Implantable medical delivery device securing excess catheter tubing

Abstract

A medication delivery device—preferably designed and configured to be implantable for use inside of a human body—secures excess tubing of a catheter to a pump housing. The tubing is received and retained in channels, whereby an excess extent of the catheter that is unneeded can be safely stored in an out-of-the-way position. The channels are defined in and integrally formed with the pump housing. Alternatively, the channels are defined in a catheter retention member that clips onto other otherwise attaches to the pump housing. In the alternative design, the catheter retention member may be provided separately from or provided with the pump and catheter.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A medication delivery device, comprising: a housing containing a pump configured to deliver medicine in the form of a fluid; and a catheter extending from the pump and exterior to the housing and defining a fluid pathway for delivering the fluid to a desired anatomical location; wherein the pump housing defines channels dimensioned to receive and retain an extent of tubing of the catheter in a frictional fit therein, whereby an excess extent of tubing of the catheter that is unneeded can be stored in an out-of-the-way position. 
     
     
         2 . The medication delivery device of  claim 1 , wherein the channels are defined in an injection-molding manufacturing process of a body of the pump housing such that the channels and the body of the pump housing consist of a single piece of molded material. 
     
     
         3 . A medication delivery device for securing tubing, comprising: a housing containing a pump configured to deliver medicine in the form of a fluid; a catheter extending from the pump and exterior to the housing and defining a fluid pathway for delivering the fluid to a desired anatomical location; a catheter retention member configured to receive and retain an extent of the catheter, whereby an excess extent of the catheter that is unneeded can be safely stored in an out-of-the-way position; and at least one extension wall configured to clip the catheter retention member onto the pump housing. 
     
     
         4 . The medication delivery device for securing tubing of  claim 3 , wherein the device comprises at least two extension walls configured to clip the catheter retention member to the housing. 
     
     
         5 . The medication delivery device for securing tubing of  claim 3 , wherein the catheter retention member is defined in an injection-molding manufacturing process of a body of the catheter retention member such that the body of the catheter retention member and the at least one extension wall consist of a single piece of molded material. 
     
     
         6 . The medication delivery device for securing tubing of  claim 3 , wherein the catheter retention member defines channels dimensioned to receive and retain tubing of the catheter in a frictional fit therein. 
     
     
         7 . The medication delivery device for securing tubing of  claim 6 , wherein the channels are defined in an injection-molding manufacturing process of a body of the catheter retention member such that the channels and the body of the catheter retention member consist of a single piece of molded material. 
     
     
         8 . A catheter securing device for the storage of excess catheter, comprising at least one extension wall configured to attach to a pump housing of a medication delivery device; and
 one or more channels dimensioned to receive and retain an excess extent of tubing of the catheter of the medication delivery device.   
     
     
         9 . A medication delivery device providing for storage of excess catheter, comprising:
 (a) a pump configured to deliver a fluid to the body, wherein the pump includes a front, a back, and a side wall;   (b) a catheter defining a pathway for delivery of the fluid from the pump to a desired anatomical location;   (c) a cover having a front surface and a back surface; and   (d) at least one extension wall extending from the cover and configured to secure the cover onto the pump such that the cover may be detached from and reattached to the pump;   (e) wherein the cover includes one or more channels each configured and dimensioned to receive and retain therein an extent of tubing of the catheter.   
     
     
         10 . The medication delivery device of  claim 9 , wherein the pump comprises a septum located on a front side for accessing a chamber for holding the fluid. 
     
     
         11 . The medication delivery device of  claim 10 , wherein the cover is positioned such that septum is not obstructed. 
     
     
         12 . The medication delivery device of  claim 9 , wherein the pump comprises a stem to connect the pump to the catheter. 
     
     
         13 . The medication delivery device of  claim 12 , wherein the stem is angled to direct the catheter to the one or more channels. 
     
     
         14 . The medication delivery device of  claim 9 , wherein the one or more channels are located on a front of the cover. 
     
     
         15 . The medication delivery device of  claim 9 , wherein the one or more channels are configured in a spiral configuration. 
     
     
         16 . The medication delivery device of  claim 9 , wherein the channels are dimensioned to receive tubing of the catheter in a frictional fit therein. 
     
     
         17 . The medication delivery device of  claim 9 , wherein the one or more channels are defined by structure formed from a flexible and resilient material and undergoes elastic deformation, demonstrating resiliency and flexibility, when tubing of the catheter is inserted therein. 
     
     
         18 . The medication delivery device of  claim 9 , wherein a back surface of the cover abuts a back surface of a housing of the pump when the cover is secured to the pump by the at least one extension wall. 
     
     
         19 . The medication delivery device of  claim 18 , wherein the back surface of the cover is generally planar. 
     
     
         20 . The medication delivery device of  claim 19 , wherein the back surface of the pump housing is generally planar. 
     
     
         21 . The medication delivery device of  claim 9 , wherein the cover is made from a flexible and resilient material and undergoes elastic deformation, demonstrating resiliency and flexibility, when the cover is secured to and removed from the pump. 
     
     
         22 . The medication delivery device of  claim 21 , wherein the cover is mounted to the pump by flexing and bending of the cover. 
     
     
         23 . The medication delivery device of  claim 9 , wherein an extension wall comprises an L-shaped clip. 
     
     
         24 . The medication delivery device of  claim 23 , wherein the at least one extension wall comprises two opposed L-shaped clips, each extending a length spanning the depth of the pump housing extending between a front and a back of the pump housing. 
     
     
         25 . The medication delivery device of  claim 24 , wherein the extension wall is positioned such that stem is not obstructed. 
     
     
         26 . A catheter retention device providing for the storage of excess catheter used with an implantable medical delivery pump, comprising:
 (a) a cover having a front surface and a back surface;   (b) at least one extension wall to secure the cover to the pump with the back surface of the cover abutting a back surface of the pump; and   (c) one or more channels configured to receive and retain the catheter to the cover.   
     
     
         27 . The catheter retention device of  claim 26 , wherein the one or more channels are formed in the front surface of the cover. 
     
     
         28 . The catheter retention device of  claim 26 , wherein the one or more channels are dimensioned such that the excess catheter is received and retained in a frictional fit within the one or more channels. 
     
     
         29 . The catheter retention device of  claim 26 , wherein the one or more channels are arranged in a spiral configuration. 
     
     
         30 . The catheter retention device of  claim 26 , wherein the one or more channels are defined by structure formed from a flexible and resilient material and undergoes elastic deformation, demonstrating resiliency and flexibility, when tubing of the catheter is inserted therein. 
     
     
         31 . The catheter retention device of  claim 26 , wherein the cover is made from a flexible and resilient material and undergoes elastic deformation, demonstrating resiliency and flexibility, when the cover is secured to and removed from the pump. 
     
     
         32 . The catheter retention device of  claim 31 , wherein the cover is mounted to the pump by flexing and bending of the cover. 
     
     
         33 . The catheter retention device of  claim 26 , wherein an extension wall comprises a resilient and flexile clip. 
     
     
         34 . The catheter retention device of  claim 26 , wherein an extension wall comprises a clip. 
     
     
         35 . The catheter retention device of  claim 26 , wherein the at least one extension wall comprises two opposed L-shaped clips. 
     
     
         36 . The catheter retention device of  claim 26 , wherein the at least one extension wall extends a length from the cover that spans a depth of the pump extending between a front and a back of the pump. 
     
     
         37 . The catheter retention device of  claim 36 , wherein the at least one extension wall comprises two opposed L-shaped clips, with ends of the clips abutting a front of the pump and with a back of the cover abutting a back of the pump. 
     
     
         38 . A medication delivery device providing for the storage of excess catheter, comprising:
 (a) a pump housing having a front surface, a backs surface, and a side surface; and   (b) one or more channels configured to receive and retain excess catheter tubing to the pump housing.   
     
     
         39 . The medication delivery device of  claim 38 , wherein the one or more channels are oriented in a spiral configuration. 
     
     
         40 . The medication delivery device of  claim 39 , wherein the one or more channels are configured to receive the excess catheter tubing in a frictional fit therein. 
     
     
         41 . The medication delivery device of  claim 40 , wherein the opening is smaller than the diameter of the catheter so that the catheter may be forced into at least one of the one or more channels and retained. 
     
     
         42 . The medication delivery device of  claim 41 , wherein the one or more channels are composed of flexible material to receive the catheter but has sufficient stiffness to retain the catheter. 
     
     
         43 . A method of installing a medication delivery device, comprising
 (a) providing a pump having a septum and a stem, a catheter having tubing, and a catheter securing device having a flexible cover, the cover including one or more channels on a surface of the cover and clips for attachment of the cover to the pump;   (b) mounting the catheter securing device onto the pump;   (c) inserting an extent of excess catheter tubing into the one or more channels of the cover;   (d) attaching one end of the catheter tubing to the stem of the pump; and   (e) inserting the pump into a body such that the excess extent of catheter tubing received within the one or more channels remains in the one or more channels.   
     
     
         44 . A medication delivery device as shown and described. 
     
     
         45 . A medication delivery device system as shown and described. 
     
     
         46 . A method of installing a medication delivery device, substantially as shown and described.