Single actuated precision dose intermediate pumping chamber

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025339606-A1
Application number	US-202519265638-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 10, 2025
Priority date	Jan 8, 2021
Publication date	Nov 6, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

Disclosed are examples of devices, systems and techniques for delivering a liquid drug. An example delivery pump device may include a chamber body defining a pump chamber, an inlet valve to receive a liquid drug and a hard stop. A plunger configured with a plunger channel. A sliding fluidic member including a needle coupling, a flow orifice, a face seal and an anchor portion that may be movable within the pump chamber. A pump mechanism may be coupled to the anchor portion and operable to pull the anchor portion and the plunger toward the hard stop. Techniques may include determining a time to output a liquid drug from the delivery pump device; generating a control signal to actuate the delivery pump device; applying a control signal to the pump mechanism; determining that a control signal is to be removed from the pump mechanism; and delivering the liquid drug.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for controlling a delivery pump device to output a liquid drug, the method comprising the steps of:
determining a time to output the liquid drug from the delivery pump device; generating a control signal to actuate the delivery pump device; applying the control signal to a pump mechanism of the delivery pump device, wherein the pump mechanism includes a shape memory alloy wire that is configured to respond to the applied control signal; determining, as a pump chamber of the delivery pump device fills with the liquid drug, that the applied control signal is to be removed from the pump mechanism of the delivery pump device; removing the applied control signal from the pump mechanism to enable the liquid drug to be delivered from the pump chamber; and confirming delivery of the liquid drug.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
in response to the applied control signal to the pump mechanism, receiving the liquid drug from a reservoir into a pump chamber through an inlet valve.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein receiving the liquid drug from a reservoir into a pump chamber through an inlet valve, comprises:
pulling a plunger and an anchor portion with the shape memory alloy wire; and drawing the liquid drug into the pump chamber.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining, as a pump chamber of the deliver pump device fills with the liquid drug, that the applied control signal is to be removed from the pump mechanism of the delivery pump device, comprises:
receiving a signal from a detector coupled between a plunger and the hard stop; and in response to the signal, removing the applied control signal from a shape memory alloy wire.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
delivering the liquid drug to a needle or cannula in response to removing the control signal from the pump mechanism, wherein delivering the liquid drug includes:
in response to the shape memory alloy stopping a pulling of a sliding fluidic member, a fluidic member spring begins decompressing causing the sliding fluidic member to travel toward a front of a chamber body of the delivery pump device, while the plunger remains stationary due to being hydraulically blocked by the liquid drug in the pump chamber;
upon the sliding fluidic member reaching an initial position, a flow orifice is available to enable the liquid drug to flow into a needle coupling; and the plunger spring begins to decompress causing the liquid drug to be expelled from the pump chamber into the needle coupling.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising pulling, by the shape memory alloy wire in response to the control signal, a sliding fluidic member in a first direction.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the sliding fluidic member comprises a flow orifice and a fluid pathway to a needle.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising maintaining a leak-proof seal against a plunger of the pump mechanism via a face seal of a sliding fluidic member.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising engaging a hard stop of a housing of the delivery pump device with a plunger through a movement of the shape memory alloy.

10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising compressing a plunger spring upon engagement of the hard stop with the plunger.

11 . A non-transitory computer readable medium containing programming instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of:
determining a time to output a liquid drug from a delivery pump device;
generating a control signal to actuate the delivery pump device;
applying the control signal to a pump mechanism of the delivery pump device, wherein the pump mechanism includes a shape memory alloy wire that is configured to respond to the applied control signal;
determining, as a pump chamber of the delivery pump device fills with the liquid drug, that the applied control signal is to be removed from the pump mechanism of the delivery pump device;
removing the applied control signal from the pump mechanism to enable the liquid drug to be delivered from the pump chamber; and
confirming delivery of the liquid drug.

12 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein in response to the applied control signal to the pump mechanism, the liquid drug is delivered from a reservoir into a pump chamber through an inlet valve.

13 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the liquid drug is delivered from a reservoir into a pump chamber through an inlet valve, by:
pulling a plunger and an anchor portion with the shape memory alloy wire; and drawing the liquid drug into the pump chamber.

14 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein determining, as a pump chamber of the deliver pump device fills with the liquid drug, that the applied control signal is to be removed from the pump mechanism of the delivery pump device, comprises:
receiving a signal from a detector coupled between a plunger and the hard stop; and in response to the signal, removing the applied control signal from a shape memory alloy wire.

15 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the memory contains instructions further configured the processor to perform the steps of:
delivering the liquid drug to a needle or cannula through removing the control signal from the pump mechanism, wherein delivering the liquid drug includes:
in response to the shape memory alloy stopping a pulling of a sliding fluidic member, a fluidic member spring begins decompressing causing the sliding fluidic member to travel toward a front of a chamber body of the delivery pump device, while the plunger remains stationary due to being hydraulically blocked by the liquid drug in the pump chamber;
upon the sliding fluidic member reaching an initial position, a flow orifice is available to enable the liquid drug to flow into a needle coupling; and
the plunger spring begins to decompress causing the liquid drug to be expelled from the pump chamber into the needle coupling.

16 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the control signal causes the shape memory alloy wire to pull a sliding fluidic member in a first direction.

17 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the sliding fluidic member comprises a flow orifice and a fluid pathway to a needle.

18 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the drug delivery device comprises a face seal that maintains a leak-proof seal against a plunger of the pump mechanism.

19 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein applying the control signal to the pump mechanism causes engagement of a hard stop of a housing of the delivery pump device with a plunger through a movement of the shape memory alloy.

20 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19 , wherein engagement of the hard stop causes a compression of a plunger spring.

Assignees

• Insulet Corp

Inventors

• Nazzaro David

Classifications

• A61M5/1452

  pressurised by means of pistons · CPC title

• A61M5/14244 Primary

  adapted to be carried by the patient, e.g. portable on the body · CPC title

• A61M2205/0266

  Shape memory materials · CPC title

• F03G7/0646

  for pumping or compressing fluids · CPC title

• F03G7/06143

  Wires · CPC title