Pen-type injector having an electronic control unit

• US 8,128,603 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2001
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH (Sanofi )
• Original Assignee: Christopher Nigel Langley, Robert Frederick Veasey, Robert Woolston, Shane Alistair Day
• Inventors: Langley, Christopher Nigel, Day, Shane Alistair, Veasey, Robert Frederick, Woolston, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Jackie
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gray, Phillip
• Application Number:
  US10/433,643
• Publication Number:
  US 20040122355A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,728 Days
• Field of Search: 604 65- 72, 604/131, 604/207, 604/220, 604/197, 604/181, 604/187
• US Class Current: 604/181
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/31588 electrically driven
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/215 Tilt detection, e.g. for warning or shut-off
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/50 with microprocessors or computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6018 providing set-up signals for the apparatus configuration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 battery-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14244 adapted to be carried by the patient, e.g. portable on the body
• 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 5/31525 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: G16H 20/17 delivered via infusion or injection
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/01 Motorized syringe

Abstract

An injection device of the kind having a main housing (4) is disclosed and includes a drive mechanism (42) to expel selectively a dose of medicament from a medicament cartridge (40) through a needle unit (22) and an electronic control unit to control the drive mechanism (42). The injection device further comprises a prime button (26) which causes a prime signal to be sent to the electronic control unit, the electronic control unit actuating the drive mechanism (42) to expel a predetermined small dose of medicament on receipt of the prime signal. In this way removal of entrapped air from the medicament cartridge (40) is obtained.

Claims

1. An injection device of the kind having a main housing including:

a drive mechanism to expel selectively a dose of medicament from a medicament cartridge through a needle unit;

an electronic control unit to control the drive mechanism, wherein the injection device further comprises a prime button which causes a prime signal to be sent to the electronic control unit, the electronic control unit actuating the drive mechanism to expel a predetermined dose of medicament on receipt of the prime signal; and

a cover adapted to cover the needle unit and a part of the main housing, wherein the prime button is located within the part of the main housing adapted to be covered by the cover.

2. The injection device according to claim 1, wherein the injection device further comprises a priming detection means to sense the orientation of the injection device, and the electronic control unit will only cause the drive mechanism to operate in response to a priming signal when the injection device is in predetermined orientation.

3. The injection device according to claim 2, wherein the injection device further comprises additional buttons which in use generate further signals to which the electronic control unit optionally responds, the electronic control unit not responding to the further signals when the injection device is in the predetermined orientation.