Hybrid ambulatory infusion pumps
View Patent ↗Ambulatory infusion pumps, durable assemblies, and disposable assemblies, including energy sources, reservoirs, baseplates, and related components therefor, as well as component combinations and related methods.
1. An infusion pump system, comprising:
a disposable assembly including a medicament reservoir and a multi-pole motor rotor; and
a durable assembly including an energy supply, a motor coil, a sensor configured to sense rotational position of the multi-pole motor rotor, and a processor, operably connected to the energy supply, motor coil and sensor, configured to control power to the motor coil based on the sensed rotational position of the multi-pole motor rotor;
wherein the durable assembly and the disposable assembly are configured to be attached to one another in such a manner that energization of the motor coil causes the multi-pole motor rotor to rotate without direct mechanical coupling or electrical connection.
2. An infusion pump system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the energy is transferred through electromagnetic torque coupling.
3. An infusion pump system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the motor coil and the multi-pole motor rotor are separated by a gap.
4. An infusion pump system as claimed in claim 3 , wherein
the durable assembly includes a housing and a portion of the housing is located in the gap.
5. An infusion pump system as claimed in claim 3 , wherein
the disposable assembly includes a baseplate and a cover and a portion of the cover is located in the gap.
6. An infusion pump system as claimed in claim 3 , wherein
the gap is 0.5 mm to 2.0 mm.
7. An infusion pump system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the medicament reservoir includes a barrel and a plunger within the barrel;
the multi-pole motor rotor is mechanically coupled to the plunger such that rotation of the multi-pole motor rotor results in movement of the plunger; and
the processor controls plunger speed and plunger position by controlling power to the motor coil.
8. An infusion pump system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the energy supply includes a battery.
9. An infusion pump system as claimed in claim 8 , wherein
the battery comprises either one or more primary cell batteries, or one or more rechargeable batteries.
10. An infusion pump system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the sensor is selected from the group consisting of a back EMF sensor, a rotary encoder, and a Hall effect sensor.
11. An infusion pump system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the processor is configured to control motor speed of the multi-pole motor rotor by controlling power to the motor coil based on the sensed rotational position of the multi-pole motor rotor.
12. An infusion pump system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the processor is configured to control rotational speed of the multi-pole motor rotor based on output from the sensor.
13. A method, comprising the step of:
after an infusion pump disposable assembly including a medicament reservoir and a multi-pole motor rotor has been secured to an infusion pump durable assembly, with an energy supply, a motor coil, and a sensor, such that energy from the energy supply is transferred to the disposable assembly without direct mechanical coupling or electrical connection and transformed into mechanical forces that move a plunger within the reservoir and the sensor senses the rotational position of the multi-pole motor rotor, closed-loop controlling rotational speed of the multi-pole motor rotor with a processor based on output from the sensor.
14. A method as claimed in claim 13 , wherein
the energy supply includes one or more batteries.
15. A method as claimed in claim 13 , wherein
the infusion pump durable assembly and the infusion pump disposable assembly are configured such that, when secured to one another, there is a gap between the motor coil and the multi-pole motor rotor.
16. A method as claimed in claim 15 , wherein
a portion of at least one of the durable assembly and the disposable assembly is located within the gap.
17. A method as claimed in claim 13 , wherein
energy is transferred from the energy supply to the disposable assembly through electromagnetic torque coupling.
18. An infusion pump system, comprising:
a disposable assembly including a medicament reservoir, a baseplate and a multi-pole motor rotor defining an axis of rotation that is perpendicular to the baseplate; and
a durable assembly including an energy supply, a motor coil, a sensor configured to sense position of the multi-pole motor rotor, and a processor, operably connected to the energy supply, motor coil and sensor, configured to control power to the motor coil based on the sensed position of the multi-pole motor rotor;
wherein the durable assembly and the disposable assembly are configured to be attached to one another in such a manner that energization of the motor coil causes the multi-pole motor rotor to rotate without direct mechanical coupling or electrical connection.