FI109272B - Intake event detector and method for detecting intake event - Google Patents

Description

1 109272

Intake event detector and method for detecting intake event

The invention relates to an intake event detecting device having a detector for recording an uptake of a drug or the like, which is usually periodically taken, wherein the detecting device is arranged to detect by mechanical means associated with a dose intake event and to record information thereon.

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It is known to use timer-based alarm systems in various drug boxes for intermittent drug doses, which are usually in the form of pills, tablets or similar single oral doses. For example, GB-15 2179919 discloses a medicament enclosure whose alarm can only be deactivated by opening the enclosure. Such a housing may also contain a syringe or an ampoule. FR-2666225, for its part, discloses a medicament box alarm system with compartments for pills, tablets, or the like, for oral administration, with compartments 20 each having its own lid, and each compartment with its own alarm. The alarm goes off automatically within 15 seconds, so there is no information left on the case to determine if a dose has been taken.

Electric syringes for injectable doses are available. 25 mass of self-contained syringe-related systems related to the electrical ···; and can be used to control dose intake. For example, patent- ;;; US-4,417,889 is a built-in syringe over-dose '···' system that prevents the syringe from being used a second time at a certain time after the dose is taken, i.e., it is a kind of v · 30 time lock. Dosing detection and data recording is based on the fact that the syringe is powered by an electric motor. U.S. Pat. No. 4,950,246 discloses a syringe for use by a person with diabetes. a "pen" to dispense a preset amount of inulin. The syringe has a built-in system in which the syringe 35 has a sensor for monitoring the progress of the pump bar, which provides information to the electronic control unit to provide the correct dose amount per injection. The only alarm on this syringe is a notification of the expected · ·; emptying the stomach.

2 109272 Until now, there is a lack of a detector device and detection method that could be used in many types of syringes to monitor the intake event. For example, diabetics should take the dose at regular intervals. Doing so may leave you uncertain whether the dose was actually taken. For example, the most common type of pencil is the type where the dose is taken by twisting and pushing the plunger back and moving the plunger in the drug reservoir for the distance set during the tuning. The same problem is with taking different types of doses over 10 specific schedules, for example, during the day, which makes it difficult to keep track of what doses have been taken.

It is an object of the invention to provide a device that can be used to detect a dose intake event. To accomplish this purpose, the device of the invention is essentially characterized in that the detector device forms a rack for one or more injectable dose syringes or plugs, and the sensing member is arranged to detect the removal of the syringe or plunger from said rack.

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It is also an object of the invention to provide a method for detecting an intake event. To accomplish this purpose, the method is essentially characterized in that the drug or the like delivery unit is a syringe or a pen and is connected to a separate detector rack with a sensing member for detecting the removal of the syringe or pen from the rack.

The invention makes it possible to create, for example, a completely new treatment concept for the treatment of diabetes, which is not previously known and which is easy to implement with the aid of the devices available. Thus, the pen itself does not have to be structured * ... · but can function at the same time:! ·. with the idea than before. Furthermore, the invention does not require electric puncture pencils such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,417,889 and 4,950,246, but can be used in purely mechanical puncture pens, in which dispensing is effected by manual movement.

3, 109272

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 schematically shows a pencil and a detector device, 5 Fig. 2 shows a pencil and a detector device in side view, as seen from the direction of the arrow IV, figure 5 shows a compound of the invention, a plurality of administration units 15 containing an embodiment of a side view, figure 6 shows the embodiment of figure 5 in a top view, and figure 7 shows the use of images in embodiment 5 and 6.

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Figure 1 illustrates a standard plug 1 and a detector device 2 disposed in a separate piece around it. The detector device may be, for example, a sleeve ·; · shaped or otherwise designed to be attached to an ordinary plug pen without any modification of the latter. 25 fungus. It is, for example, possible to push it in the axial direction. v. from the back of the pen around the pen (arrow). Likewise, it may also include a detachable press piece 3 which may be firmly disposed around a normal push button at the back of the pen.

• · 30 Figures 2-4 show a combination of the detector device 2 and the pen. The detecting device 2 surrounds the upper end of the pencil and the lower end of the presser 3; ! ·. on the side of. The detector device 2 comprises a battery 4 and a detector pair 5a, 5b.

'· * ·! The first detector 5a is arranged to indicate when it is time to take a dose. The device also has a member 7 for detecting movement of a portion associated with the taking of a dose, in this case a moving part relative to the body of a pen, such as a ram or piston or other injection member and / or kinetically related parts. In Figures 1 and 2, this is accomplished by securing to the pusher 3, which is tuned backward and pushes the piston forward through the piston rod 4, a part 6 which retracts with the tuning movement and depresses the microswitch on the detector device 2, acting as the sensing member 7. during pushing. According to the movement of the piston, the movable part 6 may be, for example, a tubular body which is located in the space reserved for it in the body of the detecting device 2 and which may be of transparent material.

Usually, the movement of any part of the pen which results in the administration of the substance or as a sign of delivery of the substance may be used.

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When the movement of the plunger is detected as described above, the first detector 5a enters a state where it indicates that a dose has been taken, i.e. the alarm stops. At the same time, the device 1 stores information that the dose has been taken, and if an attempt is made to reset the pen within a certain period of time from the 15 events mentioned above, the second indicator 5b of the detector pair gives a warning.

It is also possible that, depending on the capacity of the power source, such as the battery, the second detector will turn on for a certain period of time or until the next alarm is given. Thus, there is constant information on whether the previous dose has been taken.

The detectors 5a, 5b of the detector pair may be, for example, visual detectors, for example indicator lights. The LEDs can be implemented with LEDs. The LEDs are preferably of a different color, for example one green and one red. Simultaneously, either or both; with the operation of the small detectors, an acoustic detector can be provided which gives an audible signal, for example a suitable buzzer. This acoustic detector is schematically described by reference numeral 5c.

. The detector device 2 further includes a setting switch 8 for selecting an alarm time corresponding to the dosing intervals. It also has a window 17,:! ·. through which the metering scale on the pen body can be seen.

Figures 3 and 4 also show an electronic part 9 of the device 2, which also has a battery, arranged on one side of the device 2. The electronics section includes connections to the sensing member 7, the memory functions required to register the event, and the circuits required to control alarms and detectors.

5 109272 ί

Fig. 5 shows a detector device 2 implementing the inventive idea. Also in this case, the detector device 2 is a separate piece from the pen and in this case forms a rack for two or more pencils 1. The rack has vertical recesses 10 for inserting the pencils 5 upright. The basic principle of operation is the same as in the embodiment of Figures 1-3, and is best illustrated in Figure 6. Each pen 1 has its own pair of detectors 5a, 5b. The device is arranged to alert in a specific order, wherein the first detector 5a of the corresponding pen 5 alerts that it is time to take a dose of the 10 pens in question. The detector device 2 detects detaching this pencil 1 from the holder having a suitable means 7 for detecting the outward movement of the pencil. Also in this case, a suitable microswitch, for example, located at the bottom of the corresponding recess 10, can be used. When the sensor 15 detects the removal of the pen 1, the condition of the first alarm detector 5a is restored. At the same time, the second detector 5b enters a state where it indicates that the dose has been taken. For example, visual indicators such as LEDs can be used. The light of the first detector 5a may go out and the light of the second detector 5b at the same time will light up to indicate the removal of the 20 pens. This can be accomplished with LEDs in the same manner as in the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2.

· :. In addition, the device 2 has, for example, adjacent to the pocket insertion recesses 10, alarm setting switches 8 of the same type as above, 25 for each pencil 1. They can also be used to set suitable time intervals, for example, by setting one switch to set the time that the alarm will be given, and the next st · '' 'switch to always set the dosing interval, i.e. the time for the next alarm.

: M 30 '' '·· The pencils may be different in the sense that they contain different active ingredients that each need to be taken at a given time of day. In the treatment of diabetes, pens containing different types of insulin may be involved.

Γ '· 35

The figure shows a five-pen holder, which corresponds to five doses per day. With fewer dosing cycles, the last space or spaces in the rack can simply be left blank.

6 109272

Fig. 6 further shows a separate detector panel 12 connected to the rack by a connecting cable 11 having detector pairs 5a, 5b operating in a manner identical to the detector pairs in the rack, further comprising a complementary acoustic detector 5c common to all detectors. In addition, the device further comprises an AC adapter 13, an on-board detector 14 on the detector panel, and a main switch 15 which is in the rack but may also be on the detector panel 12.

! Figure 7 shows a way of operating the device of Figures 5 and 6. The pencils 1 may be placed in a rack at a suitable temperature, for example a refrigerator 16. The detector panel may be brought by a connecting cable to the outside of the refrigerator or the like, where it continuously reports the situation. Thus, the dosing situation can be continuously monitored and the doses 15 maintained at a suitable lower temperature.

The pins in the holder may still have their own detector devices 2, as shown in Figures 1-4, allowing both the removal of the pen from the holder and the taking of the dose from this pen.

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The sensing means 7 may be arranged to operate on a contact principle, such as microswitches, but non-contact motion sensors, such as optical or magnetic motion sensors, may also be used, whereby it may be necessary to arrange a or the Hall element.

It is also possible that the sensing element 7 in the pencil detector device 2 detects both the tuning movement (the movement of the push-button) and the take-up motion of the an-30 (the pushing stroke of the push-button). Information about taking a dose is only recorded when the reciprocating motion has taken place. Again, this identification can be accomplished by touch or non-contact.

The electronics of the device are, in their simplest form, a registration dosing, · · · 35, and the simplest registration can be such that the detector device 2 retains information about the intake event, without knowing the dose. A dose magnitude indication may also be contemplated with the device provided with the pen, in which case the sensing member must be able to measure the magnitude of the stroke of the plunger.

Claims (9)

An intake event detector (2), comprising a detector for recording the uptake of a drug or a similar periodically ingested substance, wherein the detector device (2) is configured to identify a mechanical movement associated with the dose intake with its associated sensing member (7) (2). ), characterized in that the detecting device (2) forms a rack for one or more injection syringes or plugs (1) for injection, and the sensing member (7) is arranged to detect the removal of the syringe or plunger (1) from said rack. Device according to Claim 2, characterized in that it comprises a detector (5a), which is arranged to periodically give an alarm to indicate the time of taking the drug or the like. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the holder comprises a plurality of points, such as recesses (10) for syringes or 20 pencils (1), and the detecting means (7) in the holder arranged for each syringe or pen (1). arranged to detect the removal of the corresponding syringe or pen (1) from its location. Device according to Claim 3, characterized in that it comprises 'on a stand and / or a detector panel (12) connected thereto'; for each syringe or pen (1), a detector (5a) which is ;;; programmed to provide an alarm for the corresponding syringe or pen. v: 30 Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that: | comprising a pair of detectors (5a, 5b), the first detector (5a) being arranged to indicate when it is time to withdraw the dose from the syringe or the pen and the second detector (5b) arranged to warn or continuously indicate that the dose is 35 taken from a syringe or pen. Device according to one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that; : that the syringe or pen (1) is a syringe or pen containing insulin. 9 109272 A method of detecting an intake event which records the intake of a drug or the like, which is usually periodically administered, whereby a special movement member (7) detects the mechanical movement of the 5 dosage units (1) and automatically records the event from the sensing member (7). the corresponding dispensing unit (1) is a syringe or a pen and is connected to a separate holder acting as a detecting device (2), the detecting means (7) of which detects the removal of the syringe or 10 pencils from the holder. A method according to claim 7, characterized in that it is used to monitor the taking of doses from different syringes or pens (1) according to a specific schedule, wherein the use of each syringe or 15 pens (1) is automatically recorded. i 8 109272 Method according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that it is used to monitor the periodic administration of insulin doses from insulin-containing syringes or plugs (1). 20 * · · 1. t »* 10 109272