Assembly for a drug delivery device and drug delivery device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10065000-B2
Application number	US-201314391056-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 17, 2013
Priority date	Apr 19, 2012
Publication date	Sep 4, 2018
Grant date	Sep 4, 2018

Abstract

An assembly for a drug delivery device is provided, the assembly including a blocking element and a piston rod having an interaction feature adapted and arranged to mechanically cooperate with the blocking element. For delivering a dose of a drug, the piston rod is configured to be moved from an initial position to an end position with respect to the blocking element, wherein the interaction feature is provided along the path between the initial position and the end position. An operating noise is provided to the user when the interaction feature mechanically cooperates with the blocking element while moving the piston rod for dose delivery. The interaction feature is adapted for homogenizing the operating noise so as to prevent the operating noise from being interpreted by the user as signalling the end of the dose delivery operation. Furthermore, a drug delivery device is provided.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An assembly for a drug delivery device comprising
a blocking element and
a piston rod having an interaction feature which is adapted and arranged to mechanically cooperate with the blocking element,
wherein, for delivering a dose of a drug, the piston rod is arranged and configured to be moved from an initial position to an end position with respect to the blocking element, wherein the interaction feature is provided along a path between the initial position and the end position,
and wherein an operating noise is provided to a user when the interaction feature mechanically cooperates with the blocking element while moving the piston rod from the initial position to the end position for dose delivery, and
wherein the interaction feature is adapted to homogenize the operating noise so as to prevent the operating noise from being interpreted by the user as signaling an end of the dose delivery operation, wherein the interaction feature comprises only one elevation and only one indentation, and wherein the indentation is sloped in a proximal direction such that the blocking member can slide along the slope in the proximal direction from the elevation into the indentation while moving the piston rod from the initial position to the end position for dose delivery.

2. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the operating noise is provided to the user before the piston rod is positioned in the end position with respect to the blocking element.

3. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the interaction feature is provided along an outer surface of the piston rod.

4. The assembly according to claim 3 , wherein the assembly comprises a plurality of interaction features, and wherein the elevations and the indentations of succeeding interaction features are arranged in an alternating fashion along the piston rod.

5. The assembly according to claim 4 , wherein succeeding interaction features comprise an equal axial dimension, and wherein, for delivering a dose, only one of the interaction features mechanically cooperates with the blocking element.

6. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the interaction feature is configured to prevent movement of the piston rod in a direction opposite to a dose delivery direction with respect to the blocking element by mechanical cooperation with the blocking element.

7. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the elevation comprises a first section and a second section, wherein the first section is that section with which the blocking element mechanically cooperates at first when the piston rod is moved from the initial position towards the end position, wherein, when the piston rod is in the end position, the second section and the blocking element are arranged with respect to one another such that, when the blocking element and the second section mechanically cooperate with one another, the piston rod is prevented from being displaced in a direction opposite to a dose delivery direction.

8. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein an outer surface of the elevation is so smooth that an operating noise is provided only when the blocking element passes from the elevation to the indentation when the piston rod is moved towards the end position.

9. A drug delivery device comprising the assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the device comprises a housing and a reservoir holding a plurality of doses of the drug, wherein the at least one blocking element is integrally formed with or is connected to the housing, and wherein the blocking element is secured against axial and rotational movement with respect to the housing.

10. The device according to claim 9 , wherein the device is a fixed dose device.

11. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein a height difference between the elevation and the indentation is smaller than 0.3 millimeters (mm).

12. The assembly according to claim 11 , wherein the height difference between the elevation and the indentation is greater than 0.1 mm.

13. An assembly for a drug delivery device comprising
a blocking element and
a piston rod having an interaction feature which is adapted and arranged to mechanically cooperate with the blocking element,
wherein, for delivering a dose of a drug, the piston rod is arranged and configured to be moved from an initial position to an end position with respect to the blocking element, wherein the interaction feature is provided along a path between the initial position and the end position,
and wherein an operating noise is provided to a user when the interaction feature mechanically cooperates with the blocking element while moving the piston rod from the initial position to the end position for dose delivery, and
wherein the interaction feature is adapted to homogenize the operating noise so as to prevent the operating noise from being interpreted by the user as signaling an end of a dose delivery operation,
wherein the interaction feature comprises a plurality of elevations and indentations, wherein the interaction feature comprises (i) one pair of elevation and indentation which is provided at last along the path between the initial position and the end position of the piston rod with respect to the blocking element and (ii) at least one other pair of elevation and indentation located distally relative to the last pair, wherein the blocking element in cooperation with each pair of elevation and indentation of the interaction feature generates an audible or tactile feedback, wherein the feedback provided by mechanical cooperation of the last pair of indentation and elevation and the blocking element is similar to the feedback provided by mechanical cooperation of the blocking element with each pair of the at least one other pair of elevation and indentation, wherein a height difference between the elevation and the indentation of the last pair is greater than a height difference between the elevation and the indentation of the at least one other pair.

14. The assembly according to claim 13 , wherein an axial distance between two succeeding elevations of the interaction feature is smaller than the distance between the last elevation of the interaction feature and an elevation belonging to a succeeding interaction feature.

15. The assembly according to claim 13 , wherein the height difference between the elevation and the indentation of the last pair is smaller than or equal to 0.5 millimeters (mm), and wherein the height difference between the elevation and the indentation of the at least one other pair is greater than or equal to 0.3 mm.

16. An assembly for a drug delivery device comprising
a blocking element and
a piston rod having an interaction feature which is adapted and arranged to mechanically cooperate with the blocking element,
wherein, for delivering a dose of a drug, the piston rod is arranged and configured to be moved from an initial position to an end position with respect to the blocking element, wherein the interaction feature is provided along a path between the initial position and the end position,
and wherein an operating noise is provided to a user when the interaction feature mechanically cooperates with the blocking element while moving the piston rod from the initial position to the end position for dose delivery, and
wherein the interaction feature is adapted to homogenize the operating noise so as to prevent the operating noise from being interpreted by the user as signaling an end of the dose delivery operation,
wherein the interaction feature comprises only one elevation and only one indentation,
wherein a height difference be

Assignees

• Sanofi Aventis Deutschland

Inventors

• Helmer Michael
• Dexheimer Christian
• Huthmacher Winfried
• Eissengarthen Christoph
• Mosebach Carsten

Classifications

• A61M5/3158

  performed by axially moving actuator operated by user, e.g. an injection button · CPC title

• A61M2205/581

  by audible feedback · CPC title

• A61M5/31555 Primary

  by purely axial movement of dose setting member, e.g. during setting or filling of a syringe · CPC title

• A61M5/3157

  Means providing feedback signals when administration is completed (A61M5/20 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61M5/31565

  Administration mechanisms, i.e. constructional features, modes of administering a dose (dosing mechanisms for setting a dose A61M5/31533) · CPC title