PRESSURE CONTAINER FOR DRIVING A MEDICAL DEVICE

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a portable pressure container for driving a medical device. The container includes a pressure housing confining an interior volume and a pressure outlet extending through the pressure housing . The interior volume comprises a liquid storage portion and a gas storage portion. The liquid storage portion and the gas storage portion are in flow connection with each other. The liquid storage portion is configured to store a liquid phase of a driving medium. The gas storage portion is configured to store a gas phase of the driving medium. The pressure outlet is only in flow connection with the gas storage portion.

Claims

1. A portable pressure container for driving a medical device, the container comprising: a pressure housing defining an interior volume, the interior volume of the pressure housing comprising a liquid storage portion configured to store a liquid phase of a driving medium and a gas storage portion configured to store a gas phase of the driving medium, the liquid storage portion and the gas storage portion being in flow connection with each other; and a pressure outlet extending through the pressure housing, the pressure outlet being in direct flow connection with the gas storage portion of the interior volume and not the liquid storage portion of the interior volume.

2. The pressure container according to claim 1, wherein only the gas storage portion of the interior volume of the pressure housing is in direct flow connection with the pressure outlet.

3. The pressure container according to claim 1, wherein the liquid storage portion is at least partially filled by a liquid phase of the driving medium and wherein the liquid phase of the driving medium is free to evaporate into the gas storage portion.

4. The pressure container according to claim 3, wherein a volume of the liquid phase of the driving medium is less than about 60% of the interior volume.

5. The pressure container according to claim 3, further comprising a fluid channel having an inner end that extends into the gas storage portion, wherein a surface of the liquid phase of the driving medium is separated from the inner end of the fluid channel in any orientation of the pressure container.

6. The pressure container according to claim 1, wherein the pressure housing comprises: a bottom portion; a top portion; and at least one sidewall portion extending from the bottom portion towards the top portion.

7. The pressure housing according to claim 6, further comprising a fluid channel in flow connection with the pressure outlet, the fluid channel extending from one of the top portion, the sidewall portion, or the bottom portion of the pressure housing, into the interior volume.

8. The pressure container according to claim 7, wherein the fluid channel comprises an inner end arranged in the gas storage portion.

9. The pressure container according to claim 8, wherein the inner end of the fluid channel is arranged at a predefined distance from the sidewall portion and at a predefined distance from at least one of the bottom portion and the top portion.

10. The pressure container according to claim 8, wherein in a vertical orientation of the pressure housing, in which the pressure outlet and the top portion are located on top and in which the bottom portion of the pressure housing is a lower portion of the pressure housing, a filling level of the liquid phase of the driving medium contained in the interior volume is smaller than a distance between the inner end of the fluid channel and the bottom portion.

11. The pressure container according to claim 8, wherein in an upside down orientation of the pressure housing, in which the pressure outlet is located at a lower portion, a filling level of the liquid phase of the driving medium contained in the interior volume is smaller than a distance between the inner end of the fluid channel and the top portion.

12. The pressure container according to claim 8, wherein the inner end of the fluid channel is covered by a splash guard.

13. The pressure container according to claim 7, wherein the fluid channel comprises a sidewall portion, wherein the sidewall portion comprises at least one inlet opening at or near an inner end of the fluid channel, wherein the inner end of the fluid channel is located in the gas storage portion.

14. The pressure container according to claim 7, wherein the fluid channel is integrally formed with the pressure housing.

15. The pressure container according to claim 7, wherein the fluid channel is separate from the pressure housing and is connected to at least one of the pressure outlet, the top portion, the sidewall portion or the bottom portion.

16. The pressure container according to claim 1, wherein the pressure housing has a cylindrical shape, a cubic shape, a rectangular shape, a spherical shape, an oval shape or an ellipsoidal shape.

17. The pressure container according to claim 1, wherein the interior volume of the pressure housing is divided between the liquid storage portion and the gas storage portion.

18. The pressure container according to claim 1, wherein the driving medium is disposed in the interior volume of the pressure housing, wherein the liquid storage portion is completely filled by the liquid phase of the driving medium and wherein the gas storage portion is completely filled by the gas phase of the driving medium.

19. A pressure driven portable medical device comprising: a pressure driven drive mechanism; and at least one portable pressure container, the pressure container comprising: a pressure housing defining an interior volume, the interior volume of the pressure housing comprising a liquid storage portion configured to store a liquid phase of a driving medium and a gas storage portion configured to store a gas phase of the driving medium, the liquid storage portion and the gas storage portion being in flow connection with each other; and a pressure outlet extending through the pressure housing, the pressure outlet being in direct flow connection with the gas storage portion of the interior volume and not the liquid storage portion of the interior volume.

20. The pressure driven portable medical device according to claim 19, wherein the interior volume of the pressure housing is divided between the liquid storage portion and the gas storage portion.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0116] In the following, embodiments of the drive mechanism and the injection device are described in detail by making reference to the drawings, in which:

[0117] FIG. 1 is a cross section of one embodiment of the portable pressure container,

[0118] FIG. 2 is a cross section of another embodiment of the pressure container,

[0119] FIG. 3 is a cross section through a further embodiment of the pressure container,

[0120] FIG. 4 is a cross section through another embodiment of the pressure container,

[0121] FIG. 5 is a cross section through a further embodiment of the pressure container and

[0122] FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration of a pressure-driven portable medical device comprising a pressure container in accordance with one of the embodiments of FIGS. 1-5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0123] In FIG. 6, an injection device 20 is schematically illustrated. It comprises a housing 22, typically of tubular shape extending in an axial direction (z). Inside the housing 22 there is arranged a cartridge 24 comprising a tubular barrel 25 and being filled with a liquid medicament 26. Near a distal end the housing 22 is provided with a needle assembly having a cup-shaped needle hub and an injection needle 44 extending in longitudinal or axial direction (z). In distal direction, the injection needle faces away from the injection device 20. With its distal end, the injection needle 34 may penetrate or pierce biological tissue to deliver the liquid medicament 26. With its opposite proximal end facing in proximal direction, the injection needle 44 is configured to penetrate and to puncture a seal 30 at the distal end of the cartridge 24. The proximal end extends in proximal direction through an aperture of the distal end of the housing 22.

[0124] In the proximal direction, near a proximal end 27, the cartridge 24 is sealed by a piston 28 acting as a displaceable seal of the cartridge 24. The piston 28, typically of elastomeric material, such like a natural or synthetic rubber is displaceable in distal direction in order to expel a predefined amount of the medicament 26 via the injection needle 44, typically at a predefined flow rate. The piston 28 comprises a proximally-facing thrust receiving surface 29, which is subject to an increased pressure level. With the present injection device 20, a pressurized medium, such as a pressurized fluid or gas enters the proximal side of the housing 22 to apply a driving pressure to the piston 28.

[0125] For this, the housing 22 is in fluid connection or fluid communication with a pressure container 100 providing a medium, typically in form of a pressurized gas. In order to control the velocity of displacement of the piston 28 and to control the flow rate of the medicament 26 through the injection needle 44 there is further provided a flow restrictor 50, schematically illustrated in FIG. 6. The flow restrictor 50 is located in the flow path between the pressure container 100 and the piston 28. The injection device 20 further comprises a gas propelled drive mechanism 70 with a drive member 60, located inside the housing 22 proximal to the cartridge 24. The drive member 60 is in sealed engagement 62 with the inside of the sidewall of the housing 22. As soon as a pressurized gas enters the housing 22, the drive member in sealed engagement with the housing 22 will be urged in distal direction thereby pushing the entire cartridge 24 in distal direction. Consequently, the seal 30 at the cartridge's distal end will be pierced by the proximal tip of the double tipped injection needle 44, thereby gaining access to the interior of the cartridge 24. The cartridge has arrived in a distal end position inside the housing 22. In this configuration, the drive member 60 will be susceptible for the driving medium to get therethrough so that the pressurized gas is then able to drive the piston 28 of the cartridge 24 in a well defined and controlled way. Thus, the piston 28 moves in distal direction, thereby dispensing and expelling the medicament from the cartridge 24.

[0126] In FIGS. 1-5 various embodiments of pressure containers 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 are illustrated that are capable to provide a rather constant gas flow at a pressure outlet 102, 202, 302, 402, 502 provided in a pressure housing 101, 201, 301, 401, 501, wherein said pressure housing confines an interior volume 103, 203, 303, 403, 503. The various pressure containers 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 comprise a liquid storage portion 105, 205, 305, 405, 505 and a gas storage portion 104, 204, 304, 404, 504. The liquid storage portion 105, 205, 305, 405, 505 is configured to store and to accommodate a liquid phase 15 of a driving medium 10 whereas the gas storage portion 104, 204, 304, 404, 504 is configured to store or to accommodate a gas phase 14 of the driving medium 10.

[0127] As shown in FIGS. 1-5 the pressure outlet 102, 202, 302, 402, 502 is only or exclusively in flow connection or fluid communication with the gas storage portion 104, 204, 304, 404, 504 so that only the gas phase 14 of the driving medium 10 will be able to emanate or to escape from the pressure housing 101, 201, 301, 401, 501 through the pressure outlet 102, 202, 302, 402, 502.

[0128] In the various embodiments as shown in FIGS. 1-5, the pressure housing 101, 201, 301, 401, 501 is of substantially cylindrical or cubic rectangular shape. However, the pressure housing is by no way limited to the illustrated geometric forms. The pressure housing 101 could also have a spherical, oval or ellipsoidal shape. In the various embodiments of FIGS. 1-5, the pressure housing 101, 201, 301, 401, 501 comprises a bottom portion 107, 207, 307, 407, 507 and at least one sidewall 106, 206, 306, 406, 506 extending towards a top portion 108, 208, 308, 408, 508. In the illustrations according to FIGS. 1 and 2 the pressure container 100, 200 is rotated by 90 so that it is lying on its sidewall 106, 206.

[0129] The pressure container 100, as shown in FIG. 1, comprises a fluid channel 110 in flow connection with the pressure outlet 102. The fluid channel 110 extends inwardly from the top portion 108 of the pressure housing 101 and into the interior 103 of the pressure housing 101. The fluid channel 110 formed by a conically or cylindrically-shaped sidewall 115 terminates at an inner end 112 that is located at a predefined distance from the sidewall 106, as well as from the bottom portion 107 and the top portion 108 of the pressure housing 101. The inner end 112 of the fluid channel 110 is further covered by a splash guard 114 so as to prevent ingress of the liquid phase 15 of the driving medium 10 into the fluid channel 110.

[0130] For the gas phase 14 to enter the fluid channel 110, there is provided at least one inlet opening 116 in the sidewall 115 of the fluid channel 110. As shown in FIG. 1 there are provided at least two inlet openings 116 that are located in direct vicinity to the splash guard 114 and that are hence located near the inner end 112 of the fluid channel 110. In this way, the liquid phase 15 of the driving medium 10 can be stored inside the interior volume 103 without being fixed in a particular region of the interior volume.

[0131] Hence, the boundary between the liquid phase 15 and the gas phase 14 of the driving medium 10 is of dynamic type and depends on the orientation of the portable pressure container 100 and the effect of the gravity on the liquid phase 15. In this embodiment, the interior volume 103 is only partially filled with the liquid driving medium so that the filling level of the liquid phase 15 never reaches or never gets in contact with the inlet openings 116 of the fluid channel 110. For instance, in a substantially vertical orientation, wherein the top part 108 is located on top and wherein the bottom portion 107 is a lower portion of the pressure housing 101, the filling level of the liquid phase 15 is smaller than the distance between the inner end 112 and the bottom portion 107.

[0132] In another orientation, in which the portable pressure container 100 is for instance oriented upside down so that the pressure outlet 102 is located at a lower portion, the filling level of the liquid phase 15 will be smaller than the distance between the inlet opening 116 and the top portion 108 of the pressure housing 101. In this way, it can be effectively guaranteed, that only the gas phase 14 discharges from the interior volume 103 irrespective of the momentary orientation of the portable pressure container 100.

[0133] Even though not particularly illustrated, the pressure outlets 102, 202, 302, 402, 502 of all embodiments as illustrated in FIGS. 1-5, may be provided with a standardized coupling or connector by way of which the pressure container 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 can be releasably connected to the medical device 20, and in particular to a gas-propelled drive mechanism 70 of the medical device 20.

[0134] In the embodiment according to FIG. 2, a static configuration of the boundary between the liquid storage portion 205 and the gas storage portion 204 is illustrated. There, the gas storage portion 204 is located in direct vicinity to the top portion 208 of the pressure housing 202. It is separated and divided from the liquid storage portion 205 by a division wall 220. The division wall 220 is intersected by a porous transport medium 210. The porous storage medium 210 comprises an elongated rod structure 214 and is only and exclusively fixed to the pressure container 201 at the division wall 220. The portion where the rod structure 214 is connected to and intersects the division wall 220 acts as an evaporation chamber 212. The residual portion of the rod structure 214 is located inside the liquid storage portion 205. In this embodiment, the liquid storage portion 205 may be completely or almost completely filled with the liquid phase 15 of the driving medium 10. The porous transport medium 210 has pores of a particular size so that the liquid phase 15 of the driving medium 10 is continuously transported towards and into the evaporation chamber 212 through the capillary forces that arise due to the surface tension of the liquid phase 15 and the pore size of the porous transport medium 210.

[0135] The porous transport medium 210 is illustrated as a self-supporting elongated rod structure 214, which is only fixed with one longitudinal end 215 to the pressure housing 201 while an opposite longitudinal end 216 extends into the gas storage portion 204. Having a self-supporting and rather inflexible rod structure 214 is somewhat beneficial to assure that the porous transport medium 210 does not adhere to the inside of the sidewall 206 of the pressure housing 201. However, it is also conceivable that the porous transport medium 210 is of flexible type. It may comprise a natural or synthetic wick material to provide transportation of the liquid phase towards the evaporation chamber 212.

[0136] In a further embodiment of the portable pressure container 300 as shown in FIG. 3, there is provided a porous storage medium 310 that is arranged along the inside of the pressure housing 301. As shown in the cross section according to FIG. 3 the porous storage medium 310 entirely covers the bottom portion 307 as well as the sidewall or sidewall portions 306 of the pressure housing 301. It may even abut with the top portion 108 in direct vicinity to the sidewalls 106. Only the region or the vicinity of the pressure outlet 302 is free of the porous storage medium 310.

[0137] In this way, the gas storage portion 304 is almost completely enclosed by the liquid storage portion 305. The boundary between the gas storage portion 304 and the liquid storage portion 305 is static and is determined by the geometric dimensions of the porous storage medium 310. The arrangement of the porous storage medium 310 to the sidewall 306 and to the bottom portion 307 is beneficial for a thermal coupling of the liquid storage portion 105 to the exterior. When establishing for instance a thermal coupling between the pressure housing 310 and the skin of a patient, evaporation enthalpy for a continuous transfer of the liquid phase 15 into the gas phase 14 during use of the pressure container 300 can be extracted from the body heat.

[0138] In the embodiments as shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 5, the liquid storage portion 305, 405, 505 is defined by the geometric dimensions of the porous storage medium 310, 410, 510. Typically, the porous storage medium 310, 410, 510 may comprise or consist of a cotton wool, a sponge material, a porous wick material, as well as variable natural or synthetic porous media exhibiting a pore size and a pore volume or pore density to maximize the storage capability of the liquid phase per volume.

[0139] In the further embodiment as shown in FIG. 4, the porous storage medium 410 is connected to a closure 412 that is configured to be releasably attached to the bottom portion 407 of the pressure housing 401. Here, the porous storage medium 410 comprises a self-supporting rod structure 414 extending into the interior volume 403 confined by the pressure housing 401. Besides a contact with the bottom portion 407 and a contact with the closure 412, the porous storage medium 410 is totally contactless to the inside of the pressure housing 401. Hence, FIG. 4 represents an inverted configuration compared to the embodiment as shown in FIG. 3. Here, the gas storage portion 404 almost completely surrounds the liquid storage portion 405 that is defined by the geometric dimensions of the porous storage medium 410. The rod structure 414 of the porous storage medium 410 is connected with one longitudinal end 415 to the closure 412 whereas an opposite longitudinal end 416, hence the free end 416 of the rod structure 414, is located inside the interior volume 403 of the pressure housing 401. It is located at a predefined distance from the top portion 408 of the pressure housing 401 for not hindering the flow of the gas phase towards the pressure outlet 402.

[0140] The closure 412 may be of releasable or detachable type. It may be for instance threadedly engageable with the bottom 407 of the pressure housing 401. At least one of the closure 412 or the pressure housing 401 comprises a seal 418, typically in form of an O-ring, in order to provide a leak-proof closure assembly. The embodiment as shown in FIG. 4, is particularly suitable to provide a refill of the portable pressure container 400. By detaching and removing the closure 412, the porous storage medium 410 is detachable from the interior volume 403. It may be immersed in a liquid phase 15 of the driving medium 10 to saturate the porous storage medium 410. Thereafter, the porous storage medium 410 may be re-inserted into the interior volume 403 and the closure 412 may seal the pressure housing 401.

[0141] The further embodiment as shown in FIG. 5, comprises a cup-shaped pressure housing 501 having an interior volume 503 that is delimited and confined by a planar-shaped bottom portion 507 and a cylindrical sidewall 506. An upper portion of the inside of the cylindrical sidewall 506 is provided with an inner thread 516 to threadedly engage with an outer thread 515 of an outlet member 512 comprising the pressure outlet 502. The pressure outlet 502 is further provided with an outlet valve 520, which may be implemented as a commercially available ball valve or the like.

[0142] The cup-shaped pressure housing is closed by the outlet member 512. The cylindrically-shaped sidewall 514 of the outlet member 512 is configured to match with the inner diameter of the sidewall 506 of the pressure housing 501 to establish a threaded and releasable connection of the cup-shaped pressure housing 501 and the outlet member 512. Inside the pressure housing 501, there is provided a porous storage medium 510 covering the entirety of the planar-shaped bottom portion 507. On top of the porous storage medium 510, there is provided and positioned a perforated grid 511 having numerous perforations 511a that allow evaporation of the liquid phase 15 into the gas phase 14. The perforated grid 511 provides mechanical stability to the porous storage medium 510 and keeps the porous storage medium 510 in place at the bottom portion 507.

[0143] There is further provided a distance member 518 or spacer that has an outer circumference that matches with the inner circumference of the sidewall 506 of the cup-shaped pressure housing 501. An upper portion of the distance member 518 is in axial abutment with a lower face of the outlet member 512. In this way, the outlet member 512 is mechanically engageable with the perforated grid 511 as well as with the porous storage medium 510. By screwing the outlet member 512 further into the cup-shaped pressure housing 501, a pressure can be applied to the perforated grid 511 and to the porous storage medium 510 via the distance member 518.

[0144] Typically and in order to provide a sufficient sealing effect, the threaded engagement between outer thread 515 of the outlet member 512 and the inner thread 516 of the sidewall 506 is provided with a sealing tape, e.g. of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). The cup-shaped pressure housing 501, as well as the pressure housings 101, 201, 301, 401, may comprise a transparent material, such like polycarbonate or similar plastic but durable materials that allow visual inspection of the interior of the portable pressure container 100, 200, 300, 400, 500.

[0145] The size of the perforations 511a of the perforated grid 511 may be in a range of 1 or 2 mm so as to provide sufficient mechanical stability to the porous storage medium 510 and to allow a sufficient evaporation rate and a respective gas flow from the liquid phase 15 towards the gas phase 14.

[0146] The distance member 518 may comprise a piece of a hose and the perforated grid 511 may comprise a plastic material, which may either be injection molded, cut or punched to provide a desired perforated structure.

[0147] The driving medium may comprise a haloalkane such like tetrafluoromethane or similar driving media. For instance, the driving medium may comprise or consist of 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane, also denoted as R134a. Likewise, also 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene, also denoted as HFO-1234yf and mixtures thereof with at least one of the aforementioned driving medias can be used as the driving medium. These driving medias are gaseous at room temperature but may easily undergo a phase transition to the liquid phase if sufficiently pressurized or heated.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

[0148] 10 driving medium [0149] 14 gas phase [0150] 15 liquid phase [0151] 20 medical device [0152] 22 housing [0153] 24 cartridge [0154] 25 barrel [0155] 26 medicament [0156] 27 proximal end [0157] 28 piston [0158] 29 thrust receiving surface [0159] 30 seal [0160] 44 injection needle [0161] 50 flow restrictor [0162] 60 drive member [0163] 62 sealed engagement [0164] 70 drive mechanism [0165] 100 pressure container [0166] 101 pressure housing [0167] 102 pressure outlet [0168] 103 interior volume [0169] 104 gas storage portion [0170] 105 liquid storage portion [0171] 106 sidewall [0172] 107 bottom portion [0173] 108 top portion [0174] 110 fluid channel [0175] 112 inner end [0176] 114 splash guard [0177] 115 sidewall [0178] 116 inlet opening [0179] 200 pressure container [0180] 201 pressure housing [0181] 202 pressure outlet [0182] 203 interior volume [0183] 204 gas storage portion [0184] 205 liquid storage portion [0185] 206 sidewall [0186] 207 bottom portion [0187] 208 top portion [0188] 210 porous transport medium [0189] 212 evaporation chamber [0190] 214 rod structure [0191] 215 longitudinal end [0192] 216 longitudinal end [0193] 220 division wall [0194] 300 pressure container [0195] 301 pressure housing [0196] 302 pressure outlet [0197] 303 interior volume [0198] 304 gas storage portion [0199] 305 liquid storage portion [0200] 306 sidewall [0201] 307 bottom portion [0202] 308 top portion [0203] 310 porous storage medium [0204] 400 pressure container [0205] 401 pressure housing [0206] 102 pressure outlet [0207] 403 interior volume [0208] 404 gas storage portion [0209] 405 liquid storage portion [0210] 406 sidewall [0211] 407 bottom portion [0212] 408 top portion [0213] 410 porous storage medium [0214] 412 closure [0215] 414 rod structure [0216] 415 longitudinal end [0217] 416 longitudinal end [0218] 418 seal [0219] 500 pressure container [0220] 501 pressure housing [0221] 502 pressure outlet [0222] 503 interior volume [0223] 504 gas storage portion [0224] 505 liquid storage portion [0225] 506 sidewall [0226] 507 bottom portion [0227] 508 top portion [0228] 510 porous storage medium [0229] 511 perforated grid [0230] 511a perforation [0231] 512 outlet member [0232] 514 sidewall [0233] 515 outer thread [0234] 516 inner thread [0235] 518 distance member [0236] 520 outlet valve