Dose measurement system and method

• US 9,638,564 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2015
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bigfoot Biomedical, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Common Sensing, Inc.
• Inventors: Whalley, Richard, White, James
• Primary Examiner(s): STAFIRA, MICHAEL PATRICK
• Application Number:
  US14/982,650
• Publication Number:
  US 20160223380A1
• Time in Patent Office: 490 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3126 Specific display means related to dosing
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3306 Optical measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3379 Masses, volumes, levels of fluids in reservoirs, flow rates
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/70 with testing or calibration facilities
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/16804 Flow controllers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/16886 for measuring fluid flow rate, i.e. flowmeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1689 Drip counters
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 11/021 of the piston type G01F11/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 13/00 Apparatus for measuring by volume and delivering fluids or fluent solid materials, not provided for in the preceding groups
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 17/00 Methods or apparatus for determining the capacity of containers or cavities, or the volume of solid bodies measuring linear dimensions to determine volume G01B
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 22/00 Methods or apparatus for measuring volume of fluids or fluent solid material, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/284 Electromagnetic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/1702 with opto-acoustic detection, e.g. for gases or analysing solids

Abstract

Embodiments described herein generally relate to devices, systems and methods for measuring the dose remaining in a drug delivery device that is used for delivering a dose to a patient. In some embodiments, a dose measurement system for measuring the liquid volume in a container includes a plurality of light sources which are disposed and configured to emit electromagnetic radiation toward the container. A plurality of sensors are located in the apparatus that are optically coupleable to the plurality of light sources and are disposed and configured to detect the electromagnetic radiation emitted by at least a portion of the light sources. The apparatus also includes a processing unit configured to receive data representing the portion of the detected electromagnetic radiation from each of the plurality of sensors. The processing unit is further operable to convert the received data into a signature representative of the electromagnetic radiation detected by the plurality of sensors.

Claims

1. A method of estimating a volume of liquid in a drug container, the method comprising:

causing a plurality of light sources to emit electromagnetic radiation toward the drug container;

detecting the electromagnetic radiation emitted by at least two of the plurality of light sources;

generating a signal signature representative of the detected electromagnetic radiation; and

comparing the signal signature to a plurality of reference signatures to determine the volume of liquid in the drug container.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

calculating a dose delivered to a patient based on the volume of liquid in the drug container.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

correcting the signal signature for background light.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein correcting the signal signature for background light includes comparing the signal signature with a background signature in a dark state of each of the plurality of light sources.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating information associated with the volume of liquid in the drug container to an external device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating the plurality of reference signatures by recording a signal signature for each of a range of dose volumes in the drug container.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the drug container is at least part of a drug delivery device, the method further comprising:

determining, based at least in part on the plurality of reference signatures, at least one of;

a coupling or a decoupling of the plurality of light sources to the drug delivery device;

an attachment or a detachment of an injector to the drug delivery device;

a property of the drug delivery device; and

a property of a liquid disposed in the drug container.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the drug delivery device is an injection pen, the method further comprising:

determining, based at least in part on the plurality of reference signatures, at least one of;

an attachment or a detachment of a needle to the injection pen; and

a property of the injection pen.

3. A method, comprising:

causing a plurality of light sources to emit electromagnetic radiation toward an injection pen a first time;

detecting the electromagnetic radiation emitted by at least two of the plurality of light sources with a plurality of sensors at the first time;

generating a first signal signature representative of the detected electromagnetic radiation;

comparing the first signal signature to a plurality of reference signatures to determine a first volume of liquid in the injection pen;

causing the plurality of light sources to emit electromagnetic radiation toward the injection pen a second time after the first time;

detecting the electromagnetic radiation emitted by at least two of the plurality of light sources with the plurality of sensors at the second time generating a second signal signature representative of the detected electromagnetic radiation;

comparing the second signal signature to the plurality of reference signatures to determine a second volume of liquid in the injection pen; and

estimating a dose delivered from the injection pen based on the first volume and the second volume.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the plurality of light sources and the plurality of sensors are disposed in an injection pen cap, the method further comprising:

detecting the first signal signature prior to the injection pen cap being removed from the injection pen; and

detecting the second signal signature after the injection pen cap has been placed back on the injection pen.

11. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

communicating information associated with the dose delivered to an external device.

12. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

generating the plurality of reference signatures by recording a signal signature for each of a range of dose volumes in the injection pen.

13. The method of claim 3, wherein the plurality of light sources and the plurality of sensors are disposed in an injection pen cap removably coupleable to the injection pen.

14. A method of estimating a volume of liquid in a drug container, the method comprising:

causing a plurality of light sources to emit electromagnetic radiation toward the drug container;

detecting the electromagnetic radiation emitted by at least two of the plurality of light sources;

generating a signal signature representative of the detected electromagnetic radiation; and

comparing the signal signature to a plurality of reference signatures to determine the a property of the drug container.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the property of the drug container includes a property of a fluid disposed in the drug container.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the property of the drug container includes at least one of a refractive index, a color, a marking, and a label.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

generating the plurality of reference signatures by recording a signal signature for each of a plurality of container types.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the property of the drug container indicates a container type.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

correcting the signal signature for background light.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein correcting the signal signature for background light includes comparing the signal signature with a background signature in a dark state of each of the plurality of light sources.