Drive mechanism for drug delivery pumps with integrated status indication

• US 8,939,935 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2012
• Issued: 01/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UNL Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Unitract Syringe Pty Limited (Unilife Corp.)
• Inventors: O'Connor, Sean M., Bokelman, Kevin, Hanson, Ian B., Bente, Paul F. IV
• Primary Examiner(s): BOUCHELLE, LAURA A
• Application Number:
  US13/600,114
• Publication Number:
  US 20130060196A1
• Time in Patent Office: 880 Days
• Field of Search: 604/152, 604/134, 604/135, 604/131, 604/151
• US Class Current: 604/152
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14506 mechanically driven, e.g. spring or clockwork
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/58 Means for facilitating use, e.g. by people with impaired vision
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1452 pressurised by means of pistons
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14566 with a replaceable reservoir for receiving a piston rod of the pump
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/172 electrical or electronic A61M5/16804, A61M5/16831 take precedence

Abstract

A drive mechanism having integrated status indication includes a drive housing, a status switch interconnect, a drive biasing member, a piston, and a drug container having a cap, a pierceable seal, a barrel, and a plunger seal, wherein the drive biasing member is configured to bear upon an interface surface of the piston. Drive mechanism may include an incremental status stem having a stem interconnect, wherein the stem resides within the drive housing and the piston, and wherein the stem has an interconnect which engages one or more contacts on the piston to provide incremental feedback. A drug delivery pump with integrated status indication includes a housing and an assembly platform, upon which an activation mechanism, an insertion mechanism, a fluid pathway connection, a power and control system, and the drive mechanism having a drug container may be mounted.

Claims

1. A drive mechanism having integrated status indication comprises:

a drive housing, a status switch interconnect, a drive biasing member including at least one spring, a piston, a contact sleeve slidably mounted to the drive housing through an axial aperture of the drive housing, and a drug container having a cap, a pierceable seal, a barrel, and a plunger seal, wherein the drive biasing member is configured to bear upon an interface surface of the piston and sleeve hooks at a distal end of the contact sleeve are caused to contact the piston between interface surface and a contact protrusion near the proximal end of the piston.

2. The drive mechanism of claim 1, wherein the drug container contains a drug fluid.

3. The drive mechanism of claim 1 further comprising a connection mount attached to the pierceable seal.

4. The drive mechanism of claim 1, further including a cover sleeve disposed between the drive biasing member and the interface surface of the piston.

5. The drive mechanism of claim 1, wherein the piston also includes a locking groove, between contact protrusion and the proximal end of the piston.

6. A drug delivery pump with integrated status indication comprises a housing and an assembly platform, upon which an activation mechanism, an insertion mechanism, a fluid pathway connection, a power and control system, and a drive mechanism having a drug container may be mounted, said drive mechanism comprising:

a drive housing, a status switch interconnect, a drive biasing member including at least one spring, a piston, a contact sleeve slidably mounted to the drive housing through an axial aperture of the drive housing, and a drug container having a cap, a pierceable seal, a barrel, and a plunger seal, wherein the drive biasing member is configured to bear upon an interface surface of the piston and sleeve hooks at a distal end of the contact sleeve are caused to contact the piston between the interface surface and a contact protrusion near the proximal end of the piston.

7. The drug delivery pump of claim 6, wherein the drug container contains a drug fluid.

8. The drug delivery pump of claim 6, further including a cover sleeve disposed between the drive biasing member and the interface surface of the piston.

9. The drug delivery pump of claim 6, wherein the piston also includes a locking groove, between contact protrusion and the proximal end of the piston.

10. The drug delivery pump of claim 6 further comprising a piston extension slidably mounted at a distal end and within an axial pass-through of the piston;

a piston extension biasing member, which is mounted within the axial pass-through of the piston and initially compressed between the piston extension and the piston;

wherein the piston extension is retained within the piston by interaction between one or more extension arms of the piston extension and one or more corresponding connection slots of the piston.

11. The drug delivery pump of claim 10 further including a piston biasing member support between piston extension biasing member and piston extension.

12. A drive mechanism having integrated status indication comprising:

a drive housing having an axial aperture,

a contact sleeve slidably mounted to the drive housing through an axial aperture of the drive housing, the contact sleeve having a contact sleeve proximal end and a contact sleeve distal end, sleeve hooks at the contact sleeve distal end, a radially extending ring at the contact sleeve proximal end, and one or more flex prongs residing on the radially extending ring,

a status switch interconnect,

a drive biasing member,

a piston having proximal end, a contact protrusion near the proximal end of the piston and an interface surface,

a drug container having a cap, a pierceable seal, a barrel, and a plunger seal,

wherein the sleeve hooks are caused to contact the piston between the interface surface and the contact protrusion near the proximal end of the piston, the drive biasing member being disposed and configured to bear upon the interface surface of the piston.

13. The drive mechanism of claim 12, wherein a contact may be connected, mounted, printed, or otherwise attached to ring which, during operation of the drive mechanism, may engage with corresponding status switch interconnect to complete a transmission to the power and control system to provide feedback to the user.

14. The drive mechanism of claim 13, wherein the status switch interconnect is an electrical status switch interconnect and the contact is an electrical contact.

15. The drive mechanism of claim 12, wherein a contact may be connected, mounted, printed, or otherwise attached to ring which, during operation of the drive mechanism, may disengage from corresponding status switch interconnect to enable transmission of a signal from the power and control system to provide feedback to the user.

16. A drug delivery pump with integrated status indication comprising the drive mechanism of claim 12, a housing and an assembly platform, an activation mechanism, an insertion mechanism, a fluid pathway connection, a power and control system, and the drive mechanism being mounted on said assembly platform, a contact connected, mounted, printed, or otherwise attached to the ring which, during operation of the drive mechanism, may engage with or disengage from corresponding status switch interconnect to permit a signal from the power and control system to provide feedback to the user.

17. The drug delivery pump of claim 16, wherein the contact may engage with corresponding status switch interconnect to complete a transmission to the power and control system to provide feedback to the user.

18. The drug delivery pump of claim 17, wherein the status switch interconnect is an electrical status switch interconnect and the contact is an electrical contact.

19. The drug delivery pump of claim 16, wherein the contact may disengage from corresponding status switch interconnect to enable transmission of a signal from the power and control system to provide feedback to the user.

20. The drug delivery pump of claim 19, wherein the status switch interconnect is a mechanical trigger member and the contact is a contact pin.