Device for measuring a fill level of a flexible medicine reservoir

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11241533-B2
Application number	US-201716326738-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 22, 2017
Priority date	Sep 5, 2016
Publication date	Feb 8, 2022
Grant date	Feb 8, 2022

Abstract

The invention concerns a device (1) for measuring a fill level of a flexible medicine reservoir (6). The device (1) comprises a support (2) for supporting the flexible medicine reservoir (6) and a leaf spring member (3). A first section (31) of the leaf spring member (3) is mounted to a fixed bearing. A second section (32) of the leaf spring member (3) is guided by a floating bearing. The leaf spring member (3) is designed for contacting the flexible medicine reservoir (6) and for providing that changes in the fill level of the flexible medicine reservoir (6) effect changes of the form of the leaf spring member (3). A detector (5) is arranged for detecting the effected changes of the form of the leaf spring member (3) and for enabling measuring of the fill level of the flexible medicine reservoir (6).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for measuring a fill level of a flexible medicine reservoir, comprising:
a support for supporting the flexible medicine reservoir;
a leaf spring member having a form,
wherein a first section of the leaf spring member is mounted to a fixed bearing, wherein a second section of the leaf spring member is guided by a floating bearing, wherein the leaf spring member is designed for contacting the flexible medicine reservoir, changes in the fill level of the flexible medicine reservoir effecting changes of the form of the leaf spring member; and
a detector arranged for detecting the effected changes of the form of the leaf spring member and for enabling measuring of the fill level of the flexible medicine reservoir,
wherein the device further includes at least one selected from the group consisting of:
a) the fixed bearing is a hinge bearing, the first section being connected to one or more barrel sections that are rotationally mounted on a pivot that is fixedly arranged with respect to the support,
b) the floating bearing is a slide bearing, the second section being connected to a guided section that can slide along a fixed portion that is fixedly arranged relative to the support,
c) the detector is designed for detecting a rotational motion of the first section about the fixed bearing, and
d) the detector includes a magnetic sensor fixedly arranged with respect to the support, wherein the magnetic sensor is designed to cooperate with a magnetic element which is fixed to the leaf spring member in such a manner that the magnetic element follows a rotational motion of the first part effected because of the changes of the form of the leaf spring member.

2. The device according to claim 1 , further designed such that the form of the leaf spring member is an arc-shaped form when the fill level of the flexible medicine reservoir is essentially empty and wherein the form of the leaf spring member is a substantially flat-shaped form when the fill level of the flexible medicine reservoir is essentially full.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the fixed bearing is a hinge bearing, the first section being connected to one or more barrel sections that are rotationally mounted on a pivot that is fixedly arranged with respect to the support.

4. The device according to claim 3 , wherein the floating bearing is a slide bearing, the second section being connected to a guided section that can slide along a fixed portion that is fixedly arranged relative to the support.

5. The device according to claim 3 , wherein the detector includes a magnetic sensor fixedly arranged with respect to the support, wherein the magnetic sensor is designed to cooperate with a magnetic element which is fixed to the leaf spring member in such a manner that the magnetic element follows a rotational motion of the first part effected because of the changes of the form of the leaf spring member.

6. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the flexible medicine reservoir is arranged between the support and the leaf spring member.

7. The device according to claim 1 wherein the leaf spring member is fabricated from a sheet material.

8. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the leaf spring member includes at least one of: cut-outs, and breakthroughs.

9. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the leaf spring member includes a contact section for contacting the flexible medicine reservoir, wherein the contact section is located between the first section and the second section.

10. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the detector includes at least one of a magnetic, an optic, and a mechanical detector for detecting the changes in the form of the leaf spring member.

11. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising a processing unit for receiving an electric signal from the detector and for transforming the electric signal into a fill level of the flexible medicine reservoir.

12. The device of claim 1 in which the leaf spring member is continuously in contact with the floating bearing for all conditions of the flexible medicine reservoir from an empty condition to a full condition.

13. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the detector includes a magnetic sensor fixedly arranged with respect to the support, wherein the magnetic sensor is designed to cooperate with a magnetic element which is fixed to the leaf spring member in such a manner that the magnetic element follows a rotational motion of the first part effected because of the changes of the form of the leaf spring member.

14. The device according to claim 13 , wherein the floating bearing is a slide bearing, the second section being connected to a guided section that can slide along a fixed portion that is fixedly arranged relative to the support.

15. A medical infusion device comprising a device according to claim 1 and a medical pump, wherein the flexible medicine reservoir is designed to deliver medicine to the medical pump and/or to receive medicine from the medical pump.

16. The medical infusion device according to claim 15 , wherein the medical pump is an insulin pump, and wherein the flexible medicine reservoir is designed to store a medicine that includes insulin.

17. A device for measuring a fill level of a flexible medicine reservoir, comprising:
a support for supporting the flexible medicine reservoir;
a leaf spring member having a form,
wherein a first section of the leaf spring member is mounted to a fixed bearing, wherein a second section of the leaf spring member is guided by a floating bearing, wherein the floating bearing is a slide bearing, the second section being connected to a guided section that can slide along a fixed portion that is fixedly arranged relative to the support,
wherein the leaf spring member is designed for contacting the flexible medicine reservoir, changes in the fill level of the flexible medicine reservoir effecting changes of the form of the leaf spring member, and;
a detector arranged for detecting the effected changes of the form of the leaf spring member and for enabling measuring of the fill level of the flexible medicine reservoir, wherein the detector is designed for detecting a rotational motion of the first section about the fixed bearing.

18. A device for measuring a fill level of a flexible medicine reservoir, comprising:
a support for supporting the flexible medicine reservoir;
a leaf spring member having a form,
wherein a first section of the leaf spring member is mounted to a fixed bearing, wherein a second section of the leaf spring member is guided by a floating bearing, wherein the leaf spring member is designed for contacting the flexible medicine reservoir, changes in the fill level of the flexible medicine reservoir effecting changes of the form of the leaf spring member, and;
a detector arranged for detecting the effected changes of the form of the leaf spring member and for enabling measuring of the fill level of the flexible medicine reservoir, wherein the detector is designed for detecting a rotational motion of the first section about the fixed bearing.

19. The device according to claim 18 , wherein the fixed bearing is a hinge bearing, the first section being connected to one or more barrel sections that are rotationally mounted on a pivot that is fixedly arranged with respect to the support.

20. The device according to claim 18 , wherein the detector includes a magnetic sensor fixedly arranged with respect to the support, wherein the magnetic sensor is designed to

Assignees

• Roche Diabetes Care Inc

Inventors

• List Hans

Classifications

• G01F23/003

  with a probe suspended by rotatable arms (with floats G01F23/32) · CPC title

• G01F23/16

  Indicating, recording, or alarm devices being actuated by mechanical or fluid means, e.g. using gas, mercury, or a diaphragm as transmitting element, or by a column of liquid · CPC title

• A61M2205/3306

  Optical measuring means · CPC title

• A61M2205/3327

  Measuring · CPC title

• A61M5/148

  flexible, {e.g. independent bags}(A61M5/155 takes precedence) · CPC title