Abbott Laboratories Corporation

Peter A Soberon

Michael W Lawless

Robert A Hermann

Ashok Kaul

Steven E Minick

Andrew J Scherer

Stephen J Kreinick

Stephanie R Squarcia

Frank S Mo

Gregory G Hoerner

Martin A Cole

Christopher D Lynch

John D Gjata

A drive connector for elastomerically coupling a drive shaft to a driven shaft. An elastomeric coupling includes openings on opposite ends that are generally &ldquo;D&rdquo;-shaped forming an interference fit with correspondingly shaped ends of the drive shaft and the driven shaft. A web extends transversely within the interior of the elastomeric coupling, limiting the distance that the drive shaft and driven shaft are inserted within the openings of the coupling. The coupling includes a rib that runs longitudinally along its outer length. A sleeve having a groove corresponding in size and shape to the rib is slipped over the coupling and is connected to the driven shaft. The sleeve includes a rigid interior element that is overmolded with an elastomeric material. A cam bearing is fitted over a cam surface on the sleeve and provides a force in one direction, urging a plunger to displace an elastomeric membrane in a pumping cassette, forcing medicinal fluid to flow through the pumping cassette. The elastomeric membrane provides the restoring force to the plunger, so that a loop formed on the upper portion of the plunger and disposed around the cam bearing does not receive any force from the cam bearing to move the plunger away from the pump cassette. The elastomeric coupling and sleeve form a relatively compact assembly for coupling the drive shaft to the driven shaft and accommodate minor misalignment between the center lines of the drive shaft and the driven shaft.

Elastomeric connector coupling motor to cam actuator of infusion pump

A housing for a medicinal pump, which is sealed to prevent damage due to exposure of the housing to water or other liquids. The housing includes an extruded case in which the various components comprising the pump are enclosed. The ends of the extruded case are sealed by a top cap and a bottom cap that are overnolded with an elastomeric material. The elastomeric material seals the top and bottom caps against the extruded case and provides shock resistance to protect the pump from damage. An open side of the pump is sealed with a pump chassis that supports a pump cassette used to infuse medicinal fluids into a patient. A bezel assembly on the front surface of the pump is adhesively attached thereto using a double-sided adhesive sheet. The double sided adhesive sheet seals the openings for a display and a keypad formed in the front surface of the extruded case.

Infusion pump extruded metal housing with elastomeric end caps

In a pump chassis (,), spring-loaded members (,) engage a pumping cassette (,) to it in a predetermined position. The members each include pairs of latches (110,, 110,) that are each beveled to form a ramp so that the latches and associated members are forced outwardly to enable the pumping cassette to be seated within the pump chassis. The latches engage the pump cassette as it is seated, holding it securely. A release button (,) is attached to a spring-loaded shaft (,) that extends into the interior of the pump chassis. The shaft has a ramp formed on its inner end. When the user depresses the release button, the ramp rides under inwardly extending arms (,) provided on the members, forcing the members and attached latches to move outwardly. As the members move outwardly, the pumping cassette is released and readily removed.

Drug infusion pumping cassette latching mechanism

A system and a method for detecting the presence of air bubbles in an intravenous (IV) line supplying a medicinal liquid to a patient. An air bubble sensor includes an ultrasonic transmitter acoustically coupled to an ultrasonic receiver to detect the presence of a gas (e.g., air) in a portion of a tube comprising the IV line. The transmitter and receiver are mounted on pivoting transducers that are disposed on opposite sides of the tube. A spring biases the transducers inwardly toward each other so that the transmitter and receiver contact opposite sides of the tubing. This assembly automatically accommodates different sizes of tubing and tubing of a relatively wide range of stiffness. The tube is connected to a disposable pumping cassette that is engaged in a pump chassis on which the transducers are pivotally mounted. A user actuated plunger on the pump chassis is depressed to cause the transmitter and receiver to move away from the tube when the pumping cassette is removed from or inserted into the interior of the pump chassis. A controller precisely monitors the flow of medicinal liquid through the tubing to detect the size of gas bubbles and total volume of gas infused. The controller automatically compensates for minor contamination of the exterior surface of the tube, e.g., if the surface is wet with a liquid.

Air bubble sensor

A cover for a battery compartment in a medical device such as an ambulatory pump that is used for infusing a medicinal fluid. The battery compartment cover includes a lever that is pivotal between an open and a closed position. The lever is connected to a plunger that applies a compressive force against an O-ring, which is trapped between a shoulder on a washer through which the plunger extends and an end of the plunger. When the lever is pivoted to its open position, the compressive force on the O-ring is released, enabling the battery compartment cover to be removed from the opening into the battery compartment. However, when the lever is pivoted to its closed position, it draws the plunger outwardly, applying a compressive force to the O-ring that causes the O-ring to expand radially outward, sealing the opening into the battery compartment against the intrusion of water or other liquids and securing the battery compartment cover in engagement with the opening.

Watertight battery compartment cover with latch actuated o-ring seal

A system and a method for detecting the presence of an occlusion in an intravenous (IV) line supplying a medicinal liquid to a patient. Two pressure occlusion sensors are employed to produce a value for the proximal and distal pressures within an IV pumping cassette that is disposed in the fluid path of the IV line. Each pressure occlusion sensor includes a strain gauge connected to a leaf spring that is fixed at one end within a pump chassis and a rod that is disposed transverse to the leaf spring. Each rod has one end that responds to the force of a portion of an elastomeric membrane inside the pumping cassette and another end that contacts a free end of the leaf spring. When a leaf spring is flexed by the movement of a rod, the strain gauge mounted on the leaf spring produces a differential voltage that corresponds to a fluid pressure within the pumping cassette. The distal pressure occlusion sensor automatically opens a flow stop on the pumping cassette when the pumping cassette is inserted into the pump chassis. The outputs from the distal and proximal pressure sensors are sampled at least once per second to ensure that maximum pressure values are not exceeded and that a pressure sensor failure is immediately detected.

Pressure (occlusion) sensor

A disposable pumping cassette having an integral auxiliary flow control and pressure monitoring member is used for delivering a medicinal fluid to a patient. The pumping cassette includes an elastomeric member mounted in a rigid body having an inlet and an outlet. An inlet valve and an outlet valve on the cassette are opened, and the flow control is positioned to allow the medicinal fluid to flow freely through the cassette, priming it before the outlet is connected to the patient. The cassette is then coupled to an associated pump driver, closing the flow control to disable free fluid flow through the cassette, and the outlet to the cassette is coupled in fluid communication with the patient's body.

Disposable fluid infusion pumping cassette having an interrelated flow

A disposable pumping cassette having an integral auxiliary flow control and pressure monitoring member is used for delivering a medicinal fluid to a patient. The pumping cassette includes an elastomeric member mounted in a rigid body having an inlet and an outlet. An inlet valve and an outlet valve on the cassette are opened, and the flow control is positioned to allow the medicinal fluid to flow freely through the cassette, priming it before the outlet is connected to the patient. The cassette is then coupled to an associated pump driver, closing the flow control to disable free fluid flow through the cassette, and the outlet of the cassette is coupled in fluid communication with the patient's body. The medicinal fluid is drawn into a pumping chamber formed in the rigid body as a plunger of the associated pump driver is drawn up from the elastomeric membrane at a recess formed in the rigid body. The plunger is then advanced downwardly, forcing the elastomeric membrane into the pumping chamber to deliver the medicinal fluid to the patient. The pressure of the fluid delivered to the patient is monitored through contact of the auxiliary flow control member with the elastomeric membrane over an outlet channel of the cassette.

Method of delivering liquid to a patient via a disposable pumping

A push button flow stop is mounted on a disposable infusion pumping cassette provided for use with a drug infusion pump. The flow stop is operative to enable or to block fluid flow through the cassette in a first mode and to monitor fluid pressure in the cassette in a second mode.

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San Diego, CA, United States of America

Peter A Soberon