PHARMACEUTICAL INJECTION DEVICE, METHOD FOR CONTROLLING PHARMACEUTICAL INJECTION DEVICE, PROGRAM, AND RECORDING MEDIUM

• US 20150290394A1
• Filed: 11/22/2013
• Published: 10/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PHC Holdings Corporation
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Healthcare Holdings Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Murakami, Kenji, Fujimoto, Mitsuteru
• Granted Patent: US 10,293,110 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3125 specific display means, e.g. to indicate dose setting
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/31588 electrically driven
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/18 with alarm
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/50 with microprocessors or computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/581 by audible feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/583 by visual feedback
• 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 5/24 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 5/2448 comprising means for injection of two or more media, e.g. by mixing
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3146 Priming, e.g. purging, reducing backlash or clearance

Abstract

Certain embodiments of the present invention relate to a pharmaceutical injection device, and it is an object thereof to optimize the mixing of pharmaceutical in a pharmaceutical cartridge. To achieve this object, a pharmaceutical injection device may comprise a main case, a piston, a drive motor, a buzzer, and a controller. The main case has a cartridge holder. The piston is inserted into a pharmaceutical cartridge mounted to the cartridge holder. The drive motor drives the piston. The buzzer emits a sound that tells the user to shake the pharmaceutical cartridge to mix or dissolve its contents. Before activating the drive motor and injecting the pharmaceutical, the control unit controls the buzzer so that a sound is emitted at specific intervals to prompt shaking.

Claims

1. A pharmaceutical injection device, comprising:

a main case that has a cartridge holder configured to hold a pharmaceutical cartridge;

a piston that is inserted into the pharmaceutical cartridge mounted to the cartridge holder;

a drive motor that drives the piston;

an instruction signal generator that generates an instruction signal that instructs the user to shake the pharmaceutical cartridge to mix or dissolve a pharmaceutical that is contained in the pharmaceutical cartridge; and

before the drive motor is actuated to inject the pharmaceutical, a controller that controls the instruction signal generator so as to issue the instruction signal at specific intervals to give an instruction to shake the pharmaceutical cartridge, and

wherein the instruction signal generator generates an instruction signal of light and/or sound.

2. The pharmaceutical injection device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a confirmation signal generator that generates a confirmation signal that confirms whether or not the pharmaceutical in the pharmaceutical cartridge has been properly shaken for mixing or dissolution; and

an acceleration sensor that senses an acceleration value of the main case,

wherein the controller controls the confirmation signal generator so as to generate the confirmation signal when the shaking is determined to have been properly performed on the basis of the acceleration value of the acceleration sensor.

4. The pharmaceutical injection device according to claim 2,

wherein the confirmation signal generator generates an instruction signal of light and/or sound.

5. The pharmaceutical injection device according to claim 2,

wherein the controller controls the confirmation signal generator so as to generate the confirmation signal when the acceleration value sensed by the acceleration sensor is at or above a preset threshold.

6. The pharmaceutical injection device according to claim 5,

wherein the controller controls the confirmation signal generator so as to generate the confirmation signal when the acceleration value sensed by the acceleration sensor is at or above a preset threshold and a clock time at which the acceleration value reaches its peak is within a specific, preset range of time.

8. The pharmaceutical injection device according to claim 2,

wherein the instruction signal generator also serves as the confirmation signal generator, and

the controller controls the instruction signal generator so as to update the instruction signal and generate the confirmation signal when the acceleration value sensed by the acceleration sensor is at or above a preset threshold.

9. The pharmaceutical injection device according to claim 8,

wherein the controller controls the instruction signal generator so as to update the instruction signal and generate the confirmation signal when the acceleration value sensed by the acceleration sensor is at or above a preset threshold and a clock time at which the acceleration value reaches its peak is within a specific, preset range of time.

10. The pharmaceutical injection device according to claim 8,

wherein the instruction signal is sound or light, and

the controller generates the confirmation signal, varying the pitch or volume of the sound, or the color or intensity of the light.

11. The pharmaceutical injection device according to claim 1,

further comprising an acceleration sensor that senses the acceleration value of the main case,

wherein the controller controls the instruction signal generator so as to halt the instruction signal once a number of shakes sensed by the acceleration sensor reaches a specific number.

12. The pharmaceutical injection device according to claim 11,

wherein the controller counts it as a shake when the acceleration value sensed by the acceleration sensor is at or above a preset threshold.

13. The pharmaceutical injection device according to claim 12,

wherein the controller counts it as a shake when the acceleration value sensed by the acceleration sensor is at or above a preset threshold and a clock time at which the acceleration value reaches its peak is within a specific, preset range of time.

14. The pharmaceutical injection device according to claim 1,

wherein the controller controls the instruction signal generator so as to generate the instruction signal for a specific length of time.

15. The pharmaceutical injection device according to claim 1,

further comprising a display component that is connected to the main case,

wherein the controller causes the display component to display an instruction to shake the main case before the instruction signal is generated.

16. The pharmaceutical injection device according to claim 1,

further comprising a cartridge detector that is connected to the cartridge holder and detects whether or not there is a pharmaceutical cartridge,

wherein the instruction signal generator generates the instruction signal after the mounting of the pharmaceutical cartridge to the cartridge holder has been detected by the cartridge detector.

17. The pharmaceutical injection device according to claim 16,

further comprising a display component that is connected to the main case,

wherein the controller causes the display component to display an instruction to shake the main case after the mounting of the pharmaceutical cartridge to the cartridge holder has been detected.

18. The pharmaceutical injection device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a needle mounting component for mounting a needle that injects the pharmaceutical in the pharmaceutical cartridge into a body;

a needle detector that detects the mounting of the needle to the needle mounting component; and

a display component that is connected to the main case,

wherein, before the shake instruction signal is generated, the controller causes the display component to display an instruction to remove the needle from the needle mounting component if the needle detector has detected the mounting of a needle to the needle mounting component.

20. The pharmaceutical injection device according to claim 1,

further comprising a holder lighting component that illuminates the cartridge holder,

wherein the controller lights the holder lighting component after the instruction signal has been halted.

21. The pharmaceutical injection device according to claim 20,

further comprising a display component that is connected to the main case,

wherein the controller causes the display component to display an instruction to confirm the mixing or dissolution state after the holder lighting component has been lit.

22. The pharmaceutical injection device according to claim 20,

wherein the holder lighting component also serves as the instruction signal generator, and

the controller flashes the holder lighting component at specific intervals.

3. (canceled)

7. (canceled)

19. (canceled)

23. (canceled)

24. (canceled)

25. (canceled)

26. A method for controlling a pharmaceutical injection device having a cartridge holder,

said method comprising:

a shaking instruction step in which an instruction signal instructing a user to shake a pharmaceutical in a pharmaceutical cartridge mounted to the cartridge holder in order to mix or dissolve the pharmaceutical is issued at specific intervals so as to prompt a shaking operation prior to injection of the pharmaceutical;

an end detection step of detecting that the shaking operation instructed in the shaking instruction step has ended; and

an illumination step of illuminating an inside of the cartridge holder after the end detection step.

27. The method for controlling a pharmaceutical injection device according to claim 26,

further comprising a determination step of determining whether or not the shaking prompted by the shaking instruction step is the proper shaking operation.

28. The method for controlling a pharmaceutical injection device according to claim 27,

further comprising a notification step of notifying the user that the shaking operation has been determined to be proper.

29. The method for controlling a pharmaceutical injection device according to claim 26,

further comprising a needle detection step of detecting whether or not a needle has been mounted for injecting the pharmaceutical in the pharmaceutical cartridge into a body,

wherein the shaking instruction step is performed when it has been detected in the needle detection step that the needle has not been mounted.

31. The method for controlling a pharmaceutical injection device according to claim 26,

further comprising a shaking instruction display step of displaying an instruction to shake the pharmaceutical for mixing or dissolution, prior to the shaking instruction step.

32. The method for controlling a pharmaceutical injection device according to claim 26,

further comprising a confirmation signal display step of displaying an instruction to confirm the mixing or dissolution state of the pharmaceutical;

and

the confirmation signal display step occurring after the illumination step.

30. (canceled)

33. (canceled)

34. (canceled)