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US4639244A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Implantable electrophoretic pump for ionic drugs and associated methods

Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1985-07-12
•
Granted: 1987-01-27
•
Expires: 2005-07-12
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Abstract

Abstract An implantable electrophoretic pump for ionic drugs and the method of using the same is provided. A reservoir is provided with a filler opening and a discharge opening. The discharge opening has a diffusion membrane and a pair of associated electrodes. A battery and electronic components provide for energizing the electrodes so as to effect ion transfer of the ionic drugs into other portions of the patient's body through the voltage induced between the two electrodes. The pump is particularly useful for ionic drugs such as insulin, blood thinners, antibiotics and the like. A method of making a porous electrode.

Inventors

  • 👤 Nabil I. Rizk
  • 👤 Charles L. Stevens

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-23 17:25
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61N; A61N1/00; A61N1/18; A61N1/20; A61N1/30; A61N1/303; A61N1/306

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 51
Claim 1
Independent Claim 156 words
An implantable electrophoretic pump for ionic drugs comprising a housing, a substantially fixed volume reservoir for storing said ionic drugs having a filler opening and a discharge opening, said housing having opening means disposed generally adjacent to said filler opening and said discharge opening, a filler member disposed within said filler opening and being self-sealing and adapted to be pierced by a reservoir filling member and upon removal of said filling member will resist leakage therethrough, a reservoir discharge member disposed within said discharge opening and having a diffusion membrane and a pair of associated electrodes, electrical energizing means for energizing said electrodes, and the polarity of said electrodes being adapted to be connected such that when said electrodes are energized increased flow of said ionic drug through said discharge member will occur as compared with flow induced solely through diffusion when said electrodes are not energized, whereby said pump can deliver said ionic drugs electrophoretically.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 156 words
An implantable electrophoretic pump for ionic drugs comprising a housing, a substantially fixed volume reservoir for storing said ionic drugs having a filler opening and a discharge opening, said housing having opening means disposed generally adjacent to said filler opening and said discharge opening, a filler member disposed within said filler opening and being self-sealing and adapted to be pierced by a reservoir filling member and upon removal of said filling member will resist leakage therethrough, a reservoir discharge member disposed within said discharge opening and having a diffusion membrane and a pair of associated electrodes, electrical energizing means for energizing said electrodes, and the polarity of said electrodes being adapted to be connected such that when said electrodes are energized increased flow of said ionic drug through said discharge member will occur as compared with flow induced solely through diffusion when said electrodes are not energized, whereby said pump can deliver said ionic drugs electrophoretically.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 14 words
The implantable electrophoretic pump of claim 1 wherein said electrical means includes battery means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 16 words
The implantable electrophoretic pump of claim 2 wherein said diffusion membrane is a passive diffusion membrane.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 41 words
The implantable electrophoretic pump of claim 1 including said discharge member being in communication with the exterior of the housing through said opening means, and said filler member being in communication with the exterior of said housing through said opening means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 29 words
The implantable electrophoretic pump of claim 3 including said passive diffusion membrane permitting the passage of said ionic drug therethrough under the influence of diffusion or electrophoresis or both.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 15 words
The implantable electrophoretic pump of claim 1 including said diffusion membrane being an active membrane.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 16 words
The implantable electrophoretic pump of claim 6 including said active membrane being an ion exchange membrane.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 33 words
The implantable electrophoretic pump of claim 5 including said filler opening being disposed in a first wall of said reservoir, and said discharge opening being disposed in a second wall of said reservoir.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 21 words
The implantable electrophoretic pump of claim 8 including said first wall and said second wall being substantially perpendicular to each other.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 14 words
The implantable electrophoretic pump of claim 5 including said electrodes being of porous construction.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 28 words
The implantable electrophoretic pump of claim 5 including said electrodes being composed of a material selected from the group consisting of silver/silver chloride, carbon, carbon mesh and platinum.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 23 words
The implantable electrophoretic pump of claim 5 including said reservoir having a chamber with a storage volume of about 15 to 25 milliliters.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 43 words
The implantable electrophoretic pump of claim 5 including the interior of said reservoir except for the regions of said filler opening and said discharge opening having an interior coating of a material selected from a group consisting of resinous plastic and silicon rubber.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 22 words
The implantable electrophoretic pump of claim 5 including electronic means energized by said battery means for energizing said electrodes during predetermined periods.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 28 words
The implantable electrophoretic pump of claim 10 including electronic means having means for bolus activation which when activated is adapted to deliver additional quantities of said ionic drug.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 22 words
The implantable electrophoretic pump of claim 15 including said bolus means adapted to be activated by means disposed exteriorly of the user.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 20 words
The implantable electrophoretic pump of claim 14 including said electronic means having means for reversing the polarity of said electrodes.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 36 words
The electrophoretic pump of claim 17 wherein said electronic means have means for charging the said electrode disposed closer to the interior of said reservoir with a charge of the type possessed by said ionic drug.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 39 words
The implantable electrophoretic pump of claim 5 including said housing having an average height of about 15 to 25 mm., a maximum length of about 90 to 110 cm. and an average width of about 35 to 50 mm.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 35 words
The implantable electrophoretic pump of claim 5 including said membrane being a passive membrane and said membrane being selected from the group consisting of cellulose esters, cellulose acetate, nylon polyvinylidene fluoride, polytetraflouroethylene and cellulose nitrates.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 31 words
The implantable electrophoretic pump of claim 20 including said passive membrane having a thickness of about 100 to 200 microns and an area of about 0.5 to 5 cm 2 .
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 25 words
The implantable electrophoretic pump of claim 5 including said reservoir being substantially cylindrical, and said filler opening being disposed on one of the end walls.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 20 words
The implantable electrophoretic pump of claim 22 including said discharge opening being disposed in a lateral wall of said reservoir.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim 17 words
The implantable electrophoretic pump of claim 23 including said housing having a generally triangular shape in plan.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim 14 words
The implantable electrophoretic pump of claim 1 including said reservoir disposed within said housing.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim 21 words
The implantable electrophoretic pump of claim 1 including said reservoir disposed externally of said housing and being in electrical communication therewith.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim 14 words
The implantable electrophoretic pump of claim 14 including said electronic means including capacitor means.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim 15 words
The implantable electrophoretic pump of claim 13 wherein said material is an ion exchange resin.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim 75 words
A reservoir for an implantable electrophoretic pump including a hollow body defining a substantially fixed volume drug storage chamber, a filler opening defined within said body, a self-sealing member sealingly secured within said filler opening, a discharge opening defined within said body, a diffusion membrane sealingly secured within said discharge opening, and a pair of electrodes having an electrode disposed on each side of said diffusion membrane whereby said reservoir can deliver said drug electrophoretically.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim 75 words
A reservoir for an implantable electrophoretic pump including a hollow body defining a substantially fixed volume drug storage chamber, a filler opening defined within said body, a self-sealing member sealingly secured within said filler opening, a discharge opening defined within said body, a diffusion membrane sealingly secured within said discharge opening, and a pair of electrodes having an electrode disposed on each side of said diffusion membrane whereby said reservoir can deliver said drug electrophoretically.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim 13 words
The reservoir of claim 29 including said diffusion membrane being a passive membrane.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim 13 words
The reservoir of claim 29 including said diffusion membrane being an active membrane.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim 14 words
The reservoir of claim 29 including said diffusion membrane being an ion exchange membrane.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim 14 words
The reservoir of claim 29 including said reservoir body being of substantially rigid construction.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim 28 words
The reservoir of claim 33 including said filler opening being in a wall oriented generally perpendicularly with respect to the wall in which said discharge opening is defined.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim 13 words
The reservoir of claim 34 including said reservoir being of generally cylindrical shape.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim 30 words
The reservoir of claim 30 including said passive membrane being of a material selected from the group consisting of cellulose esters, cellulose acetate, nylon, polyvinylidene flouride, polytetraflouroethylene and cellulose nitrates.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim 18 words
The reservoir of claim 35 including said passive membrane having a thickness of about 100 to 200 microns.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim 20 words
The reservoir of claim 37 including said passive membrane having an area of about 0.5 to 5 cm 2 .
Claim 41
Dependent Claim 11 words
The reservoir of claim 37 including resilient member having reinforcing members.
Claim 42
Independent Claim 112 words
A method of delivering an ionic drug within a patient comprising providing an implantable electrophoretic pump having a housing within which is disposed a substantially fixed volume ionic drug storage reservoir having a filler opening sealed by a self-sealing membrane and a discharge opening sealed by a diffusion membrane having electrode means disposed on opposite sides of said diffusion membrane, introducing an ionic drug into said reservoir, implanting said pump in said patient, effecting basal rate delivery of said ionic drug to said patient by diffusion, and periodically energizing said electrode to effect alteration of the diffusion induced flow of ions out of said reservoir whereby said drug can be delivered electrophoretically.
Claim 43
Independent Claim 112 words
A method of delivering an ionic drug within a patient comprising providing an implantable electrophoretic pump having a housing within which is disposed a substantially fixed volume ionic drug storage reservoir having a filler opening sealed by a self-sealing membrane and a discharge opening sealed by a diffusion membrane having electrode means disposed on opposite sides of said diffusion membrane, introducing an ionic drug into said reservoir, implanting said pump in said patient, effecting basal rate delivery of said ionic drug to said patient by diffusion, and periodically energizing said electrode to effect alteration of the diffusion induced flow of ions out of said reservoir whereby said drug can be delivered electrophoretically.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim 13 words
The method of claim 40 wherein said diffusion membrane is a passive membrane.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim 24 words
The method of delivering an ionic drug of claim 40 including introducing said ionic drug into said reservoir prior to implantation of said pump.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim 23 words
The method of delivering an ionic drug of claim 40 including introducing said ionic drug into said reservoir after implantation of said pump.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim 18 words
The method of delivering an ionic drug of claim 40 including implanting said pump in said patient's peritoneum.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim 33 words
The method of delivering an ionic drug of claim 42 including providing electronic means operatively associated with said electrode means within said pump, and batteries disposed within said pump for energizing said electrodes.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim 42 words
The method of delivering an ionic drug of claim 45 including maintaining a substantially continuous flow of said ionic drug out of said reservoir by means of diffusion, and periodically enhancing or retarding said diffusion rate of flow through energizing said electrodes.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim 29 words
The method of delivering an ionic drug of claim 46 including reversing polarity of said electrodes when it is desired to retard diffusion induced flow of said ionic drug.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim 31 words
The method of delivering an ionic drug of claim 47 including periodically replenishing the supply of said ionic drug by introducing a hypodermic needle into said reservoir through said self-sealing membrane.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1990-01-26 1990-07-28 1991-01-27 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1994-01-26 1994-07-28 1995-01-27 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1998-01-26 1998-07-28 1999-01-27 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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