Electronic Module and Drug Delivery Device
20230158246 · 2023-05-25
Inventors
- Adam Moyo Harvey-Cook (Essex, GB)
- Tom Alexander Earwalker (Warwick Warwickshire, GB)
- David Aubrey Plumptre (Worcestershire, GB)
- Oliver Charles Gazeley (Basel, CH)
- Robert Veasey (Warwick Warwickshire, GB)
- Craig Ashley Mason (Cheshire, GB)
Cpc classification
A61M5/31568
HUMAN NECESSITIES
A61M2205/6045
HUMAN NECESSITIES
International classification
Abstract
An electronic module for releasable attachment to a drug delivery device is disclosed. The module may comprise at least one module lockout form adapted for mating abutment with a corresponding device lockout form of the drug delivery device. The module may comprise at least one attachment element for releasable attachment of the module on the drug delivery device. The module may comprise at least one light pipe for guiding a light beam from a light source to a reflective surface of the drug delivery device and from the reflective surface to a light detector sensor. The module may comprise at least one light guide for guiding a light beam from a light source to a user feedback surface adapted to emit light. The module may comprise at least one elastically deformable switch arm. The component may be a unitary component part injection molded from a polycarbonate material.
Claims
1-15. (canceled)
16. An electronic module for releasable attachment to a drug delivery device, the electronic module comprising a particular component that comprises at least two of the following features: at least one module lockout form adapted for mating abutment with a corresponding device lockout form of the drug delivery device, at least one attachment element for releasable attachment of the electronic module on the drug delivery device, at least one light pipe for guiding a light beam from a first light source to a reflective surface of the drug delivery device and from the reflective surface to a light detector sensor, at least one light guide for guiding a light beam from a second light source to a user feedback surface of the particular component, wherein the user feedback surface is adapted to emit light, at least one elastically deformable switch arm, or the particular component is a unitary component that is injection molded from a polycarbonate material.
17. The electronic module according to claim 16 further comprising: a cap; a printed circuit board assembly; and a power source, wherein the particular component is a chassis rigidly attached to the cap and supports the printed circuit board assembly within the cap.
18. The electronic module according to claim 17, wherein the particular component, with exception of the user feedback surface, is encased by the cap.
19. The electronic module according to claim 18, wherein the printed circuit board assembly and the power source are interposed between the cap and the particular component.
20. The electronic module according to claim 16, wherein the particular component includes the at least one module lockout form, and wherein the at least one module lockout form comprises a profiled protrusion or seat adapted for mating abutment with a corresponding contoured seat or protrusion of the corresponding device lockout form of the drug delivery device.
21. The electronic module according to claim 16, wherein the particular component includes the at least one module lockout form, and wherein the at least one module lockout form prevents attachment of the electronic module on a non-mating drug delivery device.
22. The electronic module according to claim 16, wherein the particular component includes the at least one attachment element, and wherein the at least one attachment element comprises at least one elastically deformable arm with a snap protrusion or a snap recess for releasable engagement with a corresponding snap recess or a snap protrusion of the drug delivery device.
23. The electronic module according to claim 16, wherein the particular component includes the at least one light pipe, and wherein the at least one light pipe is an elongate cuboid shaped protrusion or a protrusion in shape of a conical frustum having two opposite end faces and at least one sidewall, wherein at least one of the two opposite end faces has a surface roughness higher than a surface roughness of the at least one sidewall.
24. The electronic module according to claim 16, comprising at least two light pipes protruding axially in the same direction from an inner portion of the particular component.
25. The electronic module according to claim 16, wherein the particular component comprises the at least one light guide, and wherein the at least one light guide comprises an annular skirt having at least one entry surface and the user feedback surface that is radially facing outwardly from the annular skirt, wherein the at least one entry surface and the user feedback surface have a surface roughness higher than a surface roughness of another surface of the annular skirt.
26. The electronic module according to claim 25, wherein the annular skirt comprises at least two entry surfaces each formed in a respective recess for receiving the first light source.
27. The electronic module according to claim 26, wherein the annular skirt comprises four entry surfaces.
28. The electronic module according to claim 16, wherein the particular component comprises the at least one elastically deformable switch arm, and wherein the at least one elastically deformable switch arm extends in a circumferential direction.
29. The electronic module according to claim 16, wherein the particular component comprises the at least one elastically deformable switch arm, and wherein the at least one elastically deformable switch arm comprises a free end and is deflectable with respect to the particular component in order to actuate an electronic switch.
30. The electronic module according to claim 16, wherein the particular component has a substantially cylindrical outer shape, and wherein the user feedback surface has a radially facing outer portion that forms a distal end of the substantially cylindrical outer shape.
31. The electronic module according to claim 16, wherein the particular component comprises an inner rim comprising the at least one module lockout form, the at least one attachment element, the at least one light pipe, and at least one collar portion, wherein the at least one light pipe extends distally from the inner rim, and the at least one collar portion extending proximally from the inner rim.
32. The electronic module according to claim 16, further comprising: at least one processor; a sensor arrangement connected to the at least one processor and operable to generate measurement data indicative of a dose setting operation and/or a dose delivery operation of the drug delivery device; a communication unit with a wireless communication interface connected to the at least one processor and operable to establish communication with another device and to transfer data to the other device; at least one electronic user feedback generator connected to the at least one processor and operable to generate a feedback signal; and a memory for storing the measurement data.
33. A drug delivery device for delivery of a medicament, the drug delivery device comprising: a dose setting and drive mechanism configured to perform a dose setting operation for setting a dose to be delivered by the drug delivery device, and a dose delivery operation for delivering the set dose, wherein the dose setting and drive mechanism comprises a first member; a container receptacle permanently or releasably connected to the dose setting and drive mechanism, and adapted to receive a container containing a medicament; and an electronic module comprising a particular component that comprises at least two of the following features: at least one module lockout form adapted for mating abutment with a corresponding device lockout form of a drug delivery device, at least one attachment element for releasable attachment of the electronic module on the drug delivery device, at least one light pipe for guiding a light beam from a first light source to a reflective surface of the drug delivery device and from the reflective surface to a light detector sensor, at least one light guide for guiding a light beam from a second light source to a user feedback surface of the particular component, wherein the user feedback surface is adapted to emit light, at least one elastically deformable switch arm, or the particular component is a unitary component that is injection molded from a polycarbonate material.
34. The drug delivery device according to claim 33, further comprising the container containing the medicament.
35. The drug delivery device according to claim 33, wherein the electronic module further comprises: a cap; a printed circuit board assembly; and a power source, wherein the particular component is a chassis rigidly attached to the cap and supports the printed circuit board assembly within the cap.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
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[0091] In the Figures, identical elements, identically acting elements or elements of the same kind may be provided with the same reference numerals.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0092] In the following, some embodiments will be described with reference to an insulin injection device. The present disclosure is however not limited to such application and may equally well be deployed with injection devices that are configured to eject other medicaments or drug delivery devices in general, preferably pen-type devices and/or injection devices.
[0093] Embodiments are provided in relation to injection devices, in particular to variable dose injection devices, which record and/or track measurement data on doses delivered thereby. These data may include the size of the selected dose and/or the size of the actually delivered dose, the time and date of administration, the duration of the administration and the like. Features described herein include power management techniques (e.g. to facilitate small batteries and/or to enable efficient power usage).
[0094] Certain embodiments in this document are illustrated with respect to the injection device disclosed in EP 2 890 435 where an injection button and grip (dose setting member or dose setter) are combined. The injection button may provide the user interface member for initiating and/or performing a dose delivery operation of the drug delivery device. The grip or knob may provide the user interface member for initiating and/or performing a dose setting operation. These devices are of the dial extension type, i.e. their length increases during dose setting. Other injection devices with the same kinematical behaviour of the dial extension and button during dose setting and dose expelling operational mode are known as, for example, the Kwikpen® device marketed by Eli Lilly and the Novopen® 4 device marketed by Novo Nordisk. An application of the general principles to these devices therefore appears straightforward and further explanations will be omitted. However, the general principles of the present disclosure are not limited to that kinematical behaviour. Certain other embodiments may be conceived for application to Sanofi's SoloSTAR® injection device where there are separate injection button and grip components/dose setting members. Thus, there may be two separate user interface members, one for the dose setting operation and one for the dose delivery operation.
[0095] “Distal” is used herein to specify directions, ends or surfaces which are arranged or are to be arranged to face or point towards a dispensing end of the drug delivery device or components thereof and/or point away from, are to be arranged to face away from or face away from the proximal end. On the other hand, “proximal” is used to specify directions, ends or surfaces which are arranged or are to be arranged to face away from or point away from the dispensing end and/or from the distal end of the drug delivery device or components thereof. The distal end may be the end closest to the dispensing and/or furthest away from the proximal end and the proximal end may be the end furthest away from the dispensing end. A proximal surface may face away from the distal end and/or towards the proximal end. A distal surface may face towards the distal end and/or away from the proximal end. The dispensing end may be the needle end where a needle unit is or is to be mounted to the device, for example.
[0096]
[0097] The injection device 1 of
[0098] The dosage window 13 may be in the form of an aperture in the housing 10, which permits a user to view a limited portion of a dial sleeve assembly that is configured to move when the button or dial grip 12 is turned, to provide a visual indication of a currently set dose. The button or dial grip 12 is rotated on a helical path with respect to the housing 10 when setting a dose.
[0099] In this example, the button or dial grip 12 includes one or more formations to facilitate attachment of a data collection device. Especially, the button or dial grip 12 may be arranged to attach or integrate an electronic (button) module 11 onto the button or dial grip 12. As an alternative, the dial grip may comprise such a button module of an electronic system.
[0100] The injection device 1 may be configured so that turning the button or dial grip 12 causes a mechanical click sound to provide acoustic feedback to a user. In this embodiment, the button or dial grip 12 also acts as an injection button. When needle 15 is stuck into a skin portion of a patient, and then button or dial grip 12 and/or the attached module 11 is pushed in an axial direction, the insulin dose displayed in display window 13 will be ejected from injection device 1. When the needle 15 of injection device 1 remains for a certain time in the skin portion after the button or dial grip 12 is pushed, the dose is injected into the patient's body. Ejection of the insulin dose may also cause a mechanical click sound, which may be different from the sounds produced when rotating the button or dial grip 12 during dialing of the dose.
[0101] In this embodiment, during delivery of the insulin dose, the button or dial grip 12 is returned to its initial position in an axial movement, without rotation, while the dial sleeve assembly is rotated to return to its initial position, e.g. to display a dose of zero units.
[0102] Injection device 1 may be used for several injection processes until either the insulin container 14 is empty or the expiration date of the medicament in the injection device 1 (e.g. 28 days after the first use) is reached. In the case of a resuable device, it is possible to replace the insulin container.
[0103] Furthermore, before using injection device 1 for the first time, it may be necessary to perform a so-called “prime shot” to remove air from insulin container 14 and needle 15, for instance by selecting two units of insulin and pressing button or dial grip 12 while holding injection device 1 with the needle 15 upwards. For simplicity of presentation, in the following, it will be assumed that the ejected amounts substantially correspond to the injected doses, so that, for instance the amount of medicament ejected from the injection device 1 is equal to the dose received by the user. Nevertheless, differences (e.g. losses) between the ejected amounts and the injected doses may need to be taken into account.
[0104] As explained above, the button or dial grip 12 also functions as an injection button so that the same component is used for dialling/setting the dose and dispensing/delivering the dose. As an alternative (not shown), a separate injection button may be used which is axially displaceable, at least a limited distance, relative to a dial grip 12 to effect or trigger dose dispensing.
[0105] In the following, an electronic module 11 according to the present disclosure will be described with respect to exemplary embodiments and with reference to
[0106] As depicted in
[0107] In the example depicted in
[0108] The communication unit 130 comprises with a wireless Bluetooth® communication interface connected to the processor 110 and operable to establish communication with another (external) device, e.g. a smartphone 200. Further, the communication unit 130 is operable to transfer data, e.g. measurement data, to said other device 200.
[0109] The electronic user feedback generator 140 connected to the processor 110 and operable to generate a feedback signal to a user. In the exemplary arrangement of
[0110] The memory 150 is adapted for storing measurement data and is connected to the processor 110 or is integrated into the processor 110. The power source 160 is connected to the processor 110. For example, the power source 160 is a non-rechargeable, non-user replaceable coin cell.
[0111] Turning now to
[0112] The cap 310 may be a cup-shaped component with a cosed proximal end (upper end in
[0113] The component 320 which is depicted in
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[0116] The module 11 may be releasably fixed on the drug delivery device 1 by means of attachment elements 324 formed on component 320.
[0117] The attachment elements 324 extend distally from the rim 328 of the component 320 The module 11 is attached rigidly to the button 12, meaning that it moves rotationally and axially with the button 12 at all times. Thus, during dialling, as the button 12 moves outwards on a helical path, along with the drive sleeve and the number sleeve 23, during this phase the module moves helically with the button 12, drive sleeve and number sleeve 23 on the same path.
[0118] The component 320 further comprises two light pipes 325 which are elongate cuboid shape protrusions extending from rim 328 distally. The light pipes 325 have two opposite end faces adapted to permit light entry and light exit. The sidewalls of the light pipes 325 form a border surface that guides an electromagnetic radiation by total reflection. When the module 11 is attached to the button 12 of the drug delivery device 1, the light pipes 325 extend through apertures 19 (see
[0119] The sensor arrangement 120 with LED 121 and photo detector 122 is located at or near the proximal end face of each light pipe 325 on the PCBA 330. Thus, a light beam emitted from LED 121 may enter the light pipe 325, is guided distally, exits the light pipe 325 at its distal end, is reflected by a tooth 24 of number sleeve 23 (depending on the rotational position of the number sleeve 23) enters back into light pipe 325 and exits the light pipe at its proximal end to be detected by photo detector 122. On the other hand, if the number sleeve 23 is in a rotational position such that none of the reflective teeth 24 is located beneath the distal end of a respective light pipe 325, a light beam exiting the light pipe 325 is not reflected and, hence, is not detected by photo detector 122. Time shifted emission of light signals from the LEDs 121 may be used to detect rotation of the number sleeve 23 which is indicative of an amount of the dose dispensed from the drug delivery device 1. Thus, teeth 24 of number sleeve 23 act as an encoder reflecting or not reflecting light depending on the relative rotational position of the teeth.
[0120] Still further, component 320 comprises an elastically deformable switch arm 326 having an elongated distally extending free end 327. Two different designs of the free end 327 are depicted in
[0121] This arrangement permits that the switch arm 326 may be received in the groove 25 when the switch arm 326 is deflected in a state in which the module 11 is mounted onto the button 12 of the drug delivery device 1. In this state, the free end 327 extends through a further aperture 20 in the button 12 into the drug delivery device 1. Thus, the free end 327 and the switch arm 326 may be deflected if components within the drug delivery device 1 move relative to the button 12. More specifically, at the beginning of dose dispensing, a user presses on the proximal end of the module 11, thereby displacing the module 11 with the button 12 relative to e.g. the number sleeve 23, or alternatively relative to the drive sleeve. This results in the free end 327 contacting e.g. the number sleeve 23 and deflecting the switch arm 326 which in turn actuates switch 331 on the distal side of the PCBA 330 which may trigger waking up of the module 11.
[0122] The PCBA 330 may comprise or form the processor 110, the sensor arrangement 120, the communication unit 130, the electronic user feedback generator 140 and the memory 150. The PCBA 330 is supported on the component 320 which acts as a chassis in the module 11. In addition to the LEDs 121 and photo detectors 122, one or more LED(s) 141 may be provided on the PCBA 330. In addition, a switch 331 may be provided on the PCBA 330, e.g. on a distal side facing towards the drug delivery device 1.
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[0124] As depicted in
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[0126] The clip 350 consists of an elastiacally deformable and electrically conductive material, e.g. a metal. A central portion of the clip 350 is adapted to contact one terminal of coin cell 160, the upper terminal in
[0127] Still further,
[0128] Although described mainly with respect to a drug delivery device 1 having a similar working principle as the device disclosed in EP 2 890 435, the electronic module 11 is applicable to any other type of drug delivery device having component parts performing a relative axial and/or rotational movement in defined conditions or states.
TABLE-US-00001 REFERENCE NUMERALS 1 device 10 housing 11 button module 12 dial grip/button 13 dosage window 14 container/container receptacle 15 needle 16 inner needle cap 17 outer needle cap 18 cap 19 aperture 20 aperture 21 device lockout form 22 recess 23 nuber sleeve 24 teeth 25 groove 110 processor 120 sensor arrangement 121 LED 122 photo detector 130 communication unit 140 electronic user feedback generator 141 LED 150 memory 160 power source (coin cell) 200 smartphone (other device) 310 cap 320 (chassis) component 321 skirt 322 user feedback surface 323 module lockout form 324 attachment element 325 light pipe 326 switch arm 327 free end 328 rim 329 collar portion 330 PCBA 331 switch 332 switch 340 potting compound 350 power source clip