Self-injection device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9833562-B2
Application number	US-200913516169-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2009
Priority date	Dec 16, 2009
Publication date	Dec 5, 2017
Grant date	Dec 5, 2017

Abstract

A drug delivery device, including a body having a reservoir disposed therein for containing a medicament, the reservoir including a flexible wall; a plunger movable within the body for causing the medicament to be expelled from the reservoir, the plunger having a contact surface that is not affixed to said flexible reservoir wall; a spring biasing the plunger toward the reservoir; and means for selectively maintaining the plunger in a pre-activated position with respect to the reservoir and, upon releasing the plunger from the pre-activated position, for guiding the plunger to move under the force of the spring such that the contact surface of the plunger contacts the flexible reservoir wall to pressurize the reservoir for delivery of the medicament to a patient.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A medicament delivery device, comprising:
a body having a reservoir disposed therein for containing a medicament, the reservoir including a flexible reservoir wall;
a plunger movable within the body for causing the medicament to be expelled from the reservoir, the plunger having a contact surface that is not affixed to said flexible reservoir wall;
a spring biasing the plunger in a pre-activated position toward the reservoir; and
means for selectively maintaining the plunger in the pre-activated position with respect to the reservoir and, upon releasing the plunger from the pre-activated position, for guiding the plunger to move under a force of the spring such that the contact surface of the plunger contacts the flexible reservoir wall to pressurize the reservoir for delivery of the medicament to a patient;
wherein the means for selectively maintaining the plunger in the pre-activated position with respect to the reservoir and, upon releasing the plunger from the pre-activated position, for guiding the plunger, comprises:
a retention plate disposed within the body, wherein the spring is disposed between the retention plate and the plunger;
first guide means provided on one of the retention plate and the plunger, the first guide means having a portion with a predetermined size and shape; and
second guide means provided on the other one of the retention plate and the plunger and having a size and shape complementary to the size and shape of the portion of the first guide means, the first guide means and the second guide means maintaining the plunger in a first position with respect to the reservoir;
wherein upon activation of the device, one of the retention plate and the plunger rotates with respect to a non-rotating one of the retention plate and the plunger such that the first guide means aligns with the second guide means causing the plunger to be released from the first position and allowing the plunger to move under the force of the spring to pressurize the reservoir for delivery of the medicament to a patient.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first guide means comprises a post disposed at substantially a center of the one of the retention plate and the plunger, and the portion with the predetermined size and shape comprises a sprocket disposed at a distal end of the post;
the second guide means comprises an opening with a shape and size corresponding to the sprocket, the opening having slots interposed between fingers of the other one of the retention plate and the plunger; and
upon activation of the device, the rotation of the rotating one of the retention plate and the plunger aligns teeth of the sprocket with the slots of the opening to release the plunger.

3. The device according to claim 2 , wherein in a pre-activated position, the teeth of the sprocket align with the fingers to maintain compression of the spring.

4. The device according to claim 2 , wherein the post and the one of the retention plate and the plunger where the post is disposed are integrally formed as a unitary structure.

5. The device according to claim 2 , further comprising an activator button movably disposed on the body and movable from a pre-activated position to an activated position;
wherein moving the activator button from the pre-activated position to the activated position causes rotation of one of the retention plate and the plunger to align the teeth of the sprocket with the slots of the opening.

6. The device according to claim 5 , wherein:
the plunger comprises at least one plunger tab extending from an outer edge thereof;
the body comprises a substantially cylindrical housing having at least one recessed channel to guide the at least one plunger tab during plunger movement under the force of the spring to pressurize the reservoir;
the reservoir is disposed within the substantially cylindrical housing; and
the drug delivery device further comprises an injection needle for penetrating the skin of a patient, the injection needle providing a path for the medicament between the reservoir and the patient.

7. The device according to claim 6 , further comprising a valve disposed between the reservoir and the injection needle to selectively permit delivery of the medicament from the reservoir to the injection needle;
wherein moving the activator button from the pre-activated position to the activated position causes the valve to open to permit delivery of the medicament from the reservoir to the injection needle.

8. The device according to claim 6 , further comprising a rotor rotatably disposed about the substantially cylindrical housing;
wherein moving the activator button from the pre-activated position to the activated position causes rotation of the rotor, which contacts the at least one tab and rotates the plunger to align the teeth of the sprocket with the slots of the opening.

9. The device according to claim 8 , wherein the post is disposed on the retention plate.

10. The device according to claim 8 , wherein the post is disposed on the plunger.

11. The device according to claim 6 , wherein moving the activator button from the pre-activated position to the activated position causes rotation of the retention plate to align the teeth of the sprocket with the slots of the opening.

12. The device according to claim 11 , wherein the post is disposed on the retention plate.

13. The device according to claim 11 , wherein the post is disposed on the plunger.

14. The device according to claim 11 , further comprising a drive spring movable from a pre-activated position to an activated position;
wherein the retention plate rotates from a pre-activated position to an activated position and includes a drive spring holder supporting the drive spring in the respective pre-activated positions of the retention plate and the drive spring; and
wherein moving the activator button from the pre-activated position to the activated position causes rotation of the retention plate to the activated position, releasing the drive spring to move to the activated position to drive the injection needle to penetrate the skin of the patient.

15. A wearable medicament delivery device, comprising:
a body having a reservoir disposed therein for containing a medicament, the reservoir including a flexible reservoir wall;
a plunger movable within the body for causing the medicament to be expelled from the reservoir, the plunger having a contact surface that is not affixed to said flexible reservoir wall;
a spring biasing the plunger in a pre-activated position toward the reservoir; and
means for selectively maintaining the plunger in the pre-activated position with respect to the reservoir and, upon releasing the plunger from the pre-activated position, for guiding the plunger to move under a force of the spring such that the contact surface of the plunger contacts the flexible reservoir wall to pressurize the reservoir for delivery of the medicament to a patient; and
an adhesive disposed on a surface of the infusion device, the adhesive being adapted to attach the device to a skin surface of a patient, enabling the patient to wear the device during medicament delivery over an extended period of time;
wherein the means for selectively maintaining the plunger in the pre-activated position with respect to the reservoir and, upon releasing the plunger from the pre-activated position, for guiding the plunger, comprises a housing disposed within the body, the plunger and spring being disposed within the housing;
wherein the plunger includes at least one tab extending from an outer edge thereof

Assignees

• Sonderegger Ralph
• Bingham Curt
• Vedrine Lionel
• Becton Dickinson Co

Inventors

• Sonderegger Ralph
• Bingham Curt
• Vedrine Lionel

Classifications

• A61M2209/088

  on the body · CPC title

• A61M2005/14506

  mechanically driven, e.g. spring or clockwork · CPC title

• A61M5/14248 Primary

  of the skin patch type · CPC title

• A61M2005/1586

  Holding accessories for holding infusion needles on the body · CPC title

• A61M5/14244 Primary

  adapted to be carried by the patient, e.g. portable on the body · CPC title