Systems and methods for automatic termination of flow due to needle dislodgement
Inventors
Rousche, Patrick • TEK, Peter • VENTURA, Charles • Scribner, Richard A.
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-10994075-B2
Publication Date
2021-05-04
Expiration Date
Abstract
Systems and methods for automatic flow termination for fluid delivery, including a housing configured for coupling a fluid delivery tube to a needle configured for subcutaneous delivery of fluid within a tissue of a patient and a spring-loaded activation mechanism having a first orientation corresponding to a condition where the housing is disposed substantially adjacent to the tissue and the needle lodged within the tissue and a second orientation corresponding to a condition where the housing is disposed away from the tissue or the needle being dislodged from the tissue. A flow termination mechanism is coupled to the activation mechanism and having an open configuration allowing flow from the fluid delivery tube to the needle when the activation mechanism is in the first orientation and a closed configuration substantially terminating flow from the fluid delivery tube to the needle when the activation mechanism is in the second orientation.
Core Innovation
The disclosed invention is directed to an apparatus for automatic termination of flow for fluid delivery that couples a fluid delivery tube to a needle configured for subcutaneous delivery of fluid within tissue of a patient. The apparatus includes a housing and a spring-loaded activation mechanism coupled to the housing to detect whether the housing is disposed substantially adjacent to the tissue and whether the needle is lodged in the tissue.
The spring-loaded activation mechanism has a first orientation corresponding to the condition where the housing is disposed substantially adjacent to the tissue and the needle is lodged within the tissue. In the first orientation, a flow termination mechanism is placed in an open configuration allowing flow from the fluid delivery tube to the needle. The activation mechanism includes a contact member configured to be disposed adjacent the patient's skin in the first orientation.
The spring-loaded activation mechanism further has a second orientation corresponding to a condition where the housing is disposed away from the tissue or the needle is dislodged from the tissue. In the second orientation, the flow termination mechanism is placed in a closed configuration that substantially terminates flow from the fluid delivery tube to the needle. The contact member articulates with respect to the housing to the second orientation and affects translation of a shuttle valve from the first orientation to the second orientation, wherein the contact member comprises a dome-shaped button biased in an expanded configuration corresponding to the second orientation and loaded in a compressed configuration adjacent the patient's skin in the first orientation.
Claims Coverage
The partial content provides one independent claim (clm-00001). It covers an apparatus with a spring-loaded activation mechanism having first and second orientations that, via a contact member adjacent the patient's skin, changes a coupled flow termination mechanism from an open configuration to a closed configuration to automatically terminate flow during loss of skin contact or needle dislodgement. It specifies shuttle-valve translation and a dome-shaped button biased/loaded across the orientations.
Orientation-based automatic flow termination for subcutaneous needle delivery
An apparatus for automatic termination of flow for fluid delivery having a housing configured for coupling a fluid delivery tube to a needle configured for subcutaneous delivery of fluid within tissue, a spring-loaded activation mechanism coupled to the housing with a first orientation corresponding to housing adjacent tissue with the needle lodged, and a second orientation corresponding to housing away from tissue and/or needle dislodged, wherein a flow termination mechanism provides an open configuration in the first orientation and a closed configuration substantially terminating flow in the second orientation.
Skin-adjacent contact member articulating activation mechanism
A contact member configured to be disposed adjacent the patient's skin when the spring-loaded activation mechanism is in the first orientation, wherein the contact member articulates with respect to the housing to the second orientation to change the state of the flow termination mechanism.
Shuttle valve translation driven by contact member
A flow termination mechanism comprising a shuttle valve coupled to the contact member, wherein the contact member affects translation of the shuttle valve from within the housing from the first orientation to the second orientation.
Dome-shaped button biased across orientations
The contact member comprises a dome-shaped button that is biased in an expanded configuration corresponding to the second orientation and loaded in a compressed configuration adjacent the patient's skin in the first orientation.
Across the independent claim, the inventive focus is on using a spring-loaded activation mechanism with a first orientation (housing adjacent tissue and needle lodged) that keeps flow termination in an open configuration and a second orientation (housing away from tissue and/or needle dislodged) that changes the flow termination mechanism to a closed configuration. The claim ties this state change to a skin-adjacent articulating contact member that drives translation of a shuttle valve, using a dome-shaped button biased/loaded in expanded versus compressed configurations across the orientations.
Stated Advantages
No external power.
Sterilizable and disposable.
Manufacturable via injection molding.
Documented Applications
No documented applications found
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