Drug delivery device

• US 9,956,338 B2
• Filed: 07/05/2013
• Issued: 05/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH (Sanofi )
• Original Assignee: Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH (Sanofi )
• Inventors: Nagel, Thomas, Richter, Rene, Witt, Robert, Guenther, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Schmidt, Emily
• Assistant Examiner(s): CARPENTER, WILLIAM R
• Application Number:
  US14/405,992
• Publication Number:
  US 20150126928A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,761 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 9/0004 Osmotic delivery systems; Sustained release driven by osmosis, thermal energy or gas
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14268 with a reusable and a disposable component
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14513 with secondary fluid driving or regulating the infusion
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/502 User interfaces, e.g. screens or keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14212 Pumping with an aspiration and an expulsion action
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14593 the diaphragm being actuated by fluid pressure

Abstract

The invention relates to a drug delivery device, comprising a control unit, a drive unit, a pressurizing medium container arranged to contain a pressurizing liquid, a drug container arranged to contain a drug and a discharge nozzle, wherein the drive unit when controlled and energized by the control unit is arranged to generate a pressure gradient in the pressurizing liquid thereby propagating the pressure to the drug container and at least partially displacing the drug from the drug container through the discharge nozzle, wherein the drive unit is arranged as an electro-osmotic actor.

Claims

1. A drug delivery device, comprising a control unit, a drive unit, a pressurizing medium container arranged to contain a pressurizing liquid, a disposable drug container arranged to contain a drug and connected to a disposable discharge nozzle, wherein the drive unit when controlled and energized by the control unit is arranged to generate a pressure gradient in the pressurizing liquid thereby propagating the pressure to the drug container and at least partially displacing the drug from the drug container through the discharge nozzle, wherein the drive unit is arranged as an electro-osmotic actor, wherein the electro-osmotic actor comprises a first flexible membrane with traversing pores and is arranged to apply an electrical field essentially in parallel to a surface of the pressurizing liquid within the pores, wherein the electro-osmotic actor is arranged as an electro-osmotic membrane within the pressurizing medium container, wherein a second flexible membrane is arranged within the drug container for separating the drug from the pressurizing liquid, wherein the control unit, the electro-osmotic actor and the pressurizing medium container are physically contained together and arranged in connection to each other within a single reusable unit, where the reusable unit is designed to removably connect to the drug container such that the drug container is retained outside of the reusable unit and the drug container and the connected discharge nozzle can be disconnected from the reusable unit for disposable and a second disposable drug container can then be connected to the reusable unit.

2. Drug delivery device according to claim 1, wherein the pressurizing liquid is water.

3. Drug delivery device according to claim 2, wherein the pressurizing liquid is distilled water.

4. Drug delivery device according to claim 1, wherein the pressurizing liquid is a liquid carbon hydride.

5. Drug delivery device according to claim 4, wherein the liquid carbon hydride is an alcohol.

6. Drug delivery device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit comprises a user interface.

7. Drug delivery device according to claim 1, wherein the discharge nozzle is arranged as an injection needle or as a jet nozzle.

8. The drug delivery device of claim 1 where the first flexible comprises a conducting fabric having electrodes and porous conducting layers.