Vicentra B.v.

Cellnovo Limited

University College Cardiff Consultants Limited

Protasis Corporation

Insulet Netherlands B.v.

Joseph John Cefai

Julian Llewellyn Shapley

Matthew Powell

Timothy William Oakes

David Anthony Barrow

Tim Oakes

Julian Shapley

David M Strand

Mark Jones

William Terence Coakley

Jeremy John Hawkes

Neil Thomas

Ceri Clatworthy

Mark Stephen Jones

A fluid delivery system () includes a reservoir () for storing a fluid, a pumping chamber () and an actuator (). The pumping chamber () has a volume, an inlet valve () providing selective fluid communication between the pumping chamber volume and the reservoir, an outlet valve (), and a membrane () the displacement of which changes the pumping chamber volume. The actuator () moves a drive member () in reciprocating motion. The actuator () is disposed in a housing () having an aperture () from which the drive member projects. The reservoir () and the pumping chamber () are arranged in a cartridge () removably attachable to the housing. When the cartridge () is attached to the housing () the drive member () is operatively coupled to the pumping chamber membrane (). The fluid delivery system may be applied to an infusion system for the infusion of a liquid therapeutic product, such as insulin.

Fluid delivery system

The present invention proposes assigning a common system identification code to each of a control unit and a plurality of controllable slave units, storing that system identification code in a user-inaccessible memory of those units, and allowing pairing between the control unit and each of the slave units only if the system identification code of the control unit matches that of the respective slave unit. Thus a slave unit can only act upon a control signal if the control signal comes from the control master unit which shares the system identification code, i.e. is verifiably from the same family. This ensures that a slave unit only acts on instructions which come from a specified control unit, so providing security to the user. It is therefore impossible for a slave unit to act on instructions from any device other than the control master unit with which it shares a system identification code, which may be alternatively referred to as a family identification code or family ID.

Communications protocol for an electronic system

The invention provides an actuator having a wedge shaped member arranged to move in substantially linear reciprocating motion. A drive member is operatively coupled to the wedge shaped member. The wedge shaped member is arranged to deflect the drive member as the wedge shaped member moves. A shape memory material has a first end electrically connected to a first electrical connection terminal and fixed with respect to the first electrical connection terminal, and a second end electrically connected to the wedge shaped member and fixed with respect to the wedge shaped member. The wedge shaped member is electrically connected to a second electrical connection terminal. The actuator may be used in a pump having a pumping chamber with a membrane the displacement of which changes the pumping chamber volume. The drive member of the actuator is operatively coupled to the pumping chamber membrane. The pump may be used in an infusion system for the infusion of a liquid therapeutic product.

Shape memory actuator

The invention generally provides a fluid delivery system comprising: a reservoir (); a pumping chamber () having a volume, an inlet valve (), an outlet valve () and a membrane (); an actuator (); and a drive member (). The inlet valve and the outlet valve each comprise a passive normally closed one-way check valve. The inlet valve provides selective fluid communication between the pumping chamber volume and the reservoir. Fluid in the reservoir is at substantially ambient pressure. The drive member is operatively coupled to the pumping chamber membrane. Energising the actuator moves the drive member in reciprocating motion and thereby displaces the membrane to change the pumping chamber volume between a minimum volume and a maximum volume. The pumping chamber volume is held at a pressure above the ambient pressure in the reservoir when the actuator is at rest.

A system and method for processing instructions sent wirelessly between a control master unit and a slave device comprising a slave device memory is disclosed. The control master unit transmits an instruction to the slave device. The slave device writes the received instruction to the slave device memory; reads a stored instruction, corresponding to the instruction written to the memory, from the memory; and transmits the stored instruction to the control master unit. The control master unit compares the stored instruction to the instruction and, if the stored instruction is the same as the instruction, enables a process instruction to be sent to the slave device. In response to receiving the process instruction, the slave device processes the stored instruction.

Communication handling

There is provided a fluid delivery system (), comprising a pump () for pumping fluid from a cartridge () to an outlet. The pump comprises a housing (), a cartridge which can be removably attached to the housing, and a switch () for activating the pump. The switch is arranged such that attaching the cartridge to the housing activates the switch to automatically activate the pump. The system may also include a control unit for wireless connection with the pump.

An one way valve comprising: a conical shaped valve seat (); and a membrane () having a hole () that is located around the conical valve seat (), such that a surface () of the valve seat () seals onto an inner periphery () of the hole in the membrane (), wherein, in use, the membrane () is deflected from the surface () of the valve seat () to provide a fluid path across the membrane () and allowing fluid to flow from one side of the membrane () to the other.

One way valve

A therapeutic product delivery device is described which comprises a device body and a cartridge for holding a therapeutic product. An engagement structure is provided for releasably engaging the cartridge with the device body. A fault detector is provided for detecting a fault in the delivery of the therapeutic product from the cartridge. A release trigger is responsive to the detection of a fault to cause the engagement structure to release the cartridge from the device body. In this way, a fault causes the cartridge to be released from the device body, which will prevent any further delivery of the therapeutic product to the patient. This solution is strongly preferable to a solution in which a product delivery mechanism (e.g. a pump) is merely paused or stopped, since when the cartridge separates then no further delivery is possible at all, until the cartridge is reattached (or more probably replaced with a new cartridge in case the fault is with the cartridge).

Therapeutic product delivery device

An actuator comprises: a cavity containing a working medium (B) that reversibly expands as it undergoes a phase change from a solid to a liquid state; a diaphragm disposed adjacent the cavity such that expansion and contraction of the expandable working medium (B) causes the diaphragm to deflect, and a semiconductor element (A) disposed in the cavity. The semiconductor element (A) is operable in a first mode to heat the working medium (B) to cause it to undergo the phase change into the liquid state, and is operable in a second mode to measure the temperature at the semiconductor element (A). The corresponding actuation method is also disclosed.

Actuator and actuation method

A mechanical driver comprising a wedge shaped member operatively coupled to a shape memory alloy such that the shape memory alloy is able to displace the wedge shaped member in an essentially linear direction. The wedge shaped member is in constant contact with a lever arranged so that it can rotate about a fixed pivot point. A piston is arranged such that it is constant contact with the lever at a point between the pivot point of the lever and the contact point between the lever and the wedge shaped member. Activation of the shape memory alloy displaces the wedge shaped member along its linear direction and this causes the lever to be deflected about its pivot point and the piston to be deflected in an essentially linear direction that is perpendicular to the linear direction of travel of the wedge shaped member.

Mechanical driver

A mechanical driver comprising a wedge shaped member operatively coupled to a shape memory alloy such that the shape memory alloy is able to displace the wedge shaped member in an essentially linear direction. The wedge shaped member is in constant contact with a lever arranged so that it can rotate about a fixed pivot point. A piston is arranged such that it is constant contact with the lever at a point between the pivot point of the lever and the contact point between the lever and the wedge shaped member. Return springs are provided to return the piston, lever and wedge shaped member to their respective start positions. Activation of the shape memory alloy displaces the wedge shaped member along its linear direction and this causes the lever to be deflected about its pivot point and the piston to be deflected in an essentially linear direction that is perpendicular to the linear direction of travel of the wedge shaped member.

A one-way valve () comprises a seat () and a membrane () having an inner portion () that is stretched over the seat, wherein, in use, the inner membrane portion is selectively deflected from the seat such that a fluid path is created from one side of the membrane to the other so as to open the valve, and wherein an outer peripheral portion () of the membrane is stiffer than the inner portion such that the membrane deflection is substantially restricted to only the inner portion. The one-way valve may be used in a pump for an infusion system.

Micro-valve

An actuator comprises a cavity containing a working medium that reversibly expands as it undergoes a phase change from a solid to a liquid state, a diaphragm disposed adjacent the cavity such that expansion and contraction of the expandable working medium causes the diaphragm to deflect, and a semiconductor element disposed in the cavity, wherein the semiconductor element is adapted to heat the working medium to cause it to undergo the phase change into the liquid state. The actuator may be used in a pump for an infusion system.

Wax micro actuator

A linear capacitance displacement transducer () comprising first () and second () fixed capacitor plate and a dielectric structure () moveable longitudinally within a space () between the first () and second () capacitor plates, the dielectric structure () being operatively coupled to a moveable element (). The capacitor plates and the dielectric material may be cylindrical and disposed coaxially and concentrically. The transducer () enables a displacement sensor that is capable of monitoring liquid levels in a syringe type drug reservoir () with sufficient sensitivity as to allow detection of erroneous drug delivery. The sensor is inexpensive to manufacture and provides reliable performance through robust design.

Growing community of inventors

Treboeth, United Kingdom

Joseph John Cefai