Drug injection device with visual and audio indicators

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10695506-B2
Application number	US-201515501953-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 14, 2015
Priority date	Oct 14, 2014
Publication date	Jun 30, 2020
Grant date	Jun 30, 2020

Abstract

A drug injection device ( 10 ) including a housing ( 12 ) for holding a container ( 20 ) having a needle ( 24 ) for penetrating skin and a plunger ( 42 ) for expelling a drug stored in the container. The device includes visual and/or audible indicators for indicating that the correct depth of needle penetration has been achieved and that drug injection/extrusion has been started and/or completed. The device may further include a label ( 140 ) for visually confirming the quality of the drug contained therein. Alternatively, a tray ( 110 ) may be provided for receiving the drug injection device, which allows the quality of the drug contained therein to be visually confirmed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A drug injection device comprising:
a housing;
a container disposed within the housing, the container having a needle and a plunger and being adapted to store a product for administration to a patient at an injection site, the plunger adapted to expel the product through the needle, wherein a portion of the needle extends out of the housing;
a needle guard coupled to the housing adjacent to the needle of the container, the needle guard movable relative to the housing between (a) a fully extended position wherein the needle guard extends from the housing and beyond the portion of the needle extending out of the housing, (b) an intermediate position wherein the needle guard extends from the housing approximately the same distance that the needle extends out of the housing, and (c) a fully retracted position wherein a substantial portion of the needle extending out of the housing is exposed beyond the needle guard; and
at least one indicia disposed on the needle guard exposed distal to the housing at least in the fully extended position, the at least one indicia providing a visual indication of the position of the needle relative to the injection site based on a position of the needle guard relative to the housing.

2. The drug injection device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one indicia comprises at least one of the following: (a) a color, (b) a text-based indicia, (c) an image, (d) a symbol, (e) a graphic, (f) a pattern, (g) an illuminated visual indicator.

3. The drug injection device of claim 1 , further comprising at least one spring biasing the needle guard toward the fully extended position.

4. The drug injection device of claim 1 , wherein the needle guard comprises a unitary hollow cylindrical member.

5. The drug injection device of claim 4 , wherein the needle guard comprises
an outer surface including a proximal outer surface portion and a distal outer surface portion such that:
(a) when the needle guard occupies the fully extended position, the proximal and distal outer surface portions are exposed outside of the housing,
(b) when the needle guard occupies the intermediate position, the proximal outer surface portion is concealed inside the housing and the distal outer surface portion is exposed outside of the housing, and
(c) when the needle guard occupies the fully retracted position, the proximal and distal outer surface portions are concealed inside the housing.

6. The drug injection device of claim 5 , wherein the at least one indicia comprises a first indicia disposed on the proximal outer surface portion and a second indicia disposed on the distal outer surface portion, the first indicia being visually distinct from the second indicia.

7. The drug injection device of claim 1 , wherein the needle guard comprises first and second needle guard members telescopically movable relative to each other.

8. The drug injection device of claim 7 , wherein the first needle guard member includes a first outer surface and the second needle guard member includes a second outer surface such that:
(a) when the needle guard occupies the fully extended position, the first and second outer surfaces are exposed outside of the housing,
(b) when the needle guard occupies the intermediate position, (i) the second outer surface is concealed inside the first needle guard member and the first outer surface is exposed outside of the housing, or (ii) the first outer surface is concealed inside the second needle guard member and the second outer surface is exposed outside of the housing, and
(c) when the needle guard occupies the fully retracted position, the first and second outer surfaces are concealed inside the housing.

9. The drug injection device of claim 7 , wherein the at least one indicia comprises a first indicia disposed on the first outer surface of the first needle guard member, and a second indicia disposed on the second outer surface of the second needle guard member, the first indicia being visually distinct from the second indicia.

10. The drug injection device of claim 7 , further comprising a first biasing member disposed between the housing and the first needle guard member, the first biasing member biasing the first needle guard member away from the housing, and a second biasing member disposed between the first and second needle guard members, the second biasing member biasing the second needle guard member away from the first needle guard member.

11. The drug injection device of claim 10 , wherein the first biasing member generates a biasing force greater than a biasing force generated by the second biasing member.

12. The drug injection device of claim 1 , wherein the needle guard further comprises an outer rim disposed in engagement with the housing when the needle guard occupies the fully retracted position, thereby limiting further retraction of the needle guard into the housing.

13. The drug injection device of claim 12 , wherein the at least one indicia includes indicia disposed on the outer rim.

14. The drug injection device of claim 1 , further comprising an audible indicator associated with the needle guard and configured to generate an audible signal when (a) the needle guard moves to the intermediate position from the fully extended position and/or (b) the needle guard moves to the fully retracted position from the intermediate position.

15. The drug injection device of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes at least one window or transparent section that allows viewing of the container and/or plunger in the housing.

16. The drug injection device of claim 1 , further comprising a temperature indicator carried by the housing and adapted for indicating a temperature of a product in the container.

17. A drug injection device comprising:
a housing;
a container disposed within the housing, the container having a needle and a plunger and being adapted to store a product for administration to a patient at an injection site, the plunger adapted to expel the product through the needle, wherein a portion of the needle extends out of the housing;
a needle guard coupled to the housing adjacent to the needle of the container and comprising an outer surface including a proximal outer surface portion and a distal outer surface portion, the needle guard movable relative to the housing between:
(a) a fully extended position wherein the needle guard extends from the housing and beyond the portion of the needle extending out of the housing such that the proximal and distal outer surface portions are exposed outside of the housing;
(b) an intermediate position wherein the needle guard extends from the housing approximately the same distance that the needle extends out of the housing such that the proximal outer surface portion is concealed inside the housing and the distal outer surface is exposed outside of the housing; and
(c) a fully retracted position wherein a substantial portion of the needle extending out of the housing is exposed beyond the needle guard such that the proximal and distal outer surface portions are concealed inside the housing; and

a first indicia disposed on the proximal outer surface portion of the needle guard and a second indicia disposed on the distal outer surface portion, wherein the first indicia is visually distinct from the second indicia, and the first indicia and second indicia provide a visual indication of the position of the needle relative to the injection site based on a position of the needle guard relative to the housing.

18. A drug injection device comprising:
a housing;
a conta

Assignees

• Amgen Inc

Inventors

• Shultz Peter V
• Folk Christopher R
• Moeslinger Sigrid
• Udagawa Masamichi
• Evans Molly
• Gao Lin
• Nugent Lisa

Classifications

• A61M5/5086

  for indicating if defective, used, tampered with or unsterile · CPC title

• A61M2005/3263

  Trigger provided at the distal end, i.e. syringe end for mounting a needle · CPC title

• A61M5/3134

  characterised by constructional features of the distal end, i.e. end closest to the tip of the needle cannula · CPC title

• A61M2005/3267

  Biased sleeves where the needle is uncovered by insertion of the needle into a patient's body · CPC title

• A61M5/3257 Primary

  Semi-automatic sleeve extension, i.e. in which triggering of the sleeve extension requires a deliberate action by the user, e.g. manual release of spring-biased extension means · CPC title