DISPOSABLE INFUSION DEVICE WITH AUTOMATICALLY RELEASABLE CANNULA DRIVER
An infusion system comprises a disposable wearable infusion device having a body arranged to be adhered to a patient's skin and a reservoir for holding a liquid medicament to be infused into the patient through a cannula extending from the device body to beneath the patient's skin. The system further includes a cannula driver arranged to be detachably joined with the infusion device and including a cannula. The cannula driver is arranged to drive the cannula into a deployed position extending from the device body to beneath the patient's skin. The cannula driver includes a release mechanism that separates the cannula driver from the infusion device after the cannula is in the deployed position.
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This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 12/147,295, filed on Jun. 26, 2008 for DISPOSABLE INFUSION DEVICE WITH AUTOMATICALLY RELEASABLE CANNULA DRIVER, which is herein fully incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to infusion devices and more particularly to such devices that enable liquid medicaments to be conveniently and safely self-administered by a patient.
Administration of insulin has traditionally been accomplished using a syringe. Recently, needle carrying pen-like devices have also been employed for this purpose. Both forms of insulin administration require the patients to stick themselves each time they inject insulin, often many times a day. Thus, these traditional forms of insulin administration have been a rather pervasive intrusion in the lives and routines of the patient's who have had to adopt and employ them.
More recently, insulin pumps attached by tubing to an infusion set mounted on the patient's skin have been developed as an alternative form of insulin administration. Such pumps may be controlled by a programmable remote electronic system employing short range radio communication between a control device and electronics that control the pump. While such devices may involve fewer needle sticks, they are expensive to manufacture. They are also complex to operate and cumbersome and awkward to wear. Further, the cost of such devices can be many times the daily expense of using a traditional injection means such as a syringe or an insulin pen.
Devices of the type mentioned above also require a significant amount of training to control and thus use the devices. Great care in programming the devices is required because the pumps generally carry sufficient insulin to last a few days. Improper programming or general operation of the pumps can result in delivery of an excessive amount of insulin which can be very dangerous and even fatal.
Many patients are also reluctant to wear a pump device because they can be socially awkward. The devices are generally quite noticeable and can be as large as a pager. Adding to their awkwardness is their attachment to the outside of the patients clothes and the need for a catheter like tubing set running from the device to an infusion set located on the patient's body. Besides being obvious and perhaps embarrassing, wearing such a device can also be a serious impediment to many activities such as swimming, bathing, athletic activities, and many activities such as sun bathing where portions of the patient's body are necessarily uncovered.
In view of the above, a more cost effective and simple device has been proposed whereby an injection system is discreetly attached directly to the skin of the patient. The device may be attached to the patient under the patient's clothing to deliver insulin into the patient by the manual pumping of small doses of insulin out the distal end of a temporarily indwelling cannula that is made a part of the pump device. The cannula may be made a part of the drug delivery device before, during or after the attachment of the drug delivery device to the skin of the patient. The device may be made quite small and, when worn under the clothes, entirely unnoticeable in most social situations. It may still carry sufficient insulin to last a patient several days. It can be colored to blend naturally with the patient's skin color so as not to be noticeable when the patient's skin is exposed. As a result, insulin for several days may be carried by the patient discreetly, and conveniently applied in small dosages after only a single needle stick. For a more complete description of devices of this type, reference may be had to co-pending application Ser. No. 11/906,130, filed on Sep. 28, 2007 for DISPOSABLE INFUSION DEVICE WITH DUAL VALVE SYSTEM, which application is owned by the assignee of this application and hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The present invention provides further improvement to the devices disclosed in the above referenced co-pending application. More particularly, the devices disclosed herein provide for improved patient safety and/or convenience. For example, embodiments of the invention provide, for example, cannula mobility for greater patient comfort, needle retraction for improved sharps handling and disposal, a closable port cover to prevent accidental misuse by the patient, and a mechanism to secure the cannula in place within the drug delivery device. These and other advantages are addressed herein.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn one embodiment an infusion device comprises a body arranged to be adhered to a patient's skin, the body defining a cavity, and a reservoir for holding a liquid medicament to be infused into the patient. The device further comprises a cannula assembly including a cannula and a cannula carrier. The cannula carrier is received within the cavity of the body with the cannula extending from the cannula carrier and the device body to beneath the patient's skin to deliver the liquid medicament to the patient. The cannula carrier is configured to movably mate with a portion of the infusion device within the cavity.
The device may include an outlet structure within the cavity. The portion of the infusion device with which the cannula carrier is configured to movably mate may include the outlet structure.
The cannula carrier may include a securing mechanism causing the cannula carrier to be loosely confined within the infusion device cavity. The device includes an outlet structure within the cavity. The portion of the infusion device with which the cannula carrier is configured to movably mate may include the outlet structure as the cannula carrier is loosely confined within the infusion device cavity. The cannula carrier may include a flexible seal that movably mates with the outlet structure. The cannula carrier has a recess having a shape generally corresponding to the shape of the outlet structure for receiving the outlet structure.
In another embodiment, an infusion device comprises a body arranged to be adhered to a patient's skin, the body defining a cavity, and a reservoir for holding a liquid medicament to be infused into the patient. The device further comprises a cannula assembly including a cannula and a cannula carrier. The cannula carrier is received within the cavity of the device body with the cannula extending from the cannula carrier and the device body to beneath the patient's skin to deliver the liquid medicament to the patient. The device body and the cannula carrier together may define a self-centering structure that centers the cannula carrier within the infusion device cavity.
The device may include an outlet structure within the cavity and the self-centering structure may include the outlet structure. The outlet structure has a shape and the cannula carrier may have a recess having a shape generally corresponding to the shape of the outlet structure for receiving the outlet structure. The cannula carrier may include a flexible seal that movably mates with the outlet structure. The cannula carrier may be arranged to be loosely confined within the infusion device cavity.
In another embodiment, an infusion system comprises a disposable wearable infusion device having a body arranged to be adhered to a patient's skin and a reservoir for holding a liquid medicament to be infused into the patient through a cannula extending from the device body to beneath the patient's skin. The system further comprises a cannula driver that provides the disposable wearable infusion device with a cannula. The cannula driver is arranged to drive the cannula into a deployed position extending from the device body to beneath the patient's skin. The cannula driver further includes an absorber tab to remove excess liquid medicament from the cannula during cannula deployment.
In a still further embodiment, an infusion system comprises a disposable wearable infusion device having a body arranged to be adhered to a patient's skin and a reservoir for holding a liquid medicament to be infused into the patient through a cannula extending from the device body to beneath the patient's skin. The system further includes a cannula driver that provides the disposable wearable infusion device with a cannula. The cannula driver is arranged to drive the cannula into a deployed position extending from the device body to beneath the patient's skin. The cannula driver comprises an actuator that, when actuated, enables the driving of the cannula to the deployed position and the separation of the cannula driver from the infusion device. The actuator includes a snap action mechanism that accompanies actuation of the cannula driver with a snap action.
The cannula driver may further comprise a safety control button configured to enable the actuation of the actuator with a snap action.
In a further embodiment, a cannula deployment apparatus for use with an infusion device comprises a cannula to be deployed; and a cannula driver. The cannula driver includes a housing. The cannula driver is arranged to be detachably joined with the infusion device and to drive the cannula into a deployed position extending from the infusion device body to beneath the patient's skin. The cannula driver comprises a plunger that drives the cannula into a deployed position and a releasable needle head assembly housed therein. The plunger has a movable wall portion that, when moved, releases the needle head assembly.
In a still further embodiment, a cannula deployment apparatus for use with an infusion device comprises a cannula to be deployed and a cannula driver including a housing. The cannula driver is arranged to be detachably joined with the infusion device and to drive the cannula into a deployed position extending from the infusion device body to beneath the patient's skin. The cannula driver comprises a plunger that drives the cannula into a deployed position and a needle head assembly housed therein. The needle head assembly is releasable after cannula deployment. The cannula deployment apparatus further comprises a translucent portion through which a released needle head assembly is viewable to confirm cannula deployment.
The releasable needle head assembly may include a needle head. The needle head is colored to assist in the viewability of the needle head assembly through the translucent portion.
The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention, together with further features and advantages thereof, may best be understood by making reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in the several figures of which like reference numerals identify identical elements, and wherein:
Referring now to
The enclosure 112, as will be seen subsequently, is formed by virtue of multiple device layers being brought together. Each layer defines various components of the device such as, for example, a reservoir, fluid conduits, pump chambers, and valve chambers, for example. This form of device construction results in a compact design and enables manufacturing economy to an extent that the device is disposable after use.
The base 114 preferably includes a pad 115 attached to the base 114. The pad 115 has an adhesive coating 117 on the side thereof opposite the base 114 to permit the device to be adhered to a patient's skin. The adhesive coating may originally be covered with a releasable cover 292 (
The device 110, as will be seen herein after is first adhered to the patient's skin followed by the deployment of the cannula 130 thereafter. However, it is contemplated herein that various aspects of the present invention may be realized within a device that may alternatively be mated with a previously deployed cannula assembly.
The actuator buttons 116 and 118 are placed on opposites sides of the device 110 and directly across from each other. This renders more convenient the concurrent depression of the buttons when the patient wishes to receive a dose of the liquid medicament contained within the device 110. This arrangement also imposes substantially equal and opposite forces on the device during dosage delivery to prevent the device from being displaced and possibly stripped from the patient. As will be further seen hereinafter, the concurrent depression of the buttons is used to particular advantage. More specifically, the actuator button 116 may serve as a valve control which, when in a first position as shown, establishes a first fluid path between the device reservoir and the device pump to support pump filling, and then, when in a second or depressed position, establishes a second fluid path between the device pump and the device outlet or distal end of the cannula to permit dosage delivery to the patient. As will be further seen, a linkage between the control actuator buttons 116 and 118 permits actuation of the device pump with the actuator control button 118 only when the second fluid path has been established by the first actuator control button 116. Hence, the first actuator control button 116 may be considered a safety control.
The actuator buttons 116 and 118 are preferably arranged to require a complete follow-through of their travel to achieve activation of the device pump and thus dosage delivery. This, together with the sudden release of resistance to actuator advancement creates a snap action that provides an advantage in positively knowing that dosage delivery has occurred and that no less than a full dose has been delivered. For more description regarding this feature, reference may be had to co-pending application Ser. No. 11/906,102, titled DISPOSABLE INFUSION DEVICE WITH SNAP ACTION ACTUATION, which application is owned by the assignee of this application and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
As may be noted in
As may further be noted in
Referring now to
The valve chamber 190 is arranged to receive a valve shuttle bar 200 carried by and extending from the first actuator button 116. A series of O-rings, to be described subsequently, are seated on the shuttle bar 200 to form first, second, and third valves. The actuator button 116 also carries a first linkage portion 240 of the linkage that permits actuation of the device pump with the actuator control button 118 only when the second fluid path has been established by the first actuator control button 116. The first linkage portion 240 is received within a suitably configured bore 270 formed in the base layer 160 and will be described subsequently.
The pump actuator button 118 is arranged to be linked to a pump piston 300 and a second linkage portion 340 to interact with the first linkage portion 240. The pump piston 300 is arranged to be received within the pump chamber 170 and the second linkage portion 340 is arranged to be received within the bore 270 for interacting with the first linkage portion 240. O-rings are seated on the piston 300 to provide a seal against leakage and to prevent external contaminants from entering the piston chamber.
The intermediate layer 164 may be a generally resilient member and received on the base layer 160 to cover channels scribed in the base layer as a type of gasket to form fluid channels 380 that serve to conduct the medicament from the reservoir to the device outlet and to the distal end 131 (
The reservoir membrane 162 is formed of flexible membrane material and is received over the reservoir portion 168 to form the reservoir of the device 110. A rigid plate 420 is arranged to be adhered to the reservoir membrane 162 of the reservoir. Because the membrane 162 is flexible, it will move as the reservoir is filled and emptied. The rigid plate 420 will then move with it. The plate 420 includes an eyelet 422 dimensioned to receive an elongated web 424 that forms a part of a medicament level indicator. The web 424 carries an indicator line or feature 426 that may be read through a window 428 of the device top most panel 440.
Another component of the device 110 is a translucent window 450 that is received on the underside of the base 160. As will be seen hereinafter, the window forms a part of a prime indicator. It is formed of a transparent material such as glass or transparent plastic and has a roughened surface rendering it translucent. However, when it is covered with or at least wetted by liquid medicament, it is rendered essentially transparent creating a visually obvious condition and, for example, permitting indicia to be seen beneath it indicating that the conduit to the device outlet is primed and ready to deliver fixed doses of medicament when desired.
As may be seen
Hence, from the above, it may be seen that the pump button 118 could not at first move freely while the first actuator button 116 which operates the valves could. As a result, the pump actuation lags behind the valve actuation. This enables the device outlet to be sealed from the reservoir and the pump connected to the outlet before the pump is permitted to pump any medicament to the outlet. Hence, the device establishes a medicament delivery flow path to the cannula before the pump is able to begin pumping the medicament to the patient. Thus, it is assured that there is never an open unobstructed pathway between the reservoir and the fluid outlet. Also, by assuring that the pump only draws fluid from the reservoir when the pathway to the outlet is sealed off, it is also assured that a precise amount of fluid is moved with each pump cycle. This operation is completely timed by the linkage just described and occurs quickly, appearing to the patient that both actuator buttons are moving at the same rate.
When the extensions 250 and 252 of the pump button clear the abutment 262, they become locked in a snap action. This provides positive feedback to the patient that a dosage of medicament was delivered as desired. It also causes a full dose to be delivered. By virtue of the snap action of the pump actuator, only full doses may be administered.
When the medicament has been delivered, the spring loading of the actuator buttons returns the buttons to their first or initial position. During this time, the same timing provided by the block 154 is used for recharging the pump. More specifically, ramp 158 unlatches the ends of extensions 250 and 252 by lifting rod member 254. While the extensions 250 and 252 are being lifted by the ramp 158, the valve control button 116 is returning to the left to cause the outlet to be disconnected from the pump before the reservoir is reconnected to the pump for charging, thus sealing the outlet from both the pump and the reservoir before the reservoir is connected to the pump for recharging. This assures that the pump does not pull medicament from the patient but only from the reservoir. As the pump returns, a full dose of the medicament is drawn up into the piston chamber 170 to ready the device for the next dosage delivery.
Referring now to
The pump piston 300 is within the piston chamber 170 to form a piston pump 172. The actuator control button 218 is directly coupled to and is an extension of the pump piston 226. It may also be noted that the actuator buttons 116 and 118 are spring loaded by springs 117 and 119, respectively. The springs are provided for returning the actuator buttons to a first or start position after a dosage is administered.
A fluid conduit 182 extends between the reservoir 180 and the valve 212. An annular conduit 192 extends between the O-rings 216 and 226, and an annular conduit 194 extends between the O-rings 226 and 220. A fluid conduit 184 provides a fluid connection between the reservoir 180 and the annular conduits 192 and 194 depending upon the position of the shuttle valve 210. Also illustrated in
In
As may be noted, when in the first position, the valves 218 and 224 isolate the outlet 124 from both the reservoir 180 and the piston pump 118. Having two such valves isolate the outlet 124 when the valves are in the first configuration provides an added degree of safety from medicament being inadvertently delivered to the patient between dosage deliveries. For example, this provides additional safety that the liquid medicament is not accidentally administered to the patient notwithstanding the inadvertent application of pressure to the reservoir. In applications such as this, it is not uncommon for the reservoir to be formed of flexible material. While this has its advantages, it does present the risk that the reservoir may be accidentally squeezed as it is worn. Because the valves 118 and 124 isolate the outlet 124 when the valves are in their first configuration, this redundant protection assures that pressure, accidentally applied to the reservoir, will not cause the fluid medicament to flow to the cannula.
In addition to the linkage 150 preventing return of the piston 300 until after the valves return to their first and start positions, the O-rings on the shuttle bar 200 are also spaced apart to insure that the valves 218 and 224 isolate the outlet 124 from the pump 172 and reservoir 180 before the pump is again connected to the reservoir. The O-ring spacing thus effectively forms a second linkage to assure that the cannula 130 is connected to the pump 172 only when a dosage is to be delivered and that it is never connected to the reservoir 180.
In operation, the pump chamber 170 is first filled as the actuator button 118 returns to the first position after having just delivered a medicament dosage. In this state, the shuttle valve 210 is set so that the first valve 212 will be open and the second and third valves 218 and 224 will be closed. This establishes a first fluid path indicated by arrows 202 from the reservoir 180 to the pump chamber 170 to fill the piston pump 172. When the patient wishes to receive another dose of medicament, the actuator buttons are concurrently pressed. The aforementioned linkages, including linkage 150, cause the first valve 212 to close and the second and third valves 218 and 224 to thereafter open. Meanwhile, actuation of the pump 172 is precluded until the first valve 212 is closed and the second and third valves 118 and 224 are opened. At this point a second fluid path indicated by arrows 204 is established from the pump chamber 170 to the cannula 130. The medicament is then administered to the patient through the distal end 131 of cannula 130.
Once the medication dosage is administered, the piston 330, and thus the actuator button 118, is returned under the spring pressure of spring 119 to its initial position. During the travel of the piston back to its first position, a given volume of the liquid medicament for the next dosage delivery is drawn from the reservoir into the pump chamber 170 as described above to ready the device for its next dosage delivery.
Referring now to
Referring now to
The chamber 276 is partly defined by a seal rim 278 which receives a translucent cover 280 (
The translucent cover may be formed of transparent plastic wherein the surface that faces the chamber is roughed in a manner that renders the plastic cover translucent. The upper surface of the chamber is preferably coated with indicia which may, for example, be a color, such as blue. When the chamber is empty, the blue indicia will not be readily seen because the rough surface of the cover has rendered the cover translucent. However, when the chamber 276 is filled with a liquid, such as the liquid medicament, the cover 280 will become more transparent allowing the blue indicia to be readily seen. The chamber 276 and cover 280 thus form a prime indicator 286 adjacent the outlet 124. More particularly, the prime indicator 286 is immediately adjacent the outlet 124 since when the chamber is filled and the indicia readily seen, it will be known that the conduits and cannula are sufficiently prime with medicament to permit a full dosage to be delivered upon the next activation of the device 110.
In use, it is contemplated that the reservoir be filled through a fill port 290 on the bottom of the device 110 before the device is deployed on the patient's skin. After the device is filled, the translucent cover or window 280 may be viewed during device priming. During the priming process, the actuators 116 and 118 may be depressed a number of times until the blue indicia on the top surface portions 282 and 284 of the chamber are seen through the window 280. This provides an indication to the user that the chamber 276, and more importantly, the conduits are sufficiently primed and full with medicament to enable actual dosage delivery upon the next actuation of the device 110. Hence, a prime indicator 286 is provided immediately adjacent the outlet 124.
In
The occlusion detector and lock-out 350 serves to detect, during each dosage delivery, blockages between the shuttle valve and the distal end 131 of the cannula 130 (
The occlusion detector 350 has an inlet 132 that communicates with the outlet 124 (
More particularly, as may be further seen in
As may be seen in
If no occlusion exists within the fluid path to the cannula, the blocks 154 and 255 and the actuator buttons 116 and 118 will return as previously described under spring pressure. However, if an occlusion does exist within the fluid path to the cannula, back pressure will quickly build in the channel 136 to cause the deflectable stop 354 to be deflected downwardly. This is shown in
Referring now to
The cannula placement assembly 500 generally includes a cannula driver portion 510 and an actuation portion 512. The cannula driver portion 510 is generally cylindrical in shape including a drive cylinder 514. The actuation portion includes an actuator button 516 and a safety control button 518. As will be seen subsequently, the safety control button 518 must first be depressed into a locked depressed position before the actuator button 516 may be depressed to set the cannula placement sequence into motion.
The cannula assembly, as previously described, includes the cannula 130, of the type known in the art, and a cannula carrier 128. The cannula carrier 128 is arranged to be received within the cavity 120 into which the device outlet 124 projects. Once the cannula carrier 128 is received into the cavity 120, the cannula carrier 128 establishes a fluid path from the outlet 124 to the cannula 130.
The needle assembly 520 includes a drive needle 522. The drive needle 522 includes a needle head assembly 526 and a needle shaft 527. Before the cannula 130 is placed, the cannula assembly 122 is carried by the needle assembly 520 and more specifically, by the cannula 130 being received on the drive needle 522 with the cannula carrier 128 being immediately adjacent the drive plunger 524 as shown.
The needle head assembly 526 is initially seated within the drive plunger 524. To that end, the needle head assembly 526 is within the plunger 524 and has an exterior surface 530 that conforms to the interior surface 532 of a springable wall portion 531 of the plunger 524. Specifically, wall portion 531 comprises one or more ridges on the interior surface 532 that catch a portion of the needle head assembly 526. The needle shaft 527 extends from the needle head assembly 526, through an opening of the plunger 524, through the cannula carrier 128, and finally through the cannula 130 to terminate at a tip 521. During cannula placement, the cannula 130 and drive needle 522 extend through the opening 123 of the device 110.
The cannula driver 510 further includes a first drive spring 534 and a second drive spring 536. The first drive spring is originally compressed between an inner end wall 538 of the drive cylinder 514 and a top surface 540 of the plunger 524. The first drive spring 534 serves to drive the plunger 524 downwardly to in turn drive the cannula 130 and the drive needle 522 through the opening 123.
The plunger 524 is released by the actuator button 516 being depressed. As will be seen subsequently, the actuator button 516 includes a portion that interferes with a shoulder of the plunger 524. When the actuator button is depressed, that interference is resolved and the drive carrier 524 is free to move downwardly under the influence of the first drive spring 534. The needle tip 521 pierces the patient's skin and the lower portion of the needle shaft 527 and cannula 130 are placed beneath the patient's skin. The cannula 130 and needle 522 quickly reach the fully driven, temporary, configuration shown in
In
When the cannula driver 510 reaches the configuration shown in
Additionally and optionally, the cannula carrier 128 comprises a securing mechanism configured to secure it into the cavity 120, thereby ensuring the cannula itself does not move and dislodge from the skin. An exemplary securing mechanism 750 is shown in
Additionally and optionally, plunger 524 comprises releasable holder tabs configured to secure the plunger to the cannula carrier during the downward motion of the plunger. Exemplary holder tabs are shown at 761 and 762 in
As the needle head 526 moves upwardly, it of course takes the needle shaft 527 with it. When the needle head 526 reaches the extent of its travel (
Turning now to the actuation mechanism that drives the insertion device,
The safety control button includes a recess 550 and the actuator button 516 includes an extension 560. Before actuation, the extension 560 of the actuator 516 abuts the safety control button to preclude the depressing of the actuator 516. However, when the safety control button is depressed, as will be seen subsequently, the recess 550 is brought into alignment with the extension 560 to permit the actuator 516 to be depressed for setting into motion the placement of the cannula 130 as previously described.
As may also be noted in
The actuator 516 still further includes a latch release projection 580. The latch release projection 580 includes a ramped surface 582 arranged to engage and bend the bendable arm 568 as the actuator 516 is depressed. Eventually, sufficient depression of the actuator 516 bends the arm 568 sufficiently to cause the hook 570 to clear the catch 572. The actuator is shaped in such a manner that, as it is depressed in a single motion, it causes release and placement of the cannula before the hook 570 clears the catch 572. When the hook 570 clears the catch 572, the latch 566 is released and the projections, including projections 562 and 564 are forced apart under spring pressure to cause the cannula placement assembly 500 to be separated from the device 110.
In accordance with a further embodiment, the actuation mechanism provides a positive indication or feedback to the user signaling that the insertion of the cannula has taken place. This same mechanism may also serve to ensure that the user only actuates the device once, rendering the needle inaccessible after use of the cannula driver. According to this embodiment the actuator is provided with a snap action feature as is illustrated in
When the control button 518 is depressed, the legs 580 and 586 permit the feet 588 and 590 to slide out of their respective slots 592 and 594, respectively. They then progress downwardly until the legs 584 and 586 and feet 588 and 590 wrap about the extensions 596 and 598 of the actuator 516. The feet 588 and 590 become confined beneath bottom surfaces 600 and 602, respectively, of the actuator button extensions 596 and 598, respectively to lock the safety control 518 in the enable configuration of
In
With the control button now depressed and engaged in the enable configuration, the extension 560 of the actuator button 516 (
The extension 598 further includes a wing 610 having an upper surface 612 that normally engages a lower surface 523 of the plunger 524 to interfere with the movement of the plunger 524 as previously described. As the actuator button 516 is depressed, the upper surface 612 of the extension 598 clears the lower surface 523 of the plunger 524. When this occurs, the drive carrier is released to be driven by spring 534 for placing the cannula 130 into a deployed position beneath the patient's skin.
In one embodiment of the device, the cannula carrier 128 is configured for movement or play in the deployed condition, which is shown in the enlarged views of
Additionally, once the cannula carrier of the cannula assembly receives the outlet structure 741, a fluid communication path is opened, as shown in
One embodiment is configured to ensure that the needle 527 will not harm the user after cannula deployment. In this embodiment, as shown in
An alternative embodiment of a cannula port cover is shown in
In one embodiment, the device is provided with an absorber tab for removing fluid from the cavity 120 (
While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, modifications may be made. It is therefore intended in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined by those claims.
Claims
1. An infusion device comprising:
- a body arranged to be adhered to a patient's skin, the body defining a cavity;
- a reservoir for holding a liquid medicament to be infused into the patient; and
- a cannula assembly including a cannula and a cannula carrier, the cannula carrier being received within the cavity of the body with the cannula extending from the cannula carrier and the device body to beneath the patient's skin to deliver the liquid medicament to the patient;
- the cannula carrier being configured to movably mate with a portion of the infusion device within the cavity.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein the device includes an outlet structure within the cavity, and wherein the portion of the infusion device with which the cannula carrier is configured to movably mate includes the outlet structure.
3. The device of claim 1, wherein the cannula carrier includes a securing mechanism causing the cannula carrier to be loosely confined within the infusion device cavity.
4. The device of claim 3, wherein the device includes an outlet structure within the cavity, and wherein the portion of the infusion device with which the cannula carrier is configured to movably mate includes the outlet structure as the cannula carrier is loosely confined within the infusion device cavity.
5. The device of claim 4, wherein the cannula carrier includes a flexible seal that movably mates with the outlet structure.
6. The device of claim 4, wherein the outlet structure has a shape and wherein the cannula carrier has a recess having a shape generally corresponding to the shape of the outlet structure for receiving the outlet structure.
7. An infusion device comprising:
- a body arranged to be adhered to a patient's skin, the body defining a cavity;
- a reservoir for holding a liquid medicament to be infused into the patient;
- a cannula assembly including a cannula and a cannula carrier, the cannula carrier being received within the cavity of the device body with the cannula extending from the cannula carrier and the device body to beneath the patient's skin to deliver the liquid medicament to the patient;
- wherein the device body and the cannula carrier together define a self-centering structure that centers the cannula carrier within the infusion device cavity.
8. The device of claim 7, wherein the device includes an outlet structure within the cavity, and wherein the self-centering structure includes the outlet structure.
9. The device of claim 8, wherein the outlet structure has a shape and wherein the cannula carrier has a recess having a shape generally corresponding to the shape of the outlet structure for receiving the outlet structure.
10. The device of claim 8, wherein the cannula carrier includes a flexible seal that movably mates with the outlet structure.
11. The device of claim 7, wherein the cannula carrier is arranged to be loosely confined within the infusion device cavity.
12. An infusion system comprising: a cannula driver that provides the disposable wearable infusion device with a cannula, the cannula driver being arranged to drive the cannula into a deployed position extending from the device body to beneath the patient's skin, and wherein, the cannula driver further includes an absorber tab to remove excess liquid medicament from the cannula during cannula deployment.
- a disposable wearable infusion device having a body arranged to be adhered to a patient's skin and a reservoir for holding a liquid medicament to be infused into the patient through a cannula extending from the device body to beneath the patient's skin; and
13. An infusion system comprising:
- a disposable wearable infusion device having a body arranged to be adhered to a patient's skin and a reservoir for holding a liquid medicament to be infused into the patient through a cannula extending from the device body to beneath the patient's skin; and
- a cannula driver that provides the disposable wearable infusion device with a cannula, the cannula driver being arranged to drive the cannula into a deployed position extending from the device body to beneath the patient's skin, the cannula driver comprising an actuator that, when actuated, enables the driving of the cannula to the deployed position and the separation of the cannula driver from the infusion device, and wherein, the actuator includes a snap action mechanism that accompanies actuation of the cannula driver with a snap action.
14. The system of claim 13, wherein the cannula driver further comprises a safety control button configured to enable the actuation of the actuator with a snap action.
15. A cannula deployment apparatus for use with an infusion device, comprising:
- a cannula to be deployed; and
- a cannula driver including a housing, the cannula driver being arranged to be detachably joined with the infusion device and to drive the cannula into a deployed position extending from the infusion device body to beneath the patient's skin, the cannula driver comprising a plunger that drives the cannula into a deployed position and a releasable needle head assembly housed therein, the plunger having a movable wall portion that when moved, releases the needle head assembly.
16. A cannula deployment apparatus for use with an infusion device, comprising:
- a cannula to be deployed; and
- a cannula driver including a housing, the cannula driver being arranged to be detachably joined with the infusion device and to drive the cannula into a deployed position extending from the infusion device body to beneath the patient's skin, the cannula driver comprising a plunger that drives the cannula into a deployed position and a needle head assembly housed therein, the needle head assembly being releasable after cannula deployment, the cannula deployment apparatus further comprising a translucent portion through which a released needle head assembly is viewable to confirm cannula deployment.
17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the releasable needle head assembly includes a needle head and wherein the needle head is colored to assist in the viewability of the needle head assembly through the translucent portion.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 19, 2009
Publication Date: Jun 17, 2010
Applicant: Calibra Medical, Inc. (Redwood City, CA)
Inventors: Brett J. Carter (Monroe, WA), Travis Marsot (Mountain View, CA)
Application Number: 12/581,553
International Classification: A61M 5/14 (20060101);