Method and Assembly for a Drug Delivery Device

• US 20120289906A1
• Filed: 09/29/2010
• Published: 11/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH (Sanofi )
• Original Assignee: Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH (Sanofi )
• Inventors: Jones, Christopher, Veasey, Robert, Kouyoumjian, Garen, MacDonald, Catherine Anne, Jugl, Michael, Sendatzki, Gunther
• Granted Patent: US 9,358,340 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/207
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/2407 from the rear
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/2477 comprising means to reduce play of ampoule within ampoule holder, e.g. springs
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/2488 via rotation, e.g. threads or bayonet
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6045 having complementary physical shapes for indexing or registration purposes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2207/00 Methods of manufacture, assembly or production
• 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 5/3146 Priming, e.g. purging, reducing backlash or clearance
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31555 by purely axial movement of dose setting member, e.g. during setting or filling of a syringe
• 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: A61M 5/3293 characterised by features of the needle hub
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/344 using additional parts, e.g. clamping rings or collets
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/347 rotatable, e.g. bayonet or screw A61M5/344 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A method for securing a cartridge (4) in a cartridge holder (3) is provided, the method comprising the steps of

• • inserting the cartridge (4) into the cartridge holder (3), the cartridge holder (3) having a proximal end and a distal end,
  • axially displacing the cartridge (4) in a proximal direction with respect to the cartridge holder (3) from a distal initial position to a proximal end position and
  • securing the cartridge (4) in the end position against displacement in the distal direction with respect to the cartridge holder (3). An assembly for a drug delivery device (1) is provided comprising a cartridge (4), an adjusting member (12, 25, 28, 34) and a cartridge holder (3). The cartridge holder (3) has a distal end and a proximal end. The adjusting member (12, 25, 28, 34) is secured to the cartridge holder (3). The adjusting member (12, 25, 28, 34) holds a distal portion of the cartridge (4) at a distance with respect to a distal portion of the cartridge holder (3).

Claims

1. A method for securing a cartridge (4) in a cartridge holder (3), comprising the following steps:

inserting the cartridge (4) into the cartridge holder (3), the cartridge holder (3) having a proximal end and a distal end,

axially displacing the cartridge (4) in a proximal direction with respect to the cartridge holder (3) from a distal initial position to a proximal end position,

securing the cartridge (4) in the end position against displacement in the distal direction with respect to the cartridge holder (3).

2. A method for assembling a drug delivery device (1), comprising the steps of:

providing a cartridge (4) containing a drug (10), a piston (5) being retained within the cartridge (4),

providing a cartridge holder (3),

providing a housing (2), a piston rod (6) being retained in the housing (2), the piston rod (6) being operable to displace the piston (5) with respect to the cartridge (4),

securing the cartridge holder (3) to the housing (2), such that the piston (5) is arranged at a distance from the piston rod (6),

securing the cartridge (4) in the cartridge holder (3) according to the method of claim 1, wherein, when the cartridge (4) is axially displaced in the proximal direction with respect to the cartridge holder (3) away from the initial position, the piston (5) is displaced towards the piston rod (6).

3. The method according to claim 1 or claim 2,

comprising the step of, during the axial displacement of the cartridge (4) with respect to the cartridge holder (3), detecting whether the piston (5) abuts the piston rod (6) and, if so, stopping the axial displacement of the cartridge (4) with respect to the cartridge holder (3) in the end position and securing the cartridge (4) against displacement in the distal direction with respect to the cartridge holder (3).

4. The method according to any of the previous claims,

wherein an adjusting member (12, 25, 28, 34) is used for securing the cartridge (4) in the cartridge holder (3) and wherein securing the cartridge (4) in the cartridge holder (3) comprises securing the adjusting member (12, 25, 28, 34) against displacement with respect to the cartridge holder (3) in the distal direction when the cartridge (4) is in the end position.

5. The method of claim 4,

wherein the adjusting member (12, 25, 28, 34) is displaced in the proximal direction with respect to the cartridge holder (3) for axially displacing the cartridge (4).

6. The method according to claim 5,

wherein the adjusting member (12, 25, 28, 34) is irreversibly fixed to the cartridge holder (3).

7. The method according to claim 5,

wherein the adjusting member (12, 25, 28, 34) is reversibly fixed to the cartridge holder (3).

8. The method according to any of claims 4 to 7,

wherein the adjusting member (12, 25, 28, 34) extends from the inside of the cartridge holder (3) to the outside of the cartridge holder (3), wherein an outer surface (36) of the adjusting member (12, 25, 28, 34) accessible from outside of the cartridge holder (3) is provided for attaching a needle unit (37) to the adjusting member (12, 25, 28, 34).

9. The method according to claim 8,

wherein the outer surface (36) of the adjusting member (12, 25, 28, 34) is threaded.

10. The method according to any of claims 4 to 9,

wherein the adjusting member (12, 25, 28, 34) comprises an outer thread (13) which engages an inner thread (16) of the cartridge holder (3), thereby securing the adjusting member (12, 25, 28, 34) to the cartridge holder (3).

11. The method according to any of claims 2 to 10,

wherein the cartridge (4) has an outlet (38) at its distal end, a septum (9) sealing the outlet (38), and wherein the piston (5) seals the cartridge (4) proximally.

12. An assembly for a drug delivery device (1), comprising a cartridge (4), an adjusting member (12, 25, 28, 34) and a cartridge holder (3), the cartridge holder (3) having a distal end and a proximal end,

characterized in that the cartridge (4) is positioned in a proximal end position with respect to the cartridge holder (3), wherein the proximal end position is displaced proximally from a distal initial position of the cartridge (4),

and that the adjusting member (12, 25, 28, 34) is secured to the cartridge holder (3), wherein the adjusting member (12, 25, 28, 34) holds a distal portion of the cartridge (4) at a distance with respect to a distal portion of the cartridge holder (3).

13. The assembly of claim 12,

wherein the adjusting member (12, 25, 28, 34) is arranged in the distal portion of the cartridge holder (3).

14. The assembly of claim 12 or 13,

wherein the distal portion of the cartridge (4) comprises an outwardly directed shoulder portion (32) and the distal portion of the cartridge holder (3) comprises an inwardly directed flange portion (33), the shoulder portion (32) being of suitable dimension to abut the flange portion (33), the adjusting member (12, 25, 28, 34) preventing an abutment of the shoulder portion (32) and the flange portion (33).

15. A drug delivery device (1) comprising the assembly of any of claims 12 to 14, the cartridge (4) containing a drug (10) and a piston (5) being retained in the cartridge (4), wherein the drug delivery device (1) comprises a housing (2), a piston rod (6) being retained in the housing (2), the piston rod (6) being operable to be axially displaced with respect to the housing (2), the piston rod (6) being configured to displace the piston (5) distally with respect to the cartridge (4) for dispensing a dose of the drug (10), wherein the piston rod (6) abuts the piston (5) when the drug delivery device (1) is in the original supplied condition from the manufacturer.