ARRANGEMENT FOR DETERMINING A LONGITUDINAL POSITION OF A STOPPER

• US 20120268741A1
• Filed: 09/14/2010
• Published: 10/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH (Sanofi )
• Original Assignee: Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH (Sanofi )
• Inventors: Nagel, Thomas, Richter, René, Witt, Robert, Pommereau, Christian, Liewald, Anke, Basso, Nils
• Granted Patent: US 8,773,660 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/343
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3306 Optical measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3313 used specific wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3389 Continuous level detection A61M2205/3393 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/583 by visual feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/584 having a color code
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6054 Magnetic identification systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6063 Optical identification systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6081 Colour codes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1452 pressurised by means of pistons
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14566 with a replaceable reservoir for receiving a piston rod of the pump
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/168 Means for controlling media flow to the body or for metering media to the body, e.g. drip meters, counters ; Monitoring media flow to the body flow control in general G05D7/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1685 by detection of position of a floating member
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31511 Piston or piston-rod constructions, e.g. connection of piston with piston-rod A61M5/5066 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31525 Dosing burettes, pipettes B01L3/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31556 Accuracy improving means
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/342 the sensed object being the obturating part
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/2921 for discrete levels

Abstract

The invention refers to an arrangement and a method for determining a longitudinal position of a stopper for sealing a compartment of a translucent medicament container for a liquid medicament (M). The arrangement comprises a circular light source and a photo sensitive sensor, wherein either the light source or the sensor is laterally arrangeable next to the medicament container extending over at least part of the length of the medicament container, and wherein the respective other of the light source and the sensor is arrangeable in a circular manner around a head of the medicament container. The light source is arranged to emit light into the medicament container. The light is scattered by the medicament or medicament container and detected by the sensor. The sensor is connected to a processor unit for detecting the position of the stopper).

Claims

1. An arrangement for determining a longitudinal position of a stopper for sealing a compartment of a translucent medicament container for a liquid medicament (M), the arrangement comprising at least one light source and at least one photo sensitive sensor, wherein either the at least one light source or the at least one sensor is laterally arrangeable next to the medicament container extending over at least part of the length of the medicament container, wherein the respective other of the at least one light source and the at least one sensor is arrangeable in a circular manner around a head of the medicament container, wherein the light source is arranged to emit light into the medicament (M) container and wherein the medicament container and/or the medicament is arranged to scatter the light so as to allow the sensor to detect it, wherein the at least one sensor is connectable to a processor unit for processing sensor data.

2. The arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the light source is a circular light source arrangeable around the head of the medicament container and an array of photo sensitive sensors is laterally arrangeable next to the medicament container, wherein the processor unit is arranged to determine the stopper position by detecting a light/dark boundary on the array of sensors caused by the laterally scattered light and the opaque stopper.

3. The arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that an array of light sources is laterally arrangeable next to the medicament container, wherein each light source emits light with a characteristic distinct from the characteristics of the other light sources, wherein the at least one sensor is arrangeable around the head of the medicament container and able to detect the light of each light source, wherein the processor unit has information on the allocation of each light source and its characteristic and its position in the array, wherein the processor unit is arranged to:

detect the characteristics of the light sources,

determine which light source is currently emitting light into the medicament container (1),

conclude, that the light sources whose characteristics are absent in the sensor data are currently obscured by the stopper,

determine the stopper position by comparing these conclusions to the information.

4. The arrangement according to claim 3, characterized in that a ring of sensors is arranged around the head of the medicament container.

5. An arrangement according to claim 3, characterized in that the characteristic of each light source is at least one wavelength of the light.

6. An arrangement according to claim 3, characterized in that the characteristic of each light source is a modulation of the light.

7. The arrangement according to claim 6, characterized in that the characteristic is a frequency or pattern of pulsed light.

8. The arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the medicament is a cloudy liquid.

9. The arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the medicament container is non-transparent.

10. The arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the processor unit is arranged to determine a remaining quantity of the medicament (M) in the medicament container from the longitudinal position of the stopper.

11. An injection device, comprising a medicament container and an arrangement according to claim 1.