MEDICAMENT DELIVERY DEVICES

• US 20120071819A1
• Filed: 02/03/2010
• Published: 03/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH (Sanofi )
• Original Assignee: Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH (Sanofi )
• Inventors: Brüggemann, Ulrich, Langley, Christopher, Jones, Christopher, Preece, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 9,107,996 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/67
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/31588 electrically driven
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/14 Detection of the presence or absence of a tube, a connector or a container in an apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3327 Measuring
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14546 Front-loading type injectors
• 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 5/31546 Electrically operated dose setting, e.g. input via touch screen or plus/minus buttons
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31565 Administration mechanisms, i.e. constructional features, modes of administering a dose dosing mechanisms for setting a dose A61M5/31533

Abstract

A medicament delivery device comprises a housing, a holder within the housing for receiving a medicament cartridge, a piston rod for driving a bung of the medicament cartridge, a drive mechanism including a motor for providing an output drive to the piston rod for delivering the medicament and control means for controlling operation of the device. The device is additionally provided with a bung sensor for sensing when the piston rod is in contact with the bung and the control means is operative for advancing the drive of the piston rod towards the bung.

Claims

1. A medicament delivery device for delivering a medicament to a patient, wherein the medicament delivery device comprises:

a housing;

a holder within the housing for receiving a medicament cartridge;

a piston rod for driving a bung of the medicament cartridge;

a drive mechanism including a motor for providing an output drive to the piston rod for delivering the medicament; and

control means for controlling operation of the device;

characterised in that;

a bung sensor is provided for sensing when the piston rod is in contact with the bung;

wherein the control means is operative for advancing the drive of the piston rod towards the bung.

2. A medicament delivery device according to claim 1, wherein the control means is operative for advancing the drive of the piston rod until the bung sensor senses that the piston rod is in contact with the bung.

3. A medicament delivery device according to claim 1, comprising a latch sensor for sensing the position of the holder as the holder moves from an open position to a closed position or a closed position to an open position.

4. A medicament delivery device according to claim 3, wherein the control means is operative for advancing the drive of the piston rod when the latch sensor senses the holder is in a predetermined position or a closed position.

5. A medicament delivery device according to claim 1, comprising a cartridge sensor for sensing the presence of a medicament cartridge in the holder.

6. A medicament delivery device according to claim 5, wherein the control means is operative for advancing the drive of the piston rod when the cartridge sensor senses the presence of the medicament cartridge and the latch sensor senses that the holder is in a closed position.

7. A medicament delivery device according to claim 1, wherein the control means is operative to stop further advancement of the piston rod:

a) when the bung sensor senses that the piston rod is in contact with the bung;

or b) when the cartridge has moved to a seated position within the housing after initial contact between the piston rod and the bung.

8. A medicament delivery device according to claim 3, wherein the latch sensor and the bung sensor each generate sensor signals that are combined so that the combined signal sent to the control means indicates that the cartridge is present and/or in the correct position when the piston rod contacts the cartridge bung.

9. A medicament delivery device according to claim 1, wherein the housing includes a receptacle for a user replaceable medicament cartridge.

10. An auto-injector including a medicament delivery device according to claim 1.