Fluid conduit insertion devices
AssigneeMedtronic MiniMed, Inc.
InventorRoger E. Smith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed herein are techniques related to insertion of a fluid conduit (e.g., tubing connected to a fluid reservoir or a cannula sharing a pre-assembled fluid pathway with such tubing). In some embodiments, an insertion mechanism may include one or more springs (e.g., a torsion spring or a compression spring). The one or more springs may cause a trocar or a trocar slider to pierce tissue and insert the fluid conduit. The one or more springs may further cause the trocar or the trocar slider to be removed from the tissue.
Claims20
A torsional insertion mechanism, comprising:
- a torsion spring configured to rotate a crank based on a difference between a first spring state and a second spring state;
- and
- an insertion assembly including a conduit carrier and a trocar slider that is slidably disposed along the conduit carrier and configured to pierce tissue, wherein the conduit carrier comprises a first slot and the trocar slider comprises a second slot, wherein the crank is coupled to the conduit carrier and the trocar slider via the first and second slots such that the insertion assembly is configured to move from a first position to a second position in response to rotation of the crank,
- wherein the crank is configured to decouple from the conduit carrier such that the trocar slider separates from the conduit carrier after piercing tissue.
An infusion pump system, comprising:
- a torsional insertion mechanism, including:
- a torsion spring configured to rotate a crank based on a difference between a first spring state and a second spring state;
- and
- an insertion assembly including a conduit carrier and a trocar slider that is slidably disposed along the conduit carrier and configured to pierce tissue, wherein the conduit carrier comprises a first slot and the trocar slider comprises a second slot, wherein the crank is coupled to the conduit carrier and the trocar slider via the first and second slots such that the insertion assembly is configured to move from a first position to a second position in response to rotation of the crank, wherein the crank is configured to decouple from the conduit carrier such that the trocar slider separates from the conduit carrier after piercing tissue.
A method for operating a torsional insertion mechanism of an insulin infusion system, the method comprising:
- rotating a crank based on a difference between a first spring state and a second spring state of a torsion spring;
- moving a trocar slider and a conduit carrier from a first position to a second position in response to rotation of the crank, wherein the conduit carrier comprises a first slot and the trocar slider comprises a second slot, and wherein the crank is coupled to the conduit carrier and the trocar slider via the first and second slots;
- and
- returning the trocar slider to the first position while leaving the conduit carrier in the second position in response to continued rotation of the crank.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.