Administration apparatus for medical use

• US 10,155,086 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2015
• Issued: 12/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PHC Holdings Corporation
• Original Assignee: PHC Holdings Corporation
• Inventors: Sugimoto, Hirofumi, Iio, Toshiaki, Kikuchi, Seiji, Takeuchi, Yoshiki, Matsuda, Kouichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenberg, Rebecca E
• Application Number:
  US14/845,745
• Publication Number:
  US 20150374912A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,201 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/206 With automatic needle insertion
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/2073 preventing premature release, e.g. by making use of a safety lock
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/208 Release is possible only when device is pushed against the skin, e.g. using a trigger which is blocked or inactive when the device is not pushed against the skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/2411 from the front
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/2496 via pivot
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3126 Specific display means related to dosing
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/31518 designed to reduce the overall size of an injection device, e.g. using flexible or pivotally connected chain-like rod members
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/31588 electrically driven
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/12 with interchangeable cassettes forming partially or totally the fluid circuit
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/50 with microprocessors or computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/52 with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/581 by audible feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/583 by visual feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14566 with a replaceable reservoir for receiving a piston rod of the pump
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/172 electrical or electronic A61M5/16804, A61M5/16831 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/20 Automatic syringes, e.g. with automatically actuated piston rod, with automatic needle injection, filling automatically A61M5/142 , A61M5/46 take precedence; hypodermic projectiles F42B12/54
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3146 Priming, e.g. purging, reducing backlash or clearance
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31535 Means improving security or handling thereof, e.g. blocking means, means preventing insufficient dosing, means allowing correction of overset dose
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31541 Means preventing setting of a dose beyond the amount remaining in the cartridge
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31546 Electrically operated dose setting, e.g. input via touch screen or plus/minus buttons

Abstract

An expansion/compression mechanism of a piston rod assembly is composed of a bush shaft, a first cylindrical piston rod that is screwed with the bush shaft, a second cylindrical piston rod that is screwed with the first piston rod, and a piston rod holding member for housing the bush shaft and these piston rods. Therefore, the piston rods move linearly in multiple stages.

Claims

1. An administration apparatus for medical use which performs administration of a drug, said apparatus comprising:

a drug cartridge having an end closed with a plunger, and containing a drug inside;

a cartridge holder for housing the drug cartridge;

a piston rod for pressing the plunger in the drug cartridge to move the plunger;

an injector motor which moves the piston rod;

a motor driver which drives the injector motor;

a controller which controls the motor driver to control movement of the injection motor;

a needle assembly for administering the drug emitted from the other end of the drug cartridge with movement of the piston rod;

an air releasing switch for starting an air releasing operation for releasing air in the drug cartridge and the needle assembly; and

an administration switch for starting a drug administration operation for injecting the drug within the drug cartridge through the needle assembly;

wherein

the controller is configured to control the motor driver at both a first speed for air releasing and a second speed for drug administration, wherein the controller performs the air releasing operation with the movement of the piston rod when the controller detects that the air releasing switch is pressed, and performs the drug administration operation with the movement of the piston rod when the controller detects that the administration switch is pressed, and wherein

during the air releasing operation, the piston rod is moved at the first speed, which is lower than the second speed of the piston rod during the drug administration operation.

2. The administration apparatus for medical use as defined in claim 1, wherein the low-speed operation of the piston rod during the air releasing operation is performed by PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) control with an ON-OFF ratio of a pulse width being varied.

3. The administration apparatus for medical use as defined in claim 1, wherein the low-speed operation of the piston rod during the air releasing operation is performed by voltage control.

4. The administration apparatus for medical use as defined in claim 1, wherein the controller permits the drug administration operation after detecting that the air releasing operation is performed before performing the drug administration operation.

5. The administration apparatus for medical use as defined in claim 1, wherein the controller permits the drug administration operation by turn-on of the administration switch after the air releasing operation.

6. An administration apparatus for medical use which performs administration of a drug, said apparatus comprising:

a drug cartridge having an end closed with a plunger, and containing a drug inside;

a cartridge holder for housing the drug cartridge;

a piston rod for pressing the plunger in the drug cartridge to move the plunger;

an injector motor which moves the piston rod;

a motor driver which drives the injector motor;

a controller which controls the motor driver to control movement of the injection motor;

a needle assembly for administering the drug emitted from the other end of the drug cartridge with movement of the piston rod;

an air releasing switch for starting an air releasing operation for releasing air in the drug cartridge and the needle assembly, wherein the controller performs the air releasing operation with the movement of the piston rod when the controller detects that the air releasing switch is pressed, and during the air releasing operation, the piston rod is moved at a speed lower than a speed of the piston rod during the drug administration operation; and

a contact sensor for detecting whether or not a portion of the administration apparatus in the vicinity of the needle assembly contacts a target region, and

the controller suppresses the air releasing operation when the contact sensor detects that the portion of the administration apparatus contacts the target region.