COMPRESSIBLE RESERVOIR FOR LIQUID MEDICAMENT

Abstract

The present invention relates to a reservoir (10; 30; 40) for a liquid medicament (11), comprising: a first boundary portion (16; 36; 46) and a second boundary portion (18; 38; 48) forming a cavity (12; 32; 42) to receive the medicament, wherein the first boundary portion is sub-stantially opaque and flexible, and wherein the second boundary portion is substantially transparent and rigid.

Claims

1. A reservoir for a liquid medicament, comprising: a first boundary portion (16; 36; 46) and a second boundary portion (18; 38; 48) forming a cavity (12; 32; 42) to receive the medicament (11), wherein the first boundary portion (16; 36; 46) is substantially opaque and flexible, and wherein the second boundary portion (18; 38; 48) is substantially transparent and rigid.

2. The reservoir according to claim 1, wherein the first boundary portion (16; 36; 46) is stretchable.

3. The reservoir according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the second boundary portion (18; 38; 48) comprises at least one inflexible material.

4. The reservoir according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first boundary portion (16; 36; 46) is substantially collapsible onto or into the second boundary portion (18; 38; 48).

5. The reservoir according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein first and second boundary portions (16, 18; 36, 38; 46, 48) are impervious to gases and fluids.

6. The reservoir according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising at least one outlet port (14; 34; 44) in fluid connection with the cavity (12; 32; 42) and intersecting at least one of first and second boundary portions (16, 18; 36, 38; 46, 48).

7. The reservoir according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first boundary portion (16; 36; 46) and the second boundary portion (18; 38; 48) are mutually connected or bonded along a circumferentially extending seam (17; 37; 47).

8. The reservoir according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the second boundary portion (18; 38; 48) is dyed.

9. The reservoir according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the second boundary portion (18; 38; 48) comprises at least one of a glas, a rigid and transparent polymeric material or a combination thereof.

10. The reservoir according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first boundary portion (16; 36; 46) comprises at least one of an elastomeric material, a flexible thermoplastic material, a layer of polymeric material, or combinations, composites and laminates thereof.

11. The reservoir according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first boundary portion (16; 36; 46) comprises a multilayer structure.

12. The reservoir according to claim 11, wherein the first boundary portion (16; 36; 46) comprises an opaque metal foil.

13. The reservoir according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the first boundary portion (16; 36; 46) is laminated or coated.

14. The reservoir according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cavity (12; 32; 42) is at least partially filled with the liquid medicament (11).

15. A drug delivery device for dispensing of a liquid medicament and comprising at least one reservoir according to any one of the preceding claims.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0132] In the following, various embodiments of the present invention will be explained in greater detail by making reference to the drawings, in which:

[0133] FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the reservoir in an initial configuration,

[0134] FIG. 2 shows the reservoir according to FIG. 1 during medicament extraction and

[0135] FIG. 3 shows the reservoir according to FIG. 1 when substantially emptied,

[0136] FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of a reservoir in an initial configuration,

[0137] FIG. 5 shows the reservoir according to FIG. 4 during medicament extraction and

[0138] FIG. 6 shows the reservoir according to FIGS. 4 and 5 when substantially empty,

[0139] FIG. 7 schematically shows another embodiment of a reservoir in an initial configuration and

[0140] FIG. 8 shows the reservoir according to FIG. 7 when almost empty.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0141] In FIG. 1, a reservoir 10 is schematically illustrated that comprises a first or upper boundary portion 16 and a second or lower boundary portion 18. Both, first and second boundary portions, 16, 18 form a common cavity 12 that is adapted to receive and to accommodate a liquid medicament 11. The first boundary portion 16 features a balloon-like geometrical structure. It seals and closes the upward-facing end of the second boundary portion 18, which in the embodiment according to FIGS. 1-3 comprises a tubular-shaped barrel. While the first boundary portion 16 is substantially opaque and flexible the second boundary portion 18 is substantially transparent and rigid. In this way, the interior of the reservoir 10, hence the medicament 11 contained in the cavity 12 can be visually inspected through the second boundary portion 18 while the first boundary portion 16 imparts a certain flexibility to the reservoir 10.

[0142] At its bottom portion facing away from the first boundary portion 16, the second boundary portion 18 comprises an outlet port 14. In the embodiment according to FIGS. 1-3, said outlet port 14 may comprise a pierceable or removable seal, such like a septum or a plug, by way of which access to the cavity 12 can be provided. The reservoir 10, in particular its outlet port 14 may be coupled with some kind of extraction element, such like an injection needle penetrating a sealing disc of the outlet port 14.

[0143] In this way, the medicament 11 may either be extracted or expelled from the cavity, e.g. by applying pressure to the first boundary portion 16 from outside or by applying a suction force through the injection needle towards the interior of the cavity 12. In either way, withdrawal of the medicament from the cavity 12 leads to a mechanical deformation of the first boundary portion 16 as indicated in FIG. 2.

[0144] During constant or repeated discrete extraction of the medicament from the cavity 12, the first boundary portion 16 may also collapse into the second boundary portion 18 as illustrated in FIG. 3. Here, the second boundary portion 18 forms a second partition of the cavity 12 and forms a hollow space into which the first boundary portion 16, which initially forms a first partition of the cavity 12, may extend upon medicament extraction. In this way, the volume of the cavity 12 may constantly reduce during extraction of the medicament 11. Since the first boundary portion 16 is flexible or even stretchable it may completely adopt the shape and contour of the inward-facing surface or surface structure of the second boundary portion 18. In this way, the complete content of the reservoir 10 can be expelled and extracted from the reservoir 10.

[0145] The collapsing of the first boundary portion 16 into the second boundary portion 18 or onto the inward-facing wall structure of the second boundary portion 18 is also beneficial for filling of the reservoir 10. Especially when the first boundary portion 16 adopts the geometric shape of the second boundary portion 18 in a crease-free way, a substantially bubble-free filling of the reservoir 10 with the medicament 11 can be obtained.

[0146] First and second boundary portions 16, 18 are typically bonded or welded in a non-releasable way. Since the second boundary portion 18 is of substantially tubular-shape and since the second boundary portion 18 comprises a substantially circular cross-section, the first boundary portion 16 is connected with the second boundary portion along a circumferentially extending seam 17, which is only shown from the side in FIGS. 1-3.

[0147] In the alternative embodiment according to FIGS. 4-6, the reservoir 40 also comprises a cavity 32 that is formed by a first boundary portion 36 and by a second boundary portion 38. But here and in contrast to the embodiment according to FIGS. 1-3 it is the first boundary portion 36 that is provided with an outlet port 34. Here, the outlet port 34 is designed as an outlet tube that may be integrally formed with the flexible first boundary portion 36. However, the outlet port 34 may also be integrated in the second boundary portion 38.

[0148] Additionally and further in contrast to the embodiment according to FIGS. 1-3, the first boundary portion 36 is initially substantially planar-shaped or flat-shaped and serves as a kind of lid of the pot-shaped or cup-shaped second boundary portion 38. However, as the medicament is extracted via the outlet port 34 from the cavity 32, the flexible first boundary portion 36 becomes subject to mechanical deformation and may sink or collapse into the second boundary portion 38. Also here, when reaching an end of content configuration, i.e. when the reservoir 30 is almost empty, the first boundary portion 36 may adopt or adapt to the geometric shape of the second boundary portion 38. Here, an outlet port 34 is arranged offset from the center of the reservoir 30 but may be also arranged symmetric in regard of the circumferential seam 37 along which first and second boundary portions 36, 38 are non-releasably interconnected, bonded or welded.

[0149] In the embodiment according to FIGS. 4-6, the second boundary portion 38 comprises substantially planar-shaped bottom and sidewall portions extending upwardly and outwardly. Consequently, the lateral extension of the first boundary portion 36 interconnected with the upper end of the sidewall portions of the second boundary portion 38 is substantially larger than the corresponding extent of the second boundary portion's 38 bottom section. The bottom section may be of rectangular or polygon shape or may even be elliptic or circular.

[0150] Since the first boundary portion 36 is connected or bonded to the upper end of the second boundary portion's 38 sidewall or sidewalls along a seam 37, the first boundary portion experiences a respective stretching when collapsing into the second boundary portion 38 during extraction of the medicament 11. Here, it is of particular benefit, when the first boundary portion is formed of at least one stretchable material.

[0151] Additionally and as already described in connection with the embodiment according to FIGS. 1-3, the first boundary portion 36 is substantially opaque and is further mechanically deformable while the second boundary portion 38 is substantially transparent and rigid or stiff.

[0152] The embodiment according to FIGS. 7 and 8 slightly differs from the embodiment according to FIGS. 4-6 in that the first boundary portion 46 of the reservoir 40 is initially upwardly or outwardly stretched or bulged when filled with the medicament 11. Also here, the second boundary portion 48 comprises a cup- or pot-like shape with a planar bottom section and with an upwardly extending sidewall. Again, the upper end of the second boundary portion's 48 sidewall section is bonded or welded with the first and flexible boundary portion 46 along a seam 47. Since the first boundary portion 46 is initially outwardly or upwardly bulged, it extends away from the second boundary portion 48.

[0153] Additionally, the outlet port 44 intersects the first boundary portion 46 for the purpose of extracting the medicament 11 from the cavity 42. As becomes apparent from FIG. 8, extraction of the medicament 11 leads to a reduction of the volume of the cavity 42, thereby inducing a collapsing of the first boundary portion 46 into the receptacle-forming second boundary portion 48.

[0154] Since the first boundary portion 46 was initially outwardly bulged its surface is substantially larger than the cross-section of the second boundary portion's 48 upper end. In this way, the first boundary portion 46 may easily collapse into the second boundary portion 48 even without the necessity of stretching or increasing its size. In particular, the first boundary portion 46 may comprise a surface substantially equal in size to the surface of the inward-facing sections of the second boundary portion 48.

[0155] Then the first boundary portion 46 may completely collapse and engage with the second boundary portion 48 in a crease-free way while reducing the volume of the cavity 42 to a minimum.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0156] 10 reservoir

[0157] 11 medicament

[0158] 12 cavity

[0159] 14 outlet port

[0160] 16 first boundary portion

[0161] 17 seam

[0162] 18 second boundary portion

[0163] 30 reservoir

[0164] 32 cavity

[0165] 34 outlet port

[0166] 36 first boundary portion

[0167] 37 seam

[0168] 38 second boundary portion

[0169] 40 reservoir

[0170] 42 cavity

[0171] 44 outlet port

[0172] 46 first boundary portion

[0173] 47 seam

[0174] 48 second boundary portion