Detailed Description
The following description of the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure will be made clearly and completely with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure, and it is apparent that the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present disclosure, not all embodiments. All other embodiments, which are filled by those of ordinary skill in the art without undue burden based on the embodiments in this disclosure, are within the scope of the present disclosure.
It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," "third," and "fourth," etc. in the description and claims of the present disclosure and in the above figures are used for distinguishing between different objects and not for describing a particular sequential order. Furthermore, the terms "comprise" and "have," as well as any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of steps or elements is not limited to only those listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus but may optionally include other steps or elements not listed. In the following description, the same members are denoted by the same reference numerals, and overlapping description thereof is omitted. In addition, the drawings are schematic, and the ratio of the sizes of the components to each other, the shapes of the components, and the like may be different from actual ones.
The device for conveying the fluid based on the microfluidic pump can reduce leakage of the fluid caused by pressure difference in the microfluidic pump, so that quantitative infusion is more accurate. In some examples, the microfluidic pump may be referred to as a micropump, a chip pump, a micro-doser, a microfluidic pump, or a micropump, among others. In some examples, the device for delivering fluid based on the microfluidic pump may also be referred to as a "microfluidic delivery device", "micro pumping device", "medical device for delivering fluid based on the microfluidic pump", "medical microfluidic pump device" or "medical chip pump device", etc., and may be referred to as a "device for delivering fluid" or "device" for convenience of description.
Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an application scenario of the microfluidic pump-based fluid delivery device 1 according to the examples of the present disclosure.
As shown in fig. 4, in the present disclosure, a microfluidic pump-based device 1 may be used for fluid delivery, in particular for delivering fluid into a body of a target 2. Fluid delivery may be understood as the act of infusing a fluid, such as a medical fluid, into a subject 2. The subject 2 may refer to an infusion subject of the microfluidic pump-based fluid delivery device 1 of the present disclosure, including but not limited to at least one of an animal subcutaneous, an animal visceral, a plant, or a dispensing container. In the present disclosure, the target 2 may particularly refer to a patient in need of fluid delivery to complete a disease treatment.
In addition, in the present disclosure, "fluid delivery," "infusion," "fluid injection," and the like are not to be construed as limiting, but are to be construed as being the same or similar unless specifically indicated otherwise. In some examples, the microfluidic pump-based device 1 may be an applied device or an external non-applied device, for example, the applied device may be an insulin pump applied to the surface of the human body as shown in fig. 4, the insulin pump infuses insulin into the human body through an injection needle tube, the non-applied device may be a suspended insulin pump, etc. In other examples, the microfluidic pump-based device 1 may be configured as a subcutaneous or intracorporal device, and the housing may be formed in a specific shape using a biocompatible material, such as an implantable analgesic pump, a hepatic vascular fully implantable drug pump, or the like, for example, to accommodate different body parts. Likewise, the same or similar meaning may be understood in this disclosure to also include, for example, "drive," "actuate," or "cause," such as "check valve," "one-way valve," "check valve," "return valve," or "isolation valve," such as "liquid" or "fluid," etc.
Further, in the present disclosure, the fluid is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a drug solution infused by the microfluidic pump-based device 1 according to the present disclosure, and in some examples, such a drug solution may be dopamine, dobutamine, epinephrine, norepinephrine bitartrate, sodium nitroprusside, shitannate, propofol, insulin, glucagon-like peptide-1, or the like. In addition, the microfluidic pump-based device 1 according to the present disclosure may also be used for periodic, sustained and precise administration of a target 2 in connection with the actual situation of any disease.
Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the device 1 for delivering a fluid based on the microfluidic pump 14 according to the example of the present disclosure.
As shown in fig. 5, the microfluidic pump 14-based device 1 according to the present disclosure may include a reservoir 11, a first actuator 110, a microfluidic pump 14, a first fluid channel 13, a second fluid channel 16, a relief valve 15, a second actuator 140, and a third actuator 150.
In some examples, the reservoir 11 may be used to store a fluid, for example, the reservoir 11 may store a volume of a medical fluid such as insulin to deliver insulin to a diabetic in a timely manner when a glucose pre-alarm event occurs to the diabetic.
In some examples, the volume of the reservoir 11 may be designed according to the type of fluid, the amount of fluid to be delivered in a single pass, the duration of fluid delivery, and the like. In some examples, the reservoir 11 may also have a replenishment inlet for replenishing fluid, in which case replenishment of the reservoir 11 with fluid through the replenishment inlet can be facilitated.
In some examples, the reservoir 11 may have a predetermined pressure, the manner in which the predetermined pressure is provided may include the use of an elastomeric material as an internal cavity of the reservoir 11 or the manner in which actuation is performed using an actuator, and so forth. For example, a preferred mode of the present disclosure is to drive by the first actuator 110. In this case, the reservoir 11 having a predetermined pressure can better deliver the fluid therein to a container such as the microfluidic pump 14, without affecting the accuracy of the microfluidic pump 14 to receive a predetermined volume of fluid due to the presence of negative pressure or bubbles or the like caused by the evacuation of the fluid.
In some examples, the reservoir 11 having a predetermined pressure may mean that the pressure of the fluid of the reservoir 11 may be maintained within a predetermined range while the reservoir 11 contains the fluid.
Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of one embodiment of the reservoir 11 according to the example of the present disclosure. Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of another embodiment of the reservoir 11 according to the example of the present disclosure.
In some examples, as shown in fig. 6 or 7, one side of the reservoir 11 may be open and sealed by the piston 111 and form a receiving space. In some examples, the reservoir 11 may have an outlet in communication with the first fluid channel 13. In this case, fluid can be pushed out of the first fluid channel 13 by the piston 111 when the fluid is contained in the reservoir 11.
In some examples, as shown in fig. 6, the piston 111 may be driven by the first actuator 110 to maintain the reservoir 11 at a predetermined pressure, even though the fluid in the reservoir 11 maintains the predetermined pressure. In this case, it is possible to facilitate the discharge of the fluid from the reservoir 11 into the microfluidic pump 14, and to reduce the backflow of the fluid or the formation of negative pressure, bubbles, or the like. In addition, by controlling the first actuator 110 to drive the piston 111 on a linear stroke, the accuracy of maintaining a predetermined pressure of the fluid in the reservoir 11 can also be improved, whereby the subsequent fluid delivery in cooperation with the microfluidic pump 14 can be facilitated.
In some examples, the first actuator 110 may be at least one of a piezoelectric motor, a micro-servo motor, or a memory metal drive. In this case, the actuator is a shape memory alloy, which can facilitate the use of a power source that heats the shape memory alloy to reciprocate and accurately stabilize to improve the convenience in actuating the reservoir 11, the actuator is a piezoelectric motor which can improve the accuracy in actuating the reservoir 11 with the control accuracy of the piezoelectric motor in the nanometer order, and the actuator is a micro servo motor which can improve the stability and accuracy in actuating the reservoir 11 with the stabilization moment and high accuracy performance of the servo motor.
In other examples, as shown in fig. 7, the piston 111 may also be coupled to a resilient member 112, and the resilient member 112 may be maintained in a compressed state. In this case, the elastic member 112, which maintains a compressed state, can drive the piston 111 to displace to maintain the fluid contained in the reservoir 11 at a predetermined pressure, and can reduce the backflow of the fluid or contamination of the fluid in the reservoir 11 by the backflow of blood, or the like.
In other examples, the reservoir 11 may also be a collapsible container made of an elastic material capable of maintaining a pressure within a preset range while containing the fluid. Such as silica gel, rubber, etc. In this case, the effect of pressurizing the reservoir 11 can be achieved by not providing the piston 111 or the first actuator 110.
In some examples, the reservoir 11 may have a sealable replenishment port. In this case, the reservoir 11 can be periodically replenished with fluid through the replenishment port, and the sealable replenishment port can maintain the pressure inside the reservoir 11 or reduce the risk of the reservoir 11 entering or being contaminated by the external environment when replenishing fluid. In some examples, the location of the replenishment port at the reservoir 11 may not be limiting. In some examples, the replenishment port may cooperate with an external conduit to replenish the reservoir 11 with fluid.
Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration in which the microfluidic pump 14 and the safety valve 15 according to the example of the present disclosure are assembled together.
In some examples, the microfluidic pump 14 may receive or provide a predetermined volume of fluid by changing the volume. Where "receiving a predetermined volume of fluid" may refer to receiving, accepting, obtaining, or acquiring a predetermined volume of fluid, such as by way of example and without limitation, inflow, squeeze, suction, or pumping, etc., and "providing a predetermined volume of fluid" may refer to providing or discharging a predetermined volume of fluid from the microfluidic pump 14, such as by way of example and without limitation, outflow, squeeze, suction, or pumping, etc.
In some examples, the microfluidic pump 14 may communicate with the reservoir 11 through the first fluid channel 13, i.e. the first fluid channel 13 may communicate with the reservoir 11 and the microfluidic pump 14.
In some examples, the microfluidic pump 14 may direct fluid from the microfluidic pump 14 and into the target 2 through the direction of the second fluid channel 16, i.e., the second fluid channel 16 may communicate with the microfluidic pump 14 and direct fluid from the microfluidic pump 14 into the target 2.
In some examples, as shown in fig. 8, the microfluidic pump 14 may include a pump chamber 141 and a plurality of check valves that allow fluid to flow into or out of the pump chamber 141 in a single direction (i.e., from the reservoir 11 to the microfluidic pump 14, or the microfluidic pump 14 to the target 2).
In some examples, the pump chamber 141 may be switched between a first volume and a second volume (the change in volume may be similar to the prior art and thus may be seen in fig. 1-3). In some examples, the pump chamber 141 may have an inlet 143 in communication with the first fluid passage 13 and an outlet 144 in communication with the second fluid passage 16. In some examples, a check valve may be provided at inlet 143 of pump chamber 141 to allow fluid to flow from inlet 143 of pump chamber 141 into pump chamber 141, and the check valve provided at inlet 143 may be referred to as first check valve 145 for ease of distinction. In some examples, a check valve may be provided at outlet 144 of pump chamber 141 to allow fluid to flow out of pump chamber 141 from outlet 144 of pump chamber 141, and the check valve provided at outlet 144 may be referred to as second check valve 146 for ease of distinction.
In some examples, the inlet 143 or the outlet 144 of the pump chamber 141 may be an opening formed in the pump chamber 141 or may be a passage opening formed in the pump chamber 141 and protruding from the body of the microfluidic pump 14. In the present disclosure, it is preferable that the inlet 143 or the outlet 144 of the pump chamber 141 is a passage port formed in the pump chamber 141 and protruding out of the pump body of the microfluidic pump 14, in which case, for example, coupling communication with the first fluid passage 13 or the second fluid passage 16 can be facilitated, while also facilitating the provision of a check valve at the inlet 143 or the outlet 144 without having to provide a check valve at the first fluid passage 13 or the second fluid passage 16, whereby the influence of the first fluid passage 13 or the second fluid passage 16 on the control accuracy of the check valve can be reduced.
In some examples, the first check valve 145 may be one of a lift check valve, a swing check valve, or a butterfly check valve. In some examples, second check valve 146 may also be one of a lift check valve, a swing check valve, or a butterfly check valve. In this case, the fluid can flow unidirectionally from the reservoir 11 to the microfluidic pump 14 and then into the target 2 through the first check valve 145 and the second check valve 146, thereby enabling to reduce the problem of inaccuracy of the metered infusion fluid caused by the backflow of the fluid or the hysteresis of the bubbles.
In some examples, the microfluidic pump 14 may have an elastic portion 142, i.e., the pump chamber 141 of the microfluidic pump 14 may be elastic or deformable.
In some examples, a second actuator 140 may be coupled to the resilient portion 142 and actuate the resilient portion 142 to deform to switch the pump chamber 141 between the first volume and the second volume. In this case, the volume of the pump chamber 141 is changed by the deformation, so that the sealing performance can be improved as compared with the driving method of the piston 111.
In some examples, the second volume may be less than the first volume.
In some examples, the second actuator 140 may be at least one of a piezoelectric motor, a micro-servo motor, or a memory metal drive. In this case, the actuator is a shape memory alloy, which can facilitate the convenience in actuating the pump chamber 141 by using a power source that is electrically conductive to heat the shape memory alloy to obtain reciprocation and accuracy stability, the actuator is a piezoelectric motor which can improve accuracy in actuating the pump chamber 141 by using a nano-scale control accuracy of the piezoelectric motor, and the actuator is a micro-servo motor which can improve stability and accuracy in actuating the pump chamber 141 by using a stable moment and high accuracy performance of the servo motor.
In some examples, the microfluidic pump 14 may receive a predetermined volume of fluid from the reservoir 11 through the first fluid channel 13 or provide a predetermined volume of fluid into the target 2 through the second fluid channel 16 as the volume changes. In particular, the microfluidic pump 14 may maintain the first volume when the second fluid channel 16 is closed (i.e., the second check valve 146 is closed) and may receive a predetermined volume of fluid from the reservoir 11 via the first fluid channel 13 (the first check valve 145 is open), and the microfluidic pump 14 may maintain the second volume when the first fluid channel 13 is closed (i.e., the first check valve 145 is closed) and may provide a predetermined volume of fluid to the target 2 via the second fluid channel 16 (the second check valve 146 is open). In this case, the fluid can be metered by the microfluidic pump 14, whereby the metered dose can be completed.
It should be noted that, regardless of whether the microfluidic pump 14 is not considered, for example, whether the reservoir 11 has a predetermined pressure, the opening and closing of the first check valve 145 and the second check valve 146 may be controlled by the pressure of the pump chamber 141 of the microfluidic pump 14, for example, when the pump chamber 141 maintains a first volume, the pump chamber 141 may have a first pressure (e.g., negative pressure), at which time the first check valve 145 may move into the pump chamber 141 and may allow fluid to enter the pump chamber 141, i.e., control the first check valve 145 to open, while the second check valve 146 may move into the pump chamber 141 and may not allow fluid to exit the pump chamber 141, i.e., control the second check valve 146 to close, and at which time the pump chamber 141 maintains a second volume, the pump chamber 141 may have a second pressure (e.g., positive pressure), at which time the first check valve 145 may move out of the pump chamber 141 and may not allow fluid to enter the pump chamber 141, i.e., control the first check valve 145 to close, while the second check valve 146 may move out of the pump chamber 141 and may allow fluid to exit the pump chamber 141, i.e., control the second check valve 146 to open.
In some examples, the first pressure at which the pump chamber 141 maintains the first volume may be less than the predetermined pressure of the reservoir 11. In this case, when the pump chamber 141 is in the first volume, the first check valve 145 is opened and the second check valve 146 is closed by the first pressure less than the predetermined pressure of the reservoir 11, and fluid can enter the filling pump chamber 141 through the inlet 143, while since the safety valve 15 is not opened at this time, the second check valve 146 is not erroneously opened to cause leakage of fluid when the pump chamber 141 is filled by the predetermined pressure of the reservoir 11, thereby enabling to improve accuracy and safety of the quantitative infusion fluid.
In some examples, the second pressure at which the pump chamber 141 maintains the second volume may be greater than the predetermined pressure of the reservoir 11. In this case, when the pump chamber 141 is in the second volume, the first check valve 145 is closed and the second check valve 146 is opened by the second pressure greater than the predetermined pressure of the reservoir 11, so that the subsequent control of the opening of the relief valve 15 can be facilitated, and the fluid can be introduced into the second fluid passage 16 through the outlet 144 and into the target 2, whereby the process of quantitatively infusing the fluid can be completed.
In some examples, the predetermined volume may be determined by a volume difference between the first volume and the second volume. In this case, the switching of the second volume from the first volume to the second volume of the microfluidic pump 14 can facilitate the formation of positive pressure to provide fluid into the target 2 via the second fluid channel 16, the switching of the microfluidic pump 14 from the second volume to the first volume can facilitate the formation of negative pressure to receive fluid from the reservoir 11 via the first fluid channel 13, and the predetermined volume of fluid can be determined by the volume difference of the first volume and the second volume when receiving or providing fluid, whereby quantitative fluid delivery can be accomplished, i.e. quantitative control of fluid delivery can be performed.
In some examples, the predetermined volume of fluid may also be referred to as a unit, base, or digital amount of fluid, and the predetermined volume of fluid may be determined by varying the first volume or the second volume of the microfluidic pump 14 according to different fluid types and therapeutic effects, e.g., to achieve a particular therapeutic effect according to the needs of a diabetic patient, and the amount of insulin that is obtained each time may be set to 0.01mg (or ml), 0.05mg (or ml), 0.1mg (or ml), 0.5mg (or ml), 1mg (or ml), etc. In some examples, the lower limit of the predetermined volume of fluid may be unlimited, e.g., a small volume such as 0.5 μl in some very precise delivery scenarios.
As mentioned by the applicant, in the prior art, when the microfluidic pump 14 is connected to the reservoir 11 (reservoir) having a certain pressure, the first check valve 145 (first check valve 51) connects the pump chamber 141 (liquid receiving chamber 55) of the microfluidic pump 14 and the reservoir 11 and allows fluid to flow only from the reservoir 11 to the pump chamber 141, the second check valve 146 (second check valve 52) connects the pump chamber 141 and the target 2 requiring infusion of fluid and allows fluid to flow only from the pump chamber 141 to the target 2, and when the pump chamber 141 is in an expanded state, the first check valve 145 is opened and the second check valve 146 is closed due to the pressure, but when the fluid of the reservoir 11 flows to the pump chamber 141, the pressure of the fluid may cause the second check valve 146 to be erroneously opened, resulting in leakage of the fluid. It will be appreciated that the pressure of the fluid does not cause the first check valve 145 to be opened erroneously as the second check valve 146, and therefore, the present disclosure focuses on how to improve how the second check valve 146 is not opened erroneously due to the pressure of the fluid, and the description of the first check valve 145 or the first fluid passage 13 may be simplified.
Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of the second fluid passage 16 in cooperation with the relief valve 15 in accordance with an example of the present disclosure. Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating the third actuator 150 according to the example of the present disclosure in cooperation with the relief valve 15 to control the closing of the second fluid passage 16. Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram showing that the third actuator 150 according to the example of the present disclosure cooperates with the relief valve 15 to control the opening of the second fluid passage 16.
In some examples, the second fluid channel 16 may be resilient. Specifically, as shown in fig. 9, the second fluid passage 16 may include an elastic region 161 having elasticity. In some examples, the elastic region 161 may refer to a portion of the second fluid channel 16 that may deform when subjected to an external force to allow the second fluid channel 16 to close (i.e., not allow fluid to pass through) and recover to allow the second fluid channel 16 to open (i.e., allow fluid to pass through) when not subjected to an external force, e.g., the elastic region 161 may be made of an elastic material, and the elastic region 161 may deform or recover to allow fluid to not pass through or pass through under the action of the relief valve 15, such as by squeezing or the like.
In some examples, the elastic region 161 may refer to the entirety of the second fluid channel 16, or may refer to at least a portion of the second fluid channel 16. In this case, the whole of the second fluid channel 16 is the elastic region 161, so that the relief valve 15 can be conveniently arranged at any part of the second fluid channel 16, and thus the position arrangement of the components such as the relief valve 15, the microfluidic pump 14, the second fluid channel 16 or the liquid reservoir 11 can be adaptively adjusted, at least one part of the second fluid channel 16 is the elastic region 161, for example, the part acting with the relief valve 15 is the elastic region 161, and the rest part is inelastic, so that the opening and closing of the second fluid channel 16 can be better controlled through the relief valve 15, namely, the problem that the control inaccuracy is caused by the elastic deformation of the second fluid channel 16 can be reduced everywhere.
In some examples, the diameters of the portions of the second fluid passage 16 may be the same, for example, the diameters of the second fluid passage 16 may each be less than 0.7mm (also commonly referred to as micro-pipe diameter or capillary diameter). In this case, the same pressure drop can be maintained during the delivery of the fluid by the second fluid passage 16 of the same diameter of 0.7mm or less to stabilize and refine the delivery process. In other examples, the diameters of the various portions of the second fluid passageway 16 may be different, for example, because the second fluid passageway 16 needs to partially enter the subcutaneous tissue of the human body, and thus may be slightly smaller than the diameter of the portion that does not need to enter the subcutaneous tissue, for example, the diameter of the portion of the second fluid passageway 16 that enters the subcutaneous tissue may be below 0.5mm to facilitate complete drainage of fluid from the second fluid passageway 16 to reduce negative pressure build-up, thereby reducing problems with inaccurate delivery due to bubble formation, or reducing fluid in the device from undesirable contamination due to reflux of fluid (e.g., blood from the subcutaneous tissue or fluid itself).
In some examples, the first fluid channel 13 may be of a uniform tube diameter as the second fluid channel 16. In this case, the fluid can be maintained in conformity when being input from the reservoir 11 to the microfluidic pump 14 and then output from the microfluidic pump 14 into the target 2, whereby the accuracy and balance of the infusion fluid can be improved.
In some examples, the materials of the first fluid channel 13 and the second fluid channel 16 may alternatively be the same material, for example, a hard metal (such as copper tube) or a non-gold material (such as plastic tube), which is not easily broken to make the fluid flow more stable, or a soft non-gold material (such as silica gel) which is easily bent to be arranged in the device together with other parts.
In other examples, the materials of the first fluid channel 13 and the second fluid channel 16 may alternatively be formed of different materials according to different designs, for example, the portion of the second fluid channel 16 implanted in the patient may be made of a material with better biocompatibility, such as polypropylene, silicone, polyurethane, acrylic derivative, polyhydroxy acid, etc., while the first fluid channel 13 may not be made of a material with better biocompatibility because it is mounted inside the device and not in contact with the human body.
In the present disclosure, in particular, as mentioned before, the second fluid channel 16 may comprise a region having elasticity, i.e. the second fluid channel 16 may be at least partially of an elastic material. In other examples, the second fluid passage 16 may be entirely elastic, i.e., any portion of the second fluid passage 16 entirely may serve as the elastic region 161. In other words, the second fluid passage 16 as a whole may be made of an elastic material. In this case, the matching of the second fluid passage 16 may be made without considering various materials, and the length of the elastic region 161 may not be limited, thereby enabling easy selection and installation of the second fluid passage 16 and reducing manufacturing costs.
In some examples, the material of the elastic region 161 of the second fluid channel 16 may include, but is not limited to, silicone rubber, elastomeric/synthetic rubber (TPE/TPR), polyester rubber (TPEE), thermoplastic polyurethane rubber (TPU), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene (PE), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyester (PET), polyimide (PI), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), and the like.
In some examples, as shown in fig. 9, an elastic region 161 may be provided in the relief valve 15, specifically the elastic region 161 may be provided between a main body portion 152 and a push portion 151 (described later) of the relief valve 15, and the relief valve 15 may control opening and closing of the second fluid passage 16 in such a manner as to press the elastic region 161.
Specifically, when the microfluidic pump 14 maintains the first volume, the safety valve 15 is closed, that is, the elastic region 161 is pressed to close the second fluid channel 16, the fluid pressure can cause the first check valve 145 to open and flow into the microfluidic pump 14 from the first check valve 145 which is only opened in the reservoir 11, and meanwhile, due to the second fluid channel 16 being closed, the second check valve 146 is limited by the pressure of the second fluid channel 16 and the outlet 144 to be closed, so that when the microfluidic pump 14 receives a predetermined volume of fluid, the fluid can not leak from the second check valve 146 due to the pressure of the reservoir 11, and the accuracy of receiving the predetermined volume of fluid can be improved.
When the microfluidic pump 14 maintains the second volume, the relief valve 15 is in an open position, i.e., the relief valve 15 can open the second fluid channel 16 away from the elastic region 161, and fluid pressure can close the first check valve 145 and open the second check valve 146, at which point fluid can flow from the microfluidic pump 14 through the second fluid channel 16.
In some examples, as shown in fig. 10 or 11, the safety valve 15 may include a push portion 151, a body portion 152, and a reset 153. In some examples, the body portion 152 may be located in the elastic region 161, e.g., the elastic region 161 may be placed against the body portion 152. In some examples, the push portion 151 may be provided to the body portion 152 and may be adjacent to the pressing elastic region 161. In some examples, the reset device 153 may be provided to the push portion 151 and abut against the main body portion 152 to restore the push portion 151 to the initial position.
In some examples, the third actuator 150 may actuate the push 151 away from the elastic region 161 or close to and press the elastic region 161.
In some examples, as shown in fig. 10, the third actuator 150 may actuate the pushing portion 151 to approach and press the elastic region 161, i.e., when the third actuator 150 actuates the pushing portion 151 to move in the Z1 direction, the pushing portion 151 may approach and press the elastic region 161 (when the second fluid passage 16 is pressed to be closed), and may be restored later by the restorer 153.
In some examples, as shown in fig. 11, the third actuator 150 may actuate the push portion 151 away from the elastic region 161, i.e., when the third actuator 150 actuates the push portion 151 to move in the Z2 direction, the push portion 151 may be away from the elastic region 161 (when the second fluid channel 16 is not pressed to be conductive), and may be subsequently restored by the restorer 153. In this case, by driving the pushing portion 151 away from or toward the elastic region 161 of the second fluid passage 16, the opening and closing of the second fluid passage 16 can be controlled in a pressing manner, whereby interference of the relief valve 15 to the second fluid passage 16 can be reduced, and in addition, by the reset device 153, the pushing portion 151 can be repeatedly pressed against the elastic region 161 of the second fluid passage 16 in cooperation with the third actuator 150, whereby the opening and closing of the second fluid passage 16 can be cyclically controlled, and the power consumption of the third actuator 150 can be reduced.
In some examples, the repositioner 153 can be energized by stretching or compressing. In this case, it is possible to facilitate the return of the pushing portion 151 to the position when, for example, pressing or moving away from the elastic region 161 by the reset device 153, and it is possible to reduce the consumption of electric power or the like.
In other examples, the reset device 153 may not be provided, for example, the third actuator 150 may actuate the pushing portion 151 away from the elastic region 161, or may actuate the pushing portion 151 to approach and press the elastic region 161, i.e., the third actuator 150 may actuate the pushing portion 151 to reciprocate to move the pushing portion 151 away from the elastic region 161 and to approach and press the elastic region 161. In this case, the movement of the pushing part 151 can be precisely controlled, enhancing the accuracy of controlling the second fluid passage 16.
In some examples, the third actuator 150 may be at least one of a piezoelectric motor, a micro-servo motor, or a memory metal drive. In this case, the actuator is a shape memory alloy, which can facilitate the achievement of a reciprocating and accurate stable power source by using the conductive heating shape memory alloy to promote the convenience in actuating the safety valve 15, the actuator is a piezoelectric motor which can promote the accuracy in actuating the safety valve 15 by using the nano-scale control accuracy of the piezoelectric motor, and the actuator is a micro servo motor which can promote the stability and accuracy in actuating the safety valve 15 by using the stable moment and high accuracy performance of the servo motor.
Fig. 12 is a schematic diagram showing a medical system 100 composed of the device 1 for delivering fluid based on the microfluidic pump 14, the external controller 3, and the sensor monitor 4 according to the example of the present disclosure. Fig. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a data communication process of the medical system 100 according to the example of fig. 12 of the present disclosure. Fig. 14 is a schematic diagram showing a data communication process of the medical system 100 according to another example of the present disclosure.
Referring to fig. 5, the microfluidic pump 14-based fluid delivery device 1 according to the present disclosure may further include a controller 18.
In some examples, the controller 18 may be electrically connected to the first, second, and third actuators 110, 140, and 150 and control the first, second, and third actuators 110, 140, and 150 to actuate the reservoir 11, the microfluidic pump 14, and the relief valve 15, respectively, as preset instructions. In this case, targeted control of the fluid infusion process according to the infusion requirements can be facilitated.
In some examples, the controller 18 may receive instructions from the external controller 3 or sensory data of the sensory monitor 4 to generate preset instructions. In this case, the infusion requirements can be generated according to instructions of the external controller 3 or sensing data of the sensing monitor 4 to be able to control the fluid infusion process in a targeted manner according to the infusion requirements, enhancing the individuality and the intelligentization degree of the device.
In some examples, the controller 18 may be an integrated circuit or component having a control chip. In some examples, the controller 18 may include a power supply, a control chip, a voltage transformation circuit, and the like. In this case, the controller 18 can directly drive the first actuator 110, the second actuator 140, and the third actuator 150 to be activated as preset instructions by controlling the voltage and current.
Specifically, in some examples, after the second actuator 140 actuates the microfluidic pump 14 to switch the pump chamber 141 from the first volume to the second volume, the third actuator 150 may actuate the relief valve 15 away from the elastic region 161. In this case, the third actuator 150 actuates the relief valve 15 away from the elastic region 161 of the second fluid passage 16 after the pump chamber 141 is switched from the first volume to the second volume.
In other examples, after the third actuator 150 actuates the relief valve 15 to close and squeeze the elastic region 161, the second actuator 140 may actuate the microfluidic pump 14 to switch the pump chamber 141 from the second volume to the first volume. In this case, the second actuator 140 re-actuates the micro fluid pump 14 from the second volume to the first volume after the safety valve 15 approaches the elastic region 161 of the second fluid channel 16 (i.e., after closing the second fluid channel 16), can control the second fluid channel 16 to open and close and can maintain the air pressure balance before the micro fluid pump 14 receives a predetermined volume of fluid from the reservoir 11 or supplies a predetermined volume of fluid to the second fluid channel 16, thereby enabling to reduce the problem of fluid leakage caused by the incorrect opening of the second check valve 146 when the pump chamber 141 is filled with a predetermined pressure of the reservoir 11.
As shown in fig. 12, the device 1 for delivering fluid based on a microfluidic pump 14 according to the present disclosure may be combined with an external controller 3, a sensor monitor 4, etc. to form an automatically administered medical system 100, and the automatically administered medical system 100 may be used to automatically infuse fluid into a subject 2 based on preset instructions or infusion requirements.
In some examples, the external controller 3 may be a dedicated controller 18, a mobile phone, a personal computer, or the like, and in some examples, the external controller 3 may also be a cloud device or an internet device, such as a server or a control terminal of an internet hospital, or the like, as the external controller 33.
In some examples, the sensor monitor 4 may be a device for monitoring physiological parameters of the subject 2, such as blood oxygen saturation, pulse rate, body temperature, body height/weight, body composition, blood lipid, blood glucose, blood pressure, etc., which may not be limiting.
In some examples, the sensor monitor 4 may be communicatively connected to the external controller 3 by wireless means. In some examples, the wireless communication means may include, but is not limited to, at least one of Bluetooth, wifi, 3G/4G/5G, NFC, UWB, and Zig-Bee.
In some examples, the external controller 3 may be communicatively connected to the microfluidic pump 14-based device 1 by wireless means. In some examples, the wireless communication means may include, but is not limited to, at least one of Bluetooth, wifi, 3G/4G/5G, NFC, UWB, and Zig-Bee.
In some examples, as shown in fig. 13, the sensor monitor 4 may obtain data of the physiological parameter of the target 2 and send the data to the external controller 3, and the external controller 3 may control the device 1 that delivers fluid based on the microfluidic pump 14 to deliver fluid based on the data of the physiological parameter of the target 2. In other examples, as shown in fig. 14, the external controller 3 may not be provided, and the device 1 for delivering fluid based on the microfluidic pump 14 may be automatically administered by interlocking with the sensor monitor 4 through the controller 18 provided therein, and the controller 18 may be communicatively connected to the sensor monitor 4. In this case, the device 1 for delivering fluid based on the microfluidic pump 14 can directly respond to the monitoring data of the sensor monitor 4 and automatically provide infusion treatment for the target 2 in time, thereby improving the convenience and rapidity of delivering fluid.
In some examples, if diabetes is treated as an example, the sensor monitor 4 may be a blood glucose monitor. The data of the physiological parameter of the subject 2 may be blood glucose data. The workflow of the device 1 for delivering fluid based on the microfluidic pump 14 may comprise obtaining real-time blood glucose data from a blood glucose monitor (i.e. the aforementioned sensor monitor 4) of the target 2 and sending to the external controller 3, sending a control signal from the external controller 3 to the device 1 for delivering fluid based on the microfluidic pump 14 based on the blood glucose data, and the device 1 for delivering fluid based on the microfluidic pump 14 may deliver fluid into the target 2 based on the control signal.
In addition, referring to fig. 5, the microfluidic pump 14-based fluid delivery device 1 according to the present disclosure may further include a housing 10, a needle booster 17, and a filter 12. In some examples, the housing 10 may house internal components of the reservoir 11, the microfluidic pump 14, the first valve, and the second valve, and the like, and serve to protect these internal components.
In some examples, the needle aid 17 may be used to insert the second fluid channel 16 subcutaneously into the target 2 to facilitate infusion of fluid into the target 2 through the second fluid channel 16. In some examples, the second fluid channel 16 may be inserted subcutaneously with the aid of a needle aid 17. In this case, the device 1 based on the microfluidic pump 14 delivering fluid is capable of delivering fluid into the body through the second fluid channel 16. In some examples, the inserted subcutaneous portion of the needle assist 17 may be a needle or trocar and the needle assist 17 may deliver the second fluid passage 16 subcutaneously in a single pass and withdraw the needle or trocar leaving the second fluid passage 16 partially subcutaneously. In this case, the microfluidic pump 14-based device 1 is capable of delivering fluid through the second fluid channel 16 into the body and reducing pain of multiple patient needle sticks.
In some examples, the filter 12 may be disposed between the reservoir 11 and the first fluid channel 13 to filter the fluid to reduce the blocking (e.g. insulin or other drugs) caused by possible crystallization of the fluid, so that the fluid can smoothly flow into the microfluidic pump 14, and the accuracy of the fluid infused into the target 2 by the microfluidic pump 14 is improved. In other examples, the device 1 based on the microfluidic pump 14 may not be provided with the filter 12, for example, the filter 12 may not be provided when the fluid is a liquid medicine that is not easily crystallized.
In summary, according to the present disclosure, a device 1 for delivering a fluid based on a microfluidic pump 14 is provided. In the present disclosure, a large amount of fluid may be stored in the reservoir 11, wherein a predetermined volume of fluid may enter the microfluidic pump 14 from the reservoir 11 via the first fluid channel 13 and may be directed from the microfluidic pump 14 into the target 2 via the second fluid channel 16.
Wherein the first actuator 110 may be used to drive the reservoir 11 to maintain a predetermined pressure. In this case, the predetermined pressure is maintained by the actuation of the reservoir 11 by the first actuator 110, the fluid can be facilitated to flow out of the reservoir 11 or into the microfluidic pump 14 from the reservoir 11, and the accuracy of the microfluidic pump 14 to receive a predetermined volume of fluid can be not affected by the presence of negative pressure or bubbles or the like due to the evacuation of the fluid.
In addition, a second actuator 140 may be used to drive the microfluidic pump 14 to change volume. And, the opening and closing of the first check valve 145 and the second check valve 146 may be controlled by pressure when the microfluidic pump 14 changes volume to form positive or negative pressure. In this case, controlling the fluid to enter or exit the pump chamber 141 of the microfluidic pump 14 through the first check valve 145 and the second check valve 146 enables the microfluidic pump 14 to receive a predetermined volume of fluid from the reservoir 11 and to supply the predetermined volume of fluid into the target 2, thereby enabling quantitative fluid infusion to the target 2.
In addition, the third actuator 150 may be used to drive the relief valve 15 to open or close. For example, the safety valve 15 is opened when the microfluidic pump 14 supplies a predetermined volume of fluid by actuation of the third actuator 150, in which case the pressure can be stabilized such that the second check valve 146 is not erroneously opened due to the pressure of the reservoir 11 when the microfluidic pump 14 receives the predetermined volume of fluid, thereby reducing the occurrence of fluid leakage of the microfluidic pump 14 due to the presence of the predetermined pressure of the reservoir 11 when the microfluidic pump 14 receives the predetermined volume of fluid, and improving the accuracy of the quantitative infusion fluid.
In addition, the opening and closing of the second fluid passage 16 may be controlled by controlling the opening or closing of the relief valve 15, i.e., the relief valve 15 may be used to control the opening and closing of the second fluid passage 16. Specifically, for example, the relief valve 15 controls the opening and closing of the second fluid passage 16 by pressing the elastic region 161 of the second fluid passage 16, in which case interference of the relief valve 15 to the second fluid passage 16 can be reduced, improving the accuracy of control.
In addition, a first check valve 145 and a second check valve 146 of the microfluidic pump 14 are provided at the inlet 143 and the outlet 144 of the pump chamber 141, respectively. In this case, the first check valve 145 or the open second check valve 146 of the inlet 143 can reduce the receiving space formed with the pump chamber 141 when the first fluid channel 13 or the second fluid channel 16 is connected to the pump chamber 141 (i.e., in order to make the volume of the pump chamber 141 more accurate, the receiving space formed by the first check valve 145 in the first fluid channel 13 or the second check valve 146 in the second fluid channel 16 and the pump chamber 141 should be reduced as much as possible), thereby reducing the influence of the first fluid channel 13 or the second fluid channel 16 when the microfluidic pump 14 receives or supplies a predetermined volume of fluid, and improving the accuracy of the metered infusion fluid.
In order to better embody the improvements of the device 1 for delivering fluid based on a microfluidic pump 14 according to the present disclosure, the present disclosure also provides the following control methods or procedures for the device 1 for delivering fluid based on a microfluidic pump 14. In some examples, the control method or procedure of the device may also be referred to as "control method of a microfluidic infusion device", "a control method based on a micropump", or "control method of a micropump device".
Fig. 15 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of the device 1 for delivering fluid based on the microfluidic pump 14 according to the example of the present disclosure.
In some examples, as shown in fig. 15, a control method of the device 1 for delivering fluid based on the microfluidic pump 14 may include actuating the reservoir 11 to maintain a predetermined pressure (step S100), actuating the microfluidic pump 14 to have a first volume (step S200), actuating the microfluidic pump 14 to have a second volume (step S300), actuating the relief valve 15 to open (step S400), actuating the relief valve 15 to close, and triggering the repetition of steps S200 to S500 after the relief valve 15 is closed.
In some examples, in step S100, the reservoir 11 may be actuated to maintain a predetermined pressure by controlling the first actuator 110. In this case, the fluid can be easily discharged from the reservoir 11, and the formation of negative pressure or bubbles caused indirectly or directly by the atmospheric pressure can be reduced, whereby the accuracy of fluid delivery can be improved.
In other examples, in step S100, the manner in which the reservoir 11 is maintained at the predetermined pressure may be by driving the reservoir 11 using the elastic member 112 or by making the reservoir 11 of an elastic material.
In some examples, in step S100, the first actuator 110 may actuate the reservoir 11 to maintain a predetermined and unchanged pressure following a change in the volume of the reservoir 11. For example, as the amount of fluid in the reservoir 11 decreases, the reservoir 11 may deform to conform the volume to the amount of fluid, and the first actuator 110 actuates the reservoir 11 to always be in a tendency to be compressed, i.e., maintain a predetermined pressure.
In some examples, the relief valve 15 may be in a closed state when step S100 is performed.
In some examples, in step S200, the microfluidic pump 14 may be deformed to have the first volume by controlling the second actuator 140 to actuate. In some examples, the microfluidic pump 14 may have a first pressure less than the predetermined pressure of the reservoir 11 when having a first volume. Due to the pressure differential, the first check valve 145 of the microfluidic pump 14 may be automatically opened and the second check valve 146 closed at this point, allowing fluid to enter the microfluidic pump 14. In addition, since the safety valve 15 is still closed, the second check valve 146 is not opened erroneously to cause fluid leakage when the pump chamber 141 is filled with the predetermined pressure of the reservoir 11, thereby improving accuracy and safety of the quantitative infusion fluid.
In some examples, in step S300, the micro fluidic pump 14 may be continuously actuated to deform to have the second volume by controlling the second actuator 140. In some examples, the microfluidic pump 14 may have a second pressure greater than the predetermined pressure of the reservoir 11 when having a second volume. The first check valve 145 of the microfluidic pump 14 may be closed at this time due to the pressure differential.
In some examples, in step S400, the relief valve 15 may be actuated to open by controlling the third actuator 150. In this case, the second check valve 146 can be automatically opened in cooperation with step S300 due to the presence of the pressure difference, whereby fluid can be discharged or infused from the microfluidic pump 14 into the target 2 through the second fluid channel 16.
In some examples, step S400 may be completed by controlling the third actuator 150 to actuate the safety valve 15 to close and repeating steps S200 to S400, i.e., step S500.
It is to be understood that the control method or the flow of the device 1 for delivering fluid based on the microfluidic pump 14 according to the present disclosure is applicable to the scheme of actuation by the actuator in the device 1 for delivering fluid based on the microfluidic pump 14 according to the present disclosure, and therefore various components and devices such as the actuator and the like involved in the control method or the flow are not described herein.
In summary, according to the present disclosure, a device 1 for delivering fluid based on a microfluidic pump 14 is provided, which can reduce leakage of fluid caused by pressure difference in the microfluidic pump 14, thereby making quantitative infusion more accurate.
While the disclosure has been described in detail in connection with the drawings and examples, it is to be understood that the foregoing description is not intended to limit the disclosure in any way. Modifications and variations of the present disclosure may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the disclosure, and such modifications and variations fall within the scope of the disclosure.