DRIVE MECHANISM FOR DRUG DELIVERY PUMPS WITH INTEGRATED STATUS INDICATION

• US 20130060196A1
• Filed: 08/30/2012
• Published: 03/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UNL Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Unitract Syringe Pty Limited (Unilife Corp.)
• Inventors: O'Connor, Sean M., Bokelman, Kevin, Hanson, Ian B., Bente, Paul F. IV
• Granted Patent: US 8,939,935 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/152
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14506 mechanically driven, e.g. spring or clockwork
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/58 Means for facilitating use, e.g. by people with impaired vision
• 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 5/172 electrical or electronic A61M5/16804, A61M5/16831 take precedence

Abstract

A drive mechanism having integrated status indication includes a drive housing, a status switch interconnect, a drive biasing member, a piston, and a drug container having a cap, a pierceable seal, a barrel, and a plunger seal, wherein the drive biasing member is configured to bear upon an interface surface of the piston. Drive mechanism may include an incremental status stem having a stem interconnect, wherein the stem resides within the drive housing and the piston, and wherein the stem has an interconnect which engages one or more contacts on the piston to provide incremental feedback. A drug delivery pump with integrated status indication includes a housing and an assembly platform, upon which an activation mechanism, an insertion mechanism, a fluid pathway connection, a power and control system, and the drive mechanism having a drug container may be mounted.

Claims

1. A drive mechanism having integrated status indication comprises:

a drive housing, a status switch interconnect, a drive biasing member, a piston, and a drug container having a cap, a pierceable seal, a barrel, and a plunger seal, wherein the drive biasing member is configured to bear upon an interface surface of the piston.

2. The drive mechanism of claim 1, wherein the drug container contains a drug fluid.

3. The drive mechanism of claim 1 further comprising a connection mount attached to the pierceable seal.

4. The drive mechanism of claim 1, wherein a cover sleeve may be utilized between the drive biasing member and the interface surface of the piston.

5. The drive mechanism of claim 1 further comprising a contact sleeve slidably mounted to the drive housing through an axial aperture of the drive housing, such that sleeve hooks at a distal end of the contact sleeve are caused to contact the piston between interface surface and a contact protrusion near the proximal end of the piston.

6. The drive mechanism of claim 1, wherein the piston also includes a locking groove, between contact protrusion and the proximal end of the piston.

7. The drive mechanism of claim 5, wherein the contact sleeve has a radially extending ring at its proximal end, upon which reside one or more flex prongs.

8. The drive mechanism of claim 7, wherein a contact may be connected, mounted, printed, or otherwise attached to ring which, during operation of the drive mechanism, may engage with corresponding status switch interconnect to complete a transmission to the power and control system to provide feedback to the user.

9. The drive mechanism of claim 8, wherein the status switch interconnect is an electrical status switch interconnect and the contact is an electrical contact.

10. The drive mechanism of claim 7, wherein a contact may be connected, mounted, printed, or otherwise attached to ring which, during operation of the drive mechanism, may disengage from corresponding status switch interconnect to enable transmission of a signal from the power and control system to provide feedback to the user.

11. The drive mechanism of claim 10, wherein the status switch interconnect is a mechanical trigger member and the contact is a contact pin.

12. The drive mechanism of claim 1 further comprising a piston extension slidably mounted at a distal end and within an axial pass-through of piston;

a piston extension biasing member, which is mounted within the axial pass-through of piston and initially compressed between piston extension and piston; and

, optionally, a piston biasing member support between piston extension biasing member and piston extension.

13. The drive mechanism of claim 12, wherein the piston extension is retained within piston by interaction between one or more extension arms of the piston extension and one or more corresponding connection slots of piston.

14. A drive mechanism having integrated incremental status indication comprises:

a drive housing, a drive biasing member, a piston, an incremental status stem having a stem interconnect mounted, affixed, printed, or otherwise attached thereon, and a drug container having a cap, a pierceable seal, a barrel, and a plunger seal, wherein the incremental status stem resides within axial pass-throughs of the drive housing and the piston.

15. The drive mechanism of claim 14, wherein the drive biasing member is configured to bear upon an interface surface of the piston.

16. The drive mechanism of claim 14, wherein the drug container contains a drug fluid.

17. The drive mechanism of claim 14 further comprising a connection mount attached to the pierceable seal.

18. The drive mechanism of claim 14, wherein a cover sleeve may be utilized between the drive biasing member and the interface surface of the piston.

19. The drive mechanism of claim 14 further comprising a contact sleeve slidably mounted to the drive housing through an axial aperture of the drive housing, such that sleeve hooks at a distal end of the contact sleeve are caused to contact the piston between interface surface and a contact protrusion near the proximal end of the piston.

20. The drive mechanism of claim 14, wherein the piston also includes a locking groove, between contact protrusion and the proximal end of the piston.

21. The drive mechanism of claim 19, wherein the contact sleeve has a radially extending ring at its proximal end, upon which reside one or more flex prongs.

22. The drive mechanism of claim 21, wherein a contact may be connected, mounted, printed, or otherwise attached to ring which, during operation of the drive mechanism, may engage with corresponding status switch interconnect to complete a transmission to the power and control system to provide feedback to the user.

23. The drive mechanism of claim 22, wherein the status switch interconnect is an electrical status switch interconnect and the contact is an electrical contact.

24. The drive mechanism of claim 21, wherein a contact may be connected, mounted, printed, or otherwise attached to ring which, during operation of the drive mechanism, may disengage from corresponding status switch interconnect to enable transmission of a signal from the power and control system to provide feedback to the user.

25. The drive mechanism of claim 24, wherein the status switch interconnect is a mechanical trigger member and the contact is a contact pin.

26. The drive mechanism of claim 14 further comprising a piston extension slidably mounted at a distal end and within an axial pass-through of piston;

a piston extension biasing member, which is mounted within the axial pass-through of piston and initially compressed between piston extension and piston; and

, optionally, a piston biasing member support between piston extension biasing member and piston extension.

27. The drive mechanism of claim 26, wherein the piston extension is retained within piston by interaction between one or more extension aims of the piston extension and one or more corresponding connection slots of piston.

28. The drive mechanism of claim 14, wherein the incremental status stem has one or more interconnects which engage one or more contacts on the piston.

29. A drug delivery pump with integrated status indication comprises a housing and an assembly platform, upon which an activation mechanism, an insertion mechanism, a fluid pathway connection, a power and control system, and a drive mechanism having a drug container may be mounted, said drive mechanism comprising:

a drive housing, a status switch interconnect, a drive biasing member, a piston, and a drug container having a cap, a pierceable seal, a barrel, and a plunger seal, wherein the drive biasing member is configured to bear upon an interface surface of the piston.

30. The drug delivery pump of claim 29, wherein the drug container contains a drug fluid.

31. The drug delivery pump of claim 29, wherein a cover sleeve may be utilized between the drive biasing member and the interface surface of the piston.

32. The drug delivery pump of claim 29 further comprising a contact sleeve slidably mounted to the drive housing through an axial aperture of the drive housing, such that sleeve hooks at a distal end of the contact sleeve are caused to contact the piston between interface surface and a contact protrusion near the proximal end of the piston.

33. The drug delivery pump of claim 29, wherein the piston also includes a locking groove, between contact protrusion and the proximal end of the piston.

34. The drug delivery pump of claim 32, wherein the contact sleeve has a radially extending ring at its proximal end, upon which reside one or more flex prongs and a contact connected, mounted, printed, or otherwise attached to the ring which, during operation of the drive mechanism, may engage with or disengage from corresponding status switch interconnect to permit a signal from the power and control system to provide feedback to the user.

35. The drug delivery pump of claim 29 further comprising a piston extension slidably mounted at a distal end and within an axial pass-through of piston;

a piston extension biasing member, which is mounted within the axial pass-through of piston and initially compressed between piston extension and piston; and

, optionally, a piston biasing member support between piston extension biasing member and piston extension, wherein the piston extension is retained within piston by interaction between one or more extension arms of the piston extension and one or more corresponding connection slots of piston.

36. The drug delivery pump of claim 29 further comprising an incremental status stem having a stem interconnect mounted, affixed, printed, or otherwise attached thereon, wherein the incremental status stem resides within axial pass-throughs of the drive housing and the piston, and wherein the incremental status stem has one or more interconnects which engage one or more contacts on the piston to complete an transmission to the power and control system to provide incremental feedback to the user.

37. The drug delivery pump of claim 34, wherein the contact may engage with corresponding status switch interconnect to complete a transmission to the power and control system to provide feedback to the user.

38. The drug delivery pump of claim 37, wherein the status switch interconnect is an electrical status switch interconnect and the contact is an electrical contact.

39. The drug delivery pump of claim 34, wherein the contact may disengage from corresponding status switch interconnect to enable transmission of a signal from the power and control system to provide feedback to the user.

40. The drug delivery pump of claim 39, wherein the status switch interconnect is a mechanical trigger member and the contact is a contact pin.