Air shot mechanism for electronic injection devices

• US 6,514,230 B1
• Filed: 09/28/2000
• Issued: 02/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Novo Nordisk A/S
• Original Assignee: Novo Nordisk A/S
• Inventors: Munk, Jens, Christensen, Lars Hofmann, Aasmul, Denmark Denmark, Ljunggreen, Henrik
• Primary Examiner(s): Doerrler, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zec, Filip
• Application Number:
  US09/672,662
• Time in Patent Office: 859 Days
• Field of Search: 604/207, 604/208, 604/211, 604/153, 604/154, 604/186, 604/187, 604/191, 128/919
• US Class Current: 604/207
• 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 2205/50 with microprocessors or computers
• 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 5/3146 Priming, e.g. purging, reducing backlash or clearance
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31525 Dosing burettes, pipettes B01L3/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31546 Electrically operated dose setting, e.g. input via touch screen or plus/minus buttons
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31566 Means improving security or handling thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31593 Multi-dose, i.e. individually set dose repeatedly administered from the same medicament reservoir
• 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: Y10S 128/919 Syringe, means to protect user

Abstract

Described is an electronic injection device wherein an electronic circuit is designed to work in two alternative modes: an air shot mode and a dose injection mode. When working in the air shot mode a small predetermined air shot dose is pressed out from the ampule when the injection button is actuated. When working in the injection mode, a dose set by operation of the dose setting means is injected by operation of the injection button. The electronic injection device is normally working in the air shot mode but shifts to work in the dose injection mode when it receives a signal indicating that the dose setting means has been operated. The circuit returns to its air shot mode when receiving a signal indicating that the set dose has been injected. This signal can originate either from a switch indicating that the protection cap is mounted or from a switch indicating that the injection button has been pressed.

Claims

1. An electronic injection device, comprising:

a housing containing an electronic circuit into which the size of a set dose can be read by operation of dose setting means, an injection button which can be operated to inject a set dose, an ampule from which a medicine can be pressed out through a needle mounted at the distal end of the ampule when the injection button is operated, a display driven by the electronic circuit to show the dose set by operation of the dose setting means, wherein the electronic circuit is designed to work in two alternative modes;

an air shot mode in which it controls an automatic pre-setting of a small air shot dose to be pressed out from the ampule when the injection button is actuated, and a dose injection mode in which a dose set by operation of the dose setting means is injected by operation of the injection button, the circuit normally working in the air shot mode but shifting to work in the dose injection mode when it receives a signal indicating that the dose setting means has been operated, wherein the circuit returns to its air shot mode when receiving a signal indicating that a set dose has been injected.

2. The electronic injection device of claim 1, wherein a signal from a switch indicating that a protection cap is mounted is taken as indicating that a set dose has been injected.

3. The electronic injection device of claim 1, wherein a signal from a switch indicating that the injection button has been pressed is taken as indicating that a set dose has been injected.

4. The electronic injection device of claim 1, wherein a position indicator is provided which controls the circuit to only perform the administration of an air shot dose when the position indicator indicates that the device is held vertically with the needle pointing upward.

5. The electronic injection device of claim 1, wherein the dose setting is electro-mechanically realized by means of an electric motor which is controlled by the electronic circuit to lift up the injection button from the housing a distance corresponding to the set dose and the injection is performed manually by pressing home the injection button.

6. The electronic injection device of claim 1, wherein actuation of the injection button makes a motor electro-mechanically press out a dose from the ampule, the motor being controlled by the electronic circuit to press out an automatically set small air shot dose when the circuit is working in its air shot mode and a dose set by operation of the dose setting means when the circuit is working in its dose injection mode.

7. An electronic injection device, comprising:

a housing containing an electronic circuit into which the size of a set dose can be read by operation of dose setting means, an injection button which can be operated to inject a set dose, an ampule from which a medicine can be pressed out through a needle mounted at the distal end of the ampule when the injection button is operated, a display driven by the electronic circuit to show the dose set by operation of the dose setting means, wherein the electronic circuit is designed to work in two alternative modes;

an air shot mode in which it controls an automatic pre-setting of a small air shot dose to be pressed out from the ampule when the injection button is actuated, and a dose injection mode in which a dose set by operation of the dose setting means is injected by operation of the injection button, the circuit normally working in the air shot mode but shifting to work in the dose injection mode when it receives a signal indicating that the dose setting means has been operated, wherein the circuit is so designed that it cannot receive a signal from the dose setting means until at least one air shot dose has been administered.

8. The electronic injection device of claim 7, wherein the circuit comprises a memory wherein historical information of injected doses and the time for their injection are stored.

9. The electronic injection device of claim 7, wherein the circuit comprises a memory wherein the size of all air shots and injections are summed and subtracted from the size of the total content of a new ampule to leave the memory with an information of the size of the remaining amount of medicine in the ampule.

10. The electronic injection device of claim 7, wherein the set dose currently is compared with the remaining amount of medicine in the ampule.

11. An electronic injection device, comprising:

a housing containing an electronic circuit into which the size of a set dose can be read by operation of dose setting means, an injection button which can be operated to inject a set dose, an ampule from which a medicine can be pressed out through a needle mounted at the distal end of the ampule when the injection button is operated, a display driven by the electronic circuit to show the dose set by operation of the dose setting means, wherein the electronic circuit is designed to work in two alternative modes;

an air shot mode in which it controls an automatic pre-setting of a small air shot dose to be pressed out from the ampule when the injection button is actuated, and a dose injection mode in which a dose set by operation of the dose setting means is injected by operation of the injection button, the circuit normally working in the air shot mode but shifting to work in the dose injection mode when it receives a signal indicating that the dose setting means has been operated, wherein the circuit returns to its air shot mode when receiving a signal indicating that a set dose has been injected, wherein the circuit comprises a memory wherein historical information of injected doses and the time for their injection are stored.

12. The electronic injection device of claim 11, wherein the circuit comprises a memory wherein the size of all air shots and injections are summed and subtracted from the size of the total content of a new ampule to leave the memory with an information of the size of the remaining amount of medicine in the ampule.