Method and apparatus for transferring a liquid drug to a collapsible reservoir

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11324663-B2
Application number	US-201716340736-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 20, 2017
Priority date	Nov 21, 2016
Publication date	May 10, 2022
Grant date	May 10, 2022

Abstract

The invention concerns a method and an apparatus for transferring an amount of a liquid drug (11) from a supply container (1) having stored the liquid drug (11) to a collapsible reservoir (2), the method including and the apparatus enabling the steps of:a) providing a fluid connection (3) between the supply container (1) and the collapsible reservoir (2);b) subjecting the liquid drug (11) stored in the supply container (1) to an environmental pressure;c) subjecting the collapsible reservoir (2) to a positive pressure relative to the environmental pressure, thereby collapsing the collapsible reservoir (2) and transferring gas comprised in the collapsible reservoir (2) from the collapsible reservoir (2) to the supply container (1);d) subjecting the collapsible reservoir (2) to a negative pressure relative to the environmental pressure, thereby expanding the collapsible reservoir (2) and transferring the amount of the liquid drug (11) from the supply container (1) to the collapsible reservoir (2).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for transferring an amount of a liquid drug, the apparatus comprising:
a supply container storing the liquid drug;
a collapsible reservoir;
a fluid connection connected to and providing a fluidic communication between the supply container and the collapsible reservoir;
an environment connection connected to the supply container and configured to subject the liquid drug stored in the supply container to an environmental pressure; and
a pressure chamber, the collapsible reservoir being arranged within the pressure chamber,
the pressure chamber having a first condition subjecting the collapsible reservoir to a positive pressure relative to the environmental pressure to collapse the collapsible reservoir and transfer a gas comprised in the collapsible reservoir from the collapsible reservoir to the supply container through the fluid connection,
the pressure chamber having a second condition subjecting the collapsible reservoir to a negative pressure or no pressure relative to the environmental pressure to expand the collapsible reservoir and transfer the amount of the liquid drug from the supply container to the collapsible reservoir through the fluid connection.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the pressure chamber is configured to repeatedly subject the collapsible reservoir to consecutive application of a positive pressure and a negative pressure relative to the environmental pressure.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a pump device connected to the pressure chamber and in the first condition subjecting the collapsible reservoir to a positive pressure relative to the environmental pressure and/or to subject the collapsible reservoir to a negative pressure relative to the environmental pressure.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a valve device connected to the pressure chamber and subjecting the collapsible reservoir to the environmental pressure.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising
at least one of a pressure sensor and an optical sensor for determining a parameter reflecting the amount of remaining gas in the collapsible reservoir, and
a controller for determining from the parameter the amount of remaining gas in the collapsible reservoir.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising the supply container being positioned at a higher level above ground than the collapsible reservoir.

7. A kit comprising an apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising at least a second collapsible reservoir.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a controller configured to adjust the pressure chamber to have a positive pressure, a negative pressure, or no pressure relative to the environmental pressure.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the controller is further configured to repeatedly subject the collapsible reservoir to consecutive applications of a positive pressure and a negative pressure relative to the environmental pressure.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8 , and further comprising a pump device connected to the pressure chamber and configured to subject the collapsible reservoir to a positive pressure relative to the environmental pressure or to subject the collapsible reservoir to a negative pressure relative to the environmental pressure, the controller further being configured to operate the pump device to apply either the positive pressure or the negative pressure.

11. The apparatus according to claim 8 , and further comprising a valve device connected to the pressure chamber and configured to subject the collapsible reservoir to the environmental pressure, the controller further being configured to operate the valve device to subject the collapsible reservoir to the environmental pressure.

12. The apparatus according to claim 8 , further comprising at least one of a pressure sensor and an optical sensor for determining a parameter reflecting the amount of remaining gas in the collapsible reservoir, the controller further being configured to operate the at least one sensor and to determine from the parameter the amount of remaining gas in the collapsible reservoir.

Assignees

• Roche Diabetes Care Inc

Inventors

• Deck Frank

Classifications

• A61J1/2075

  for external venting · CPC title

• B65B3/003

  Filling medical containers such as ampoules, vials, syringes or the like · CPC title

• A61J1/10

  Bag-type containers · CPC title

• A61J1/2089 Primary

  Containers or vials which are to be joined to each other in order to mix their contents (combinations of vial and syringe for mixing their contents A61J1/2096) · CPC title

• B65B31/024

  specially adapted for wrappers or bags (B65B31/021, B65B31/022 take precedence) · CPC title