Pen-type injector having an electronic control unit

• US 20040122355A1
• Filed: 06/06/2003
• Published: 06/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH (Sanofi )
• Original Assignee: Christopher Nigel Langley, Robert Frederick Veasey, Robert Woolston, Shane Alistair Day
• Inventors: Veasey, Robert Frederick, Langley, Christopher Nigel, Woolston, Robert, Day, Shane Alistair
• Granted Patent: US 8,128,603 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/67
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/31588 electrically driven
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/215 Tilt detection, e.g. for warning or shut-off
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/50 with microprocessors or computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6018 providing set-up signals for the apparatus configuration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 battery-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14244 adapted to be carried by the patient, e.g. portable on the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14566 with a replaceable reservoir for receiving a piston rod of the pump
• 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 5/31525 Dosing burettes, pipettes B01L3/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31546 Electrically operated dose setting, e.g. input via touch screen or plus/minus buttons
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/17 delivered via infusion or injection
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/01 Motorized syringe

Abstract

An injection device of the kind having a main housing (4) is disclosed and includes a drive mechanism (42) to expel selectively a dose of medicament from a medicament cartridge (40) through a needle unit (22) and an electronic control unit to control the drive mechanism (42). The injection device further comprises a prime button (26) which causes a prime signal to be sent to the electronic control unit, the electronic control unit actuating the drive mechanism (42) to expel a predetermined small dose of medicament on receipt of the prime signal. In this way removal of entrapped air from the medicament cartridge (40) is obtained.

Claims

1. An injection device of the kind having a main housing 4 including a drive mechanism 42 to expel selectively a dose of medicament from a medicament cartridge 40 through a needle unit 22 and an electronic control unit to control the drive mechanism 42 characterised in that the injection device further comprises a prime button 26 which causes a prime signal to be sent to the electronic control unit, the electronic control unit actuating the drive mechanism 42 to expel a predetermined small dose of medicament on receipt of the prime signal.

2. An injection device according to claim 1, characterised in that the injection device further comprises a cover 6 adapted to cover the needle unit 22 and a part of the main housing 4, characterised in that the prime button 26 is located within the part of the main housing 4 adapted to be covered by the cover.

3. An injection device according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that the injection device further comprises a priming detection means to sense the orientation of the injection device, characterised in that the electronic control unit will only cause the drive mechanism to operate in response to a priming signal when the injection device is in a predetermined orientation.

4. An injection device according to claim 3, characterised in that the injection device comprises further buttons 12,14,18 which may in use generate further signals to which the electronic control unit may respond, the electronic control unit not responding to said further signals when the injection device is in the predetermined orientation.