SPRING FORCE ASSEMBLY FOR BIASING OR ACTUATING STOPPERS OF SYRINGES, INJECTION PEN CARTRIDGES AND THE LIKE

• US 20140364808A1
• Filed: 08/22/2014
• Published: 12/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roche Diabetes Care Inc. (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Roche Diagnostics International AG (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Niklaus, Hanspeter, Teutsch, David, Schaad, Florian
• Granted Patent: US 11,027,059 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/135
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14506 mechanically driven, e.g. spring or clockwork
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1454 spring-actuated, e.g. by a clockwork
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/2033 Spring-loaded one-shot injectors with or without automatic needle insertion multishot dosing syringes A61M5/31525, needle insertion only A61M5/3287
• 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 5/31565 Administration mechanisms, i.e. constructional features, modes of administering a dose dosing mechanisms for setting a dose A61M5/31533
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31576 Constructional features or modes of drive mechanisms for piston rods
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3159 Dose expelling manners

Abstract

A spring force assembly for biasing a displaceable stopper of a liquid medicament cartridge including a spring element arranged along a longitudinal axis, with brace elements and coupling elements, with the coupling elements restricting the distance between the brace elements which also restricts the possible expansion of the spring element.

Claims

1. A spring force assembly for biasing a displaceable stopper of a liquid medicament cartridge, comprising a spring element arranged along a longitudinal axis, comprising:

a first brace element arranged on one longitudinal end of the spring element;

a second brace element arranged on the other longitudinal end of the spring element;

a first coupling element attached to the first brace element and aligned to the longitudinal axis; and

a second coupling element attached to the second brace element and aligned to the longitudinal axis; and

wherein the first coupling element and the second coupling element are operationally coupled to each other in such a way that they restrict the distance between the first brace element and the second brace element to a certain maximum value, thereby also restricting the possible expansion of the spring element.

2. The spring force assembly of claim 1, wherein the first coupling element and the second coupling element are operationally coupled to each other in such a way that they restrict the distance between the first brace element and the second brace element to a certain minimum value, thereby restricting the possible compression of the spring element.

3. The spring force assembly of claim 1, further comprising one or more intermediate coupling elements that operationally couple the first coupling element and the second coupling element.

4. The spring force assembly of claim 1, wherein the coupling elements are arranged on the inner side of the spring element.

5. The spring force assembly of claim 1, wherein the coupling elements are arranged on the outer side of the spring element.

6. The spring force assembly of claim 1, wherein the coupling elements are operationally coupled in such a way that they form a telescopic arrangement.

7. The spring force assembly of claim 1, wherein the spring element comprises at least two spring elements.

8. The spring force assembly of claim 7, wherein the coupling elements are arranged between the at least two spring elements.

9. The spring force assembly according to claim 1, wherein the spring element comprises one or more helical compression springs.

10. The spring force assembly according to claim 1, wherein the spring element comprises two helical compression springs that are aligned to each other, wherein one of said two helical compression springs is arranged inside the other one of said two helical compression springs.

11. The spring force assembly of claim 1, further comprising a locking mechanism for releasably locking the spring force assembly in a compressed state and/or a partially expanded state.

12. The spring force assembly of claim 1, further comprising an outer sleeve attached to one of the brace elements, the outer sleeve covering the spring element in the compressed state.

13. An infusion pump device, comprising a spring force unit for biasing a displaceable stopper of a liquid medicine cartridge.

14. The infusion pump device of claim 13, wherein the spring force unit is a spring force assembly comprising a spring element arranged along a longitudinal axis, comprising:

a first brace element arranged on one longitudinal end of the spring element;

a second brace element arranged on the other longitudinal end of the spring element;

a first coupling element attached to the first brace element and aligned to the longitudinal axis; and

a second coupling element attached to the second brace element and aligned to the longitudinal axis; and

wherein the first coupling element and the second coupling element are operationally coupled to each other in such a way that they restrict the distance between the first brace element and the second brace element to a certain maximum value, thereby also restricting the possible expansion of the spring element.

15. The infusion pump device according to claim 14, further comprising a locking mechanism for releasably locking the spring force unit in a compressed state and/or a partially expanded state.

16. The infusion pump device according to any of claim 14, further comprising:

a compressing mechanism for compressing the spring force unit, with a cartridge holding block in which the liquid medicine cartridge can be mounted;

an open cavity in which the spring force unit is mounted with one distal end of the spring force unit abutting the bottom of the cavity, and into which the cartridge holding block can be inserted in a linear motion; and

a mechanism for converting a linear displacement of the cartridge holding block along a longitudinal axis of the cavity into a linear displacement of the proximal end of the spring force unit toward the bottom of the cavity.

17. The infusion pump device according to claim 16, wherein the converting mechanism comprises a cograil arranged on the cartridge holding block along a longitudinal axis of the block;

a cogwheel that operationally interacts with the cograil, being rotated when the block is linearly displaced along the longitudinal axis of the cavity in one direction;

a bobbin releasably rotationally coupled to the cogwheel; and

a wire connected to said bobbin and to the proximal end of the spring force assembly, in such a way that when the bobbin is rotated due to the rotation of the cogwheel and winds up the wire, the wire pulls the proximal end of the spring force unit toward the cavity bottom, thereby compressing the spring force unit.

18. A method for biasing a displaceable stopper of a liquid container or a syringe comprising:

providing;

a spring force assembly comprising;

a spring element arranged along a longitudinal axis, comprising;

a first brace element arranged on one longitudinal end of the spring element;

a second brace element arranged on the other longitudinal end of the spring element;

a first coupling element attached to the first brace element and aligned to the longitudinal axis; and

a second coupling element attached to the second brace element and aligned to the longitudinal axis; and

wherein the first coupling element and the second coupling element are operationally coupled to each other in such a way that they restrict the distance between the first brace element and the second brace element to a certain maximum value, thereby also restricting the possible expansion of the spring element; and

biasing the displaceable stopper of the liquid container or the syringe with the spring force assembly.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the spring force assembly is housed within an infusion pump.