Delivery device and method for its operation

• US 6,221,051 B1
• Filed: 07/01/1997
• Issued: 04/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pharmacia AB (Pharmacia Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Pharmacia AB (Pharmacia Corp.)
• Inventors: Hjertman, Birger, Holte, Anders, Pavlu, Bohdan, Hammargren, Per, Pettersson, Gunnar
• Primary Examiner(s): Jastrzab, Jeffrey R.
• Application Number:
  US08/886,398
• Time in Patent Office: 1,393 Days
• Field of Search: 604/65-68, 604/71, 604/131, 604/140, 604/151, 604/152, 604/181, 604/187, 604/191, 128/DIG.1, 128/DIG.12, 128/DIG.13, 417/63, 417/415, 417/416, 417/417
• US Class Current: 604/189
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/60 with identification means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6018 providing set-up signals for the apparatus configuration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6063 Optical identification systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/145 using pressurised reservoirs, e.g. pressurised by means of pistons
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14566 with a replaceable reservoir for receiving a piston rod of the pump
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/01 Motorized syringe
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/12 Pressure infusion
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/13 Infusion monitoring

Abstract

A preparation delivery device comprising a) a container for the preparation having or being prepared for the arrangement of an opening, b) a mechanism operable to deliver at least part of the preparation in the container through the opening, c) attachment means for connection of the container to the mechanism and d) a sensor system arranged to detect at least one predetermined property of the container or its content. The device comprises a radiation transmitter arranged to irradiate the container position or a part thereof, a radiation receiver arranged to receive at least an area part of the radiation from the transmitter after the radiation having been affected by the container position and the receiver being designed to give an output response representative for the total radiation received from said area part. A method for operating the device comprises the step of transmitting radiation towards the container position or a part thereof to allow the radiation to be affected by the container position, receiving at least a part of the affected radiation from at least an area part of the container position in a non-imaging way and comparing the characteristics of the received radiation with a predetermined characteristic representative for the predetermined property to establish whether or not the predetermined property of the container is present.

Claims

1. A preparation delivery device, comprising:

a container for the preparation;

a delivery mechanism for delivering at least a portion of the preparation in the container through an opening in the container;

attachment mechanism for connecting the container to the delivery mechanism;

a sensor system arranged to detect at least one property of the container or the preparation;

a radiation transmitter for producing radiation and directing the radiation toward at least a portion of the container and the preparation;

at least one radiation receiver for receiving at least a portion of the radiation after interaction of the radiation with the container or the container and the preparation, the at least one receiver producing a non-imaging integrated output response representative of all of the received radiation; and

a support that the transmitter and receiver are attached to.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the response indicates at least one of absorption, scattering, refraction, transmission and reflection of the received radiation.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device permits detection of at least one of absorption, scattering, refraction, transmission and reflection of the received radiation.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the container opening is formed after association of the container with the device.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least part of the container is translucent or transparent to the radiation.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the container comprises a cartridge comprising:

a cylindrical barrel having an axis, a front end and a rear end;

an opening or preparation for an opening at the front end; and

at least one displaceable piston inserted in the barrel between the front end and the rear end.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein the cartridge comprises a plurality of chambers.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the delivery mechanism comprises a pump and an electric motor for actuating the pump.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein the delivery mechanism further comprises a control system interconnected at least with the electric motor for controlling at least the electric motor.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein the attachment mechanism comprises movement mechanism for moving the container relative to stationary elements of the attachment mechanism.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein the movement mechanism moves the container relative the sensor system.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the movement mechanism performs an initiation operation on the container.

13. The device according to claim 1, wherein the radiation has a wavelength between 300 and 3000 nanometers.

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein the movement mechanism moves the container relative to the stationary elements at a speed of less than 10 cm/sec.

15. The device according to claim 13, wherein the radiation is nonvisible.

16. The device according to claim 15, wherein the radiation is infrared.

17. The device according to claim 1, wherein the radiation transmitter comprises a light emitting diode.

18. The device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one receiver comprises a photodiode or a phototransistor.

19. The device according to claim 18, wherein the at least one receiver comprises a daylight filter.

20. The device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one receiver output is nonimaging.

21. The device according to claim 1, wherein the received radiation is defocused.

22. The device according to claim 1, wherein the radiation is directed and received over a region greater than 10 degrees.

23. The device according to claim 1, wherein the a divergent radiation beam is produced and received.

24. The device according to claim 23, wherein the transmitter produces a divergent radiation beam and the receiver receives radiation with a divergent take up angle.

25. The device according to claim 23, further comprising a diffuser for producing a divergent radiation beam.

26. The device according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter is a broadbanded transmitter having a preferred frequency variation coefficient of at least plus or minus 1 percent of a nominal frequency.

27. The device according to claim 1, wherein the receiver is a broadband receiver having a preferred frequency variation coefficient of at least plus or and minus 1 percent of a nominal frequency.

28. The device according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter is a broadbanded transmitter having a preferred frequency variation coefficient of at least plus or minus 1 percent of a nominal frequency and the receiver is a broadband receiver having a preferred frequency variation coefficient of at least plus or and minus 1 percent of a nominal frequency.

29. The device according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter and receiver are arranged facing in substantially the same direction.

30. The device according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter and the receiver are arranged at a distance from the container.

31. The device according to claim 1, wherein the area covered by the receiver, expressed as the diameter of a circle with corresponding surface, is between 0.5 and 15 mm.

32. The device according to claim 1, wherein the container comprises a marking readable by the sensor system.

33. The device according to claim 32, wherein the marking comprises more than two discrete levels.

34. The device according to claim 32, wherein the marking comprises a plurality of discrete marking areas.

35. The device according to claim 34, wherein moving means are present to permit reading of the areas in sequence, staticly or dynamically.

36. The device according to claim 32, wherein the marking includes differences in absorption or reflection.

37. The device according to claim 1, wherein a relative positioning between the receiver and the container is adapted to detect a property of the container.

38. The device according to claim 37, wherein the property comprises a member selected from the group consisting of a container contour, a plunger position, a container content, and a marking or modification designed to facilitate detection of the property.

39. The device according to claim 37, wherein the relative positioning is also adapted to permit static or dynamic reading of a marking on the container.

40. The device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an electronic control unit interconnected with the receiver.

41. The device according to claim 40, wherein the electronic control unit comprises a microcontroller.

42. The according to claim of claim 40, wherein the control unit receives modified or unmodified output from the receiver, compares the output with at least one memorized characteristic and to produce a response based upon whether or not similarity is present between the output with the memorize characteristic.

43. The device according to claim 42, wherein the control unit receives a response versus time function.

44. The device according to claim 42, wherein the control unit is capable of responding by activating an electric motor.

45. The device according to claim 44, wherein the control unit is capable of responding by activating an electric motor.

46. The device according to claim 1, wherein the transmitted radiation is modulated.

47. The device according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter and the receiver are arranged to have a stable axis of orientation relative to their support.

48. The device according to claim 47, wherein the support is fixed relative to the delivery mechanism.

49. The device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a housing that the elements of the device are interconnected with.

50. The device according to claim 49, wherein the support is fixed relative to the housing.

51. The device according to claim 14, wherein the speed is less than 1 cm/sec.