DRUG RESERVOIR LOADING AND UNLOADING MECHANISM FOR A DRUG DELIVERY DEVICE USING A UNIDIRECTIONAL ROTATED SHAFT

• US 20090143735A1
• Filed: 11/30/2007
• Published: 06/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roche Diabetes Care Inc. (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Roche Diagnostics Operations Incorporated (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Raney, Charles C., Wiegel, Christopher, De Polo, Marco C., Meuniot, Arturo, Lang-Ree, Arne
• Granted Patent: US 7,806,868 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/155
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14264 with means for compensating influence from the environment
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14573 with a replaceable reservoir for quick connection/disconnection with a driving system
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14244 adapted to be carried by the patient, e.g. portable on the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1456 with a replaceable reservoir comprising a piston rod to be moved into the reservoir, e.g. the piston rod is part of the removable reservoir

Abstract

A drug reservoir loading and unloading mechanism for drug delivery device using unidirectional rotated lead screw and method thereof are disclosed. The drug reservoir loading/unloading mechanism allows exchanging the drug reservoir quickly with very few steps and with more safety. The invention neither requires rewinding of the drive system either automatically or manually while replacing the drug reservoir nor requires an additional adapter to secure the drug reservoir.

Claims

1. A drug delivery device comprising:

a shaft;

a drive system operably connected to the shaft and configured to only rotate the shaft in a first direction;

a drug reservoir having a plunger used to adjust a volume of the drug reservoir;

a piston rod operably connected at a first end to the plunger and providing threads, the piston rod being operably connected to the shaft, wherein said drug delivery device provides a secured position which permits the rotation of the shaft to drive the piston rod and move the plunger to adjust the volume of the drug reservoir, and an unsecured position which permits the drug reservoir to be removed unobstructed from the drug deliver device and replaced without having to rotate the shaft in a direction opposite to the first direction.

2. The drug delivery device according to claim 1, wherein the threads of the piston rod are provided on an exterior surface thereof, and said drug delivery device further comprising a partially threaded nut which is spring biased which allows engagement with the threads of the piston rod in a first position to permit plunger movement via rotation of the shaft, and which disengages with the threads of the piston rod in a second position, thereby preventing plunger movement with or without shaft rotation.

3. The drug delivery device according to claim 2, wherein the piston rod is rotatably attached to the plunger, and the shaft is slidably accommodated within a cavity of the piston rod.

4. The drug delivery device according to claim 2, further comprising a disc rotatably attached to piston rod for abutting against the plunger, wherein the piston rod is spring biased, and the shaft is slidably accommodated within a cavity of the piston rod.

5. The drug delivery device according to claim 1, further comprising a lever mechanism that provides both the secure and unsecured positions.

6. The drug delivery device according to claim 2, further comprising a lever mechanism that provides both the secure and unsecured positions, wherein in the secure position the lever mechanism also locks the drug reservoir to the drug delivery device and in the unsecured position the lever mechanism places the partially threaded nut in the second position.

7. The drug delivery device according to claim 1, further comprising a lid and a base which together define a compartment to enclose the drug reservoir therein, wherein the lid is configured to hold the drug reservoir when the lid is in an opened position.

8. The drug delivery device according to claim 1, further comprising a base which defines a compartment to hold the drug reservoir, and a lid configured to slide over the drug reservoir and secure the drug reservoir within the compartment.

9. The drug delivery device according to claim 1, further comprising a base which defines a compartment to hold the drug reservoir, and a lid rotatably mounted to the base and configured to hold the drug reservoir when in an open position and fully enclose the drug reservoir within the compartment when in a closed position which places the drug deliver device in the secured position.

10. The drug delivery device according to claim 1, wherein the piston rod provides a slot and is connected at one end to the plunger.

11. The drug delivery device according to claim 1, wherein the piston rod provides at a second end a flexible nut segment which carriers the threads.

12. The drug delivery device according to claim 1, wherein the piston rod is connected at one end to the plunger, and provides at a second end a flexible nut segment which carriers the threads, wherein when in the secured position, threads of the shaft are engaged by the threads of the flexible nut segment.

13. The drug delivery device according to claim 1, wherein the piston rod provides a slot and is connected at one end to the plunger, and provides at a second end a flexible nut segment which carriers the threads, wherein the shaft is configured to rotates within the slot when the drug delivery device is in the secured position, and wherein when said drug delivery device is in said unsecured position, said drug delivery device is configured to permit insertion of the drug reservoir an angle other than perpendicular to bring the threads of flexible nut segment into engagement with the threads of the shaft.

14. The drug delivery device according to claim 1, wherein the piston rod provides a slot which carriers the threads, wherein the shaft provided a thread gear which is configured to rotates within the slot when the drug delivery device is in the secured position, and wherein when said drug delivery device is in said unsecured position, said drug delivery device is configured to permit insertion of the drug reservoir an angle other than perpendicular to bring the threads of flexible nut segment into engagement with the thread gear.

15. The drug delivery device according to claim 1, wherein the piston rod further comprises a key portion, and a guidance track in an extended wall of the disposable drug reservoir in which the key portion moves to ensure linear motion of the piston rod.

16. The drug delivery device according to claim 1, wherein the piston rod further comprises a key portion, and said drug delivery device provides a guidance track in a lid in which the key portion moves when the drug delivery device is in the secured position to ensure linear motion of the piston rod.

17. The drug delivery device according to claim 1, further comprising a base and a lid rotatably mounted to the base, and wherein the piston rod further comprises a key portion, and said lid provides a guidance track in which the key portion moves when the drug delivery device is in the secured position to ensure linear motion of the piston rod.

18. The drug delivery device according to claim 1, further comprising a lever mechanism which is configured to provide a first function which locks the drug reservoir to the drug delivery device and simultaneously provides the secured condition, and a second function which unlocks the drug reservoir from the drug delivery device, and simultaneously provides the unsecured condition.

19. The drug delivery device according to claim 18, wherein the lever mechanism is configured to automatically provided the first function and to provide the second function via pushing on a button portion of the lever mechanism.

20. The drug delivery device according to claim 18, wherein the lever mechanism is configured to automatically provided the first function via action of a spring.