Drug delivery device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016136358-A1
Application number	US-201414905382-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 17, 2014
Priority date	Jul 17, 2013
Publication date	May 19, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The invention relates to a drug delivery device for selecting and dispensing a number of user variable doses of a medicament including a dose limiter for preventing the setting of a dose, which exceeds the amount of liquid left in a cartridge of the drug delivery device. The device comprises a cartridge ( 80 ) containing liquid, preferably a medicament, a dosing element ( 40, 130 ), which rotates during dose selecting, a last dose nut ( 110 ) coupled to the dosing element ( 40, 130 ) during dose selecting such that rotation of the dosing element ( 40, 130 ) causes an axial movement of the last dose nut ( 110 ), and a stop element ( 137 ), which is provided on the dosing element ( 40, 130 ) and which blocks further movement of the last dose nut ( 110 ), if a dose is selected corresponding to the amount of liquid left in the cartridge ( 80 ). The device further comprises a last dose sleeve ( 120 ) rotationally coupled to the dosing element ( 40, 130 ) during dose selecting and rotationally de-coupled from the dosing element ( 40, 130 ) during dose dispensing.

First claim

1 . A drug delivery device with a dose limiter for preventing the setting of a dose, which exceeds the amount of liquid left in a cartridge of the drug delivery device, comprising
a cartridge ( 80 ) containing liquid, preferably a medicament, a dosing element ( 40 , 130 ), which rotates during dose selecting, a last dose nut ( 110 ) coupled to the dosing element ( 40 , 130 ) during dose selecting such that rotation of the dosing element ( 40 , 130 ) causes an axial movement of the last dose nut ( 110 ), and a stop element ( 137 ), which blocks further movement of the last dose nut ( 110 ), if a dose is selected corresponding to the amount of liquid left in the cartridge ( 80 ), wherein the stop element ( 137 ) is provided on the dosing element ( 40 , 130 ), wherein the dose limiter further comprises a last dose sleeve ( 120 ) rotationally coupled to the dosing element ( 40 , 130 ) during dose selecting and rotationally de-coupled from the dosing element ( 40 , 130 ) during dose dispensing, and wherein the last dose nut ( 110 ) is coupled to the dosing element ( 40 , 130 ) by the last dose sleeve ( 120 ).

2 . The drug delivery device of claim 1 further comprising a nut ( 50 ) coupled to the dosing element ( 40 , 130 ) such that rotation of the dosing element ( 40 , 130 ) causes an axial movement of the nut ( 50 ) in a direction opposite to the direction of the axial movement of the last dose nut ( 110 ).

3 . The drug delivery device of claim 2 , wherein the nut ( 50 ) contacts the last dose nut ( 110 ) if a dose is selected corresponding to the amount of liquid left in the cartridge ( 80 ).

4 . The drug delivery device of claim 3 , wherein the last dose nut ( 110 ) engages the stop element ( 137 ) when the nut ( 50 ) contacts the last dose nut ( 110 ).

5 . The drug delivery device of claim 4 , wherein the last dose nut ( 110 ) comprises an elastically deformable finger ( 112 ) with a protrusion, wherein contact of the nut ( 50 ) with the last dose nut ( 110 ) urges the protrusion into engagement with the stop element ( 137 ).

6 . The drug delivery device of any of the preceding claims, wherein the dosing element ( 40 , 130 ) comprises a series of stop elements ( 137 ) arranged one behind the other on a helical path.

7 . The drug delivery device of any of the preceding claims, wherein the stop element ( 137 ) has a saw-tooth form.

8 . The drug delivery device of any of the preceding claims, wherein the dosing element ( 40 , 130 ) rotates in a first direction during dose selecting and rotates in a second, opposite direction during dose dispensing.

9 . The drug delivery device of any of the preceding claims, wherein the dosing element ( 40 , 130 ) comprises a drive sleeve ( 40 ), which has a flange ( 41 ) with clutch teeth ( 43 ) for coupling the drive sleeve ( 40 ) to corresponding teeth ( 122 ) of the last dose sleeve ( 120 ), and a transfer sleeve ( 130 ), which is rotationally constrained to the drive sleeve ( 40 ) and comprises the stop element ( 137 ).

10 . The drug delivery device of claim 9 , wherein the nut ( 50 ) comprises a thread engaging a thread ( 131 ) on the transfer sleeve ( 130 ).

11 . The drug delivery device of any of the preceding claims, wherein the last dose nut ( 110 ) comprises a thread ( 111 ) engaging a thread ( 121 ) of the last dose sleeve ( 120 ).

12 . The drug delivery device of any of the preceding claims further comprising a housing or chassis ( 20 ) which is rotationally constrained to the last dose nut ( 110 ).

13 . The drug delivery device of any of claims 2 to 12 , wherein the nut ( 50 ) comprises rotational hard stops ( 51 , 52 ) and wherein the dosing element ( 40 , 130 ) comprises corresponding rotational stops ( 132 , 133 ) interacting with the rotational hard stops ( 51 , 52 ) of the nut ( 50 ) for limiting axial movement of the nut ( 50 ).

14 . The drug delivery device of any of the preceding claims further comprising a housing ( 10 , 20 ), a cartridge holder ( 11 ) for retaining the cartridge ( 80 ), a piston rod ( 30 ) displaceable relative to the cartridge holder ( 11 ), a driver ( 100 ) coupled to the piston rod ( 30 ) and at least one clutch ( 42 , 102 ), wherein the clutch decouples the driver ( 100 ) and the dosing element ( 40 , 130 ) during dose selecting and couples the driver and the dosing element during dose dispensing.

15 . The drug delivery device of any of the preceding claims further comprising a spring ( 90 ) driving the dosing element ( 40 , 130 ) during dose dispensing.

Assignees

• Sanofi Sa

Inventors

• Oakley Tom
• Hewson Karl
• Milne Stuart
• Pawulski Mark

Classifications

• A61M5/31593

  Multi-dose, i.e. individually set dose repeatedly administered from the same medicament reservoir · CPC title

• A61M5/31541 Primary

  Means preventing setting of a dose beyond the amount remaining in the cartridge · CPC title

• A61M5/20

  Automatic syringes, e.g. with automatically actuated piston rod, with automatic needle injection, filling automatically (A61M5/142 {, A61M5/46} take precedence; {hypodermic projectiles F42B12/54}) · CPC title

• A61M5/31551

  including axial movement of dose setting member · CPC title

• A61M5/31528

  by means of rotational movements, e.g. screw-thread mechanisms · CPC title