Pleated expandable reservoir for a wearable drug delivery device
Inventors
McCaffrey, Maureen • Allis, Daniel
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-12721946-B2
Publication Date
2026-09-01
Expiration Date
Abstract
Disclosed herein are various embodiments providing an expandable, flexible reservoir for use in a wearable drug delivery device. The reservoir comprises a flexible enclosure made with plastic film which incorporates pleats forming the side walls thereof to increase the volume efficiency and to avoid a “pillowing” effect when the reservoir is filled. The pleats may be formed at non-right angles with respect to each other such as to form a curved side walls for the reservoir. In variations of the invention, various methods are disclosed for maintaining a vacuum with the reservoir during its shelf life.
Core Innovation
The invention describes a flexible reservoir formed from a film having high air and water vapor barrier properties. Pleats form side walls connecting the top and bottom surfaces, allowing the reservoir to collapse substantially flat when empty and expand when filled. The described configuration improves space efficiency and limits the pillowing effect, while angled pleats can form curved walls to fit the interior contours of a wearable-device housing.
The document also describes a high-barrier-film reservoir with a fluid port and two arrangements for sealing and opening the port. One arrangement uses a mechanically weak hermetic seal that breaks under pressure applied through a coupled fluid path. Another uses a foil strip bonded over the port and coupled to a rod; the described arrangement also includes a septum and a hydrophobic air port.
Claims Coverage
The claim coverage includes three inventive features covering a pleated high-barrier-film reservoir, a reservoir with a pressure-breakable hermetic seal, and a reservoir with a foil-strip port seal coupled to a rod.
Pleated high-barrier-film reservoir
A reservoir has top and bottom surfaces connected by one or more side walls formed by a plurality of pleats, with the surfaces and pleats composed of a film having high air and water vapor barrier properties.
Pressure-breakable hermetic seal
A reservoir has an enclosure formed of a film having high air and water vapor barrier properties, a fluid port, and a mechanically weak hermetic seal that breaks under pressure applied via a fluid path coupled to the port, enabling fluid communication with the enclosure.
Rod-coupled foil strip sealing a fluid port
A reservoir has an enclosure formed of a film having high air and water vapor barrier properties, a fluid port coupled to a fluid path, a foil strip bonded to the enclosure to seal the port, and a rod coupled to the foil strip and disposed in the fluid path.
The three independent claims cover the pleated reservoir structure, the mechanically weak hermetic port seal, and the rod-coupled foil strip port seal.
Stated Advantages
The reservoir collapses substantially flat when empty and expands when filled, improving space efficiency.
The pleats limit the pillowing effect when the reservoir is filled.
Angled pleats can form curved walls to fit the interior contours of a wearable-device housing.
Documented Applications
Wearable drug delivery is identified as an application for the reservoir.
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