Peristaltic micropump assemblies and associated devices, systems, and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11786401-B2
Application number	US-202016820293-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 16, 2020
Priority date	Mar 18, 2019
Publication date	Oct 17, 2023
Grant date	Oct 17, 2023

Abstract

Peristaltic micropump assemblies configured to pump fluid from a patient and/or deliver pharmaceutical agents to the patient are provided. In some embodiments, a micropump assembly can include a rotor configured to rotate about an axis and comprising a compressing member configured to rotate along a circumference, and a fluid chamber positioned at least partially around the circumference. The fluid chamber includes a round outer ring and a membrane attached to the outer ring and opposing an inner face of the outer ring. The compressing member is configured to compress the fluid chamber and move a fluid through the fluid chamber. The assembly can fit within a housing that is sized and shaped to be implanted in the patient. For example, the micropump assembly can be inserted into the patient's ocular cavity and configured to displace fluid from the patient's eye.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A pump assembly, comprising:
a rotor configured to rotate about an axis and comprising a compressing member at an outer portion of the rotor such that the compressing member is configured to rotate along a circumference;
a fluid chamber positioned at least partially around the circumference, the fluid chamber comprising:
a round outer portion comprising an inner face; and,
a membrane coupled to the round outer portion along a length of the round outer portion such that the membrane opposes the inner face of the round outer portion;

an actuator configured to cause the rotor to rotate about the axis;
a processor configured to control an output of the actuator;
a battery configured to provide electrical power to the processor and the actuator;
a wireless charging coil coupled to the processor and the battery, the wireless charging coil configured to receive wireless power to recharge the battery; and
a housing sized and shaped to be implanted in an eye cavity of a patient, wherein the rotor, fluid chamber, actuator, processor, battery, and wireless charging coil are coupled to and contained within the housing,
wherein the compressing member is configured to deform the membrane of the fluid chamber to compress the fluid chamber against the round outer portion and move a fluid through the fluid chamber.

2. The pump assembly of claim 1 , wherein the pump assembly is implantable in a patient for relieving intraocular pressure (IOP).

3. The pump assembly of claim 1 , wherein the actuator comprises an electrostatic motor.

4. The pump assembly of claim 1 , wherein the rotor comprises a gear concentric with the axis, and wherein the actuator is configured to cause the rotor to rotate about the axis via the gear.

5. The pump assembly of claim 1 , wherein the fluid chamber is positioned around the axis in a non-circular pattern.

6. The pump assembly of claim 1 , wherein the round outer portion comprises a hard ring and the membrane comprises an elastomeric material.

7. The pump assembly of claim 6 , wherein the hard ring comprises a first groove on one side and a second groove on an opposing side, and wherein the membrane is joined to the hard ring using the first groove and the second groove.

8. The pump assembly of claim 6 , wherein the hard ring includes at least one of a flat surface or a concave inner surface, and wherein the membrane comprises a thin wall tube comprising a soft rubber material.

9. The pump assembly of claim 6 , wherein the hard ring and the membrane are attached by at least one of an adhesive or a weld.

10. A peristaltic pump implantable in a patient for relieving intraocular pressure (IOP), comprising:
an actuator;
a drive shaft coupled to the actuator and configured to rotate about a first axis;
a roller coupled to and radially extending from the drive shaft such that the actuator, via the drive shaft, is configured to rotate the roller about the first axis and along a circumference; and
a fluid chamber disposed around a portion of the circumference, the fluid chamber comprising:
a hard outer ring comprising an inner face; and,
a flexible inner ring comprising a membrane, the flexible inner ring coupled to the outer ring along a length of the outer ring such that the membrane is positioned over an inner surface of the outer ring; and,

a processor configured to control an output of the actuator;
a battery configured to provide electrical power to the processor and the actuator;
a wireless charging coil coupled to the processor and the battery, the wireless charging coil configured to receive wireless power to recharge the battery; and
a housing sized and shaped to be implanted in an eye cavity of a patient, wherein the actuator, drive shaft, roller, fluid chamber, processor, battery, and wireless charging coil are coupled to and contained within the housing,
wherein the roller is configured to deform the inner ring of the fluid chamber against the outer ring to compress the fluid chamber and move a fluid through the fluid chamber.

11. The peristaltic pump of claim 10 , wherein the outer ring comprises a first groove on one side and a second groove on an opposing side, wherein the membrane is joined to the outer ring using the first groove and the second groove, wherein the membrane comprises a first ridge portion and a second ridge portion, wherein the first ridge portion resides in the first groove, and wherein the second ridge portion resides in the second groove.

12. The peristaltic pump of claim 10 , wherein the drive shaft is rotatably coupled to the roller via a first ball bearing, wherein the roller comprises a second ball bearing, and wherein the roller is configured to rotate about a second axis of the ball bearing.

13. The peristaltic pump of claim 10 , further comprising a gear assembly coupled to the actuator and the drive shaft, wherein the gear assembly is configured to convert a torque provided by the actuator to the drive shaft.

14. The peristaltic pump of claim 10 , further comprising a rotary encoder configured to indicate a rotational position of the roller, wherein the processor comprises an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) configured to activate the actuator, and wherein the ASIC is configured to control rotation of the roller by the actuator based on the rotational position provided by the encoder.

15. The peristaltic pump of claim 10 , wherein the fluid chamber comprises a circular section and a non-circular section, wherein the non-circular section is positioned with respect to the first axis such that a radius between the first axis and the non-circular section of the fluid chamber increases in a direction of the circumference.

Assignees

• Verily Life Sciences Llc

Inventors

• Samakar Amir

Classifications

• A61F9/00781 Primary

  Apparatus for modifying intraocular pressure, e.g. for glaucoma treatment (drainage implants in general A61M27/002) · CPC title

• F04B17/03

  driven by electric motors · CPC title

• F04B45/08

  having peristaltic action · CPC title

• F04B49/06

  Control using electricity (regulating by means of floats actuating electric switches F04B49/04) · CPC title

• A61F2250/0001

  Means for transferring electromagnetic energy to implants · CPC title