Sensor device for attachment to a drug delivery device

• US 10,473,511 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2014
• Issued: 11/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH (Sanofi )
• Original Assignee: Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH (Sanofi )
• Inventors: Blei, Gertrud, Allerdings, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, John R
• Application Number:
  US14/783,092
• Publication Number:
  US 20160047685A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,036 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3126 Specific display means related to dosing
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3306 Optical measuring means
• 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 5/31551 including axial movement of dose setting member
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31568 Means keeping track of the total dose administered, e.g. since the cartridge was inserted
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3157 Means providing feedback signals when administration is completed A61M5/20 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/292 Light , e.g. infrared or ultraviolet
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/55 Specular reflectivity
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/062 LED's
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/08 Optical fibres; light guides
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/00 2D [Two Dimensional] image generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/413 Classification of content, e.g. text, photographs or tables

Abstract

A sensor device configured to be attached to a drug delivery device and configured to illuminate the drug delivery device when attached, the sensor device comprising: a light guide having a first surface, a second surface opposed to the first surface, at least one side surface extending between the first and second surfaces and a light out-coupling structure configured to cause diffuse light to be emitted from the first surface when light is input into the light guide; at least one light source configured to in-couple light into the light guide; and an optical sensor arranged to receive light reflected from a surface of the drug delivery device.

Claims

1. A sensor device configured to be attached to a drug delivery device and configured to illuminate the drug delivery device when attached, the sensor device comprising:

a light guide having a first surface, a second surface opposed to the first surface, at least one side surface extending between the first and the second surfaces and a light out-coupling structure configured to cause diffuse light to be emitted from the first surface when light is input into the light guide;

at least one light source configured to in-couple light into the light guide; and

an optical sensor arranged to receive light reflected from a surface of the drug delivery device,

wherein the sensor device further comprises a reflective backing layer adjacent the second surface configured to reflect any light which escapes the light guide through the second surface back into the light guide.

2. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the light out-coupling structure is part of the first surface.

3. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the light guide comprises a region without the light out-coupling structure.

4. The sensor device according to claim 3, wherein the optical sensor is arranged, when the sensor device is attached to the drug delivery device, to view a predetermined area of the surface of the drug delivery device through the region without the light out-coupling structure.

5. The sensor device according to claim 3, wherein the region without the light out-coupling structure comprises an unmodified region of the light guide.

6. The sensor device according to claim 3, wherein the region without the light out-coupling structure comprises a hole in the light guide.

7. The sensor device according to claim 6, wherein the sensor device further comprises a lens assembly configured to focus light reflected from a surface of the drug delivery device onto the optical sensor.

8. The sensor device according to claim 7, wherein the lens assembly is disposed in the hole in the light guide such that a first end of the lens assembly is the same or a smaller distance from the surface of the drug delivery device than the first surface of the light guide.

9. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor device further comprises a processor configured to receive light intensity signals from the optical sensor and to perform an optical character recognition process on the received signals to determine a character visible on the surface of the drug delivery device.

10. The sensor device according to claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to determine an amount of medicament dialled into the drug delivery device and to cause the amount of medicament to be displayed on a display device of the drug delivery device.

11. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the first and the second surfaces of the light guide are curved.

12. The sensor device according to claim 11, wherein the first and the second surfaces of the light guide are substantially concentric with the surface of the drug delivery device.

13. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor device comprises at least one additional light guide and wherein the light guide and the at least one additional light guide are arranged such that none of the light guide and the at least one additional light guide obstructs the optical sensor'"'"'s view of the surface of the drug delivery device.

14. The sensor device according to claim 9, wherein the character includes at least one of a letter and a number.