer surface of the pump housing in the first position and the needle extends outside of the pump housing to pass through the dispensing end of the syringe in the second position; and

a reservoir within the housing, the reservoir being fluidly coupled to the needle.

11. The infusion pump of claim 10 further comprising a syringe cap configured to be coupled to the pump housing and to a prefilled syringe, the syringe cap comprising:

a syringe coupling portion configured to be coupled to a dispensing end of the prefilled syringe; and

at least one actuating member extending from the syringe coupling portion and configured to engage the needle carrier to cause the needle carrier to move axially when the prefilled syringe is rotated.

12. The infusion pump of claim 11 wherein the syringe coupling portion is internally threaded to engage the dispensing end of the syringe in a threaded engagement.

13. The infusion pump of claim 11 wherein the syringe cap is configured to snap into the second position to indicate when the needle is fully inserted.

14. The infusion pump of claim 10 wherein the needle carrier includes at least one ramp portion configured to contact a portion of the recessed portion causing the needle carrier to move axially when the needle carrier is rotated by the actuating member.

15. A syringe cap for coupling a prefilled syringe to an infusion pump, the syringe cap comprising:

a body portion including first and second sides;

a syringe coupling portion extending from the body portion on the first side and configured to engage a dispensing end of the prefilled syringe;

at least one base engaging member extending from the body portion on the second side and configured to removably engage at least one recessed engaging portion in a base of an infusion pump; and

a needle extending through the body portion with a first needle portion of the needle extending from the first side of the body portion and a second needle portion of the needle extending from the second side of the body portion, the first needle portion being configured to pass through the dispensing end of the syringe when the syringe coupling portion is coupled to the syringe, and the second needle portion being configured to pass through the base of the infusion pump when the base engaging member is engaged with the base of the infusion pump.

16. The syringe cap of claim 15 wherein the syringe coupling portion is threaded and configured to threadably engage the syringe.

17. The syringe cap of claim 16 wherein the at least one base engagement member includes cantilevered engaging members extending from the syringe cap and configured to engage the recessed engaging portion in a snap fit engagement, and wherein the second needle portion extends between the cantilevered engaging members.

18. A method of filling an infusion pump with therapeutic liquid using a prefilled syringe, the method comprising:

obtaining a prefilled syringe, the prefilled syringe comprising a prefilled vial containing a predetermined quantity of therapeutic liquid, the prefilled vial having a dispensing end;

obtaining an infusion pump comprising a pump housing and a reservoir within the housing, the housing comprising a base including a syringe coupling region, the syringe coupling region including a fill port and a recessed portion recessed into the pump housing;

coupling the dispensing end of the prefilled vial to the syringe coupling region of the infusion pump, wherein a needle passes through the base of the pump housing and/or the dispensing end of the prefilled vial when the dispensing end is coupled such that the prefilled vial is fluidly coupled to the reservoir via the fill port;

dispensing a predetermined amount of therapeutic liquid from the prefilled vial into the reservoir; and

removing the dispensing end of the prefilled vial from the syringe coupling region.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein coupling the dispensing end of the prefilled vial to the syringe coupling region includes coupling a syringe cap to the dispensing end of the prefilled vial and coupling the syringe cap to the syringe coupling region of the pump housing.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the syringe cap includes a needle, and wherein a first needle portion passes through the dispensing end of the prefilled vial as the syringe cap is coupled to the dispensing end of the prefilled vial and wherein a second needle portion passes through the base of the pump housing when the syringe cap is coupled to the syringe coupling region.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the syringe cap includes actuating members configured to engage a needle carrier in the syringe coupling region, and wherein coupling the syringe cap to the syringe coupling region includes inserting the actuating members into the syringe coupling region and twisting the prefilled vial and syringe cap to cause the needle carrier to move axially such that a needle extending from the needle carrier passes through the dispensing end of the prefilled vial.

22. The method of claim 18 wherein a needle is located in the recessed portion of the syringe coupling region, and wherein coupling the dispensing end of the prefilled vial includes engaging the recessed portion of the syringe coupling region with the dispensing end such that the needle passes through the dispensing end as the dispensing end is engaged.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein engaging the recessed portion of the syringe coupling region includes threadably engaging the dispensing end with the recessed portion.

24. The method of claim 18 wherein coupling the dispensing end of the prefilled vial to the syringe coupling region includes causing a needle in the syringe coupling region to advance from a first position retracted beneath an outer surface of the base to a second position extending beyond the base and into the dispensing end of the prefilled vial.