Drive mechanisms suitable for use in drug delivery devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9604008-B2
Application number	US-201414319388-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 30, 2014
Priority date	Mar 3, 2003
Publication date	Mar 28, 2017
Grant date	Mar 28, 2017

Abstract

A drive mechanism suitable for use in drug delivery devices is disclosed. The drive mechanism may be used with injector-type drug delivery devices, such as those permitting a user to set the delivery dose. The drive mechanism may include a housing, a dose dial sleeve, and a drive sleeve. A clutch is configured to permit rotation of the drive sleeve and the dose dial sleeve with respect to the housing when the dose dial sleeve and drive sleeve are coupled through the clutch. Conversely, when the dose dial sleeve and drive sleeve are in a de-coupled state, rotation of the dose dial sleeve with respect to the housing is permitted and rotation of the drive sleeve with respect to the housing is prevented. In the de-coupled state, axial movement of the drive sleeve transfers force in a longitudinal direction for actuation of a drug delivery device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A drive mechanism for use in a drug delivery device comprising:
a housing comprising a helical thread;
a dose dial sleeve having a threaded surface that is engaged with the helical thread of the housing,
an insert provided in the housing, where the insert has a threaded circular opening;
a drive sleeve releasably connected to the dose dial sleeve and having an internal helical thread;
a piston rod having a first thread and a second thread, wherein the first thread is engaged with the threaded circular opening of the insert and the second thread is engaged with the internal helical thread of the drive sleeve; and
a clutch located between the dose dial sleeve and the drive sleeve, wherein the clutch is located (i) radially outward of the drive sleeve and (ii) radially inward of the dose dial sleeve.

2. The drive mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the drive sleeve comprises a threaded outer surface, the drive mechanism further comprising a limiting nut being threadedly engaged with the threaded outer surface of drive sleeve, where the limiting nut is rotationally fixed and slidable relative to the housing.

3. The drive mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the insert is secured in the housing against rotational and longitudinal motion.

4. The drive mechanism of claim 2 , wherein the limiting nut translates distally along the threaded outer surface relative to two radially extending flanges as the drive sleeve is rotated during dose setting.

5. The drive mechanism of claim 2 , wherein the threaded outer surface of the drive sleeve is located between two radially extending flanges.

6. The drive mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a window insert at a distal end of the housing, where the distal end of the housing has the helical thread, where the window insert is rotationally fixed relative to the housing.

7. The drive mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the threaded surface of the dose dial sleeve has a first lead.

8. The drive mechanism of claim 7 , wherein the first thread of the piston rod has a second lead.

9. The drive mechanism of claim 8 , wherein the internal drive sleeve thread has a lead equal to the first lead.

10. The drive mechanism of claim 1 , where the clutch is rotationally fixed to the drive sleeve and dose dial sleeve during dose setting.

11. The drive mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the helical thread of the housing is an internal helical thread and the dose dial sleeve has a threaded outer surface that is engaged with the internal helical thread of the housing.

12. The drive mechanism of claim 1 where the piston rod rotates and translates axially in a proximal direction relative to and through the threaded circular opening during dose delivery.

13. The drive mechanism of claim 6 where the window insert comprises a frame having a stop that is configured to engage a stop on the dose dial sleeve when a predetermined maximum dose is set by rotation of the dose dial sleeve.

14. The drive mechanism of claim 9 where the ratio of leads of the first thread of the piston rod to the second thread of the piston rod is in the range from about 1:1.01 to 1:20.

15. The drive mechanism of claim 9 where the ratio of leads of the first thread of the piston rod to the second thread of the piston rod is in the range from about 1:1.1 to 1:10.

16. The drive mechanism of claim 1 where the second thread of the piston rod is a part thread.

17. The drive mechanism of claim 1 where the first and second threads of the piston rod are oppositely disposed.

18. The drive mechanism of claim 1 where the first thread and the second thread of the piston rod are configured such that the piston rod is prevented from rotating during dose setting.

19. The drive mechanism of claim 1 where the drive sleeve is configured to rotate and climb the piston rod at a rate equal to a rate of rotation of the dose dial sleeve when the dose dial sleeve is rotated to set a dose.

Assignees

• Sanofi Aventis Deutschland

Inventors

• Veasey Robert Frederick
• Perkins Robert
• Plumptre David Aubrey

Classifications

• A61M5/3157

  Means providing feedback signals when administration is completed (A61M5/20 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61M5/31565

  Administration mechanisms, i.e. constructional features, modes of administering a dose (dosing mechanisms for setting a dose A61M5/31533) · CPC title

• A61M2005/3126

  Specific display means related to dosing · CPC title

• A61M5/31585

  performed by axially moving actuator, e.g. an injection button · CPC title

• A61M5/3156

  using volume steps only adjustable in discrete intervals, i.e. individually distinct intervals · CPC title