Infusion medium delivery device and method with compressible or curved reservoir or conduit

Abstract

A delivery device includes a durable housing portion and a separable disposable portion that selectively engage and disengage from each other. The disposable housing portion secures to the patient-user and may be disposed of after it has been in use for a prescribed period. Components that normally come into contact with a patient-user or with infusion media are supported by the disposable housing portion for disposal after the prescribed use, while the durable housing portion supports other components such as electronics for controlling delivery of infusion media from the reservoir and a drive device and drive linkage.

1 . A delivery device comprising:
 a first housing portion;   a second housing portion configured to selectively engage with and disengage from the first housing portion;   a compressible reservoir located in the first housing portion, the reservoir having an interior volume for containing a fluid, the reservoir having an outlet connectable in fluid flow communication with an injection site, the interior volume of the reservoir being compressible to reduce the interior volume and increase fluid pressure within the interior volume to drive fluid from the interior volume to the injection site;   a compression mechanism operable on the reservoir   a drive device supported by the second housing portion and operatively connectable to at least one of the reservoir and the compression mechanism when the first and second housing portions are engaged, to selectively cause relative movement between the reservoir and compression mechanism for selective compression of the reservoir.   
     
     
         2 . A delivery device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a moveable track operatively coupled to the drive device to be selectively moved along a track path and wherein the compression mechanism comprises at least one roller or pad supported by the moveable track for engaging and compressing the reservoir as the track is moved along the track path. 
     
     
         3 . A delivery device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a moveable track operatively coupled to the drive device to be selectively moved along a track path, the moveable track being connected to the reservoir to move the reservoir as the track is moved along the track path, and wherein the compression mechanism comprises a pair of compression surfaces between which a portion of the reservoir is moved as the track is moved along the track path, the compression surfaces imparting a compression force on the reservoir as the portion of the reservoir is moved between the compression surfaces. 
     
     
         4 . A delivery device according to  claim 3 , wherein the pair of compression surfaces comprise a pair of rollers. 
     
     
         5 . A delivery device according to  claim 1 , wherein the compression mechanism comprises a plunger head supported for movement within the interior volume of the reservoir, the delivery device further comprising a moveable track operatively coupled to the drive device to be selectively moved along a track path, the moveable track being operatively connectable to the plunger head to move the plunger head within the reservoir when the track is moved along the track path and when the first and second housing portions are engaged. 
     
     
         6 . A delivery device according to  claim 5 , wherein the reservoir comprises a curved channel having a radius of curvature and wherein the track has a radius of curvature approximating the radius of curvature of the curved channel. 
     
     
         7 . A delivery device according to  claim 1 , further comprising electrical control circuitry contained in the second housing portion, wherein the electrical control circuitry controls the drive device for delivery of infusion media from the reservoir to the user when the second housing portion and the first housing portion are engaged. 
     
     
         8 . A delivery device according to  claim 1 , wherein one of the first and second housing portions comprises a base portion having a bottom surface and an adhesive material on the bottom surface for securing that housing portion to the skin of the user. 
     
     
         9 . A delivery device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a moveable track coupled to one of the compression mechanism or the reservoir, wherein the drive device is operatively coupled to the moveable track for moving the moveable track and one of the compression mechanism or the reservoir relative to the other of the compression mechanism and reservoir. 
     
     
         10 . A delivery device according to  claim 9 , further comprising linkage structure for operatively coupling the drive device to the moveable track, to transfer drive force from the drive device to the moveable track. 
     
     
         11 . A method of making a delivery device, the method comprising:
 providing a first housing portion;   providing a second housing portion configured to selectively engage with and disengage from the first housing portion;   supporting a compressible reservoir on the first housing portion, the reservoir having an interior volume for containing a fluid and an outlet connectable in fluid flow communication with an injection site, the reservoir being compressible to reduce the interior volume and increase fluid pressure within the interior volume to drive fluid from the interior volume to the injection site;   supporting a compression mechanism in a position to selectively compress the reservoir;   supporting a drive device supported on the second housing portion in a position to operatively connect to at least one of the reservoir and the compression mechanism when the first and second housing portions are engaged, to selectively cause relative movement between the reservoir and compression mechanism for selective compression of the reservoir.   
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 11 , further comprising operatively coupling a moveable track to the drive device to be selectively moved along a track path and wherein supporting a compression mechanism comprises supporting at least one roller or pad on the moveable track for engaging and compressing the reservoir as the track is moved along the track path. 
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 11 , further comprising:
 operatively coupling a moveable track to the drive device to be selectively moved along a track path; and   connecting the moveable track to the reservoir to move the reservoir as the track is moved along the track path;   wherein supporting a compression mechanism comprises supporting a pair of compression surfaces between which a portion of the reservoir is moved as the track is moved along the track path, the compression surfaces supported in a position to impart a compression force on the reservoir as the portion of the reservoir is moved between the compression surfaces.   
     
     
         14 . A method according to  claim 13 , wherein supporting a pair of compression surfaces comprise supporting a pair of rollers on the first housing portion. 
     
     
         15 . A method according to  claim 11 , wherein supporting a compression mechanism comprises supporting a plunger head for movement within the interior volume of the reservoir, the method further comprising operatively coupling a moveable track to the drive device to be selectively moved along a track path and operatively coupling the moveable track to the plunger head to move the plunger head within the reservoir when the track is moved along the track path and when the first and second housing portions are engaged. 
     
     
         16 . A method according to  claim 15 , wherein the reservoir comprises a curved channel having a radius of curvature and wherein the track has a radius of curvature approximating the radius of curvature of the curved channel. 
     
     
         17 . A method according to  claim 11 , further comprising containing electrical control circuitry in the second housing portion, wherein the electrical control circuitry controls the drive device for delivery of infusion media from the reservoir to the user when the second housing portion and the first housing portion are engaged. 
     
     
         18 . A method according to  claim 11 , wherein providing a first housing portion and providing a second housing portion comprises providing one of the first and second housing portions with a base portion having a bottom surface and an adhesive material on the bottom surface for securing that housing portion to the skin of the user. 
     
     
         19 . A method according to  claim 11 , further comprising operatively coupling a moveable track to one of the compression mechanism or the reservoir and operatively coupling the drive device to the moveable track for moving the moveable track and one of the compression mechanism or the reservoir relative to the other of the compression mechanism and reservoir. 
     
     
         20 . A method according to  claim 19 , further comprising operatively coupling linkage structure to the drive device and to the moveable track, to transfer drive force from the drive device to the moveable track.