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US 8,273,058 B2Granted
Two way accumulator programmable valve pump
AssigneeFlowonix Medical Incorporated
InventorsPaul F. Burke, Patrick O'Connor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved implantable valve accumulator pump for the delivery of medication is disclosed. The implantable pump comprises a pressurized drug reservoir. The medication metering assembly comprises a fixed volume accumulator positioned between a pair of valves. The valves alternately open and close to admit medication from the reservoir into the accumulator and to dispense a precise volume pulse to an outlet catheter. In order to improve the pump's accuracy and to increase pumping volume while optimizing the pump's overall size and energy usage a two way diaphragm accumulator is used. The unit can be externally programmed or can be used in a fixed rate configuration that is never programmed but set at the factory or in the current programmable configuration.
Claims18
An implantable infusion apparatus, comprising:
- an infusate reservoir;
- a metering assembly comprising:
- an accumulator having an inlet, an outlet, a first mechanical stop and a second mechanical stop;
- an inlet valve in communication with said infusate reservoir and with said accumulator inlet, and an outlet valve in communication with said accumulator outlet;
- a metal diaphragm disposed in said accumulator such that said diaphragm has a resting state position, deflects in a first direction and deflects in a second direction, wherein said first direction and said second direction are different;
- and
- a valve accumulator pump programmed to selectively actuate said inlet valve to cause infusate to flow into said accumulator and deflect the diaphragm in said first direction and against said first mechanical stop, and selectively actuate said outlet valve to cause infusate to flow out of said accumulator and deflect the diaphragm in said second direction and against said second mechanical stop,
- wherein said accumulator further comprises a spacer, said spacer having a concave surface defining said second mechanical stop, said concave surface comprising an annular groove and a trough in fluid communication with said annular groove and with said inlet and said outlet of said accumulator, wherein said annular groove is the only annular groove in said spacer, and the total volume of the space within the annular groove and the trough provides a dead volume in the accumulator that is equal to or less than 5% of the total volume of infusate discharged by the accumulator.
5 more elements
An accumulator for an implantable infusion apparatus for delivering infusate, comprising:
- a diaphragm chamber having an inlet and an outlet, a first mechanical stop and a second mechanical stop, and a metal diaphragm disposed in said diaphragm chamber, said diaphragm having a resting state position in said diaphragm chamber;
- a first valve and a second valve, each communicating with a respective one of said inlet and said outlet;
- and
- a valve accumulator pump programmed to selectively actuate said first valve to cause infusate to flow into said diaphragm chamber and deflect the diaphragm in a first direction and against said first mechanical stop, and selectively actuate said second valve to cause infusate to flow out of said diaphragm chamber and deflect the diaphragm in a second direction and against said second mechanical stop, wherein said first direction and said second direction are different,
- wherein said accumulator further comprises a spacer, said spacer having a concave surface defining said second mechanical stop, said concave surface comprising an annular groove and a trough in fluid communication with said annular groove and with said inlet and said outlet of said accumulator, wherein said annular groove is the only annular groove in said spacer and the total volume of the space within the annular groove and the trough provides a dead volume in the accumulator that is equal to or less than 5% of the total volume of infusate discharged by the accumulator.
2 more elements
An implantable infusion apparatus comprising:
- a housing containing an infusate reservoir, a metering assembly receiving infusate from said infusate reservoir, said metering assembly comprising a pair of normally closed valves and an accumulator positioned in fluid communication with each of said valves, said accumulator comprising a chamber having a first mechanical stop and a second mechanical stop and containing a metal diaphragm separating said chamber into a gas portion and a liquid portion and having a resting position, deflects in a first direction, and deflects in a second direction, wherein said first direction and said second direction are different, and an outlet in fluid communication with said metering assembly to dispense infusate to a site in a living body;
- and
- a valve accumulator pump programmed to selectively actuate at least one of said valves to cause infusate to flow into said liquid portion and deflect the diaphragm in said first direction and against said first mechanical stop, and selectively actuate at least one of said valves to cause infusate to flow out of said liquid portion and deflect the diaphragm in said second direction and against said second mechanical stop,
- wherein said accumulator further comprises a spacer, said spacer having a concave surface defining said second mechanical stop, said concave surface comprising an annular groove and a trough in fluid communication with said annular groove and with said inlet and said outlet of said accumulator, wherein said annular groove is the only annular groove in said spacer and the total volume of the space within the annular groove and the trough provides a dead volume in the accumulator that is equal to or less than 5% of the total volume of infusate discharged by the accumulator.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.