Intravascular blood pressure monitoring devices and methods that include an indwelling portion and a pressure transducer. The indwelling portion may include a tubular member, at least a portion of the tubular member configured to transmit fluid pressure from blood that is external to the tubular member to a fluid disposed within the tubular member, and the tubular member may be adapted to isolate the fluid from the blood, with the fluid within the tubular member being in pressure communication with a pressure transducer. The devices may include a stiffening member interface adapted to releasably interface with a stiffening member to stiffen at least a portion of the indwelling portion while delivering the indwelling portion to a position within the subject, and causing the indwelling portion to be less stiff after its removal.

An auto-injector apparatus includes a flexible container containing a liquid medicant, a needle communicated with a container, a housing with a container being received in the housing, a pump disposed in the housing and positioned to engage the flexible container and expel the medicant from the container through the needle upon relative movement between the pump and the container, and a main drive spring operably as ted with the needle to extend the needle fro a first needle position wherein the needle is completely received in the housing to a second needle position wherein the needle protrudes from the housing. The pump may be a roller.

Fluid delivery and measurement systems and methods are disclosed.

An orientation independent delivery device including a replaceable cartridge that may be installed on a foundation. A cartridge includes a gas chamber, a delivery chamber, a gas cell, and a delivery aperture. The gas chamber includes a gas-side rigid portion and a gas-side flexible barrier. The gas-side flexible barrier is sealed to the gas-side rigid portion. The delivery chamber includes a delivery-side rigid portion and a delivery-side flexible barrier. The delivery-side flexible barrier is sealed to the delivery-side rigid portion and is oriented adjacent to the gas-side flexible barrier. The gas cell is coupled to the gas-side rigid portion of the gas chamber. The gas cell increases a gas pressure within the gas chamber to expand the gas-side flexible barrier. Expansion of the gas-side flexible barrier applies a compressive force to the delivery-side flexible barrier allowing a delivery material to escape from the delivery chamber.

Fluid delivery and measurement systems and methods are disclosed.

In one aspect the present disclosure refers to a measuring arrangement for measuring of a volume change of a liquid medium located inside a liquid reservoir, the measuring arrangement comprising: a gas tight enclosure having an interior volume containing a gas reservoir and containing the liquid reservoir, wherein the liquid reservoir is filled with a liquid medium, a gas inlet in flow connection with the gas reservoir and extending through a boundary of the gas tight enclosure to an exterior of the gas tight enclosure, an outlet connectable with the liquid reservoir and extending through the boundary of the gas tight enclosure, wherein the gas reservoir and the liquid reservoir are hermetically separated by an impenetrable separation wall, and a flow meter arranged in or across the gas inlet to measure an ingress of a gaseous medium through the inlet in response to a withdrawal of the liquid medium from the liquid reservoir through the outlet.

Embodiments of the invention provide infusion systems for the intravenous or other delivery of drugs and other therapeutic agents to a patient including a human or mammal. The therapeutic agents may be dissolved in solution or comprise the solution itself. Embodiments of the systems can utilize a chemical reaction to predictably drive a flow of drug(s) through a catheter or other flow path and into the patient. More specifically, the reaction may include an acid-base reaction or any other reaction that produces a gaseous substance. The gas is produced and contained in an expandable drive balloon when the acid-base reactants are combined with a liquid. As the gas is produced, the drive balloon expands to exert pressure on a separately-contained drug reservoir which, in turn, pushes drug(s) from the reservoir into the flow path where the drug is ultimately delivered to the patient in a controlled and predetermined manner.

A method for reducing small volume subcutaneous leaks of therapeutic fluids during procedures to refill an implantable medical device includes reducing pressure in a reservoir of the device. A refill needle can be percutaneously inserted into a fill port in communication with the reservoir and therapeutic fluid can be delivered through the needle into the reservoir. Reduced reservoir pressure upon withdrawal of the refill needle from the port can result in reduced subcutaneous leakage of the therapeutic fluid.

An infusion device for dispensing fluid at a predetermined flow rate includes an elastic bladder, a pressure regulator, and a flow restrictor. The elastic bladder includes a bladder volume portion and a bladder outlet, and the elastic bladder stores fluid in the bladder volume portion and dispenses fluid through the outlet at a bladder pressure. The pressure regulator is in fluid communication with the outlet of the elastic bladder. The pressure regulator includes a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet. The fluid inlet is coupled to the bladder outlet to receive fluid from the bladder. The flow restrictor is in fluid communication with the fluid outlet. The flow restrictor and the pressure regulator cooperate to discharge fluid from the flow restrictor at a predetermined flow rate.

A disposable cartridge for a drug delivery device includes a flexible bag to accommodate a liquid medicament and having an opening adjacent to a sidewall, a socket having a fluid channel in fluid communication with a cartridge fluid coupling, and a housing covering at least a portion of the flexible bag and having a receptacle to receive the socket with the flexible bag. The socket extends into the opening of the flexible bag. The flexible bag's sidewall is fixed between the socket and the receptacle.