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Fixed dose medication dispensing device

  • US 20070088288A1
  • Filed: 10/15/2004
  • Published: 04/19/2007
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2003
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A medication dispensing apparatus comprising:

  • a housing;

    an axially extending drive member rotatably and axially fixed within said housing during dose preparing, and rotatably fixed and axially movable in a distal direction relative to said housing during dose injecting, said drive member including a threaded shaft;

    a fluid container defining a medicine-filled reservoir with a movable piston at one end and an outlet at the other end, said piston engagable by said drive member to be advanced toward said outlet when said drive member is moved distally;

    a nut threadedly engaged with the drive member shaft to be axially movable relative thereto during rotation of said nut relative to said drive member;

    a nut driver rotatably and axially shiftable relative to said housing;

    wherein said nut and said driver include cooperating elements which when engaged rotatably lock together said nut and said driver, and which when disengaged permit relative rotation of said nut and said driver;

    a guide disposed on one of said driver and said housing;

    a follower disposed on the other of said driver and said housing;

    wherein said guide and follower cooperate to promote a user moving said driver relative to said housing along a travel path that operates the apparatus, said travel path including a dose preparing section and a dose injecting section, said dose preparing section including a reset segment, a nut engaging segment, and a nut rotating segment connected in sequence, and wherein said injecting section connects said nut rotating segment with said reset segment;

    wherein said cooperating elements of said nut and said driver are disengaged when said driver is disposed in said reset segment;

    wherein said cooperating elements of said nut and said driver become engaged when said driver is shifted through said nut engaging segment from said reset segment to said nut rotating segment;

    wherein the engagement of said cooperating elements of said nut and said driver cause said nut to screw proximally along said threaded shaft when said driver is shifted through said nut rotating segment from said nut engaging segment to said injecting section;

    wherein when said driver is shifted through said injecting section from said nut rotating segment to said reset segment, said nut and said drive member are shifted in the distal direction to axially advance said fluid container piston to dispense medicine from said outlet, and said cooperating elements of said nut and said driver become disengaged; and

    said guide including a hard stop for said follower to define an end of said reset segment of said driver travel path, and said hard stop when abutted by said follower rotationally aligns said driver with said nut engaging segment of said travel path.

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