US4781685A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Implantable drug-dispensing capsule and system facilitating its use
Assignee: RDM MEDICAL
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Filing: 1987-04-09
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Granted: 1988-11-01
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Expires: 2007-04-09
Abstract
Abstract The invention concerns an implantable drug-dispensing capsule and a process and system facilitating its use. According to the invention, a mechanism (7) for detecting the proximity of the injection needle (1) is provided inside the body (5) of the capsule (3), which detection mechanism is connected to an external signaling device (32) which signals when this proximity is realized. The invention is in particular applicable to the injection of various drugs in localized sites.
Inventors
- 👤 Gerard Lehmann
- 👤 Joel Metais
- 👤 Jean-Francois Meunier
- 👤 Jean-Philippe Gautier
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 19:18
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61M; A61M39/00; A61M39/02; A61M39/0208; A61M2039/0238
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
266 words
A system for registering proper introduction of an injection syringe needle into the body of a drug-dispensing capsule implantable under the skin of a patient, said capsule, placed in contact by its outer wall with the patient's body, including an electrically conducting inner wall forming a mechanism for detecting the proximity of the tip of said needle, and said system being equipped with an external signaling device connected to said inner wall and responding to the state of closure through the patient's body of an electrical circuit including said inner conducting wall of the capsule and said needle, the improvement comprising: an AC generator the input of which is connected to the positive pole of a DC source, an assembly including a rectifier and filter, said assembly being connected by a first input terminal to the output of said generator, by a second terminal to the negative pole of said source, at least one comparator connected by lead-out to said signaling device, by lead-in to a third output terminal of the rectifier/filter assembly and to a comparison unit intended to provide a reference voltage, said comparator being subjected to the difference in voltage between that delivered by said rectifier/filter assembly and that delivered by said comparison unit and being fed, with said signaling device, by said DC source, a surface electrode placed on a patient's skin, said electrode being connected to the negative pole of the source and, in the circuit's closed state, in series with said needle, the patient's body, and/or said inner wall of the capsule, towards the input terminal of said rectifier/filter assembly.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
266 words
A system for registering proper introduction of an injection syringe needle into the body of a drug-dispensing capsule implantable under the skin of a patient, said capsule, placed in contact by its outer wall with the patient's body, including an electrically conducting inner wall forming a mechanism for detecting the proximity of the tip of said needle, and said system being equipped with an external signaling device connected to said inner wall and responding to the state of closure through the patient's body of an electrical circuit including said inner conducting wall of the capsule and said needle, the improvement comprising: an AC generator the input of which is connected to the positive pole of a DC source, an assembly including a rectifier and filter, said assembly being connected by a first input terminal to the output of said generator, by a second terminal to the negative pole of said source, at least one comparator connected by lead-out to said signaling device, by lead-in to a third output terminal of the rectifier/filter assembly and to a comparison unit intended to provide a reference voltage, said comparator being subjected to the difference in voltage between that delivered by said rectifier/filter assembly and that delivered by said comparison unit and being fed, with said signaling device, by said DC source, a surface electrode placed on a patient's skin, said electrode being connected to the negative pole of the source and, in the circuit's closed state, in series with said needle, the patient's body, and/or said inner wall of the capsule, towards the input terminal of said rectifier/filter assembly.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
71 words
The system according to claim 1, wherein the rectifier/filter assembly further includes: a current-rectifying component such as a diode placed on the feed line joining the input terminal and the output terminal of the assembly, a condenser connected both to said feed line at the site of the cathode of said diode and to the negative pole of the source, and a resistor mounted parallel to the terminals of said condenser.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
147 words
A system according to claim 1 wherein said comparison unit includes: a sequencing clock, one input terminal of which is connected to the output terminal of said rectifier/filter assembly, two switches each placed under the control of said clock and connected to one another at one of their transient terminals, said first switch, through its other transient terminal, being connected to one of the terminals of a voltage dividing bridge, itself linked to the output terminal of said rectifier/filter assembly, the other terminal of the dividing bridge being connected to the negative pole of the source, and said second switch being connected, also through its other transient terminal, to a lead-in of the comparator, the clock and the two switches, a condenser connected on one side to the negative pole of said source and on the other at the site of a linkage between the two switches.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
94 words
A system according to claim 3, further including two comparators, the first being connected by its two lead-ins respectively to the output terminal of said rectifier/filter assembly and to said other transient terminal of the second switch, the lead-out of this first comparator being directly linked to said signaling device, the second comparator being placed between the output terminal of said rectifier/filter assembly and the input terminal of said clock, the comparison unit to which is connected one of the lead-ins of this second comparator being of the type delivering a determined, fixed voltage.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
57 words
A system according to claim 4, further comprising two voltage followers each placed between the output terminal of said rectifier/filter assembly and the corresponding lead-in of the comparator which is subjected to the voltage difference between that delivered by said rectifier/filter assembly and that delivered by said comparison unit, both followers being fed by said DC source.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
43 words
A system according to claim 1, wherein said capsule is formed by a conducting metal wall forming the bottom of the capsule, on which is molded the remainder of the capsule in non-conducting plastic, including the tight, perforatable partition opposite the bottom wall.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
37 words
A system according to claim 6, wherein the capsule's metal bottom is formed by a part shaped by stamping, having the shape of a basin closable on its upper part by the perforatable partition forming the cover.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
26 words
A system according to claim 6, including a metal adapter attached to said metal bottom connecting the inside of the capsule to the implanted dispensing tube.
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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) | 1991-11-01 | 1992-05-02 | 1992-11-01 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1995-11-01 | 1996-05-02 | 1996-11-01 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1999-11-01 | 2000-05-02 | 2000-11-01 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |