DOSE MEASUREMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20130310756A1
• Filed: 03/12/2013
• Published: 11/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bigfoot Biomedical, Inc. (Abbott Laboratories)
• Original Assignee: Common Sensing, Inc.
• Inventors: Whalley, Richard, White, James
• Granted Patent: US 8,817,258 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 2205/14 Detection of the presence or absence of a tube, a connector or a container in an apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3306 Optical measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3375 Acoustical, e.g. ultrasonic, measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3379 Masses, volumes, levels of fluids in reservoirs, flow rates
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3389 Continuous level detection A61M2205/3393 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3553 remote, e.g. between patient's home and doctor's office
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3561 local, e.g. within room or hospital
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3584 using modem, internet or bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3592 using telemetric means, e.g. radio or optical transmission
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/50 with microprocessors or computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/505 Touch-screens; Virtual keyboard or keypads; Virtual buttons; Soft keys; Mouse touches
• 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 2205/702 automatically during use
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/16804 Flow controllers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/16886 for measuring fluid flow rate, i.e. flowmeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1689 Drip counters
• 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 5/31 : Details
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3129 : Syringe barrels A61M5/3205 and A61M5/50 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31525 : Dosing burettes, pipettes B01L3/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3202 : Devices for protection of the needle before use, e.g. caps A61M5/50 takes precedence; for infusion spikes A61M5/1626; protectors for sharps A61B50/3001
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2270/041 : Controlled or regulated
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 11/021 : of the piston type G01F11/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 13/00 : Apparatus for measuring by volume and delivering fluids or fluent solid materials, not provided for in the preceding groups
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 17/00 : Methods or apparatus for determining the capacity of containers or cavities, or the volume of solid bodies measuring linear dimensions to determine volume G01B
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 22/00 : Methods or apparatus for measuring volume of fluids or fluent solid material, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/1702 : with opto-acoustic detection, e.g. for gases or analysing solids
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/17 : delivered via infusion or injection
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 : relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/40 : relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture

Abstract

Embodiments described herein generally relate to devices, systems and methods for measuring the dose remaining in a drug delivery device that is used for delivering a dose to a patient. In some embodiments, a dose measurement system for measuring the liquid volume in a container includes a plurality of light sources which are disposed and configured to emit electromagnetic radiation toward the container. A plurality of sensors are located in the apparatus that are optically coupleable to the plurality of light sources and are disposed and configured to detect the electromagnetic radiation emitted by at least a portion of the light sources. The apparatus also includes a processing unit configured to receive data representing the portion of the detected electromagnetic radiation from each of the plurality of sensors. The processing unit is further operable to convert the received data into a signature representative of the electromagnetic radiation detected by the plurality of sensors.

Claims

1. An apparatus for measuring liquid volume in a container, the apparatus comprising:

a plurality of light sources disposed and configured to emit electromagnetic radiation toward the container;

a plurality of sensors optically coupleable to the plurality of light sources, each sensor of the plurality of sensors disposed and configured to detect the electromagnetic radiation emitted by at least a portion of the plurality of light sources; and

a processing unit configured to receive data representative of the portion of the detected electromagnetic radiation from each of the plurality of sensors, the processing unit operable to convert the received data into a signature representative of the electromagnetic radiation detected by the plurality of sensors.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing unit is further configured to associate the signature with a reference signature, the reference signature being representative of a liquid volume in the container.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of light sources, the plurality of sensors and the processing unit are disposed in a housing, the housing configured to be removably coupleable to a drug delivery device.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the drug delivery device is an injection pen.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the housing is a pen cap.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein at least one of the injection pen and the pen cap includes alignment features configured to allow the pen cap to be coupled to the injection pen in a predetermined radial orientation.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing unit includes a memory configured to temporarily store at least one of the data representative of the portion of the detected electromagnetic radiation from each of the plurality of sensors and the signature representative of the electromagnetic radiation detected by the plurality of sensors.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing unit includes a memory configured to store a plurality of reference signatures, each of the plurality of reference signatures being representative of a liquid volume in the container.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing unit includes an RFID chip configured to store information, the RFID chip configured to allow a near field communication-enabled device to read the stored information.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light sources are light emitting diodes.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensors are photodetectors.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radiation is infrared radiation.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radiation is microwave radiation.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radiation is emitted in pulses.

15-25. -25. (canceled)

26. A method of estimating a volume of liquid in a drug container, the method comprising:

causing a plurality of light sources to emit electromagnetic radiation toward the drug container;

detecting a signature of the emitted electromagnetic radiation through the drug container with a plurality of sensors; and

comparing the signature to a plurality of reference signatures to determine the volume of liquid in the drug container.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein detecting the signature of the emitted electromagnetic radiation through the drug container includes detecting at least a portion of the electromagnetic radiation emitted from at least a portion of the plurality of light sources with each of the plurality of sensor devices.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the portion of the electromagnetic radiation detected by each of the plurality of sensors is compiled into the signature.

29. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

calculating a dose delivered to a patient based on the volume of liquid in the drug container.

31. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

correcting the signal signature for background light.

30. (canceled)

32-34. -34. (canceled)

35. A method, comprising:

causing a plurality of light sources to emit electromagnetic radiation toward the injection pen a first time;

detecting a first signature of the emitted electromagnetic radiation through the injection pen with a plurality of sensors;

comparing the first signature to a plurality of reference signatures to determine the first volume of liquid in the injection pen;

causing the plurality of light sources to emit electromagnetic radiation toward the injection pen a second time after the first time;

detecting a second signature of the emitted electromagnetic radiation through the injection pen with the plurality of sensors;

comparing the second signature to the plurality of reference signatures to determine the second volume of liquid in the injection pen; and

estimating a dose delivered from the injection pen based on first volume and the second volume.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the plurality of light sources and the plurality of sensors are disposed in an injection pen cap, the method further comprising:

detecting the first signature prior to the injection pen cap being removed from the injection pen; and

detecting the second signature after the injection pen cap has been placed back on the injection pen.

37. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

communicating the dose delivered information to an external device.

38. (canceled)

39-43. -43. (canceled)