Sensor device with OLED

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9651482-B2
Application number	US-201414783170-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 16, 2014
Priority date	Apr 22, 2013
Publication date	May 16, 2017
Grant date	May 16, 2017

Abstract

A sensor device configured to be attached to a drug delivery device and configured to illuminate the drug delivery device when attached, the sensor device having an OLED having a transparent first electrode, a transparent second electrode and a central layer disposed between the first and second electrodes, the central layer comprising at least one organic layer, the at least one organic layer configured to emit light through the transparent first electrode, and an optical sensor arranged to receive light reflected from a surface of the drug delivery device, wherein the central layer of the OLED has a region without the at least one organic layer and wherein the optical sensor is arranged, when the sensor device is attached to the drug delivery device, to view a predetermined area of the surface of the drug delivery device through the region without the at least one organic layer.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sensor device configured to be attached to a drug delivery device and configured to illuminate the drug delivery device when attached, the sensor device comprising:
an OLED having a transparent first electrode, a transparent second electrode and a central layer disposed between the first and second electrodes, the central layer comprising at least one organic layer, the at least one organic layer configured to emit light through the transparent first electrode; and
an optical sensor arranged to receive light reflected from a surface of the drug delivery device, wherein the central layer of the OLED has a region without the at least one organic layer and wherein the optical sensor is arranged, when the sensor device is attached to the drug delivery device, to view a predetermined area of the surface of the drug delivery device through the region without the at least one organic layer,
wherein the region without the at least one organic layer comprises a hole in the central layer and wherein the OLED comprises corresponding holes in the first and second electrodes such that a hole is formed through the body of the OLED; the sensor device further comprises a lens assembly configured to focus light reflected from a surface of the drug delivery device onto the optical sensor; and the lens assembly is disposed in the hole in the OLED such that a first end of the lens assembly is the same or a smaller distance from the surface of the drug delivery device than the first electrode.

2. A sensor device according to claim 1 , wherein the first electrode is an anode and the second electrode is a cathode.

3. A sensor device according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor device further comprises a reflective backing layer adjacent the second electrode configured to reflect any light which escapes the OLED through the second electrode back into the OLED.

4. A sensor device according to claim 1 , wherein the region without the at least one organic layer comprises a transparent material.

5. A sensor device according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor device further comprises a processor configured to receive light intensity signals from the sensor and to perform an optical character recognition process on the received signals to determine a number present on the surface of the drug delivery device.

6. A sensor device according to claim 5 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine an amount of medicament programmed into the drug delivery device and to cause the amount of medicament to be displayed on a display device of the drug delivery device.

7. A sensor device according to claim 1 , wherein the OLED is curved.

8. A sensor device according to claim 7 , wherein the OLED is substantially concentric with the surface of the drug delivery device.

9. A sensor device according to claim 1 , wherein the OLED further comprises one or more brightness enhancing layers.

10. A sensor device according to claim 1 , wherein the drug delivery device is a pen type injection device and the surface of the drug delivery device is a cylindrical surface.

11. A system comprising the sensor device of claim 1 and a drug delivery device configured to be attached to the sensor device.

Assignees

• Sanofi Aventis Deutschland

Inventors

• Blei Gertrud
• Bock Mario

Classifications

• A61M2205/3592

  using telemetric means, e.g. radio or optical transmission · CPC title

• A61M2205/6081

  Colour codes · CPC title

• G01N2201/0628

  Organic LED [OLED] · CPC title

• A61M2205/505

  Touch-screens; Virtual keyboard or keypads; Virtual buttons; Soft keys; Mouse touches · CPC title

• A61M2205/3379

  Masses, volumes, levels of fluids in reservoirs, flow rates · CPC title