Infusion medium delivery device and method with drive device for driving plunger in reservoir

Abstract

A delivery device includes first and second housing portions that selectively engage and disengage. A reservoir on one housing portion operatively engages a drive device and/or a needle inserting device on the other housing portion. Upon proper engagement of the housing portions, the reservoir operatively couples to the drive device and/or the needle inserting device. A first magnet on the first housing portion and a second magnet (or a magnetically-attractive material) on the second housing portion are positioned to magnetically interact with each other, upon operative engagement of the housing portions. A third magnet on the second housing portion may be opposed to the first magnet to help align the housing portions for connection. A magnet-responsive device may be on one or both housing portions to detect alignment and/or connection of the housing portions.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A delivery device for delivering an infusion medium to a user, comprising:
 a first housing portion carried by the user;   a second housing portion selectively operatively engaged with and disengaged from the first housing portion;   a reservoir supported by the first housing portion;   a drive device supported by the first housing portion and operably coupled to the reservoir;   a magnet supported on the second housing portion; and   a magnetically responsive device supported on the first housing portion in a position to magnetically interact with the magnet upon the first housing portion and the second housing portion being operatively engaged.   
     
     
         2 . The delivery device of  claim 1 , wherein the magnetically responsive device includes a device that provides a signal or changes a state upon the first housing portion and the second housing portion being operatively engaged. 
     
     
         3 . The delivery device of  claim 1 , wherein the magnetically responsive device is at least one of a magnetically activating switch, a device capable of detecting magnetic fields, and a suitable magnet detector that produces an electrically detectable state or signal upon being in sufficiently close proximity to the magnet. 
     
     
         4 . The delivery device of  claim 1 , wherein the magnetically responsive device is activated when the first housing portion and the second housing portion are brought into a predefined, sufficiently aligned position and in a predefined, sufficiently close proximity. 
     
     
         5 . The delivery device of  claim 4 , wherein the predefined aligned position and proximity correspond to a properly aligned and mutually proximate position for connection of the first housing portion and the second housing portion for operation. 
     
     
         6 . The delivery device of  claim 1 , further including control electronics operatively coupled to the magnetically responsive device to control the drive device dependent upon a signal from or state of the magnetically responsive device. 
     
     
         7 . The delivery device of  claim 6 , wherein the control electronics inhibit operation of the drive device unless the signal from or state of the magnetically responsive device corresponds to the signal or state when the first housing portion and the second housing portion are operatively engaged. 
     
     
         8 . The delivery device of  claim 6 , wherein the control electronics inhibit operation of the drive device unless the magnetically responsive device is activated by the magnet upon the first housing portion and the second housing portion being in proper alignment and sufficiently close proximity to connect for operation. 
     
     
         9 . The delivery device of  claim 6 , wherein the magnetically responsive device provides a detect signal to the control electronics upon activation of the magnetically responsive device by the magnet. 
     
     
         10 . The delivery device of  claim 9 , wherein the control electronics allow operation of the drive device upon presence of the detect signal. 
     
     
         11 . The delivery device of  claim 1 , wherein the first housing portion and the second housing portion are operatively engaged when a proper connection of the reservoir into the first housing portion is made. 
     
     
         12 . The delivery device of  claim 6 , wherein the drive device is controlled to stop pumping operation immediately upon a detection of a disconnection of the first housing portion from the second housing portion, or a disconnection of the reservoir from the first housing portion. 
     
     
         13 . The delivery device of  claim 6 , wherein the control electronics detect a first-time connection of the first housing portion and the second housing portion. 
     
     
         14 . The delivery device of  claim 6 , wherein the control electronics provide an electronic, user-perceptible indication of proper alignment and/or connection of the first housing portion and the second housing portion. 
     
     
         15 . The delivery device of  claim 6 , wherein the control electronics provide a suitable control signal to activate an indicator device, the indicator device being at least one of an audible indicator, an optical indicator, and a tactile indicator. 
     
     
         16 . The delivery device of  claim 14 , wherein a signal is communicated from a transmitter to a remotely located communication device to provide one or more user-perceptible indications to a user of the remotely located communication device. 
     
     
         17 . The delivery device of  claim 16 , wherein a text or graphic message is displayed on a display screen on at least one of the delivery device and the remotely located communication device as an indicator of a proper or improper alignment or connection of the first housing portion and the second housing portion. 
     
     
         18 . The delivery device of  claim 1 , wherein the reservoir is supported by the second housing portion. 
     
     
         19 . The delivery device of  claim 1 , wherein the infusion medium is insulin. 
     
     
         20 . A housing for a delivery device for delivering an infusion medium to a user, comprising:
 a first housing portion selectively operatively engaged with and disengaged from a second housing portion carried by the user, wherein the second housing portion supports a reservoir and a drive device that is operably coupled to the reservoir; and   a magnet supported on the first housing portion that magnetically interacts with a magnetically responsive device supported on the second housing portion upon the first housing portion and the second housing portion being operatively engaged.   
     
     
         21 . The housing of  claim 20 , wherein the magnetically responsive device includes a device that provides a signal or changes a state upon the first housing portion and the second housing portion being operatively engaged. 
     
     
         22 . The housing of  claim 20 , wherein the magnetically responsive device is at least one of a magnetically activating switch, a device capable of detecting magnetic fields, and a suitable magnet detector that produces an electrically detectable state or signal upon being in sufficiently close proximity to the magnet. 
     
     
         23 . The housing of  claim 20 , wherein the magnetically responsive device is activated when the first housing portion and the second housing portion are brought into a predefined, sufficiently aligned position and in a predefined, sufficiently close proximity. 
     
     
         24 . The housing of  claim 23 , wherein the predefined aligned position and proximity correspond to a properly aligned and mutually proximate position for connection of the first housing portion and the second housing portion for operation. 
     
     
         25 . The housing of  claim 20 , wherein the second housing portion further includes control electronics operatively coupled to the magnetically responsive device to control the drive device dependent upon a signal from or state of the magnetically responsive device. 
     
     
         26 . The housing of  claim 25 , wherein the control electronics inhibit operation of the drive device unless the signal from or state of the magnetically responsive device corresponds to the signal or state when the first housing portion and the second housing portion are operatively engaged. 
     
     
         27 . The housing of  claim 25 , wherein the control electronics inhibit operation of the drive device unless the magnetically responsive device is activated by the magnet upon the first housing portion and the second housing portion being in proper alignment and sufficiently close proximity to connect for operation. 
     
     
         28 . The housing of  claim 25 , wherein the magnetically responsive device provides a detect signal to the control electronics upon activation of the magnetically responsive device by the magnet. 
     
     
         29 . The housing of  claim 28 , wherein the control electronics allow operation of the drive device upon presence of the detect signal. 
     
     
         30 . The housing of  claim 20 , wherein the first housing portion and the second housing portion are operatively engaged when a proper connection of the reservoir into the second housing portion is made. 
     
     
         31 . The housing of  claim 25 , wherein the drive device is controlled to stop pumping operation immediately upon a detection of a disconnection of the first housing portion from the second housing portion, or a disconnection of the reservoir from the second housing portion. 
     
     
         32 . The housing of  claim 25 , wherein the control electronics detect a first-time connection of the first housing portion and the second housing portion. 
     
     
         33 . The housing of  claim 25 , wherein the control electronics provide an electronic, user-perceptible indication of proper alignment and/or connection of the first housing portion and the second housing portion. 
     
     
         34 . The housing of  claim 25 , wherein the control electronics provide a suitable control signal to activate an indicator device, the indicator device being at least one of an audible indicator, an optical indicator, and a tactile indicator. 
     
     
         35 . The housing of  claim 33 , wherein a signal is communicated from a transmitter to a remotely located communication device to provide one or more user-perceptible indications to a user of the remotely located communication device. 
     
     
         36 . The housing of  claim 35 , wherein a text or graphic message is displayed on a display screen on at least one of the delivery device and the remotely located communication device as an indicator of a proper or improper alignment or connection of the first housing portion and the second housing portion. 
     
     
         37 . The housing of  claim 20 , wherein the reservoir is supported by the first housing portion. 
     
     
         38 . The housing of  claim 20 , wherein the infusion medium is insulin.