1. A system, comprising:
an inner tube;
an outer tube at least partially surrounding the inner tube so that a medical device can be positioned between the inner and outer tubes, the inner and outer tubes being configured to be capable of being disposed within a body lumen; and
an actuator configured so that, as a force is applied to the actuator, the actuator can cause relative motion between the inner and outer tubes,
wherein the actuator comprises a rotatable member having a first portion with a radius that gradually increases around a circumference of the rotatable member and a second portion with a stepwise change in radius, radius being determined relative to an axis of rotation of the rotatable member,
wherein a mechanical advantage of the actuator changes as the actuator moves in a proximal direction,
wherein a rotatable element is coupled to the rotatable member so that, as the rotatable element rotates, the rotatable member rotates,
wherein the rotatable element is an external thumb wheel; and
wherein the mechanical advantage of the actuator linearly decreases as the actuator moves in the proximal direction so that the actuator provides fine and controlled proximal refraction of outer tube when the thumb wheel is initially rotated and coarse proximal retraction of outer tube when the thumb wheel is later rotated.
2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a housing coupled to the actuator.
3. The system of claim 2, wherein the actuator is at least partially disposed within the housing.
4. The system of claim 2, wherein at least a portion of the housing is proximal to a proximal end of the outer tube.
5. The system of claim 2, wherein the housing is configured to be held by an operator of the system during use of the system.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises a cam.
7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a windable member that couples the rotatable member to the outer tube.
8. The system of claim 7, wherein the windable member is selected from the group consisting of wires, cords, ribbons, flat gears and combinations thereof.
9. The system of claim 7, wherein the windable member comprises a wire.
10. The system of claim 1, wherein the rotatable member is integral with the rotatable element.
11. The system of claim 1, wherein the rotatable element is configured to be rotated by an operator of the system during use of the system.
12. The system of claim 1, wherein the rotatable element is positioned proximal to a proximal end of the outer tube.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A plunger head moveable within a reservoir, the plunger head shaped to form a bubble trap region for trapping air bubbles that are in a fluidic medium as the fluidic medium is expelled from the reservoir by the plunger head.
2. The plunger head of claim 1,
said plunger head having a concave portion that defines said bubble trap region.
3. The plunger head of claim 1, the plunger head including:
a body portion;
a first protrusion portion protruding from the body portion; and
a second protrusion portion protruding from the body portion, said bubble trap region located between the first protrusion portion and the second protrusion portion.
4. The plunger head of claim 3,
said first protrusion portion surrounding at least a portion of said second protrusion portion.
5. The plunger head of claim 4,
said first protrusion portion extending a first distance from said body portion;
said second protrusion portion extending a second distance from said body portion; and
said first distance greater than said second distance.
6. The plunger head of claim 5,
said second distance greater than one-fourth of said first distance.
7. The plunger head of claim 3,
said second protrusion portion including a cavity for receiving a portion of a needle.
8. The plunger head of claim 1,
said plunger head including a curved surface that defines said bubble trap region;
said curved surface having a first end position, a second end position, and an innermost position;
wherein a depth of the bubble trap region is at least greater than one-half of a width of the bubble trap region from the first end position to the second end position.
9. A system for delivering a fluidic medium, the system comprising:
a reservoir, the reservoir including:
a reservoir body portion having an interior volume for containing the fluidic medium; and
a port in fluid flow communication with the interior volume; and
a plunger head moveable within the reservoir, the plunger head shaped to form a bubble trap region for trapping air bubbles that are in the fluidic medium as the fluidic medium is being expelled from the interior volume through the port by the plunger head.
10. The system of claim 9,
said plunger head having a concave portion that defines said bubble trap region.
11. The system of claim 9, the plunger head including:
a body portion;
a first protrusion portion protruding from the body portion; and
a second protrusion portion protruding from the body portion, said bubble trap region located between the first protrusion portion and the second protrusion portion.
12. The system of claim 11,
said first protrusion portion surrounding at least a portion of said second protrusion portion.
13. The system of claim 12,
said first protrusion portion extending a first distance from said body portion;
said second protrusion portion extending a second distance from said body portion; and
said first distance greater than said second distance.
14. The system of claim 13,
said second distance greater than one-fourth of said first distance.
15. The system of claim 12,
said second protrusion portion aligned with said port such that when a needle is inserted into the port, an end of the needle is directed toward the second protrusion portion.
16. The system of claim 11,
said second protrusion portion including a cavity for receiving a portion of a needle.
17. The system of claim 11,
said reservoir further including a reservoir bubble trap portion having a volume in fluid flow communication with the interior volume for trapping air bubbles that are in the fluidic medium as the fluidic medium is being expelled from the interior volume.
18. The system of claim 17,
wherein a contour of the first protrusion portion of the plunger head substantially matches an inner contour of the reservoir bubble trap portion.
19. The system of claim 17,
said first protrusion portion of the plunger head shaped and positioned such that the first protrusion portion extends at least partially into the volume of the reservoir bubble trap portion when the plunger head is sufficiently advanced within the reservoir.
20. The system of claim 17,
said first protrusion portion of the plunger head shaped and positioned such that when the plunger head is fully advanced within the reservoir the first protrusion portion substantially fills the volume of the reservoir bubble trap portion.
21. The system of claim 17,
said reservoir shaped such that in order for the fluidic medium to flow from the volume of the reservoir bubble trap portion to the port, the fluidic medium must flow through the interior volume.
22. The system of claim 17,
said reservoir including a material for shunting air bubbles in said fluidic medium away from said port and toward said volume of the reservoir bubble trap portion when said fluidic medium is being expelled from said interior volume.
23. The system of claim 17,
said reservoir further including a channel that leads from the interior volume to the port; and
said reservoir bubble trap portion including a first portion that extends from the reservoir body portion away from the interior volume, and a second portion that returns back toward the interior volume.
wherein the reservoir bubble trap portion encircles at least a portion of the channel.
24. The system of claim 9, further comprising:
a drive device including a linkage portion and a motor for moving the linkage portion;
a plunger arm connected to the plunger head, the plunger arm having a mating portion for mating with the linkage portion of the drive device;
a disposable housing for housing the reservoir and for being secured to a user; and
a durable housing for housing the motor of the drive device, the durable housing configured to be selectively engaged with and disengaged from the disposable housing.
25. A method for expelling a fluidic medium from a reservoir using a plunger head, the plunger head having a concave portion that defines a bubble trap region, the method comprising:
expelling the fluidic medium from the reservoir using the plunger head; and
trapping, in the bubble trap region defined by the concave portion of the plunger head, air bubbles that are in the fluidic medium as the fluidic medium is being expelled from the reservoir by the plunger head.