DEVICE FOR A MEDICAMENT CONTAINER

Abstract

A medicament container holder for securing a medicament container having a generally tubular body arranged with a proximally directed neck portion and a flange portion arranged with a pierceable septum. The medicament container holder has mechanical holding elements that interact with the flange portion for preventing movement of the medicament container in a distal direction and having mechanical fixation elements configured to interact with the flange portion for urging the flange portion in the distal direction against the holding elements, where the medicament container holder has attachment elements for a medicament delivery member. The mechanical fixation elements are configured to engage with the medicament delivery member when attached to the attachment elements, such as to exert a force in the distal direction on said flange portion.

Claims

1-12. (canceled)

13. A medicament container holder for securing a medicament container, which medicament container comprises a generally tubular body arranged with a proximally directed neck portion and a flange portion, which flange portion is arranged with a pierceable septum; said medicament container holder comprising mechanical holding elements configured to interact with said flange portion for preventing movement of said medicament container in a distal direction; said medicament container holder comprising mechanical fixation elements configured to interact with said flange portion for urging said flange portion in the distal direction against the holding elements; said medicament container holder comprising attachment elements for a medicament delivery member, wherein said mechanical fixation elements are configured to engage with a medicament delivery member when attached to said attachment elements, such as to exert a force in the distal direction on said flange portion.

14. The medicament container holder according to claim 13, wherein said mechanical holding elements comprise a number of inwardly directed protrusions.

15. The medicament container holder according to claim 13, wherein said mechanical holding elements are configured to flex in a radial direction, allowing passing of said flange portion when securing said medicament container.

16. The medicament container holder according to claim 15, comprising a number of cut-outs arranged adjacent said holding elements for providing flex.

17. The medicament container holder according to claim 13, wherein said fixation elements are configured to be flexible movable in a generally longitudinal application.

18. The medicament container holder according to claim 17, wherein said fixation elements comprise generally radially directed arms, the free ends of which are configured to interact with said flange portion.

19. The medicament container holder according to claim 18, wherein the free ends of said arms are configured with protrusions which are configured to interact with said flange portion.

20. The medicament container holder according to claim 17, wherein said fixation elements comprise a central ring-shaped member flexibly attached to said medicament container holder.

21. The medicament container holder according to claim 20, wherein said fixation elements comprises sections of material between the ring-shaped member and the medicament container holder, which sections are arranged flexible.

22. The medicament container holder according to claim 13 arranged as an integral part of a housing of a medicament delivery device.

23. The medicament container holder according to claim 13, arranged as a separate component of a medicament delivery device.

24. A medicament delivery device comprising: a medicament container comprising a generally tubular body arranged with a proximally directed neck portion and a flange portion arranged with a pierceable septum; and a medicament container holder comprising; a mechanical holding element engaged with the flange portion; a mechanical fixation element engaged with the flange portion; and an attachment element that is configured to engage with a medicament delivery member when attached to the attachment elements, such as to exert a force in the distal direction on the flange portion.

25. The medicament delivery device of claim 24, wherein the medicament delivery device is a re-usable medicament delivery device where the medicament container can be removed from the medicament container holder.

26. The medicament delivery device according to claim 24, wherein the mechanical holding element comprises at least two inwardly directed protrusions that prevent movement of the medicament container in a distal direction.

27. The medicament delivery device according to claim 24, wherein the mechanical holding element comprises at least two arms that flex in a radial direction when the flange portion is moved axially relative to the medicament container holder.

28. The medicament delivery device according to claim 24, further comprising one or more cut-outs arranged adjacent the holding element.

29. The medicament delivery device according to claim 24, wherein the fixation element urges the flange portion in the distal direction against the holding element.

30. The medicament delivery device according to claim 24, wherein the fixation element comprises at least two generally radially directed arms having free ends which interact with the flange portion.

31. The medicament delivery device according to claim 30, wherein the free ends of the arms are protrusions that interact with the flange portion.

32. The medicament delivery device according to claim 30, wherein the at least two generally radially directed arms define a central ring-shaped member flexibly attached to the medicament container holder.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0016] In the following detailed description of the disclosure, reference will be made to the accompanying drawings, of which

[0017] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a medicament container holder and a medicament container,

[0018] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a neck portion of a medicament container and a medicament delivery member,

[0019] FIGS. 3-5 are detailed views of a proximal end of a first embodiment of a medicament container holder,

[0020] FIGS. 6-7 are cross-sectional views of a proximal end of the first embodiment with attached medicament delivery member,

[0021] FIGS. 8-9 are detailed views of a proximal end of a second embodiment of a medicament container holder,

[0022] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a proximal end of the second embodiment with attached medicament delivery member, and

[0023] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a medicament delivery device comprising a medicament container holder according to the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The first embodiment shown in the drawings 1 to 7 comprises a medicament container holder 10 having a generally tubular elongated body 12, FIG. 1. In this regard it is to be understood that the medicament container holder could be a part of a housing of a medicament delivery device as well or instead. The medicament container holder 10 is arranged to accommodate a generally tubular elongated medicament container 14. The medicament container 14 is arranged with a stopper 16 that is movable inside the medicament container 10 via e.g. a plunger rod acting from a distal direction. The proximal end of the medicament container 14 is provided with an annular shoulder 18 that transforms into a neck portion 20, FIG. 2. The neck portion 20 then transforms into a flange portion 22 surrounding a central passage 24. A septum 26 is positioned covering the central passage, which septum is made of a material that may be pierced by a sharp distal end of an injection needle, for instance a rubber membrane. The septum 26 is held in placed by a cap 28 surrounding the flange portion 22, wherein the distal edge of the cap is bent inwards at the distally directed surface 30 of the flange portion 22. The cap 28 has a central hole 32 through which the septum 26 is accessible.

[0025] As mentioned, the medicament container 14 is intended to fit into the medicament container holder and for that purpose, the medicament container holder 10 is arranged with a neck portion 34 at its proximal end, having dimensions so as to accommodate the flange portion 22 with the cap 28 of the medicament container 14. The proximal end of the neck portion 34 of the medicament container holder 10 is provided with a passage 36 so as to get access to the interior of the medicament container holder 10 and thus the flange portion 22 of the medicament container 14 when placed in the medicament container holder 10. Further, the neck portion 34 of the medicament container holder is arranged with attachment elements 38 for a medicament delivery member 40. In the embodiment shown, the medicament delivery member is an injection needle 42 attached to a cap-shaped hub 44. It is however to be understood that other types of attachment elements may be utilized, such as bayonet connection, luer lock connections, snap-fit connections etc. The interior of the hub 44 is arranged with threads 46 that are to cooperate with external threads 38 on the neck portion 34 of the medicament container holder 10. According to the disclosure, holding elements are provided on the medicament container holder 10. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the holding elements comprise a number of wedge-shaped inwardly extending protrusions 48 that are formed on an inner surface of the neck portion of the medicament container holder 10. The protrusions 48 are wedge-shaped so as to allow the flange portion 22 of the medicament container 14 to pass the protrusions 48, whereby the material of the medicament container holder is such so as to allow elastic flexing in a radial direction. In order to improve the flexing capabilities, longitudinally extending slits 50 may be arranged on either side of the protrusions 48 as seen in FIG. 4.

[0026] The wedge-shaped protrusions 48 are positioned such that they will be placed abutting the distally directed surface 30 of the flange portion 22 of the medicament container 14 with proximally directed surfaces, which surfaces will act as reference surfaces as will be described. The medicament container holder is further arranged with fixation elements that are arranged to exert a certain force on the medicament container 14 in the distal direction, against the reference surfaces.

[0027] In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-7, the fixation elements comprise radially inwardly directed arms 52 having distally directed protrusions 54 at their free ends. Thus, when a medicament container 14 is placed in the medicament container holder 10 the proximal surface of the flange portion 22 will come in contact with the protrusions 54 of the arms 52 and the wedge-shaped protrusions 48 will pass the flange portion 22. The medicament container 14 is now held by the holding elements and the fixation elements, thereby preventing any rattling of the medicament container 14 inside the medicament container holder. When a medicament delivery member 40 now is attached to the neck portion of the medicament container holder a distally directed surface of the medicament delivery member will come in contact with proximally directed surfaces of the arms, FIGS. 6 and 7, thereby exerting a force on the medicament container 14 by the protrusions 54. Since the thickness of the protrusions 54 is well defined, the relationship between the septum 26 of the medicament container 14 and the medicament delivery member 42 is also well defined.

[0028] FIGS. 8 to 10 show an alternative second embodiment of the present disclosure. The embodiment comprises a central ring-shaped fixation element 60 having a central passage 62, which fixation element 60 is held in position by bridging portions 64 provided on opposite sides of the fixation element and attached to the neck portion 34, FIG. 8. The land portions 64 have a curved shape as seen in FIG. 9 and will provide a flexing action in the longitudinal direction. As with the previous embodiment, when a medicament container 14 is placed in the medicament container holder 10, the proximally directed surface of the flange portion 22 will come in contact with distally directed surfaces of the fixation element 60. The wedge-shaped protrusions 48 will also pass the flange portion 22 of the medicament container, FIG. 10, and will abut the distally directed surface of the flange, creating a holing function in the distal direction of the medicament container 14.

[0029] FIG. 11 shows a medicament delivery device 70 in which a medicament container holder 10 according to the disclosure may be arranged. In this regard, as seen in the figure, the medicament container holder 10 is an integral part of the housing 72 of the medicament delivery device 70. It is however to be understood that the medicament container holder could as well be a separate component of the medicament delivery device.