Drug delivery device with biodegradable plastic components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9174000-B2
Application number	US-201013500794-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 8, 2010
Priority date	Oct 8, 2009
Publication date	Nov 3, 2015
Grant date	Nov 3, 2015

Abstract

The present invention relates to drug delivery device for dispensing of a predefined amount of a medicinal product, comprising:
at least one housing component ( 2 ), a cartridge holder component ( 4 ) to receive a product-containing cartridge ( 3 ), the cartridge having a piston slidably arranged therein, a drive mechanism component operably engageable with the piston of the cartridge ( 3 ) for dispensing of a dose of the medicinal product,

wherein at least one of said components ( 2, 4, 6 ) at least partially comprises a biodegradable plastic material comprising at least one additive adapted to modify a degradation process of the plastic material.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A user operated pen-type injector for dispensing a user settable amount of a medicinal product, comprising:
a cartridge holder configured to receive and hold a product-containing cartridge,
the cartridge mountable in the cartridge holder and comprising a piston slidably arranged therein,
at least one housing component operably coupled to the cartridge holder,
a drive mechanism component operably engageable with the piston of the cartridge for dispensing a user settable dose of the medicinal product,
wherein at least one of the cartridge holder, the cartridge, the at least one housing component, and the drive mechanism at least partially comprises a plastic material comprising a substantially non-biodegradable polymer as a base material and at least one additive, the at least one additive adapted to induce or to trigger a degradation process of the base material,
wherein the at least one additive comprises at least one kind of metal ions and a catalyst for splitting of molecular chains of the substantially non-biodegradable polymer in response to an exposure to at least one of electromagnetic radiation, heat, moisture, and a microbial environment,
wherein the at least one additive renders at least one of the cartridge holder, the cartridge, the at least one housing component, and the drive mechanism biodegradable thereby forming an at least one biodegradable component, and
wherein the degradation process does not start until the at least one biodegradable component is exposed to at least one of electromagnetic radiation, heat, moisture, and the microbial environment.

2. The pen-type injector of claim 1 further comprising a rotating knob configured to allow the user to set the user settable amount of the medicinal product.

3. The pen-type injector of claim 2 further comprising a release knob configured to allow the user to dispense the user settable amount of the medicinal product.

4. The pen-type injector according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one biodegradable component comprises an organic plastic material, derivable from at least one biomass source.

5. The pen-type injector according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one biodegradable component comprises Starch- or Corn-based plastic, Polylactic acid plastic (PLA), Poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB), Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), Polycaprolactone (PCL), Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and/or Genetically modified bioplastic material.

6. The pen-type injector according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one biodegradable component comprises Polyethene (PE), Polypropylene (PP), Polystyrene (PS), Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or copolymers thereof.

7. The pen-type injector according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one additive is sensitive to the electromagnetic radiation, heat, moisture, or microbial environment.

8. The pen-type injector according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one component is manufactured by means of a one- or more-component injection molding.

9. The pen-type injector according to claim 1 , wherein the housing component and/or the cartridge holder and/or a needle protection cap entirely comprise a biodegradable plastic material.

10. The pen-type injector according to claim 1 , wherein the cartridge is filled with the medicinal product.

11. The pen-type injector of claim 1 wherein said pen-type injector comprises a single use pen-type injector.

12. A user operated pen-type injector for dispensing a user settable amount of a medicinal product, comprising:
a cartridge holder configured to receive and hold a product-containing cartridge,
the cartridge mountable in the cartridge holder and comprising a piston slidably arranged therein,
at least one housing component operably coupled to the cartridge holder,
a drive mechanism component operably engageable with the piston of the cartridge for dispensing a user settable dose of the medicinal product,
wherein at least one of the cartridge holder, the cartridge, the at least one housing component, and the drive mechanism at least partially comprises a plastic material comprising a substantially non-biodegradable polymer as a carrier material and at least one additive, the at least one additive adapted to induce or to trigger a degradation process of the carrier material,
wherein the at least one additive comprises at least one kind of metal ions and a catalyst for splitting of molecular chains of the substantially non-biodegradable polymer in response to an exposure to at least one of electromagnetic radiation, heat, moisture, and a microbial environment,
wherein the at least one additive renders at least one of the cartridge holder, the cartridge, the at least one housing component, and the drive mechanism biodegradable thereby forming an at least one biodegradable component, and
wherein the degradation process does not start until the at least one biodegradable component is exposed to at least one of electromagnetic radiation, heat, moisture, and the microbial environment.

13. The pen-type injector of claim 12 further comprising a rotating knob configured to allow the user to set the user settable amount of the medicinal product.

14. The pen-type injector of claim 13 further comprising a release knob configured to allow the user to dispense the user settable amount of the medicinal product.

15. The pen-type injector according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one biodegradable component comprises an organic plastic material, derivable from at least one biomass source.

16. The pen-type injector according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one biodegradable component comprises Starch- or Corn-based plastic, Polylactic acid plastic (PLA), Poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB), Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), Polycaprolactone (PCL), Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and/or Genetically modified bioplastic material.

17. The pen-type injector according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one biodegradable component comprises Polyethene (PE), Polypropylene (PP), Polystyrene (PS), Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or copolymers thereof.

18. The pen-type injector according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one additive is sensitive to the electromagnetic radiation, heat, moisture, or a microbial environment.

19. The pen-type injector according to claim 12 , wherein the housing component and/or the cartridge holder and/or a needle protection cap entirely comprise a biodegradable plastic material.

20. The pen-type injector according to claim 12 , wherein the cartridge is filled with the medicinal product.

21. The pen-type injector of claim 12 wherein said pen-type injector comprises a single use pen-type injector.

Assignees

• Bode Andreas
• Sanofi Aventis Deutschland

Inventors

• Bode Andreas

Classifications

• A61F13/15252

  compostable or biodegradable · 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

• A61M5/3202

  Devices for protection of the needle before use, e.g. caps (A61M5/50 takes precedence; for infusion spikes A61M5/1626; protectors for sharps A61B50/3001) · CPC title

• A61M5/31525

  Dosing (burettes, pipettes B01L3/02) · CPC title

• A61M5/31533

  Dosing mechanisms, i.e. setting a dose (administrating mechanisms A61M5/31565) · CPC title