SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR THE ACCURATE DELIVERY OF FLOW MATERIALS
Pumps and flow regulators provide relatively constant and known flow volume over time while maintaining isolation of the flow material. The pumps of the present disclosure provide real time monitoring of the volume of flow material delivered over time, and provides for adjustment of the pump or flow regulators to modulate the flow rate. Thus, flow may be substantially modeled to a desired flow profile with real time adjustments of the flow rates.
This application is a continuation of and claims the benefit of and Paris Convention priority of U.S. Utility application Ser. Nos. 11/343,817, filed 31 Jan. 2006; 11/462,962, filed 7 Aug. 2006; 11/694,841, filed 30 Mar. 2007; 11/744,819, filed 4 May 2007; 12/020,498, filed 25 Jan. 2008; and 12/039,693, filed 28 Feb. 2008, the contents of which are each incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
BACKGROUNDThis disclosure relates to an apparatus and associated methods for dispensing flow materials, such as fluids or gasses at known, measurable, and adjustable rates. Additionally, the present disclosure relates to flow regulators, flow restrictors having reshapable lumina which reshape as a function of pressure, which results in an increase in the flow rate by about a fourth order of magnitude, as well as clamps that are adjustable based on the observed flow rate.
SUMMARYPumps and flow regulators provide relatively constant and known flow volume over time while maintaining isolation of the flow material. The pumps of the present disclosure provide real time monitoring of the volume of flow material delivered over time, and provides for adjustment of the pump or flow regulators to modulate the flow rate. Thus, flow may be substantially modeled to a desired flow profile with real time adjustments of the flow rates.
The above-mentioned features and objects of the present disclosure will become more apparent with reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals denote like elements and in which:
Specific reference is made to the patent applications incorporated by reference herein, including U.S. Utility application Ser. Nos. 11/343,817, filed 31 Jan. 2006; 11/462,962, filed 7 Aug. 2006; 11/694,841, filed 30 Mar. 2007; 11/744,819, filed 4 May 2007; 12/020,498, filed 25 Jan. 2008; and 12/039,693, filed 28 Feb. 2008.
In the following detailed description of embodiments of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the present disclosure may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the present disclosure, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that logical, mechanical, electrical, functional, and other changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims. As used in the present disclosure, the term “or” shall be understood to be defined as a logical disjunction and shall not indicate an exclusive disjunction unless expressly indicated as such or notated as “xor.”
As used herein, the term “real time” shall be understood to mean the instantaneous moment of an event/condition or the instantaneous moment of an event/condition plus short period of elapsed time used to make relevant measurements, optional computations, and communicate the measurement or computation, wherein the state of an event/condition being measured is substantially the same as that of the instantaneous moment irrespective of the elapsed time interval. Used in this context “substantially the same” shall be understood to mean that the data for the event/condition remains useful for the purpose for which it is being gathered after the elapsed time period.
Incorporated by reference are pumps, including infusion pumps, that measure flow rate in real time or about real time. Incorporated by reference are flow regulators, including flow restrictors and clamps that are useful for modulating flow rate. The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for the substantially accurate delivery of flow material over time. For example, insulin dosages must be accurately delivered to patients over time. The present disclosure provides devices and methods that allow for accurate delivery of flow materials at relatively constant, yet adjustable, flow rates.
The inventors of the present disclosure have discovered novel systems and methods for the delivery of flow materials controllably and predictably. Specifically, the systems and methods of the present disclosure accomplish the substantially accurate delivery of flow materials while isolating the flow material. The lack of contact (isolation) between control and measurement devices and the flow material is useful in many applications, including the delivery of sterile flow materials or flow materials that cannot be contacted for safety reasons.
According to embodiments illustrated by
Flow regulator 200 comprises one or more devices disposed downstream from pump 100 designed to regulate flow rate and provide relatively constant flow, including adjustably constant flow (substantially constant flow rate that may be adjusted as needed in real time).
According to the embodiments, flow regulator 200 may be omitted from the devices of the present disclosure, according to various embodiments. Flow regulators include, among other devices, flow restrictors, clamps, etc., disclosed in the incorporated references, as well as those well known and understood by artisans.
Delivery device 300 comprises those devices and implements that facilitate delivery from the pump to a specific target. In medical applications, for example, delivery device 300 includes tubing, needles, luer connectors, etc., which are readily identifiable by artisans on a case-by-case basis.
According to embodiments, and as disclosed herein and in the incorporated references, pumps 100 and flow regulators 200 may by regulated via a microprocessor to provide control or adjustability to flow rate, as illustrated by an embodiment of the interrelationship in
Using flow rate data 508, adjustments may be made to the devices disclosed herein to adjust flow rate 510. According to embodiments, adjustments to flow rate are effected by modulating pump 100 to increase or decrease flow rate, as disclosed in the incorporated applications. Similarly, flow regulators 200 may be adjusted 512 to provide relatively constant flow rate. Flow regulators 200 may either be passive or self adjustable, that is they are adjusted based on the inherent flow characteristics of the flow materials (e.g., the pressure of flow material, the volume of flow material, etc.) or are controlled actively by microprocessor 500. According to embodiments, microprocessor 500 controls output devices 514 responsible for adjustments to pump 100 or flow regulator 200.
In two chamber versions of pump 100, an initial calibration is performed and after first chamber 110, is pressurized whereby the volume in second chamber 120 may be determined at any point during flow of the flow material.
Likewise,
According to embodiments,
Because a movable barrier is disposed between second chamber 120 and third chamber 125 in the exemplary example of
As the movable barrier advances, the volume in second chamber 120 increases thereby decreasing the pressure in second chamber 120. Thus, with less pressure exerted on the movable barrier, the change in volume slows until it reaches equilibrium with the pressure (plus other physical factors that impede flow of the flow material) in third chamber 125. The change in volume in third chamber 125 mirrors that of second chamber 120, whereby the volume of second chamber 120 and third chamber 125 together is constant.
According to the embodiments in
Based on the measurements of the temperature sensor(s) 115, 117, the dispensed volume of flow material 113 from pump 100 may be determined. Because the time interval is also known, flow rate may also be calculated, according to embodiments. Thus, according to embodiments, knowledge of flow volume or flow rate allows the parameters driving pump 100 to be adjusted to dispense flow material in a known, substantially controlled manner. For example, according to embodiment illustrated in
According to embodiments, such as those illustrated in
According to embodiments, flow regulator 200 may also comprise pump 214 and expandable member 210 system as shown in an embodiment illustrated in
Artisans will recognize that other flow regulators that have the characteristics of providing a predictable flow rate either via a feedback mechanism or by the pump are expressly and inherently contemplated as being within the range of equivalents of the flow regulators applicable to the present disclosure.
The combination of at least pump 100 or pump 100 and at least one flow regulator 200 provide a predicable flow rate profile that may be adjusted to some predetermined flow profile, while preserving isolation of the flow material. For example, as illustrated in
Also disclosed herein are methods for accomplishing the same as disclosed in detail in the incorporated by reference patent applications. Generally, the pump will both dispense flow material and measure flow rate. One or more flow regulators will be disposed downstream of the pump, according to embodiments. Other embodiments will omit the flow regulator. Microprocessor will obtain readings from the sensors and clock and calculate volume dispense or flow rate, which data will them be used by microprocessor to output adjustments to at least one of the pump or flow regulator (s) to substantially effect a desired flow profile by modulating the flow rate using the devices and methods disclosed herein and within the incorporated by reference applications.
While the apparatus and method have been described in terms of what are presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the disclosure need not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments. It is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the claims, the scope of which should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar structures. The present disclosure includes any and all embodiments of the following claims.
Claims
1. A system comprising:
- an pump that is configured to measure flow rate of a flow material in about real time; and
- at least one flow regulator for providing substantially constant flow rate;
- wherein at least one operating parameter of the pump is adjustable to change the flow rate in about real time.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one flow regulator comprises a variable flow reshapable flow restrictor.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one flow regulator comprises an adjustable clamp system.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one flow regulator comprises a variable flow reshapable flow restrictor and an adjustable clamp system.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein the flow material is isolated from the devices of the pump for pumping the flow material and measuring the flow material.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the flow material is contained in a sterile chamber and the pump preserves the sterility of the flow material.
7. The system of claim 1, wherein the pump comprises at least two chambers.
8. The system of claim 7, wherein the pump comprises at least three chambers.
9. The system of claim 7, wherein the pump comprises at least three chambers.
10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a microprocessing unit that is configured to accept and substantially execute a flow profile.
11. A method comprising providing:
- a pump capable of measuring flow rate of a flow material in about real time;
- a microprocessor for determining a flow volume over an elapsed time period; and
- a flow regulator for modulating a flow rate within a specified range of flow rates;
- wherein the flow material is isolated from the devices used to measure flow rate.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one flow regulator comprises a variable flow reshapable flow restrictor.
13. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one flow regulator comprises an adjustable clamp system.
14. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one flow regulator comprises a variable flow reshapable flow restrictor and an adjustable clamp system.
15. The method of claim 11, wherein the flow material is isolated from the devices of the pump for pumping the flow material and measuring the flow material.
16. The method of claim 11, wherein the flow material is contained in a sterile chamber and the pump preserves the sterility of the flow material.
17. The method of claim 11, wherein the pump comprises at least two chambers.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the pump comprises at least three chambers.
19. The method of claim 17, wherein the pump comprises at least three chambers.
20. The method of claim 11, further comprising a microprocessing unit that is configured to accept and substantially execute a flow profile.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 23, 2008
Publication Date: Aug 21, 2008
Inventors: Scott Mallett (Coto de Caza, CA), Paul Mario DiPerna (San Clemente, CA)
Application Number: 12/108,462
International Classification: F17D 1/00 (20060101);