Frontloaded drug delivery device with dynamic axial stop feature

• US 9,956,349 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2014
• Issued: 05/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Novo Nordisk A/S
• Original Assignee: Novo Nordisk A/S
• Inventors: Soerensen, Morten
• Primary Examiner(s): Price, Nathan R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ahmed, Tasnim M
• Application Number:
  US14/892,118
• Publication Number:
  US 20160089501A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,442 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/2411 from the front
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/2437 by clamping means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/20 Automatic syringes, e.g. with automatically actuated piston rod, with automatic needle injection, filling automatically A61M5/142 , A61M5/46 take precedence; hypodermic projectiles F42B12/54
• 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 5/31541 Means preventing setting of a dose beyond the amount remaining in the cartridge
• 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 5/31553 without axial movement of dose setting member
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3157 Means providing feedback signals when administration is completed A61M5/20 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31583 based on rotational translation, i.e. movement of piston rod is caused by relative rotation between the user activated actuator and the piston rod
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31585 performed by axially moving actuator, e.g. an injection button

Abstract

Drug delivery device adapted to receive a cartridge and including a housing, a front-loaded cartridge holder adapted to receive and hold a cartridge in a loaded position, and stop structure adapted to engage a proximal surface of a received cartridge The stop structure is actuatable between a receiving state in which the stop structure is positioned in a first axial position thereby defining how far proximally a received cartridge can be inserted, and an operational state in which the stop structure allows an inserted cartridge to be moved axially to a second more proximal position.

Claims

1. A drug delivery device adapted to receive a cartridge comprising a cylindrical body portion, a distal outlet portion and an axially displaceable piston, the drug delivery device comprising:

a housing,

a front-loaded cartridge holder adapted to receive and hold the cartridge in a loaded position, the cartridge holder comprises a holding structure actuatable from;

a receiving state allowing the cartridge to be inserted into the cartridge holder in a proximal direction corresponding to a first position, to

a holding state in which the received cartridge is gripped and moved proximally corresponding to a loaded second position in which it is prevented from moving distally,

user-operated actuation structure actuatable from a loading state to an operational state,

a stop member adapted to engage a proximally facing surface of a received cartridge, the stop member being actuatable between;

a receiving state in which the stop member is positioned in a first axial position thereby defining how far proximally the received cartridge can be inserted, and an operational state in which the stop member allows an inserted cartridge to be moved axially to a second more proximal position

wherein the stop member is actuated from the receiving state to the operational state and the holding structure is actuated from the receiving state to the holding state when the user-operated actuation structure is actuated from the loading state to the operational state, the stop member is actuated from the receiving state to the operational state before the holding structure has been actuated from the receiving state to the holding state.

2. The drug delivery device as in claim 1, wherein:

the stop member is axially moveable,

the stop member in the receiving state is locked in the first axial position, and

the stop member in the operational state is un-locked and thereby can be moved axially to the second more proximal position by the inserted cartridge.

3. The drug delivery device as in claim 2, further comprising a biasing structure acting on the stop member and providing a distally-directed biasing force on the stop member when positioned in the second more proximal position, the stop member thereby serving as a biasing member for the inserted cartridge when the stop member is in the operational state.

4. The drug delivery device as in claim 1, further comprising:

an expelling assembly comprising;

a piston rod adapted to engage and axially displace a piston in a loaded cartridge in a distal direction to thereby expel a dose of drug from the cartridge, and

a drive assembly adapted to move the piston rod in the distal direction,

a coupling actuatable between;

a resetting state in which the piston rod can be moved proximally, and

an operational state in which the drive assembly can drive the piston rod distally,

wherein the user-operated actuation structure is actuatable from the loading state to an intermediate state, and from the intermediate state to the operational state, wherein;

the stop structure is actuated from the receiving state to the operational state and the holding structure is actuated from the receiving state to the holding state when the user-operated actuation structure is actuated from the loading state to the intermediate state, and

the coupling is actuated from the resetting state to the operational state when the user-operated actuation structure is actuated from the intermediate state to the operational state.

5. The drug delivery device as in claim 4, wherein the actuation structure comprises an actuation member which relative to the housing can be rotated from a loading position through an intermediate position to an operational position corresponding to the loading state, the intermediate state and the operational state.

6. The drug delivery device as in claim 4, wherein:

the piston rod comprises an external thread,

the expelling assembly comprises an engagement member in engagement with the piston rod,

the coupling acts on the engagement element, and

the coupling in the operational state allows the piston rod to be moved distally.

7. The drug delivery device as in claim 6, wherein the engagement member is a drive element adapted to rotate to thereby drive the piston rod distally, the drive assembly being adapted to rotate the drive element, wherein:

the coupling in the resetting state provides that the drive element is rotationally de-coupled from the drive assembly, and

the coupling in the operational state provides that the drive element is rotationally locked to the drive assembly.

8. The drug delivery device as in claim 7, wherein the drive element is arranged in non-rotational engagement with the piston rod but axially moveable relatively thereto, the drive assembly being adapted to rotate the drive element to thereby move the piston rod axially through a threaded nut portion fixedly arranged relative to the housing.

9. The drug delivery device as in claim 6, wherein the engagement member is a nut element comprising an internal thread in engagement with the external thread of the piston rod, wherein:

the coupling in the resetting state provides that the nut element is rotationally de-coupled from the housing, and

the coupling in the operational state provides that the nut element is rotationally locked to the housing.

10. The drug delivery device as in claim 6, wherein the engagement member is a key element rotationally locked to the piston rod but allowing axial movement there between, wherein:

the coupling in the resetting state provides that the key element is rotationally de-coupled from the housing, and

the coupling in the operational state provides that the key element is rotationally locked to the housing.

11. The drug delivery device as in claim 1, wherein the holding structure comprises one or more locking arms each having a distal gripping portion being moved centrally when the holding structure is actuated from the receiving state to the holding state.

12. A method of operating a front-loaded drug delivery device, comprising the steps of:

providing a drug-filled cartridge with an axially displaceable piston and a user-operated actuation member actuatable from a loading state to an operational state,

providing the front-loaded drug delivery device comprising a cartridge holder actuatable from;

a receiving state allowing the cartridge to be inserted into the cartridge holder in a proximal direction corresponding to a first position, to

a holding state in which the received cartridge is gripped and moved proximally corresponding to a loaded second position in which it is prevented from moving distally,

a stop member adapted to engage a proximal surface of a received cartridge, the stop member being actuatable between;

a receiving state in which the stop structure is positioned in a first axial position thereby defining how far proximally the received cartridge can be inserted, and

an operational state in which the stop structure allows an inserted cartridge to be moved axially to a second more proximal position,

loading the cartridge in the cartridge holder until it engages the stop member, the stop member and the cartridge holder being in the receiving state, whereby the stop member is actuated from the receiving state to the operational state and the holding structure is actuated from the receiving state to the holding state when the user-operated actuation structure is actuated from the loading state to the operational state, the stop member is actuated from the receiving state to the operational state before the holding structure has been actuated from the receiving state to the holding state.