DEVICES USING MEMBRANE MEDIATED FORWARD OSMOSIS
A drug reconstitution device, method of manufacturing the drug reconstitution device and method of producing a reconstituted drug solution using the drug reconstitution device utilizes a forward osmosis membrane element positioned within a housing of the device between an input chamber and an output chamber to draw liquid from the input chamber to the output chamber via an osmotic process. The output chamber contains draw solutes and a drug to be reconstituted to produce the reconstituted drug solution in the output chamber.
This application is entitled to the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/669,593, filed on Jul. 9, 2012, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/714,920, filed on Oct. 17, 2012, which are incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThere are many medical treatments that require sterile liquids. One type of such medical treatments is intravenous (IV) therapy, which involves the infusion of liquid substance directly into a vein. In many instances, an IV solution is delivered to a patient using an IV line from an IV bag containing the IV solution to the patient. The IV solution contained in the IV bag can vary depending on the medical needs of the patient. As an example, the IV solution in the IV bag may be a saline or glucose solution. The IV line from the IV bag can be used to deliver different types of medications or drugs.
A concern with conventional IV bags is that these IV bags are heavy and bulky, and thus, are expensive to transport over long distances. While conventional IV bags are inexpensive, e.g., a typical 0.9% saline solution IV bag is less than $3, the shipping cost for these IV bags can be very high, e.g., over $15 in many cases.
A concern with IV medications is that some drugs cannot be premixed into solutions due to rapid loss of potency and/or short shelf life. That is, some drugs must be mixed with sterile solution near the time of use, for example, less than 24 hours. Thus, there must be a supply of sterile solution at the site of use or a supply of sterile solution must be transported along with the drugs, which can be expensive depending on the distance to the site of use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONA drug reconstitution device, method of manufacturing the drug reconstitution device and method of producing a reconstituted drug solution using the drug reconstitution device utilizes a forward osmosis membrane element positioned within a housing of the device between an input chamber and an output chamber to draw liquid from the input chamber to the output chamber via an osmotic process. The output chamber contains draw solutes and a drug to be reconstituted to produce the reconstituted drug solution in the output chamber.
A drug reconstitution device in accordance with an embodiment of the invention comprises a housing, draw solutes, a drug to be reconstituted and a forward osmosis membrane element. The housing has an input chamber and an output chamber. The housing includes an inlet connected to the input chamber and an outlet connected to the output chamber. The draw solutes and the drug to be reconstituted are contained in the output chamber of the housing. The forward osmosis membrane element is positioned within the housing between the input chamber and the output chamber. The forward osmosis membrane element is configured to draw input water in the input chamber into the output chamber containing the draw solutes and the drug via an osmotic process to produce a reconstituted drug solution in the output chamber of the housing. The reconstituted drug solution in the output chamber is accessible via the outlet to be administered to a patient.
A method of manufacturing a drug reconstitution device in accordance with an embodiment of the invention comprises providing a forward osmosis membrane element, providing housing components, providing draw solutes, providing a drug to be reconstituted, and assembling the forward osmosis membrane element, the housing components, and the draw solutes to produce the drug reconstitution device that includes a housing having an input chamber and an output chamber separated by the forward osmosis membrane element. The output chamber contains the draw solutes and the drug to be reconstituted. The housing includes an inlet configured to receive water into the input chamber that is drawn to the output chamber by the draw solutes through the forward osmosis membrane element to produce the reconstituted drug solution in the output chamber.
A method of producing a reconstituted drug solution using a drug reconstitution device that includes a housing having an input chamber and an output chamber separated by a forward osmosis membrane element, the output chamber containing draw solutes and a drug to be reconstituted, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention comprising receiving water into the input chamber of the housing of the drug reconstitution device, drawing the water from the input chamber of the housing to the output chamber of the housing through the forward osmosis membrane element via an osmotic process, and forming the reconstituted drug solution using the drawn water, the draw solutes and the drug in the output chamber of the housing that can be administered to a patient.
Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrated by way of example of the principles of the invention.
It will be readily understood that the components of the embodiments as generally described herein and illustrated in the appended figures could be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations. Thus, the following more detailed description of various embodiments, as represented in the figures, is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure, but is merely representative of various embodiments. While the various aspects of the embodiments are presented in drawings, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale unless specifically indicated.
The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by this detailed description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.
Reference throughout this specification to features, advantages, or similar language does not imply that all of the features and advantages that may be realized with the present invention should be or are in any single embodiment of the invention. Rather, language referring to the features and advantages is understood to mean that a specific feature, advantage, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, discussions of the features and advantages, and similar language, throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, refer to the same embodiment.
Furthermore, the described features, advantages, and characteristics of the invention may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, in light of the description herein, that the invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific features or advantages of a particular embodiment. In other instances, additional features and advantages may be recognized in certain embodiments that may not be present in all embodiments of the invention.
Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” or similar language means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the indicated embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the phrases “in one embodiment,” “in an embodiment,” and similar language throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the same embodiment.
Turning now to
As shown in
The housing 102 is configured to include an input chamber 108 and an output chamber 110. The input chamber is used to receive liquid, which may be contaminated with undesirable chemicals and/or materials, through the inlet 104. The output chamber is used to hold processed liquid, i.e., processed or filtered liquid. The output chamber contains draw solutes 112 to draw the input liquid from the input chamber to the output chamber via an osmotic process.
The draw solutes 112 contained in the output chamber 110 of the forward osmosis device 100 may be any suitable material for membrane mediated forward osmosis process. The draw solutes may include substances from a “salt” family, such as sodium chloride, potassium chlorides and magnesium chloride, or may include substances from a “sucrose” family, such as sugar and dextrose. These types of draw solutes may be used to produce a saline or sucrose solution. However, in other embodiments, the draw solutes may include other types of elements that are suitable for membrane mediated forward osmosis process to produce other types of solutions. The draw solutes may be in the form of a brine or in the form of solids.
The forward osmosis device 100 also includes a forward osmosis membrane element 114 that separates the input chamber 108 and the output chamber 110. The forward osmosis membrane element includes a forward osmosis membrane 116, which can be any forward osmosis membrane. As an example, the forward osmosis membrane 116 may be osmosis membrane manufactured by HTI, ZNano, Porifera or others. Forward osmosis membranes are well known, and thus, the forward osmosis membrane 116 is not described herein in detail. When the input chamber 108 of the housing 102 is filled with liquid, the forward osmosis membrane 116 draws the liquid from the input chamber to the output chamber 110 of the housing due to the brine or sludge containing the draw solutes 112 in the output chamber (the brine is formed in the output chamber if the draw solutes were originally in solid form by the liquid that seeps through the forward osmosis membrane from the input chamber).
The forward osmosis membrane 116 is configured so that most of contaminants in the input liquid are filtered as the liquid travels through the forward osmosis membrane. However, the resulting liquid may not be sufficiently free of contaminants, especially for medical purposes. For example, the resulting liquid may not meet US Food and Drug Administration guidelines for medical use. Thus, one or both major sides of the forward osmosis membrane are pretreated with purifying additives to create one or more layers 118 of purifying additives to further filter out contaminants before the liquid is drawn through the forward osmosis membrane (only one layer of purifying additives is shown in
In an embodiment, the forward osmosis membrane 116 is an asymmetric forward osmosis membrane and may include a porous non-active layer 120 facing the input chamber 108. In this embodiment, the outer surface of the porous non-active layer is pretreated with purifying additives before the asymmetric forward osmosis membrane 116 is used in the manufacturing of the forward osmosis device 100.
In another embodiment, the layer 118 of purifying additives of the forward osmosis membrane element 116 may be a porous substrate, which contains the purifying additives, that is attached or placed adjacent to an untreated forward osmosis membrane, i.e., a forward osmosis membrane that has not been treated with purifying additives. In this embodiment, the porous substrate is a component not found in a conventional forward osmosis membrane. The porous substrate may be treated in a similar manner as illustrated in
A method of manufacturing a forward osmosis device, such as the forward osmosis device of
A method of using a solution produced using a forward osmosis device that includes a housing having an input chamber and an output chamber separated by a forward osmosis membrane element, the forward osmosis membrane element including a layer of purifying additives on the forward osmosis membrane element, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention is now described with reference to the process flow diagram of
Turning now to
As shown in
The forward osmosis membrane element 514 includes a forward osmosis membrane 522, which can be any type of forward osmosis membrane. In some embodiments, the forward osmosis membrane element 514 includes one or more layers 524 of purifying additives, such as activated charcoal powder (e.g., coconut shell activated carbon powder) or Hydromethane Sulfinate for ammonia removal, on one or both major surfaces of the forward osmosis membrane to further filter organic and/or nonorganic contaminants in the input water so that the resulting solution is appropriate to be as an IV solution, e.g., satisfies US FDA standards for IV solutions. In an embodiment, the forward osmosis membrane is an asymmetric forward osmosis membrane having a porous non-active layer that has been treated with one or more types of purifying additives, for example, in the manner illustrated in
The inlet 504 of the forward osmosis IV bag 500 is connected to the input chamber 516 so that input water can be placed into the input chamber. The input water can be any water readily available at the site where an IV solution is needed for a patient, which may be a remote place. The exit IV line port 506 is connected to the output chamber 518 so that the IV solution produced via an osmotic process using the input water can be administered to the needed patient.
A method of manufacturing a forward osmosis IV bag, such as the forward osmosis IV bag 500, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention is now described with reference to the process flow diagram of
A method of using an IV solution produced using a forward osmosis IV bag that includes an IV bag housing having an input chamber and an output chamber separated by a forward osmosis membrane element in accordance with an embodiment of the invention is now described with reference to the process flow diagram of
Turning now to
Similar to the forward osmosis IV bag 500, the drug reconstitution device 900 comprises a housing 902 with an inlet 904 and an exit port 906. The housing can be made of any waterproof material. As an example, the housing can be made of the same material as an IV bag housing. The inlet is an opening to pour in water, which may include organic and non-organic contaminants. The inlet mat be designed to be closed using a closing mechanism 908, such as a plastic cap. The exit port 906 is closed and is designed to be punctured by an IV line so that a reconstituted drug solution in the drug reconstitution device , which is produced using the input water, can be delivered to a patient through the IV line.
The drug reconstitution device 900 further includes a forward osmosis membrane element 910 in the housing 902 separating the interior region of the housing into two chambers, an input chamber 912 and an output chamber 914. The input chamber is used to receive input water that is to be used to produce a reconstituted drug solution. The output chamber contains draw solutes 916 to draw the input water from the input chamber to the output chamber via an osmotic process. The draw solutes contained in the output chamber may include a substance from a “salt” family, such as sodium chloride, potassium chlorides and magnesium chloride, or may include a substance from a “sucrose” family, such as sugar and dextrose. These types of draw solutes may be used to produce a saline or sucrose solution for reconstitution of drugs. The draw solutes may be in the form of a brine or in the form of solids. The output chamber also contains one or more drugs in power form that is to be reconstituted in liquid form, such as Zithromax®, and Azithromyacin.
The forward osmosis membrane element 910 includes a forward osmosis membrane 920, which can be any type of forward osmosis membrane. In some embodiments, the forward osmosis membrane element 920 includes one or more layers 922 of purifying additives, such as activated charcoal powder (e.g., coconut shell activated carbon powder) or Hydromethane Sulfinate for ammonia removal, on one or both major surfaces of the forward osmosis membrane to further filter organic and/or nonorganic contaminants in the input water so that the resulting solution is appropriate to be as an IV solution, e.g., satisfies US FDA standards for IV solutions. In an embodiment, the forward osmosis membrane is an asymmetric forward osmosis membrane having a porous non-active layer 924 that has been treated with one or more types of purifying additives, for example, in the manner illustrated in
The inlet 904 of the drug reconstitution device 900 is connected to the input chamber 912 so that input water can be placed into the input chamber. The input water can be any water readily available at the site to produce a reconstituted drug solution for a patient. The exit port 906 is connected to the output chamber 914 so that the reconstituted drug solution produced via an osmotic process using the input water can be given to the needed patient. As an example, an IV line may be connected to the exit port so that the reconstituted drug solution can be administered to the patient intravenously.
A method of manufacturing a drug reconstitution device , such as the drug reconstitution device 900, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention is now described with reference to the process flow diagram of
A method of producing a reconstituted drug solution using a drug reconstitution device that includes a housing having an input chamber and an output chamber separated by a forward osmosis membrane element, the output chamber containing draw solutes and a drug to be reconstituted, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention is now described with reference to the process flow diagram of
Although the operations of the method(s) herein are shown and described in a particular order, the order of the operations of each method may be altered so that certain operations may be performed in an inverse order or so that certain operations may be performed, at least in part, concurrently with other operations. In another embodiment, instructions or sub-operations of distinct operations may be implemented in an intermittent and/or alternating manner.
In the above description, specific details of various embodiments are provided. However, some embodiments may be practiced with less than all of these specific details. In other instances, certain methods, procedures, components, structures, and/or functions are described in no more detail than to enable the various embodiments of the invention, for the sake of brevity and clarity.
Although specific embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated, the invention is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangements of parts so described and illustrated. The scope of the invention is to be defined by the claims appended hereto and their equivalents.
Claims
1. A drug reconstitution device comprising:
- a housing having an input chamber and an output chamber, the housing including an inlet connected to the input chamber and an outlet connected to the output chamber;
- draw solutes in the output chamber of the housing;
- a drug to be reconstituted in the output chamber of the housing;
- a forward osmosis membrane element positioned within the housing between the input chamber and the output chamber, the forward osmosis membrane element being configured to draw input water in the input chamber into the output chamber containing the draw solutes and the drug via an osmotic process to produce a reconstituted drug solution in the output chamber of the housing, the reconstituted drug solution in the output chamber being accessible via the outlet to be administered to a patient.
2. The drug reconstitution device of claim 1, wherein the drug to be reconstituted in the output chamber of the housing is in power form.
3. The drug reconstitution device of claim 1, wherein the draw solutes in the output chamber of the housing include a substance selected from one of a salt family and a sucrose family.
4. The drug reconstitution device of claim 1, wherein the forward osmosis membrane element includes a layer of purifying additives on a major surface of the forward osmosis membrane element.
5. The drug reconstitution device of claim 4, wherein the forward osmosis membrane element include an asymmetric forward osmosis membrane with a non-active layer and wherein the layer of purifying additives is a coating of purifying additives on the non-active layer of the asymmetric forward osmosis membrane.
6. The drug reconstitution device of claim 4, wherein the layer of purifying additives include at least one of activated charcoal powder and Hydromethane Sulfinate in base liquid.
7. The drug reconstitution device of claim 4, wherein the layer of purifying additives includes a porous substrate containing the purifying additives.
8. A method for manufacturing a drug reconstitution device, the method comprising:
- providing a forward osmosis membrane element;
- providing housing components;
- providing draw solutes;
- providing a drug to be reconstituted; and
- assembling the forward osmosis membrane element, the housing components, and the draw solutes to produce the drug reconstitution device that includes a housing having an input chamber and an output chamber separated by the forward osmosis membrane element, the output chamber containing the draw solutes and the drug to be reconstituted, the housing including an inlet configured to receive water into the input chamber that is drawn to the output chamber by the draw solutes through the forward osmosis membrane element to produce the reconstituted drug solution in the output chamber.
9. The method of claim 7, wherein the drug in the output chamber of the housing is in power form.
10. The method of claim 7, wherein the draw solutes include a substance selected from one of a salt family and a sucrose family.
11. The method of claim 7, further comprising applying purifying additives onto the forward osmosis membrane element, thereby forming a layer of purifying additives on the forward osmosis membrane element.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the forward osmosis membrane element include an asymmetric forward osmosis membrane with a non-active layer and wherein applying the purifying additive includes spraying the purifying additives onto the non-active layer of the asymmetric forward osmosis membrane to form a coating of purifying additives on the non-active layer of the asymmetric forward osmosis membrane
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the layer of purifying additives includes at least one of activated charcoal powder and Hydromethane Sulfinate in base liquid.
14. The method of claim 11, wherein applying the purifying additives includes applying the purifying additives on a porous substrate of the forward osmosis membrane element to form a coating of purifying additives on the porous substrate of the forward osmosis membrane element.
15. A method of producing a reconstituted drug solution using a drug reconstitution device that includes a housing having an input chamber and an output chamber separated by a forward osmosis membrane element, the output chamber containing draw solutes and a drug to be reconstituted, the method comprising:
- receiving water into the input chamber of the housing of the drug reconstitution device;
- drawing the water from the input chamber of the housing to the output chamber of the housing through the forward osmosis membrane element via an osmotic process; and
- forming the reconstituted drug solution using the drawn water, the draw solutes and the drug in the output chamber of the housing that can be administered to a patient.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the drug to be reconstituted in the output chamber of the housing is in power form.
17. The method of claim 15, wherein the draw solutes in the output chamber of the housing include a substance selected from one of a salt family and a sucrose family.
18. The method of claim 15, wherein the forward osmosis membrane element includes a layer of purifying additives on a major surface of the forward osmosis membrane element.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein the forward osmosis membrane element include an asymmetric forward osmosis membrane with a non-active layer and wherein the layer of purifying additives is a coating of purifying additives on the non-active layer of the asymmetric forward osmosis membrane.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein the layer of purifying additives include at least one of activated charcoal powder and Hydromethane Sulfinate in base liquid.
21. The method of claim 18, wherein the layer of purifying additives includes a porous substrate containing the purifying additives.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 9, 2013
Publication Date: Jan 9, 2014
Inventor: Benjamin B. Park (San Mateo, CA)
Application Number: 13/938,177
International Classification: A61J 1/20 (20060101);