MEDICAMENT DISPENSING DEVICE

• US 20110257602A1
• Filed: 10/20/2009
• Published: 10/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PHC Holdings Corporation
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kikuchi, Seiji, Watanabe, Atsushi, Kondo, Tsuguhiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,155,835 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/189
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0427 with direct interaction with a dispensing or delivery system
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0472 of the count-down type, i.e. counting down a predetermined interval after each reset
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/2407 from the rear
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/2488 via rotation, e.g. threads or bayonet
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3125 specific display means, e.g. to indicate dose setting
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/31588 electrically driven
• 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 2205/18 with alarm
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/276 preventing unwanted use
• 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 2205/502 User interfaces, e.g. screens or keyboards
• 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 2205/584 having a color code
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6018 providing set-up signals for the apparatus configuration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14566 with a replaceable reservoir for receiving a piston rod of the pump
• 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 5/2066 : comprising means for injection of two or more media, e.g. by mixing
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/2448 : comprising means for injection of two or more media, e.g. by mixing
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3146 : Priming, e.g. purging, reducing backlash or clearance
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31525 : Dosing burettes, pipettes B01L3/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31546 : Electrically operated dose setting, e.g. input via touch screen or plus/minus buttons
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/347 : rotatable, e.g. bayonet or screw A61M5/344 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/5086 : for indicating if defective, used, tampered with or unsterile

Abstract

A medicament dispensing device capable of managing the effective use period of a medicament preparation-containing syringe by simply and accurately detecting a period of time after the start of use of the preparation. In a medicament dispensing device (1), when a medicament preparation-containing syringe (11) is replaced, a microprocessor (23) detects the time at which the replacement is performed as the time of the start of use of the preparation, and counts the elapsed time after the use of the preparation has started. Then, the microprocessor (23) notifies the result of the counting by a LCD (10), etc. to the user. Also, the microprocessor (23) detects that a syringe needle for dispensing the preparation has been mounted, and after detecting the mounting of the syringe needle, the microprocessor (23) counts the elapsed time after the start of use of the preparation. In a step S12, the microprocessor (23) checks whether or not the elapsed time counted by a timer (21) has exceeded a specified time. When an effective use period has expired, the microprocessor (23) issues a message in a step S17 that the effective period of a medicament has expired.

Claims

1. A medicine injection device equipped with a formulation syringe and used to inject the formulation into a living body, the medicine injection device comprising:

a formulation replacement detecting section which detects replacement of the formulation syringe;

a use start detecting section which detects the replacement of the formulation syringe as a time to start using the formulation syringe;

a use time counting section which counts a time elapsed from the start of use of the formulation; and

a notification section which notifies information about the counted elapsed time.

3. The medicine injection device according to claim 1, further comprising an injection needle detecting section which detects an attachment of an injection needle for the injection of the formulation, wherein the use time counting section counts a time elapsed from the start of use of the formulation after the attachment of the injection needle is detected.

4. The medicine injection device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a storage section which stores data of a predetermined expiration date of the formulation; and

a remaining time calculation section which calculates a remaining time until the expiration date of the formulation based on the expiration date of the formulation and the elapsed time counted by the use time counting section, wherein the notification section notifies the remaining time until the expiration date of the formulation calculated by the remaining time calculation section.

5. The medicine injection device according to claim 4, wherein the notification section notifies the elapsed time counted by the use time counting section or the remaining time until the expiration date of the formulation by sound or voice.

6. The medicine injection device according to claim 4, wherein the notification section notifies by means of an alarm when the elapsed time counted by the use time counting section is more than a predetermined value or the remaining time until the expiration date of the formulation is a predetermined value or less.

7. The medicine injection device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a formulation injecting section which injects the formulation; and

a formulation injection preventing section which stops an operation of the formulation injecting section when it is determined that the expiration date of the formulation syringe is overdue based on the elapsed time counted by the use time counting section.

10. The medicine injection device according to claim 7, wherein the use time counting section starts measuring the elapsed time from the time at which air is first bled after the replacement of the formulation syringe is detected or at the time after the injection operation starts.

11. The medicine injection device according to claim 1, wherein the notification section is installed in a mounting part where the formulation syringe is mounted.

12. The medicine injection device according to claim 1, wherein the formulation replacement detecting section includes a syringe detector which has a switch function by being brought into contact with one end of the formulation syringe the when the formulation syringe formulation is mounted on the medicine injection device.

13. The medicine injection device according to claim 1, wherein the formulation replacement detecting section includes a syringe cover detector which detects a formulation syringe cover by being brought into contact with one end of the formulation syringe cover when the formulation syringe is mounted on the medicine injection device.

14. The medicine injection device according to claim 3, wherein the injection needle detecting section includes:

an injection needle detecting lever which comes into contact with one end of an injection needle holding part when the injection needle is attached to a syringe cover; and

an injection needle detector which has a switch function to interlock with the injection needle detecting lever.

15. The medicine injection device according to claim 1, further comprising an input section for use in inputting information related to a time limit including the expiration date of the formulation, wherein the use time counting section counts the elapsed time based on the information related to the time limit.

2. A medicine injection device equipped with a formulation syringe and used to inject the formulation into a living body, the medicine injection device comprising:

a formulation dissolving section which dissolves the formulation contained in the syringe;

a formulation dissolving detecting section which detects whether the formulation is dissolved by measuring time from the time at which the formulation starts being dissolved;

a use start detecting which detects the dissolving start time of the formulation as a time to start using the formulation;

a use time counting section which counts a time elapsed from the start of use of the formulation; and

a notification section which notifies information about the counted elapsed time.

8. The medicine injection device according to claim 2, wherein, when the formulation syringe is mounted on a medicine injection device body, the formulation dissolving section detects that the formulation syringe is mounted on the medicine injection device body and presses a piston outward using a motor to automatically dissolve the formulation.

9. The medicine injection device according to claim 8, wherein, when an operation button of the medicine injection device body is pressed, the formulation dissolving section semi-automatically dissolves the formulation by pressing the piston outward using the motor.