DRUG DELIVERY DEVICE COMPRISING A CAP SENSOR AND A RADIATION SENSOR

• US 20160199592A1
• Filed: 09/01/2014
• Published: 07/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2013
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH (Sanofi )
• Original Assignee: Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH (Sanofi )
• Inventors: Eggert, Ilona, Caspers, Michael
• Application Number:
  US14/914,818
• Publication Number:
  US 20160199592A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/2414 from the side
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/27 preventing use
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/273 preventing reuse, e.g. of disposables
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3306 Optical measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/02 Equipment for testing the apparatus
• 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 5/5086 for indicating if defective, used, tampered with or unsterile

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus for ejecting a fluid, having a housing comprising a cartridge retainer (50, 52) configured to hold a fluid containing cartridge (90, 100) and further comprising a cap connection part for removably attaching thereto a cap (18), having a sensor (502,) configured to determine whether the cap (18) is attached to the connection part, and having a control unit configured to measure a quantity being a measure for the radiation load on a cartridge in the cartridge retainer, wherein the control unit is further configured to cause a control step to be performed once the quantity exceeds a predefined threshold value. The invention further relates to a system comprising such an apparatus and a cap (18) configured to be removably attached to the connection part of the apparatus and to a method for controlling such an apparatus or such a system comprising the steps of measuring a quantity being a measure for the radiation load on a cartridge in the cartridge retainer; and performing a control step once the quantity exceeds a predefined threshold value.

Claims

1. An apparatus for ejecting a fluid,

having a housing comprising a cartridge retainer (50, 52) configured to hold a fluid containing cartridge (90, 100) and further comprising a cap connection part for removably attaching thereto a cap (18),

having a sensor (502) configured to determine whether the cap (18) is attached to the connection part, and

having a control unit configured to measure a quantity being a measure for the radiation load on a cartridge in the cartridge retainer,

wherein the control unit is further configured to cause a control step to be performed once the quantity exceeds a predefined threshold value.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the control unit is configured to measure a radiation time length, the radiation time length being the length of a continuous time period during which a set of conditions is fulfilled, the set of conditions at least comprising the condition that the cap (18) is not attached to the connection part, and

wherein the control unit is configured to cause a control step to be performed once the radiation time length exceeds a predefined threshold time length (T1, T2).

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,

wherein the apparatus comprises a radiation sensor (510), the radiation sensor being configured to measure the intensity of a radiation, preferably of light, in particular of UV light,

wherein the control unit is configured to measure the amount of radiation employing the radiation sensor, and

wherein the control unit is configured to cause a control step to be performed once the amount of radiation exceeds a predefined threshold amount of radiation.

4. The apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 3,

wherein the housing is configured such that a cartridge (90, 100) in the cartridge retainer (50, 52) is protected from a radiation when the cap (18) is attached to the cap connection part.

5. The apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 4,

wherein the apparatus further comprises a user interface for outputting messages to a user and wherein the control step comprises outputting of a warning message by means of the user interface.

6. The apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 5,

wherein the control step comprises setting the apparatus into a status, in which ejection of a fluid is only allowed after replacement of the cartridge (90, 100) in the cartridge retainer (50, 52).

7. The apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 6,

wherein the control unit is configured to cause a first control step to be performed once the radiation time length exceeds a predefined first threshold time length (T1) and wherein the control unit is configured to cause a second control step to be performed once the radiation time length exceeds a predefined second threshold time length (T2), the second threshold time length being longer than the first threshold time length and the first control step being different from the second control step.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein the apparatus comprises a user interface for outputting messages to a user, wherein the first control step comprises outputting of a warning message by means of the user interface, and wherein the second control step comprises setting the apparatus into a status, in which ejection of a fluid is only allowed after replacement of the cartridge (90, 100) in the cartridge retainer (50, 52).

9. The apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 8,

wherein the set of conditions further comprises the condition that no user activatable button (62, 64, 66, 74, 504, 506) of the apparatus is operated.

10. The apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 9,

wherein the set of conditions further comprises the condition that the apparatus is in a stand-by status.

11. The apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 10,

wherein the sensor (502,) is a reed sensor or a hall sensor.

12. The apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 11,

wherein the apparatus is a medical device, in particular a medicament injection device.

13. A system, comprising an apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 12 and a cap (18) configured to be removably attached to the connection part of the apparatus.

14. The system according to claim 13,

wherein the material, the wall thickness and/or the color of the cap (18) is selected such that the light transmittance of the cap is less than 1%.

15. A method for controlling an apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12 or a system according to claim 13 or 14 comprising the following steps:

measuring a quantity being a measure for the radiation load on a cartridge in the cartridge retainer; and

performing a control step once the quantity exceeds a predefined threshold value.