JP7442357B2 - Infusion pumps and infusion pump systems - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to infusion pumps and infusion pump systems.

Conventionally, techniques for reducing the size or weight of infusion pumps are known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a portable infusion pump for injecting a medical solution into a patient using a battery as a power source.

JP2012-200543A

However, in recent years, there has been a demand for further downsizing and weight reduction of infusion pumps, such as, for example, PCA (Patient Controlled Analgesia) pumps that are attached to the surface of a living body and can be adjusted by the patient themselves, or wearable injectors. Therefore, even in the portable infusion pump described in Patent Document 1, there is still room for reduction in size or weight.

An object of the present disclosure, which was made in view of such circumstances, is to provide an infusion pump and an infusion pump system that can be made smaller or lighter.

An infusion pump according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a pump body that has a suction port and a discharge port and defines a flow path from the suction port to the discharge port, and the pump body has an external force applied thereto. It has an external force application section and a deformation section that undergoes bending deformation when an external force is applied to the external force application section, at least a part of the flow path is disposed in the deformation section, and the external force application section When an external force is applied to the suction port, fluid is sucked into the flow path, and when the external force applied to the external force application section is released, fluid is drawn out of the flow path from the discharge port. It is discharged.

In the infusion pump according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, it is preferable that the pump body extends in a curved manner from the deformation portion toward the external force application portion.

The infusion pump according to an embodiment of the present disclosure further includes an actuation section connectable to an external drive device, and the actuation section is driven by the drive device to apply an external force to the external force application section. and release are preferably repeated alternately.

Preferably, the infusion pump according to an embodiment of the present disclosure further includes a defining portion that defines a direction in which the liquid flows through the flow path.

An infusion pump system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes the above-described infusion pump and a drive device that drives the infusion pump by applying an external force to the pump body to cause bending deformation.

In the infusion pump system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, it is preferable that a first casing in which the infusion pump is arranged and a second casing in which the drive device is arranged are different.

According to an infusion pump and an infusion pump system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an infusion pump and an infusion pump system that can be made smaller or lighter.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an overview of the operation of the infusion pump according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of an infusion pump according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure using a partially sectional view. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an infusion pump system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an infusion pump according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of the infusion pump of FIG. 4 using a partially sectional view.

(infusion pump)
Hereinafter, an infusion pump according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

In each figure, the same or corresponding parts are given the same reference numerals. In the description of this embodiment, the description of the same or corresponding parts will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

First, with reference to FIG. 1, an overview of the operation of an infusion pump 10 as a first embodiment of an infusion pump according to the present disclosure will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an overview of the operation of an infusion pump 10 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG. 1, an infusion pump 10 is shown in cross-section.

FIG. 1(a) shows a state in which no external force is applied to the infusion pump 10. The infusion pump 10 includes a pump main body 11 that has a suction port 12 and a discharge port 13 and defines a flow path 14 from the suction port 12 to the discharge port 13, although the details will be described later. The infusion pump 10 is connected via a suction port 12 to an infusion container 30 filled with liquid. Further, the infusion pump 10 is connected to an infusion tube 40 via a discharge port 13. In this embodiment, the pump body 11 has a C-shaped curve, and has a suction port 12 at one end and a discharge port 13 at the other end. Further, the pump main body 11 includes an external force applying section 11A to which an external force is applied, and a deforming section 11B that undergoes bending deformation when the external force is applied to the external force applying section 11A. Specifically, in the pump main body 11, both ends of the pump main body 11 curved in an arch shape are external force applying parts 11A, and the central part of the pump main body 11 sandwiched between the external force applying parts 11A is a deforming part 11B. . In the present disclosure, the space side surrounded by the pump body 11 with respect to the curved pump body 11 is referred to as the “inner side in the curved direction” of the pump body 11; The space side opposite to the space is referred to as the "curving direction outside" of the pump body 11.

FIG. 1(b) shows a state in which an external force is applied to the infusion pump 10. When an external force is applied to the external force application section 11A, bending deformation occurs in the deformation section 11B. Specifically, as shown by the arrow P _A in FIG. 1(b), an external force is applied to the external force application section 11A from the outside in the curved direction of the pump body 11, so that the arcuate pump body 11 becomes elastic. It deforms and bends, causing bending deformation in the deformed portion 11B of the pump body 11. This bending deformation causes bending stress to act on the side surface of the deformed portion 11B on the inner side in the curving direction of the pump body 11, as shown by arrow P _B. This bending stress widens the channel 14 in the deformed portion 11B, increasing the volume of the channel 14. As a result, the infusion pump 10 can suck the liquid from the infusion container 30 via the suction port 12. Note that, at this time, the discharge port 13 is closed by a regulating portion 16, which will be described later, such as a check valve.

FIG. 1(c) shows a state in which the external force applied to the infusion pump 10 is released. When the external force applied to the external force application section 11A is released, the shape of the deformed section 11B is restored due to the restoring force of the pump body 11, and the volume of the flow path 14 in the deformed section 11B is reduced. Thereby, the infusion pump 10 can discharge the liquid from the discharge port 13. Note that, at this time, the suction port 12 is closed by a defining portion 16, which will be described later, such as a check valve.

The infusion pump 10 can alternately repeat suction of the liquid from the infusion container 30 and discharge of the liquid into the infusion tube 40 by repeatedly applying and releasing external force to the external force applying section 11A. .

(Second embodiment of infusion pump)
Next, with reference to FIG. 2, the configuration of an infusion pump 10A, which is a second embodiment of the infusion pump 10 according to the present disclosure, will be described in detail. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of the infusion pump 10A using a partially sectional view. As shown in FIG. 2, the infusion pump 10A includes a pump body 11, an actuation section 15, and a regulation section 16.

The pump main body 11 includes an external force application section 11A to which an external force is applied, and a deformation section 11B that undergoes bending deformation when the external force is applied to the external force application section 11A.

In this embodiment, the pump main body 11 has an elongated plate shape, and regions near both ends of the pump main body 11 in the extending direction are used as external force applying sections 11A, and two external force applying sections are provided in the extending direction of the pump main body 11. The region sandwiched between the two portions 11A is the deformed portion 11B. Thereby, by applying an external force to the two external force application parts 11A so as to bend the pump main body 11, it is possible to efficiently cause bending deformation in the deformation part 11B. In this embodiment, the lengths of the two external force applying sections 11A and the one deforming section 11B in the extending direction of the pump body 11 will be explained as being equal. However, the lengths of the external force applying section 11A and the deforming section 11B in the pump body 11 may be arbitrarily determined.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the pump main body 11 extends in a curved manner from the deformable portion 11B toward the external force applying portion 11A. Specifically, the pump main body 11 has a plate shape that extends in a C-shape. This makes it possible to downsize the infusion pump 10A. However, the shape of the pump body 11 is not limited to the example described above, and may be curved in a U-shape or V-shape, or in a non-curved shape, etc. when an external force is applied to the first region of the pump body 11. The second region of the pump body 11 may have any shape in which bending deformation occurs. In such a case, the first region of the pump body 11 is used as the external force applying section 11A, and the second region is used as the deforming section 11B. In the pump body 11, the external force applying section 11A and the deforming section 11B may at least partially overlap each other. That is, when an external force is applied to the external force application section 11A of the pump body 11, bending deformation may occur in the deformation section 11B, and bending deformation may occur in at least a portion of the external force application section 11A. The material of the pump body 11 is, for example, a resin material such as polyethylene or polypropylene. In this embodiment, the pump main body 11 is formed as a whole. However, the pump main body 11 may be formed by welding, gluing, or fastening a plurality of members.

The pump main body 11 has a suction port 12 and a discharge port 13, and defines a flow path 14 from the suction port 12 to the discharge port 13.

In this embodiment, the pump main body 11 has a suction port 12 at one end in the extending direction of the pump main body 11, and has a discharge port 13 at the other end in the extending direction. Furthermore, the pump body 11 defines a flow path 14 from the suction port 12 to the discharge port 13 along the extending direction of the pump body 11 . In FIG. 1, the pump body 11 is shown in a cross-sectional view so that the flow path 14 inside the pump body 11 can be seen for the sake of explanation. However, in the pump body 11 , the flow path 14 is surrounded by a wall surface of the pump body 11 .

At least a portion of the flow path 14 is arranged in the deformed portion 11B of the pump body 11. Furthermore, in the deformable portion 11B of the pump body 11, at least a portion of the wall portions that partition the flow path 14 is reduced in rigidity at a portion to which bending stress is applied when bending deformation occurs in the deformable portion 11B. In the present embodiment, in the deformed portion 11B of the pump body 11, the rigidity of the inner wall of the flow path 14 in the curved direction of the pump body 11 is lower than that of the wall of the flow path 14 on the outer side of the pump body 11 in the curved direction. The rigidity of the flow path 14 is lower than that of other wall portions that partition the flow path 14. Thereby, the external force applied to the pump body 11 to increase the volume of the flow path 14 can be further reduced. In this embodiment, for example, the thickness of the wall portion of the channel 14 on the inside in the curved direction of the pump body 11 is made thinner than the thickness of the wall portion on the outside of the pump body 11 in the curved direction. However, regardless of the thickness, the inner wall of the flow path 14 in the curved direction of the pump body 11 is made of a material having a lower rigidity than the outer wall of the pump body 11 in the curved direction. The wall portion of the channel 14 on the inside in the curved direction of the pump body 11 may have low rigidity.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the flow path 14 is formed wider in at least a portion of the deformed portion 11B of the pump body 11 than in other portions. Here, the "width of the flow path" means the length in the width direction that is perpendicular to the extending direction of the pump body 11 and goes from the inside in the curved direction to the outside in the curved direction. As a result, when an external force is applied to the external force application section 11A of the pump body 11, compressive force is easily applied to the inner wall in the curved direction of the deformed section 11B of the pump body 11, and the deformed section 11B of the pump body 11 is easily compressed. Bending deformation is likely to occur.

The actuating section 15 is connected to a drive device 20 (see FIG. 3) such as a motor to be described later, and is driven by the drive device 20 to alternately apply and release an external force to the external force application section 11A of the pump body 11. It is designed to repeat. The actuating section 15 includes two plate-like members 15A for applying an external force to each of the external force applying sections 11A of the pump body 11, and a rotating member 15B that engages with each of the two plate-like members 15A. There is. In this embodiment, the actuating section 15 is arranged such that the two plate-like members 15A are in contact with the external force applying section 11A of the pump main body 11 from the inside in the curved direction. This makes it possible to downsize the infusion pump 10A. However, the actuating section 15 is not limited to the inside of the pump body 11 in the curved direction, and may be disposed at any position where an external force can be applied to the external force applying section 11A of the pump body 11. The two plate-like members 15A of the actuating portion 15 may be formed integrally with the pump body 11, or may be connected to the pump body 11 by welding, adhesion, fastening, or the like.

In this embodiment, the rotating member 15B is a gear, and the rotating member 15B and the plate member 15A are a rack and pinion mechanism. Thereby, the rotational movement of the rotating member 15B is converted into a horizontal movement of the plate-like member 15A. Further, the rotating member 15B is a gear in which at least a portion of its periphery is not provided with teeth. As a result, the driving device 20 rotates the rotating member 15B in one direction, so that the actuating section 15 can alternately repeat application and release of external force from the plate member 15A to the external force applying section 11A. By alternately repeating the application and release of an external force to the pump body 11 by the actuator 15, the infusion pump 10A can suck liquid from the suction port 12 into the flow path 14 and from the discharge port 13 to the outside of the flow path 14. This can be alternately repeated. Therefore, the infusion pump 10A can intermittently discharge the liquid from the infusion pump 10A, similar to the pumping function of the heart, thereby making the force of the liquid discharged from the infusion pump 10A variable. be able to. The actuating unit 15 is not limited to the rack and pinion mechanism shown in this embodiment, but can also have a cam structure, which will be described later in the second embodiment, to alternately apply and release an external force to the pump body 11. It may have any possible mechanism.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the rotating member 15B is provided with a certain number of teeth (four teeth in the illustrated example) at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction. As a result, the external force that is repeatedly applied to the pump body 11 from the actuator 15 is kept constant. However, for example, by changing the tooth arrangement of the rotating member 15B, the strength of the external force repeatedly applied to the pump body 11 from the actuating section 15 may be increased.

The defining portion 16 defines the direction in which the liquid flows through the channel 14 . The regulating portion 16 is, for example, a check valve such as a duckbill valve. In this embodiment, one regulating portion 16 is provided for each of the suction port 12 and the discharge port 13. However, the configuration of the regulation section 16 is not limited to a check valve. For example, the regulation section 16 may include a member that opens and closes in response to external force applied to the pump body 11. In this case, the defining portion 16 of the suction port 12 is provided in the suction port 12 so as to open when an external force is applied to the pump body 11 and close when the external force applied to the pump body 11 is released. On the other hand, the regulation portion 16 of the discharge port 13 is provided in the discharge port 13 so as to close when an external force is applied to the pump body 11 and open when the external force applied to the pump body 11 is released. Thereby, the regulating section 16 can regulate the direction in which the liquid flows through the flow path 14 .

(Infusion pump system)
A configuration example of the infusion pump system 1 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 3. The infusion pump system 1 includes an infusion pump 10A and a drive device 20. The infusion pump 10A of this example includes an infusion container 30 and an infusion tube 40.

The drive device 20 controls, for example, a drive section 21 (for example, a motor) that drives the infusion pump 10A, a power supply section 22 (for example, a dry battery) that supplies power to the drive section 21, and the drive section 21 and the power supply section 22. A control unit 23 (for example, a processor) is provided. The drive device 20 drives the infusion pump 10A by applying an external force to the pump body 11 of the infusion pump 10A to cause bending deformation. Specifically, the drive device 20 drives the actuating section 15 of the infusion pump 10A via the drive section 21, and applies an external force to the external force application section 11A of the pump body 11 of the infusion pump 10A. 11 to cause bending deformation in the deformed portion 11B.

As shown in FIG. 3, the infusion pump system 1 includes a first casing 1A in which an infusion pump 10A including an infusion container 30 and an infusion tube 40 is arranged, and a second casing 1B in which a drive device 20 is arranged. It consists of That is, in the infusion pump system 1, the first casing 1A in which the infusion pump 10A is arranged is different from the second casing 1B in which the drive device 20 is arranged. The first casing 1A is removably attached to the second casing 1B, for example, by screwing or fitting. In the first housing 1A, the suction port 12 of the infusion pump 10A is connected to the infusion container 30, and the discharge port 13 of the infusion pump 10A is connected to the infusion tube 40. Furthermore, in the first housing 1A, the infusion pump 10A and An infusion container 30 is arranged. Thereby, the infusion pump system 1 can be downsized. In the infusion pump system, the first housing 1A and the second housing 1B are combined to connect the drive unit 21 of the drive device 20 and the actuation unit 15 of the infusion pump 10A. As described above, since the infusion pump system 1 is configured with the first housing 1A and the second housing 1B, when the infusion pump 10A is damaged, the first housing can be contaminated with the liquid inside the infusion pump 10A. By replacing only the housing 1A, the relatively expensive second housing 1B can be continued to be used. Alternatively, the first housing 1A can be used as a replaceable cartridge, and when the liquid in the infusion container 30 runs out, only the first housing 1A can be replaced and the relatively expensive second housing 1B can be continued. can be used.

(Third embodiment of infusion pump)
With reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, an infusion pump 10B, which is a third embodiment of the infusion pump according to the present disclosure, will be described. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the infusion pump 10B. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of the infusion pump 10B using a partially sectional view.

In the third embodiment, the infusion pump 10B differs from the infusion pump 10A described above in the second embodiment mainly in the arrangement of the channel 14 in the pump body 11 and the configuration of the actuating section 15. The third embodiment will be described below, focusing on the differences from the second embodiment. Note that parts having the same configuration as those in the second embodiment are given the same reference numerals.

As shown in FIG. 5, the infusion pump 10B includes a pump body 11, an actuation section 15, and a regulation section 16.

In the infusion pump 10B, the pump body 11 has a suction port 12 and a discharge port 13 in the deformed portion 11B that protrude outward in the curved direction of the pump body 11, and each of the suction port 12 and the discharge port 13 is formed in the deformed portion 11B. It is connected to a flow path 14 that expands into a bag-like shape on the inside in the curved direction. Since the suction port 12 and the discharge port 13 are provided on the outside of the pump body 11 in the bending direction, the suction port 12 is more easily disposed due to bending deformation of the pump body 11, compared to the case where the suction port 12 and the discharge port 13 are provided on the inside of the pump main body 11 in the bending direction. And the discharge port 13 becomes difficult to be narrowed. Therefore, the flow of liquid in the infusion pump 10B is less likely to be obstructed. Furthermore, since the flow path 14 has a wide portion, when an external force is applied to the external force applying portion 11A of the pump body 11, a compressive force is easily applied to the inner wall portion in the curved direction of the deformable portion 11B of the pump body 11. Therefore, bending deformation is likely to occur in the deformable portion 11B of the pump body 11. Furthermore, in the wide portion of the channel 14, it is preferable that the inner wall in the curved direction is thinner than the outer wall in the curved direction. This makes it easier for the flow path 14 to further expand due to bending deformation.

Further, in the infusion pump 10B, the rotating member 15B of the actuating section 15 is a non-circular eccentric cam. Each of the two plate-like members 15A is provided with a non-circular cam receiver for engaging with the rotating member 15B. Thereby, by rotating the rotating member 15B in one direction, application and release of external force from the plate member 15A to the external force applying section 11A are alternately repeated.

As described above, the infusion pump according to the present disclosure includes a pump body 11 that has a suction port 12 and a discharge port 13 and defines a flow path 14 from the suction port 12 to the discharge port 13. , has an external force application section 11A to which an external force is applied, and a deformation section 11B that undergoes bending deformation when the external force is applied to the external force application section 11A, and at least a part of the flow path 14 is arranged in the deformation section 11B. When an external force is applied to the external force applying section 11A, fluid is sucked into the flow path 14 from the suction port 12, and when the external force applied to the external force applying section 11A is released, the fluid is sucked into the flow path 14 from the discharge port 13. Fluid is discharged from the flow path 14 to the outside. According to this configuration, the infusion pump can aspirate or discharge fluid with a simple configuration, and the infusion pump can be made smaller and lighter.

In the infusion pump 10 as one embodiment, the pump main body 11 can curve and extend from the deformation part 11B toward the external force application part 11A. According to this configuration, the infusion pump 10 can be further reduced in size or weight.

The infusion pump 10 as one embodiment further includes an actuator 15 connectable to an external drive device 20, and the actuator 15 is driven by the drive device 20 to apply an external force to the external force applying unit 11A. and release can be repeated alternately. According to this configuration, the infusion pump 10 is driven by the drive device 20 and alternately repeats suction and discharge of the liquid, thereby making it possible to vary the force of the liquid discharged from the infusion pump 10. Furthermore, the strength of the fluid flowing through the channel 14 of the infusion pump 10 varies, which makes it difficult for solid substances to adhere to the channel 14 and, in turn, prevents the channel 14 from becoming clogged.

The infusion pump 10 as one embodiment further includes a defining section 16 that defines the direction in which the liquid flows through the channel 14 . According to this configuration, the infusion pump 10 can make it difficult for the pump function to deteriorate due to backflow of liquid in the flow path 14.

The infusion pump system according to the present disclosure includes the above-described infusion pump 10 and a drive device 20 that drives the infusion pump 10 by applying an external force to the pump body 11 to cause bending deformation. According to this configuration, the infusion pump system can aspirate or discharge fluid with a simple configuration, and the infusion pump system can be made smaller and lighter.

In the infusion pump system 1 as one embodiment, the first casing 1A in which the infusion pump 10 is arranged and the second casing 1B in which the drive device 20 is arranged may be different casings. With this configuration, the infusion pump system 1 can continue to use the casing in which the relatively expensive drive device 20 is disposed by replacing the casing in which the infusion pump 10 is disposed. .

Although the present disclosure has been described based on the drawings and examples, it should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications based on the present disclosure. It should therefore be noted that these variations and modifications are included within the scope of this disclosure. For example, the functions included in each means or each step can be rearranged so as not to be logically contradictory, and it is possible to combine or divide multiple means or steps into one. .

For example, in the embodiment described above, in the pump body 11 of the infusion pump 10, two external force application parts 11A are arranged to sandwich one deformation part 11B in the extending direction of the pump body 11. . However, in the pump body 11, one external force application section 11A and one deformation section 11B may be arranged side by side in the extending direction of the pump body 11. The respective arrangement and number of the external force application section 11A and the deformation section 11B in the pump body 11 may be arbitrarily determined so that the deformation section 11B undergoes bending deformation when an external force is applied to the external force application section 11A. good.

For example, in the embodiment described above, the infusion pump 10 has been described as including the regulation section 16. However, the infusion pump 10 does not need to include the regulating section 16 if the infusion container 30 or the infusion tube 40 connected to the infusion pump 10 is provided with a mechanism for regulating the direction in which the liquid flows. This allows the infusion pump 10 to have a simpler configuration, making it possible to further reduce the size and weight of the infusion pump 10.

1 Infusion pump system 1A First housing 1B Second housing 10 (10A, 10B) Infusion pump 11 Pump body 11A External force application part 11B Deformation part 12 Suction port 13 Discharge port 14 Channel 15 Operating part 15A Plate member 15B Rotation Member 16 Regulation part 20 Drive device 21 Drive part 22 Power supply part 23 Control part 30 Infusion container 40 Infusion tube P _A external force P _B bending stress

Claims (6)

A pump body having an arcuate curve and having a suction port and a discharge port and defining a flow path from the suction port to the discharge port,
The pump main body includes an external force applying section, which is located at at least one end in the extending direction of the pump main body, and to which an external force is applied, and a deformable section, which is located at at least one end in the extending direction of the pump main body. and a deformed portion that undergoes bending deformation due to the application of an external force,
At least a portion of the flow path is disposed in the deformed portion,
When an external force is applied to the external force applying section, fluid is sucked into the flow path from the suction port,
An infusion pump, wherein fluid is discharged from the discharge port to the outside of the flow path when the external force applied to the external force application section is released. The infusion pump according to claim 1, wherein the pump body extends in a curved manner from the deformation section toward the external force application section. It further includes an actuating part that can be connected to an external drive device,
The infusion pump according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the actuator is driven by the drive device to alternately repeat applying and releasing an external force to the external force applying unit. The infusion pump according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a defining portion that defines a direction in which the liquid flows through the flow path. The infusion pump according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
a drive device that drives the infusion pump by applying an external force to the pump body to cause bending deformation;
Infusion pump system, including: The infusion pump system according to claim 5, wherein a first casing in which the infusion pump is arranged and a second casing in which the drive device is arranged are different.

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