Drug infusion device, cartridge adapter, and drug infusion system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018339107-A1
Application number	US-201615779005-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 13, 2016
Priority date	Dec 24, 2015
Publication date	Nov 29, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A cartridge adapter includes: a cartridge holder having a space that can accommodate therein a drug cartridge, the drug cartridge including a cylinder having a tubular internal space extending in a longitudinal direction, a gasket supported in the internal space so as to be movable in the longitudinal direction, and a drug held in the internal space; a piston that moves the gasket in the longitudinal direction in the internal space of the cylinder; a piston guide that movably supports the piston and connected to the cartridge holder; and a piston driving mechanism that drives the piston in the longitudinal direction.

First claim

1 . A cartridge adapter comprising:
a cartridge holder having a space that can accommodate therein a drug cartridge, the drug cartridge including a cylinder having a tubular internal space extending in a longitudinal direction, a gasket supported in the internal space so as to be movable in the longitudinal direction, and a drug held in the internal space; a piston that moves the gasket in the longitudinal direction in the internal space of the cylinder; a piston guide that movably supports the piston and connected to the cartridge holder; and a piston driving mechanism that drives the piston in the longitudinal direction.

2 . The cartridge adapter of claim 1 , the piston driving mechanism comprising:
a male thread located on an outer circumference of the piston; and a piston gear having an inner surface on which a female thread that meshes with the male thread is located and an outer surface on which a gear is located.

3 . The cartridge adapter of claim 1 , further comprising first identification information in accordance with a type of the drug cartridge to be accommodated therein.

4 . The cartridge adapter of claim 3 , wherein the first identification information is a cutout or a projection located on a portion of an outer shape of the cartridge adapter.

5 . The cartridge adapter of claim 1 , wherein:
the drug cartridge has a unique visual feature in accordance with the drug; and the cartridge adapter has a visual feature that is similar to the unique visual feature of the drug cartridge.

6 . The cartridge adapter of claim 5 , wherein the visual feature is at least one selected from a color, a pattern and a symbol.

7 . The cartridge adapter of claim 1 , wherein:
the drug cartridge has unique second identification information in accordance with the drug; and the cartridge holder has an opening that exposes therethrough at least a portion of the second identification information of the drug cartridge.

8 . The cartridge adapter of claim 7 , wherein the second identification information is a colored region provided with a unique color.

9 . The cartridge adapter of claim 7 , wherein in a state in which the drug cartridge that is unused is accommodated in the cartridge holder, the piston is movable between a first, most retracted position at which there is a predetermined interval between a distal end of the piston and the gasket, and a second position at which the distal end of the piston and the gasket are in contact with each other and at which the gasket is inserted farthest into the cylinder.

10 . The cartridge adapter of claim 9 , further comprising:
a slide member that moves in the longitudinal direction as the piston moves from the first position to a third position at which the piston is in contact with the gasket, wherein: the slide member has a shade portion that covers a portion of the opening of the cartridge holder and a slit that is located in the shade portion; and as the slide member moves in the opening, the slit scans the colored region of the drug cartridge in the longitudinal direction.

11 . The cartridge adapter of claim 10 , further comprising:
a spring that forces the slide member toward one end of the cylinder of the drug cartridge, wherein: in a state in which the slide member is in contact with the one end of the cylinder, the spring forces the cylinder toward the other end of the cylinder.

12 . The cartridge adapter of claim 11 , wherein:
the cartridge holder further includes a main body having an opening through which the drug cartridge is inserted, and a lid that is movable so as to open and close the opening; and in a state in which the slide member is in contact with the one end of the cylinder, the slide member is in contact with a portion of the lid and locks the lid.

13 . A drug injection device comprising:
a casing having an adapter space in which the cartridge adapter of claim 1 can be loaded, and an opening that communicates with the adapter space; a driver that is in engagement with the piston driving mechanism of the cartridge adapter loaded in the adapter space and transmit a driving force; an arithmetic circuit that controls the driver; and a memory.

14 . The drug injection device of claim 13 , the piston driving mechanism of the cartridge adapter including:
a male thread located on an outer circumference of the piston; and a piston gear having an inner surface on which a female thread that meshes with the male thread is located and an outer surface on which a gear is located, wherein: the driver includes a motor and a drive gear that rotates by receiving a driving force from the motor; and in a state in which the cartridge adapter is loaded in the adapter space, the drive gear of the driver meshes with the piston gear of the piston driving mechanism.

15 . The drug injection device of claim 13 , further comprising:
a flap that is movable so as to open and close the opening of the casing, wherein: when the cartridge adapter is loaded, the flap opens the opening; and when the cartridge adapter is pulled out, the flap shuts the opening.

16 . The drug injection device of claim 13 , further comprising:
a loading detector and a first identification information detector, wherein: the cartridge adapter further includes first identification information in accordance with a type of the drug cartridge to be accommodated therein; the loading detector detects loading of the cartridge adapter; and the first identification information detector detects the first identification information of the drug cartridge.

17 . The drug injection device of claim 16 , further comprising:
a display, wherein: based on a detection result of the first identification information detector, the arithmetic circuit causes the display to display a feature that is similar to the visual features of the drug cartridge and the cartridge adapter.

18 . The drug injection device of claim 16 , wherein:
the memory stores information of an injection schedule; and based on the information of the injection schedule and the detection results of the loading detector and the first identification information detector, the arithmetic circuit causes the display to produce a display that is similar to the visual feature in accordance with a type of a drug that should be loaded, if no cartridge adapter is loaded or if a cartridge adapter of a drug that is not according to the injection schedule is loaded.

19 . The drug injection device of claim 13 , further comprising a lock mechanism, the lock mechanism including an engagement member that is in engagement with the cartridge adapter placed in the adapter space, and a release lever that releases the engagement between the engagement member and the cartridge adapter.

20 . The drug injection device of claim 19 , further comprising an anti-slip mechanism that is in engagement with the cartridge adapter so as to prevent the cartridge adapter from slipping off the adapter space in a state in which the lock mechanism is released.

21 . The drug injection device of claim 13 , further comprising:
a second identification information detector, wherein: the drug cartridge has unique second identification information in accordance with the drug; and the second identification information detector detects the second identification information of the drug cartridge.

22 . The drug injection device of claim 21 , wherein:
the second identification infoiritation is a color

Assignees

• Phc Holdings Corp

Inventors

• Murakami Kenji
• Fujimoto Mitsuteru
• Kikuchi Seiji
• Aoki Toru
• Mori Masakazu
• Tani Ryosuke
• Kojima Shinichi
• Kataoka Yoshihiro
• Nakanishi Katsumi
• Kondo Tsuguhiro
• Morimoto Takashi
• Inoki Akio

Classifications

• A61M2005/2013

  triggering of discharging means by contact of injector with patient body · CPC title

• A61M5/14546

  Front-loading type injectors · CPC title

• A61M5/24 Primary

  Ampoule syringes, i.e. syringes with needle for use in combination with replaceable ampoules or carpules, e.g. automatic {(ampoules or carpules A61J1/06)} · CPC title

• A61M5/1458

  Means for capture of the plunger flange · CPC title

• A61M5/1456

  with a replaceable reservoir comprising a piston rod to be moved into the reservoir, e.g. the piston rod is part of the removable reservoir · CPC title