Minipumps, LLC

California Institute of Technology

Umachines, Inc.

Other

University of California

Jiang, Fukang

Humayun, Mark

Shih, Jason

Kavazov, Julian D.

Tai, Yu-chong

Caffey, Sean

Jelisavcic, Nenad

Fukang Jiang

Yu-Chong Tai

Sean Caffey

Jason Shih

Changlin Pang

Mark Salman Humayun

Jeffrey David Brennan

Raymond Peck

Po-Ying Li

Atoosa Lotfi

Andrew Dunn

Gregory Harbers

Tom Tsao

Changgeng Liu

Andrew Urazaki

Nenad Jelisavcic

Man Ting Chou

Natasha Yvette Bouey

Chihming Ho

Bin Wang

Chen-Wei Chiu

Julian D Kavazov

Yong Xu

Chih-Ming Ho

Aramais Avakian

Xuan-Qi Wang

Pedrum Minaie

Chang Liu

Mark S Humayun

Michelle L Journey

Tun Min Soe

Andres Rodriguez

Michelle Journey

Evan Tsang

Octavio Cruz-Uribe

Rick Purvis

Greg Harbers

Brett Daniel Schleicher

Jin-Biao Huang

Ming Wei Hung

Zhigang Han

Jeff Dickson

Embodiments of the present invention involve a refill apparatus comprising at least one pump, a plurality of reservoirs, a plurality of reservoir fluid channels each associated with one of the reservoirs, a plurality of valves, each having a cracking pressure, for fluidically sealing the reservoir fluid channels and the outlet fluid channel, an outlet fluid channel fluidically connected to the reservoir fluid channels, and a needle having a lumen in fluid communication with the outlet fluid channel. A parameter such as a pressure level is monitored, and one or more pumps and various ones of the valves are actuated in accordance with a protocol comprising a sequence of steps whereby fluidic pathways are opened between different ones of the reservoirs and the needle in a washing and filling sequence, each of the steps being associated with an expected pressure level.

Drug refill applicator system and method of use

Tubular polymeric structures are formed by creating a convex mold conforming to a fluid pathway design, depositing a coating of polymer over the mold, and in situ removing the mold without drawing it against the polymer. The resulting structures are fabricated with flow-altering features.

Flexible manufacture of polymeric tubing including flow-altering structures

Microscale valves for use in, e.g., micropump devices, may be formed of a slitted diaphragm bonded o the interior of a valve tube. A bump in the diaphragm and/or a backward-leakage stopper may increase the breakdown pressure of the valve. A push-rod may be used to pre-load the valve membrane to thereby increase the cracking pressure.

Diaphragm check valves and methods of manufacture thereof

In various embodiments, welding washers are utilized to establish electrical connections between electrically conductive wires and electrically conductive pins.

Welding washers for microwire welding

In various embodiments, a tool is employed in filling a drug-delivery device. The tool may include, for example, a needle that is admitted through a fill port of the drug-delivery device.

Implantable drug-delivery devices, and apparatus and methods for filling the devices

An implantable device has an outer shell that includes an aperture through the housing of the device and, spanning the aperture, a membrane structure permeable to gas but not to liquid. In this way, excess gas may be vented from the device. The membrane and aperture are designed to discourage or even prevent tissue ingrowth.

Vented implantable drug-delivery device and related methods

Embodiments of method of manufacturing an implantable pump, including providing an upper layer comprising a dome structure for housing a drug chamber and a cannula in fluid communication with the drug chamber, providing a middle deflection layer adjacent the drug chamber, providing a bottom layer comprising electrolysis electrodes, and bonding the upper layer, middle deflection layer, and bottom layer to form the pump.

Drug-delivery pumps and methods of manufacture

Microscale valves for use in, e.g., micropump devices, may be formed of a slitted diaphragm bonded to the interior of a valve tube. A bump in the diaphragm and/or a backward-leakage stopper may increase the breakdown pressure of the valve. A push-rod may be used to pre-load the valve membrane to thereby increase the cracking pressure.

In various embodiments, an implantable pump includes a cannula. The pump (e.g., the cannula thereof) may include, for example, flow sensors, pressure sensors, filters, and/or other components.

Implantable pumps and cannulas therefor

Implanted drug pump devices can be refilled with a refill needle inserted through a fill port in the drug reservoir of the drug pump device. Proper needle insertion may be verified visually or using electrical, magnetic, optical, acoustic, or other suitable sensing mechanisms.

Implantable drug pumps and refill devices therefor

A removable material is deposited or otherwise applied to a flat substrate surface in a pattern corresponding to desired corrugations in a membrane, e.g., a deflection diaphragm. The applied material serves as a scaffold for a polymeric material, which is applied thereover, and following cure or hardening, the polymeric material is removed to form a finished corrugated membrane.

Method of making a corrugated deflection diaphragm

Implantable drug-delivery pump

In various embodiments, actuation of a drug-delivery pump is controlled based on a change in a condition of the pump.

Drug-delivery pump with dynamic, adaptive control

Drug-delivery pumps with dynamic, adaptive control

Embodiments of an implantable electrolytic pump include a drug reservoir, a cannula fluidly coupled to the reservoir, a pumping mechanism for forcing liquid from the reservoir through the cannula, control circuitry for operating the pumping mechanism, and a power source comprising primary and auxiliary batteries in a stacked configuration, only the main battery being operatively coupled to the control circuitry during normal operation, the control circuitry operatively coupling the back-up battery upon detection of an electrical fault. The pump may further include a hermetic enclosure containing the control circuitry and the power source.

Growing community of inventors

Pasadena, CA, United States of America

Fukang Jiang