Infusion System for the Controlled Delivery of Therapeutic Agents

摘要

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.

主权项

1. A system for delivering a therapeutic agent to a patient, the system comprising:
a reservoir configured to contain a solution comprising the therapeutic agent; a non-compliant housing containing the reservoir, a flow path having a first end and a second end, the first end coupled to the reservoir; an expandable drive balloon disposed within the rigid housing in at least a partially non-expanded state; wherein the drive balloon includes a first section and a second section, each section separated by a releasable seal; wherein the first section includes a liquid and the second section includes at least one reactant configured to chemically react with the liquid to produce a gas which expands the drive balloon; wherein when the seal is released, the liquid from the first section mixes with the reactant(s) in the second section to produce the gas which expands the drive balloon to exert a pressure on the reservoir to push the therapeutic agent solution into the flow path; a delivery body having a proximal portion and a distal portion, the proximal portion coupled to the second end of the flow path and the distal portion configured to deliver the therapeutic agent to the patient; and wherein a fluidic resistance of the flow path and the pressure exerted on the reservoir are configured to deliver the therapeutic agent to the patient at a flow rate within a pre-determined range during use.