Medication injector apparatus with drive assembly that facilitates reset

• US 8,672,899 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2010
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eli Lilly and Company
• Original Assignee: Eli Lilly and Company
• Inventors: Diller, Mark Gerard, Gaydos, Peter Andrew, Hoste, Shannon Marie-Lynn, Walters, Bobby Lee, Boyd, Douglas Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Sirmons, Kevin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): GILBERT, ANDREW M
• Application Number:
  US12/652,837
• Publication Number:
  US 20100106098A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,532 Days
• Field of Search: 604207-211, 604/218, 604/221, 604/224
• US Class Current: 604/218
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00482 with a code
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/2407 from the rear
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/2488 via rotation, e.g. threads or bayonet
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3125 specific display means, e.g. to indicate dose setting
• 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 2205/585 having magnification means, e.g. magnifying glasses
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/60 with identification means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6027 Electric-conductive bridges closing detection circuits, with or without identifying elements, e.g. resistances, zener-diodes
• 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 5/3129 Syringe barrels A61M5/3205 and A61M5/50 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31535 Means improving security or handling thereof, e.g. blocking means, means preventing insufficient dosing, means allowing correction of overset dose
• 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 5/31556 Accuracy improving means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31558 using scaling up or down transmissions, e.g. gearbox
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31566 Means improving security or handling thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31568 Means keeping track of the total dose administered, e.g. since the cartridge was inserted
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31573 Accuracy improving means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31575 : using scaling up or down transmissions, e.g. gearbox
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31585 : performed by axially moving actuator, e.g. an injection button
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31593 : Multi-dose, i.e. individually set dose repeatedly administered from the same medicament reservoir
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/2497 : Absolute encoders G01D5/2454 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/25 : Selecting one or more conductors or channels from a plurality of conductors or channels, e.g. by closing contacts

Abstract

A medication injector apparatus such as an injection pen. The injection pen may include a doseable quantity identifier that uses a rotational matrix and a sensor for electrically sensing the arrangement of the dose setting mechanism of the the pen, which identifier may be part of a therapeutic dose indicating system that utilizes a cartridge recognizer to recognize a concentration of medication so as to allow an automatic determination of a therapeutic dose.

Claims

1. A doseable quantity identifier for a medication injector apparatus having a dose setting mechanism operable to select a volume of medicine to be delivered from a held cartridge, comprising:

a rotational matrix disposed on a first component of the apparatus;

a sensor for electrically sensing the rotational matrix, said sensor disposed on a second component of the apparatus which experiences rotational motion relative to the first component during operation of the dose setting mechanism;

whereby data of said rotational matrix sensible by said sensor is thereby indicative of an arrangement of the dose setting mechanism;

a controller circuited with said sensor which interprets data of said rotational matrix sensed by said sensor to determine a quantity of medicine to be delivered from the cartridge during injection; and

a visible display that displays the quantity of medicine to be delivered as determined by said controller;

wherein said rotational matrix includes a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, wherein said sensor includes a plurality of electrical contacts, each of said contacts aligned with a different row of said rotational matrix, wherein said data of said rotational matrix is in the form of the presence or absence of an electrically conductive material at intersections of said rows and columns of said rotational matrix, and wherein said plurality of electrical contacts and said rotational matrix are cooperatively configured such that when the first and second components are relatively rotationally shifted from a first rotational position, a change in data of said rotational matrix sensed by any single electrical contact does not produce a pattern corresponding to a rotational position that is within a range of rotational positions in either direction away from the first rotational position, said range being inclusively between two and at least three positions.

2. The doseable quantity identifier of claim 1 wherein said at least three positions is six positions.

3. A doseable quantity identifier for a medication injector apparatus having a dose setting mechanism operable to select a volume of medicine to be delivered from a held cartridge, comprising:

a rotational matrix disposed on a first component of the apparatus;

a sensor for electrically sensing the rotational matrix, said sensor disposed on a second component of the apparatus which experiences rotational motion relative to the first component during operation of the dose setting mechanism;

whereby data of said rotational matrix sensible by said sensor is thereby indicative of an arrangement of the dose setting mechanism;

a controller circuited with said sensor which interprets data of said rotational matrix sensed by said sensor to determine a quantity of medicine to be delivered from the cartridge during injection; and

a visible display that displays the quantity of medicine to be delivered as determined by said controller;

wherein said rotational matrix includes a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, wherein said sensor includes a plurality of electrical contacts, each of said contacts aligned with a different row of said rotational matrix, wherein said data of said rotational matrix is in the form of the presence or absence of an electrically conductive material at intersections of said rows and columns of said rotational matrix, and wherein said plurality of electrical contacts and said rotational matrix are cooperatively configured such that data of said rotational matrix of each column of said rotational matrix is not unique, and wherein said controller is adapted to identify the correct relative rotational positioning of the first and second components based upon a previous valid positioning thereof and a range of positions adjacent to said previous valid positioning on either side.