Arrangement in electronically controlled injection devices and method

• US 6,299,601 B1
• Filed: 09/15/1999
• Issued: 10/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pharmacia AB (Pharmacia Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Pharmacia AB (Pharmacia Corp.)
• Inventors: Hjertman, Birger
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jeffrey A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Robert, Eduardo C.
• Application Number:
  US09/396,376
• Time in Patent Office: 755 Days
• Field of Search: 604/131, 604/151, 604/152, 604/154, 604/141, 128/DIG.1, 128/DIG.12, 128/DIG.13
• US Class Current: 604/131
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/33 Controlling, regulating or measuring
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/60 with identification means
• 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 5/32 Needles; Details of needles pertaining to their connection with syringe or hub infusion needles A61M5/158; Accessories for bringing the needle into, or holding the needle on, the body A61M5/42, A61M5/46 take precedence; guide needles for catheters A61M25/065; Devices for protection of needles apparatus specially adapted for cleaning or sterilising needles A61M5/001

Abstract

A device and method for administering one or more injections from an injection cartridge ensures that administration may be performed only if the device is oriented in a predetermined direction. The device features a holding device for the injection cartridge, the holding device having a piston, piston rod, and an electronic control unit that includes a position sensor. The control unit activates the piston and piston rod for administration only if the position sensor determines that the cartridge is oriented in a predetermined direction. The injectable composition may be stored in a multi-chamber injection cartridge, and the device may also reconstitute and remove gases from the composition only if the cartridge is oriented in a predetermined position.

Claims

1. A method of administering one or more injections from an injection cartridge using a holder device having a piston, piston rod and an electronic control unit, the injection cartridge having a longitudinal axis, the electronic control unit having a position sensor, comprising readying the holder device and injecting by forward motion of the piston rod and piston, and whereby the readying step includes restricting, by the electronic control unit, the forward motion of the piston unless the position sensor determines that the longitudinal axis of the cartridge is oriented in a predetermined direction.

2. The method of administering one or more injections according to claim 1 whereby the readying step also includes removing gas from the injection cartridge.

3. The method of administering one or more injections according to claim 1 wherein the injection cartridge is a multi-chamber cartridge and the readying step also includes reconstituting a injectable composition.

4. The method of administering one or more injections according to claim 1 wherein the predetermined direction is an essentially vertical orientation.