Medication dispensing apparatus with triple screw threads for mechanical advantage

• US 7,291,132 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2004
• Issued: 11/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eli Lilly and Company
• Original Assignee: Eli Lilly and Company
• Inventors: Focht, Kenneth Allen, Judson, Jared Alden, Jacobs, Alexander Thomas, Johansen, Elizabeth Whitney, DeRuntz, Otto Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Lucchesi; Nicholas D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bouchelle; Laura A.
• Application Number:
  US10/567,196
• Publication Number:
  US 20060206057A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,184 Days
• Field of Search: 604/187
• US Class Current: 604/207
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/2407 from the rear
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/2411 from the front
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/2488 via rotation, e.g. threads or bayonet
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3152 including gearings to multiply or attenuate the piston displacing force
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/581 by audible feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/582 by tactile feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/583 by visual feedback
• 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 5/31541 Means preventing setting of a dose beyond the amount remaining in the cartridge
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31543 piston rod reset means, i.e. means for causing or facilitating retraction of piston rod to its starting position during cartridge change
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31551 including axial movement of dose setting member
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31558 using scaling up or down transmissions, e.g. gearbox
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3157 Means providing feedback signals when administration is completed A61M5/20 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31585 performed by axially moving actuator, e.g. an injection button

Abstract

A medication dispensing apparatus that provides a mechanical advantage. During dose preparing, a nut rotating element (410) and a screw element (368) are in a first axial arrangement such that a screwing motion of the nut rotating element and screw element relative to the apparatus housing that moves the elements a first axial distance from a home position screws a nut (364) along a drive member threaded shaft (362) a second axial distance different than the first axial distance. During dose dispensing, the nut rotating element and the screw element are in a second axial arrangement, whereby a screwing motion of the screw element relative to the housing back toward the home position advances a plunger (366) in the distal direction to axially advance the nut and thereby the drive member and a fluid container piston to dispense medicine.

Claims

1. A medication dispensing apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a drive member rotatably fixed during dose preparing and injecting and axially movable in a distal direction relative to said housing, said drive member including a threaded shaft;

a fluid container defining a medicine-filled reservoir with a movable piston at one end and an outlet at the other end, said piston engagable by said drive member to be advanced toward said outlet when said drive member is moved distally;

a nut screwable along said drive member threaded shaft;

a screw element threadedly engaged with said housing to be screwable relative to said housing;

a nut rotating element connected with said nut to be axially movable and rotatably fixed relative thereto, said nut rotating element rotatably fixed with said screw element when said nut rotating element and said screw element are in a first axial arrangement, said nut rotating element rotatable relative to said screw element when said nut rotating element and said screw element are in a second axial arrangement;

a nut advancing plunger threadedly engaged with said screw element, said plunger axially movable and rotatably fixed relative to said housing;

wherein the threading of said screw element to said housing is of a first lead, the threading of said plunger to said screw element is of a second lead, and the threading of said drive member threaded shaft is of a third lead, and said first lead, said second lead and said third lead are each a different value;

wherein during dose preparing, said nut rotating element and said screw element are in said first axial arrangement, whereby a screwing motion of said nut rotating element and screw element relative to said housing screws said nut rotating element and said screw element a first axial distance from a home position, which screwing motion of said nut rotating element screws said nut along said drive member threaded shaft a second axial distance different than said first axial distance; and

wherein during dose dispensing, said nut rotating element and said screw element are in said second axial arrangement, whereby a screwing motion of said screw element relative to said housing back toward said home position advances said plunger in said distal direction to axially advance said nut and thereby said drive member and said fluid container piston to dispense medicine from said outlet.

2. The medication dispensing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said nut rotating element comprises a sleeve portion within said screw element and a manually engageable button portion external to said screw element, said sleeve portion and button portion axially and rotatably shiftable as a unit.

3. The medication dispensing apparatus of claim 2 wherein said button portion is manually plunged during dose dispensing.

4. The medication dispensing apparatus of claim 3 wherein said button portion is manually rotated during dose preparing.

5. The medication dispensing apparatus of claim 2 wherein said button portion comprises a depending lip positioned radially outward of and axially extending distally of a proximal end of said screw element.

6. The medication dispensing apparatus of claim 2 further comprising means for biasing said nut rotating element and said screw element from said second axial arrangement toward said first axial arrangement.

7. The medication dispensing apparatus of claim 6 wherein said screw element and said nut rotating element comprise interfitting teeth that disengage when said biasing means are overcome to shift said nut rotating element and screw element from said first axial arrangement to said second axial arrangement.

8. The medication dispensing apparatus of claim 6 wherein said screw element comprises said biasing means that directly engage an underside of said button portion to force said button proximally relative to said screw element.

9. The medication dispensing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said screw element comprises a tubular member having a radially inner surface and a radially outer surface, wherein said outer surface is threaded to said housing, and wherein said inner surface is threaded to said plunger.

10. The medication dispensing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said nut comprises an extension having an axially extending keyway in an external surface, and wherein said nut rotating element comprises a key that slides within said keyway.

11. The medication dispensing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said nut and said nut rotating element comprise interfitting fingers that share an annular space.

12. The medication dispensing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said nut and said nut advancing plunger comprise cooperating clicker elements for creating audible indications during dose preparing.

13. The medication dispensing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first lead equals a factor M times the third lead, and wherein said second lead equals a factor (M−

1) times the third lead.

14. The medication dispensing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said nut advancing plunger is axially movable and rotatably fixed relative to said housing by at least one prong of said plunger that slidably fits within at least one opening formed in said housing.

15. The medication dispensing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said housing comprises a tubular body portion and a bulkhead portion that are adhesively fixedly secured together, said bulkhead portion including tabs that slidably fit within keyways in said drive member to prevent rotation of said drive member within said housing, wherein said nut advancing plunger is axially movable and rotatably fixed relative to said housing bulkhead portion by at least one lug of said housing bulkhead portion that slidably fits within at least one slot formed in said plunger.

16. The medication dispensing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said nut advancing plunger includes at least one flange that directly frictionally engages at least one flange of said nut during dose dispensing to resist nut rotation.

17. The medication dispensing apparatus of claim 9 wherein said screw element serves as a dial and comprises dose indication markings on said radially outer surface.

18. The medication dispensing apparatus of claim 1 wherein insulin is the medicine within the reservoir.

19. The medication dispensing apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of teeth on said nut advancing plunger that are engageable with at least one tooth on a portion of said nut rotating element to limit apparatus misuse.

20. The medication dispensing apparatus of claim 1 further comprising clicking means for identifying a dose setting, said clicking means including two sets of longitudinally extending ribs radially projecting from said nut, each set spanning 90°

of the nut circumference and centered 180°

apart from the other set, said clicking means further including four axially-extending, resilient toothed fingers of said plunger, said toothed fingers centered at 90°

intervals around the circumference of said plunger.

21. The medication dispensing apparatus of claim 1 further comprising means for indicating an end of injection, said indicating means including a resilient arm with a toothed end which projects from and is integrally formed with a proximal face of a bulkhead separately formed and rotatably fixed to said housing, said indicating means further including a detent on an annular, distal face of said screw element which said toothed end of said arm snaps over when said screw element is frilly screwed distally into said housing during injecting, and wherein a portion of said bulkhead is abutted by and thereby forms a hard stop for said screw element when said screw element is fully screwed distally into said housing.

22. A medication dispensing apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a drive member rotatably fixed during dose preparing and injecting and axially movable in a distal direction relative to said housing, said drive member including a threaded shaft;

a fluid container defining a medicine-filled reservoir with a movable piston at one end and an outlet at the other end, said piston engagable by said drive member to be advanced toward said outlet when said drive member is moved distally;

a nut screwable along said drive member threaded shaft;

a screw element threadedly engaged with said housing to be screwable relative to said housing;

a nut rotating element connected with said nut to be axially movable and rotatably fixed relative thereto, said nut rotating element rotatably fixed with said screw element when said nut rotating element and said screw element are in a first axial arrangement, said nut rotating element rotatable relative to said screw element when said nut rotating element and said screw element are in a second axial arrangement;

a nut advancing plunger threadedly engaged with said screw element, said plunger axially movable and rotatably fixed relative to said housing;

wherein the threading of said screw element to said housing is of a first lead, the threading of said plunger to said screw element is of a second lead, and the threading of said drive member threaded shaft is of a third lead, wherein said first lead equals a factor M times the third lead, and wherein said second lead equals a factor (M−

1) times the third lead;

wherein during dose preparing, said nut rotating element and said screw element are in said first axial arrangement, whereby a screwing motion of said nut rotating element and screw element relative to said housing screws said nut rotating element and said screw element a first axial distance from a home position, which screwing motion of said nut rotating element screws said nut along said drive member threaded shaft a second axial distance different than said first axial distance; and

wherein during dose dispensing, said nut rotating element and said screw element are in said second axial arrangement, whereby a screwing motion of said screw element relative to said housing back toward said home position advances said plunger in said distal direction to axially advance said nut and thereby said drive member and said fluid container piston to dispense medicine from said outlet.