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US 10,245,378 B2Granted
Reservoir volume sensing
AssigneeMedtronic, Inc.
InventorsNaresh Lakshman Raman, Alex O. Espe, Nicholas R. Whitehead, Timothy J. Denison, Venkat R. Gaddam, Scott A. Sarkinen, Erik J. Peterson, Jacob A. Otterstetter
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Reservoir volume of implantable infusion devices may be determined using a volume sensor that provides a signal representative of a distance between the volume sensor and a movable wall of the reservoir. The volume sensor may be a light-based or sound-based sensor, and may be located outside of the reservoir.
Claims19
An implantable medical infusion device comprising:
- a housing;
- an expandable reservoir located in the housing to contain therapeutic fluid, wherein the expandable reservoir defines a volume and is configurable between an empty state and a full state, wherein the expandable reservoir comprises a movable wall that moves in response to the expansion and contraction of the expandable reservoir between the empty state and the full state;
- and
- a light-based volume sensor located in the housing to sense a light signal representative of a distance between the volume sensor and the movable wall of the expandable reservoir to determine the volume of the expandable reservoir, wherein the light-based volume sensor transmits and receives light to and from the movable wall through the volume of the expandable reservoir.
1 more element
An implantable therapeutic pump comprising:
- an expandable reservoir to contain therapeutic fluid, wherein the expandable reservoir defines a volume and is configurable between an empty state and a full state, wherein the expandable reservoir comprises a movable wall that moves in response to the expansion and contraction of the expandable reservoir between the empty state and the full state;
- and
- a volume sensor to transmit a signal to the movable wall of the expandable reservoir through the therapeutic fluid contained in the expandable reservoir and to receive the signal reflected from the movable wall of the expandable reservoir to determine a volume of the expandable reservoir.
An infusion system comprising:
- a housing;
- an expandable reservoir located in the housing to contain therapeutic fluid, wherein the expandable reservoir defines a volume and is configurable between an empty state and a full state, wherein the expandable reservoir comprises a movable wall that moves in response to the expansion and contraction of the expandable reservoir between the empty state and the full state;
- a sensor located in the housing to sense a signal representative of a distance between the sensor and the movable wall of the expandable reservoir;
- and
- computing apparatus operably coupled to the sensor to determine the volume of the expandable reservoir based on the signal representative of a distance between the sensor and the movable wall of the expandable reservoir, wherein the housing further comprises a window portion defining at least a portion of the expandable reservoir, wherein the sensor transmits and receives the signal into and out of the expandable reservoir through the window portion.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.