Dose measurement system and method

• US 9,642,968 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2015
• Issued: 05/09/2017
• 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:
  US14/982,668
• Publication Number:
  US 20160213848A1
• Time in Patent Office: 497 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3126 Specific display means related to dosing
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/14 Detection of the presence or absence of a tube, a connector or a container in an apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3306 Optical measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3375 Acoustical, e.g. ultrasonic, measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3379 Masses, volumes, levels of fluids in reservoirs, flow rates
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3389 Continuous level detection A61M2205/3393 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3553 remote, e.g. between patient's home and doctor's office
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3561 local, e.g. within room or hospital
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3584 using modem, internet or bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3592 using telemetric means, e.g. radio or optical transmission
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/50 with microprocessors or computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/505 Touch-screens; Virtual keyboard or keypads; Virtual buttons; Soft keys; Mouse touches
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/52 with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient
• 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 2205/702 automatically during use
• 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: 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 5/31 : Details
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3129 : Syringe barrels A61M5/3205 and A61M5/50 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31525 : Dosing burettes, pipettes B01L3/02
• 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: F04C 2270/041 : Controlled or regulated
• 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: G01N 21/1702 : with opto-acoustic detection, e.g. for gases or analysing solids
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/17 : delivered via infusion or injection
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 : relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/40 : relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture

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. An apparatus for measuring liquid volume in a container, the apparatus comprising:

a plurality of light sources disposed and configured to emit electromagnetic radiation toward the container;

a plurality of sensors optically coupleable to the plurality of light sources, each sensor of the plurality of sensors disposed and configured to detect the electromagnetic radiation emitted by at least two of the plurality of light sources;

a processing unit configured to receive data representative of the detected electromagnetic radiation from each of the plurality of sensors, and generate a signal signature representative of the electromagnetic radiation detected by the plurality of sensors; and

a communications module configured to communicate data representative of the signal signature generated by the processing unit between the apparatus and at least one of a user and a remote device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing unit is further configured to associate the signal signature with a reference signal signature, the reference signal signature being representative of a liquid volume in the container.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of light sources, the plurality of sensors and the processing unit are disposed in a housing, the housing configured to be removably coupleable to a drug delivery device.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the drug delivery device is an injection pen.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the housing is a pen cap.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein at least one of the injection pen and the pen cap includes alignment features configured to allow the pen cap to be coupled to the injection pen in a predetermined radial orientation.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing unit includes a memory configured to temporarily store at least one of the data representative of the detected electromagnetic radiation from each of the plurality of sensors and the signal signature representative of the electromagnetic radiation detected by the plurality of sensors.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing unit includes a memory configured to store a plurality of reference signal signatures, each of the plurality of reference signal signatures being representative of a liquid volume in the container.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing unit includes an RFID chip configured to store information, the RFID chip configured to allow a near field communication-enabled device to read the stored information.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light sources are light emitting diodes.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensors are photodetectors.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radiation is infrared radiation.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radiation is microwave radiation.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radiation is emitted in pulses.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of light sources disposed and configured to emit electromagnetic radiation toward a container;

a plurality of sensors, each sensor of the plurality of sensors disposed and configured to detect the electromagnetic radiation emitted by at least two of the plurality of light sources;

at least one processor configured to receive data representative of the detected electromagnetic radiation from each of the plurality of sensors, and generate a signal signature representative of the electromagnetic radiation detected by the plurality of sensors,

wherein the plurality of light sources and the plurality of sensors are configured to be coupled to a drug delivery device, the drug delivery device having an actuator disposed therein.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to dynamically adapt a drug delivery schedule based on at least the signal signature.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the actuator includes a plunger portion.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the plunger portion is configured to be in fluid communication with a drug.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine a position of the plunger portion based at least in part on a reference signature.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the plurality of sensors are configured to obtain reference signal signatures for a plurality of dose volumes.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising:

a memory configured to store the reference signal signatures obtained by the plurality of sensors for a plurality of dose volumes.

22. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the drug delivery device is configured to communicate a predefined quantity of a drug to a patient.

23. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the plurality of light sources and the plurality of sensors are configured to be integrated with the drug delivery device.

24. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the apparatus is configured to be coupled to the drug delivery device.

25. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the apparatus is configured to be coupled to the drug delivery device of a plurality of sizes.

26. An apparatus, comprising:

a housing defining a bore for receiving at least a portion of a drug delivery device, the drug delivery device including a drug container;

a plurality of light sources disposed in the housing and configured to emit electromagnetic radiation toward the drug container;

a plurality of sensors disposed in the housing, each sensor of the plurality of sensors disposed and configured to detect the electromagnetic radiation emitted by at least two of the plurality of light sources; and

at least one processor configured to receive data representative of the detected electromagnetic radiation from each of the plurality of sensors, and generate a signal signature representative of the electromagnetic radiation detected by the plurality of sensors.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the bore is configured to receive at least the portion of the drug delivery device in a predetermined orientation.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the predetermined orientation is a radial orientation.

29. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the housing includes alignment features for receiving at least the portion of the drug delivery device in a predetermined orientation.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the predetermined orientation is a radial orientation.

31. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the bore is configured to form a friction fit with the drug delivery device.

32. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the bore includes a snap-fit mechanism.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the snap-fit mechanism includes at least one of a notch, a groove, a detent, and a thread.