Fluid delivery device having multiple penetrating elements

Inventors

CARDINALI, Steven • Nazzaro, David • McLaughlin, Ian

Assignees

Insulet Corp

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for performing an insertion process for a plurality of penetrating elements are described. For example, a wearable fluid infusion device may include a cannula and/or needle for infusing a fluid into a patient and a sensor for sensing a physical characteristic of the patient. A non-limiting example of a fluid may be or may include insulin. An illustrative and non-restrictive example of a physical characteristic may include a blood glucose level. The wearable infusion device may be configured to facilitate insertion of the multiple penetrating elements, such as a cannula and a sensor, in a single simultaneous insertion step instead of requiring individual insertion steps for each of multiple penetrating elements. Other embodiments are described.

Core Innovation

The invention relates to a wearable diabetes management system that co-locates a fluid delivery element and a sensing element on a single device. A fluid delivery penetration element is operative to be inserted into a patient to deliver a fluid from a fluid delivery system, while a sensor device includes a sensor penetration element operative to be inserted into the patient to measure patient information.

The device further includes a catch coupled to the sensor penetration element and an activation device operative to force the fluid delivery penetration element to be inserted into a portion of the patient. The fluid delivery penetration element is configured to engage the catch when traveling toward the portion of the patient, thereby forcing the sensor penetration element into the portion of the patient.

The disclosed embodiments coordinate insertion of both penetrating elements in a single simultaneous or substantially simultaneous installation step. Structural arrangements include a fluid delivery cannula or needle that penetrates a pierceable seal or septum while engaging a catch to drive a CGM sensor into the skin, retraction that removes only an introducer/needle while leaving the sensor in place, coupling via needle penetration of a CGM septum to form a water-tight connection, and interlocking or track mechanisms that cause the cannula and CGM sensor to ride together into the skin in one step.

Claims Coverage

The document includes one independent claim directed to a fluid delivery device with a coordinated insertion mechanism, comprising four main inventive functional groupings: a fluid delivery penetration element, a sensor device with a sensor penetration element, a catch coupled to the sensor penetration element, and an activation device that forces insertion of the fluid delivery penetration element to engage the catch and drive the sensor penetration element into the patient portion. Dependent claims refine the sensor type and several structural/interaction details.

Across the independent claim and its dependent refinements, the coverage centers on coordinated insertion in which the activation device drives a fluid delivery penetration element into the patient such that engagement with a catch coupled to the sensor penetration element forces the sensor penetration element into the patient. Dependent claims narrow the sensor modality to CGM, define example catch geometry, include a seal-piercing interaction during travel to the catch, add engagement elements, and restrict retraction to removing only the fluid delivery penetration element while leaving the sensor penetration element in place.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications

No documented applications found