Implantable osmotic pump
AssigneeMicroSolutions, Inc.
InventorsDerek J. Harper, Charles F. Milo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An implantable osmotic pump for delivering a pharmaceutical agent to a patient includes an osmotic engine, a substantially toroidal compartment disposed at least partially around the osmotic engine and a piston disposed within the compartment. The osmotic engine is configured to cause the piston to travel within the compartment and deliver a dose pharmaceutical agent contained within the compartment when the pump is implanted in an aqueous environment. A dose escalation assembly may be fitted to the pump, the dose escalation assembly being adapted to selectively increase the rate at which the pharmaceutical agent is delivered from the pump.
Claims99
An implantable osmotic pump for delivering a pharmaceutical agent to a patient, comprising:
- an osmotic engine;
- a substantially toroidal compartment adapted to store a pharmaceutical agent, and a piston disposed within the compartment, the osmotic engine being configured to cause the piston to travel within the compartment and deliver the pharmaceutical agent when the pump is implanted in the patient.
A kit, comprising:
- an implantable osmotic pump for delivering a pharmaceutical agent to a patient, including an osmotic engine, a tube coiled around the osmotic engine, the tube defining an inner tube-shaped compartment adapted to store a pharmaceutical agent, and a piston disposed within the tube-shaped compartment, the osmotic engine being configured to exert a force on the piston to cause the piston to travel within the tube-shaped compartment and deliver the pharmaceutical agent when the pump is implanted in the patient, and
- a catheter configured to attach to the pump.
A method of delivering a pharmaceutical agent to a patient, comprising steps of:
- implanting a pump into the patient, the pump including a pump engine and a compartment adapted to store a pharmaceutical agent, the compartment defining at least a partial torus around the osmotic engine, and
- causing a piston to travel a distance within the compartment and to deliver a dose of pharmaceutical agent out of the compartment, the dose corresponding to the distance traveled by the piston within the compartment.
A pump, comprising:
- a pump engine;
- a tube coiled around the engine, the tube defining an inner tube-shaped compartment adapted to store a fluid, and
- a piston disposed within the tube-shaped compartment, the engine being adapted to cause the piston to travel within the tube-shaped compartment and to force a dose of the fluid out of the pump.
An osmotic pump, comprising:
- an osmotic engine, and
- a pump housing enclosing the osmotic engine and defining a substantially toroidal space adapted to contain a volume of pharmaceutical agent.
An implantable osmotic pump, comprising:
- a semipermeable membrane;
- a housing adapted to enclose a volume of pharmaceutical agent and a portion of the semipermeable membrane;
- an osmotic engine adapted to cause the pharmaceutical agent to be delivered out of he pump as an osmotic pressure differential develops across the semipermeable membrane, and
- at least one of:
- an OFF switch, the OFF switch being effective to reduce the osmotic pressure differential across the semipermeable membrane substantially to zero, and
- an ON switch, the ON switch being effective to enable the pump to begin to deliver the pharmaceutical agent out of the pump.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.