Cordis Corporation

Minimed, Inc.

Pacesetter Infusion, Ltd.

John H Livingston

Robert DeCote, Jr

April A Konopka

Barry M Yomtov

Jeffrey F Field

Clyde K Nason

Lanny A Gorton

John P Pelmulder

Nannette M Schnabel

Ward K Frye

Armen J Guleserian

A medication infusion pump is provided for controlled delivery of medication to a patient, wherein the pump includes a space-efficient flexible drive plunger for advancing a piston within a medication-containing syringe or cartridge for administration of the medication to a patient. The infusion pump comprises a compact housing defining a syringe chamber for receiving and supporting the barrel of a medication-containing syringe or cartridge having a nose end adapted for luer connection to catheter tubing through which the medication is delivered to the patient. An open rear end of the syringe barrel carries a piston which can be advanced in a controlled manner to dispense the medication. In the preferred form, the flexible drive plunger comprises a spring tape with a free end adapted for removable connection to the piston. The spring tape extends within the pump housing through a space-efficient curved path and is associated with a pump drive motor for advancing the piston within the syringe barrel to deliver the medication to the patient.

Medication infusion pump with flexible drive plunger

A subcutaneous injection set is disclosed of the type having an insertion needle for quick and easy subcutaneous placement of a soft cannula through which medication can be delivered to a patient. In one preferred form, the subcutaneous injection set comprises a base adapted for press-on attachment to the skin of a patient at a selected infusion site. The base includes a connector sleeve for connecting a length of infusion tubing to the soft cannula. The soft cannula is threaded through an eye formed near the distal end of the insertion needle which is mounted on a collapsible injector that is detachably mounted to the base. The base is positioned on the patient's skin, the injector is collapsed by pressing toward the patient's skin whereby the insertion needle pierces the skin for transcutaneous cannula placement. The press stroke of the insertion needle is sufficient to unthread the cannula therefrom, whereupon the injector can be retracted to withdraw the insertion needle from the patient. The needle carrier can then be detached from the base and discarded.

Subcutaneous injection set

A protective case is provided for receiving and supporting a medication infusion pump of the type used to deliver a selected medication such as insulin to a patient. The protective case comprises a transparent housing of impact resistant material for slide-fit reception of the pump, in combination with a seal cap for removable mounting onto the housing to define a substantially waterproof pump enclosure. The seal cap is formed from a resilient shock absorbing material and cooperates with additional shock absorber elements to resiliently support the pump within the housing. A catheter port is formed in the seal cap for sealed passage of a catheter tube extending from the pump to the patient. A belt clip is removably mounted onto the assembled case to prevent seal cap separation from the housing, and to provide a convenient structure for belt mounting of the protective case onto the body of patient.

Proctective case for a medication infusion pump

A digital data system for processing analog electrogram (EGM) signals includes an A/D converter for developing a series of digital data signals (bytes) at a given rate R1. A first whole integer plurality of signals (group N1) is processed for the maximum absolute value thereof. A second whole integer plurality (group N2) is thereafter similarly processed for the maximum absolute value thereof. By alternately outputting each such result, the effective output data stream of the system is at a new sampling rate R2, where R2=R1(N1+N2)/2. By using more than two groupings, various ratios including non-integer ratios can be implemented.

EGM data sampling system

An enclosure for use to safely secure a water-sensitive medical or electronic device such as a medication infusion pump in a water-resistant manner is disclosed which utilizes a pouch made of a sheet of thin plastic material to store the apparatus, the pouch being adhesively sealable to secure the device. The enclosure also includes a perforated area which may be opened to form a strap to carry or hang the device, and is constructed inexpensively to be of a disposable nature.

Protective bag for water-sensitive medical or electronic apparatus

A valve for use in medical applications is disclosed which is a highly precise, passive, one-way valve which makes an excellent inlet valve or outlet valve in a drug infusion pump. The valve operates with a very small forward pressure, requires only a small amount of fluid in the valve chamber, and operates in a positive and predictable fashion, even after an extended shelf life. The valve, may be inexpensively molded in one piece, thereby facilitating construction of a disposable pump, and may be installed with the portion of the pump housing contacting the top surface of the valve being flat, thereby further reducing manufacturing costs.

Precision passive flat-top valve for medication infusion system

The stimulation output of an implanted cardiac pacer is applied between a cathode at the end of a pacer lead in the heart and an anode whose location is programmable. An electronic switch accessed via programming designates the pulse generator pace as the anode for an additional electrode located near the end of the pacer lead, thus changing the pacer from unipolar to bipolar operation or vice-a-versa after implantation. Different programming pulse rates are used to program different functional characteristics. For example, pulses at one rate select mode, high or low frequency range, sensitivity and anode location while pulses at another frequency set the pulse generation rate and output current.

Implantable cardiac pacer having dual frequency programming and

An external pacer having a plurality of user-selectable output current levels includes a user-actuable push button switch for reducing the selected output current level by a factor of 10. By observing the absence or presence of an R-wave while operating at the reduced current level the stimulation threshold level of the heart can be determined without the need for additional level selections, and without subjecting the heart to sustained periods of low current. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention for typical output current levels of 2-20 milliamperes threshold levels of 0.2-2.0 milliamperes are obtained.

Cardiac pacer having stimulation threshold measurement circuit

The stimulation output of an implanted cardiac pacer is applied between a cathode at the end of a pacer lead in the heart and an anode whose location is programmable. An electronic switch accessed via programming designates the pulse generator case as the anode for an additional electrode located near the end of the pacer lead, thus changing the pacer from unipolar to bipolar operation or vice-a-versa after implantation. Different programming pulse rates are used to program different functional characteristics. For example, pulses at one rate select mode, high or low frequency range, sensitivity and anode location while pulses at another frequency set the pulse generation rate and output current.

Growing community of inventors

Coral Gables, FL, United States of America

John H Livingston