Injection Device with Means for Signalling the Time Since the Last Injection

• US 20090076458A1
• Filed: 10/20/2005
• Published: 03/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Novo Nordisk A/S
• Original Assignee: Novo Nordisk A/S
• Inventors: Nielsen, Preben, Miller, Thomas D., von Munchow, Bodo, Enggaard, Christian Peter, Thogersen, Klaus
• Granted Patent: US 9,314,573 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/189
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3126 Specific display means related to dosing
• 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 2205/582 by tactile feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/583 by visual feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/587 Lighting arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8212 with means or measures taken for minimising energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/24 Ampoule syringes, i.e. syringes with needle for use in combination with replaceable ampoules or carpules, e.g. automatic ampoules or carpules A61J1/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31525 Dosing burettes, pipettes B01L3/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3155 by rotational movement of dose setting member, e.g. during setting or filling of a syringe

Abstract

The present Invention relates to an injection device capable of emitting a flashing light signal indicating the time elapsed since last ejection and/or the size of the last ejected dosage and/or a return signal indicating the operable state of the device and/or a time out signal indicating when the pen can be removed after ejecting of a dosage. The injection device comprises an electronic control circuit comprising: a sensor unit arranged to detect the occurrence of an ejection of a drug from the injection device; a timer for determining an approximate time elapsed since last ejection; a signal emitting device being able to emit a signal, the signal emitting device being controllable by the electric control circuit, so as to emit a time signal that varies with the time elapsed since last ejection.

Claims

1. An injection device (102) comprising an electronic control circuit (126,152) comprising:

a sensor unit arranged to detect the occurrence of an ejection of a drug from the injection device;

a timer (142) for determining an approximate time elapsed since last ejection;

a signal emitting device (110,130) being able to emit a signal (114), the signal emitting device (110,130) being controllable by the electric control circuit, so as to emit a time signal that varies with the time elapsed since last ejection.

2. An injection device according to claim 1, wherein the signal (114) comprises at least one of:

a light signal, an acoustic signal or a tactile signal.

3. An injection device according to claim 1, wherein the signal emitting device (110,130) comprises at least one of:

a Light Emitting Diode (130), a light bulb, an acoustic transducer or a vibration generation device.

4. An injection device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic control circuit (126,152) comprises an integrated circuit (128) comprising at least one of:

an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (128) or an Organic Integrated Circuit.

5. An injection device according to claim 1, wherein signal emitting device (110,130) and the electronic control circuit are electrically interconnected by only two of electrical conductors (136).

6. An injection device according to claim 1, wherein the signal (114) is emitted upon activation of a button.

7. An injection device according to claim 1, wherein the signal (114) is emitted upon movement of a cap (106) in relation to the body assembly.

8. An injection device according to claim 7, wherein the signal is emitted upon translational movement of the cap in relation to the body assembly.

9. An injection device according to claims 7, wherein the signal (114) is emitted upon rotational movement of the cap (106) in relation to the body assembly.

10. An injection device according to claim 1, wherein the signal (114) comprises a series of signals (114) indicating a number of units of time elapsed since last injection.

11. An injection device according to claim 1, wherein a frequency of the signal (114) varies with the time since the last injection.

12. An injection device according to claim 1, wherein the signal emitting device (110,130) is controllable by the electric control circuit (126,152), so as to emit a return signal indicating the operable state of the device.

13. An injection device according to claim 1 any, wherein the signal emitting device (110,130) is controllable by the electric control circuit (126,152), so as to emit a dosage signal indicating the size of the last ejected dosage.

14. An injection device according to claim 1, wherein the signal emitting device (110,130) is controllable by the electric control circuit (126,152), so as to emit a time out signal indicating when the pen can be removed after ejecting of a dosage.

15. An injection device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor unit is provided at a dosage setting device (108) located at a proximal end of the injection device.

16. An injection device according to claim 1, wherein the injection device is a medication delivery pen (102) comprising a reservoir forming an integrated part of the medication delivery pen (102).