Dose measurement systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11389595-B2
Application number	US-202016880352-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 21, 2020
Priority date	Jul 15, 2016
Publication date	Jul 19, 2022
Grant date	Jul 19, 2022

Abstract

Embodiments described herein generally relate to devices, systems and methods for measuring a volume or number of doses remaining in a drug delivery device that is used for delivering a dose to a patient. In some embodiments, a dose measurement system for measuring the liquid volume in a container includes a light guide disposed and configured to reflect electromagnetic radiation toward the container. The dose measurement system also includes a light guide disposed and configured to emit electromagnetic radiation into the light guide. A plurality of sensors are located in the apparatus that are optically coupleable to the light guide and are disposed and configured to detect the electromagnetic radiation emitted by at least a portion of the light guide. The apparatus also includes a processing unit configured to receive data representing the portion of the detected electromagnetic radiation from each of the plurality of sensors. The processing unit is further operable to convert the received data into a signature representative of the electromagnetic radiation detected by the plurality of sensors.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a housing supporting a light source, a light guide, and a plurality of sensors, the housing configured to be removably coupled to a container such that the light guide is positioned to scatter electromagnetic radiation emitted by the light source at random angles into a wide radiation pattern and direct the scattered electromagnetic radiation through the container to be detected by the plurality of sensors, the container containing a volume of a drug; and
a processing unit that includes a processor, wherein the processing unit is disposed in the housing and configured to:
cause the light source to emit the electromagnetic radiation into the light guide such that the light guide scatters the electromagnetic radiation at random angles into the wide radiation pattern and directs scattered portions of the electromagnetic radiation toward the container;
receive, from each of the plurality of sensors, data representative of at least one of the scattered portions of the electromagnetic radiation detected by that sensor;
generate, using the received data, a signal signature representative of the electromagnetic radiation;
determine dose information associated with the drug based on at least the signal signature; and
communicate, via a communications interface operatively coupled to the processing unit, the dose information to a compute device external to the housing.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is configured to determine the dose information based on the signal signature and information derived from electromagnetic energy signatures previously recorded for a range of volumes of the drug in the container.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to compare the signal signature to information obtained from the scattered portions of the electromagnetic radiation previously detected by the plurality of sensors for a range of volumes of the drug in the container.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the dose information includes at least one of: a volume of the drug in the container, a volume of a dose of the drug dispensed from the container, a number of doses of the drug in the container, a number of doses of the drug dispensed from the container, a type of the drug, a temperature of the drug, an expiration of the drug, manufacturer information associated with the container, an attachment state of a needle to the container, a time of last dose, or a scheduled time for a dose.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the container is an injection pen, and the housing is a pen cap.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a memory disposed in the housing and configured to store for a predefined period of time at least one of: the received data, or the signal signature.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is configured to communicate the dose information to the compute device such that the compute device, in response to receiving the dose information, presents the dose information to a user.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an output unit,
the processing unit configured to present, via the output unit, an output based on the dose information to a user.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a user input interface operatively coupled to the processing unit,
the processing unit configured to:
receive an input from the user input interface; and
store the input in a memory operatively coupled to the processing unit or control an operation of at least one of the light source or the communications interface based on the input.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the light guide has an elongate axis that extends along a longitudinal length of the housing.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of sensors are disposed in a substantially straight light that is substantially parallel to the elongate axis of the light guide.

12. A system, comprising:
a dose measurement device removably coupleable to a container containing a volume of a drug, the dose measurement device including:
a light source configured to emit electromagnetic radiation;
a light guide configured to receive the electromagnetic radiation and scatter the electromagnetic radiation at random angles into a wide radiation pattern and direct scattered portions of the electromagnetic radiation toward the container; and
a plurality of sensors each configured to detect at least at least one of the scattered portions of the electromagnetic radiation; and

a compute device that includes a processor, wherein the compute device is operatively coupled to the dose measurement device, the compute device configured to:
receive, from the dose measurement device, data representative of the scattered portions of the electromagnetic radiation; and
determine dose information associated with the drug in the container based on at least the data representative of the scattered portions of the electromagnetic radiation.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the compute device is a first compute device, the first compute device further operatively coupled to one or more monitoring devices separate from the dose measurement device, the compute device further configured to:
receive user health data from the one or more monitoring devices;
analyze the user health data to determine whether to change a dosage plan associated with a user; and
in response to determining to change the dosage plan, communicate a change to the dosage plan to a second compute device such that the second compute device can present the change to one or more users.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the user health data includes at least one of: blood glucose data, weight data, blood pressure data, electrocardiogram (EKG) data, oxygen saturation data, activity data, pulmonary function data, water retention data, temperature data, or food intake data.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the dose information includes at least one of: a volume of the drug in the container, a volume of a dose of the drug dispensed from the container, a number of doses of the drug in the container, a number of doses of the drug dispensed from the container, a type of the drug, a temperature of the drug, or an expiration of the drug.

16. The system of claim 12 , wherein the compute device is further configured to determine that the dose measurement device has been coupled to the container based on at least the data representative of the scattered portions of the electromagnetic radiation.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the scattered portion of the electromagnetic radiation scattered by the light guide is pulsed.

18. The system of claim 12 , wherein the scattered portion of the electromagnetic radiation scattered by the light guide is pulsed.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the scattered portion of the electromagnetic radiation scattered by the light guide has a select wavelength.

20. The system of claim 12 , wherein the scattered portion of the electromagnetic radiation scattered by the light guide has a select wavelength.

Assignees

• Bigfoot Biomedical Inc

Inventors

• Sihlanick Kevin
• Whalley Richard
• Legrand Matthew
• White James
• Carothers Jeffrey

Classifications

• G01F23/2927

  for several discrete levels, e.g. with more than one light-conducting sensing element · CPC title

• A61B5/4839

  combined with drug delivery · CPC title

• A61M2205/50

  with microprocessors or computers · CPC title

• G01F17/00

  Methods or apparatus for determining the capacity of containers or cavities, or the volume of solid bodies (measuring linear dimensions to determine volume G01B) · CPC title

• A61M2005/3254

  Shielding of proximal needles, e.g. for pen needles · CPC title