Pen-type injector having an electronic control unit

• US 8,926,553 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2001
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• 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): Sirmons, Kevin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): GRAY, PHILLIP A
• Application Number:
  US10/433,642
• Publication Number:
  US 20040054318A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,764 Days
• Field of Search: 604 65- 72, 604/131, 604/207, 604/220, 604/197, 604/181, 604/187, 700/282
• US Class Current: 604/65
• 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 having a drive mechanism to expel selectively a dose of medicament from a medicament cartridge through a needle unit is disclosed. The injection device further comprises an electronic control unit to control the drive mechanism, and a dispense button to generate a dispense button signal to the electronic control unit indicative of the dose to be expelled in which an arm button causes a first arm button signal to be sent to the electronic control unit to permit the dose to be expelled.

Claims

1. An injection device, comprising:

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, and

a dispense button to generate a dispense button signal to the electronic control unit indicative of the dose to be expelled in which an arm button causes a first arm button signal to be sent to the electronic control unit to permit the dose to be expelled,

wherein the arm button must generate the first arm button signal for a predetermined period of time before the electronic control unit will respond to the dispense button signal.

2. An injection device according to claim 1, wherein the injection device further comprises a cover adapted to cover the needle unit and a cover detection switch to detect the presence of the cover and provide a signal to the electronic control unit, when the electronic control unit receives a signal indicating the presence of the cover the electronic control unit will not respond to a signal from the arm button.

3. An injection device according to claim 1 wherein when the dispense button signal is not generated within a predetermined period of the arm signal, the electronic control unit will not actuate the drive mechanism in response to the dispense button signal.

4. An injection device according to claim 1, further comprising a display panel, the display panel providing an indication that the dose is permitted to be expelled.

5. An injection device according to claim 1 wherein when the arm button generates a subsequent arm button signal within a predetermined period of the first arm button signal, the electronic control unit will not actuate the drive mechanism in response to the dispense button signal.

6. An injection device according to claim 2, wherein when the dispense button signal is not generated within a predetermined period of the arm signal, the electronic control unit will not actuate the drive mechanism in response to the dispense button signal.

7. An injection device according to claim 2, further comprising a display panel, the display panel providing an indication that the dose is permitted to be expelled.

8. An injection device according to claim 3, further comprising a display panel, the display panel providing an indication that the dose is permitted to be expelled.

9. An injection device according to claim 2, wherein when the arm button generates a subsequent arm button signal within a predetermined period of the first arm button signal, the electronic control unit will not actuate the drive mechanism in response to the dispense button signal.

10. An injection device according to claim 3, wherein when the arm button generates a subsequent arm button signal within a predetermined period of the first arm button signal, the electronic control unit will not actuate the drive mechanism in response to the dispense button signal.

11. An injection device according to claim 4, wherein when the arm button generates a subsequent arm button signal within a predetermined period of the first arm button signal, the electronic control unit will not actuate the drive mechanism in response to the dispense button signal.