RU2773485C2 - Drug delivery device - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: medical equipment.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to medical equipment, namely to drug delivery devices. The device contains a cylinder for accommodating substance, a piston with the possibility of sliding movement in the cylinder, a power supply circuit for outputting input currents, an antenna fixed along the cylinder for receiving input current, creating inductive resistance together with the piston and outputting output currents in accordance with a position of the piston in the course of the piston, and an electrical circuit for processing data, made with the possibility of reception of output currents and determination of amount of substance inside the cylinder based on output currents.

EFFECT: obtaining a drug delivery device.

14 cl, 12 dwg

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[001] This application claims priority over U.S. provisional application serial number 62/586,478, filed Nov. 15, 2017, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY

[002] This invention relates to a device for drug delivery, namely to systems for parenteral administration of drugs.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[003] To deliver administered substances, such as potent drugs, to an object, such as an animal or patient, it is often necessary to know exactly how much is being delivered and/or administered in order to prevent cases of overdose or underdose.

[004] In this regard, syringes with graduated marks on a transparent barrel are often used to measure the amount of a substance to be delivered and/or has been delivered.

[005] However, quantification of the volume of delivered substance by visual inspection of graduated marks may not be accurate enough and, depending on the situation, may even be impossible, for example, in the case of a colorless and/or transparent substance and/or a medium with low light output , and / or a substance that leaves traces that create a difficult visual perception of graduated marks.

[006] Therefore, a drug delivery device is required that can accurately determine the amount of drug used and overcome the aforementioned disadvantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[007] Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a drug delivery device that overcomes the aforementioned disadvantages.

[008] In one non-limiting illustrative example, a drug delivery device is provided. SUBSTANCE: drug delivery device contains a cylinder for placing a substance, a piston with the possibility of sliding movement in the cylinder along the piston stroke, a power supply circuit for outputting input currents, an antenna fixed along the cylinder, containing a printed circuit board with a combination of layers stacked in series on top of each other and connected to the power circuit, and a plurality of inductors printed on the plurality of layers to receive input currents, create an inductive reactance together with the piston, and output current outputs in accordance with the value of the inductive reactance, an object identifier for identifying an object marker and issuing object reading signals in accordance with object data, a substance identifier for reading the substance marker and outputting substance reading signals in accordance with the substance data, and a data processing circuit capable of receiving output currents, reading signals detecting the object and the substance reading signals, determining the amount of the substance inside the cylinder based on the output currents, extracting the object data based on the object reading signals, and extracting the substance data based on the substance reading signals.

[009] In one non-limiting illustrative example, a drug delivery device is provided. SUBSTANCE: drug delivery device contains a cylinder for placing a substance, a piston with the possibility of sliding movement in the cylinder along the piston stroke, a power supply circuit for outputting input currents, an antenna fixed along the cylinder, containing a printed circuit board with a combination of layers stacked in series on top of each other and connected to the power supply circuit, and a plurality of inductors printed on the plurality of layers for receiving input currents, creating an inductive resistance together with the piston, and outputting output currents in accordance with the value of the inductive resistance, and a data processing circuit connected to the plurality of inductors and made with the ability to receive output currents and determine the amount of substance inside the cylinder based on the output currents.

[0010] In one non-limiting illustrative example, a drug delivery device is provided. The drug delivery device comprises a cylinder for placing a substance, a piston with the possibility of sliding movement in the cylinder along the piston, a power supply circuit for outputting input currents, an antenna fixed along the cylinder for receiving input currents, creating inductive resistance together with the piston, and outputting output currents. in accordance with the amount of inductive reactance, and a data processing circuit configured to receive output currents and determine the amount of substance inside the cylinder based on the output currents.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF GRAPHICS

[0011] To facilitate identification when considering any particular element or action, the most significant digit or digits in the position number about the number of the figure on which this element is introduced for the first time.

[0012] FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a drug delivery device according to some aspects of the invention;

[0013] FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of a drug delivery device according to some aspects of the invention;

[0014] FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of the measurement system of a drug delivery device according to some aspects of the invention;

[0015] FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a measurement system antenna in accordance with some aspects of the invention;

[0016] FIG. 4A is a schematic of a first exemplary antenna coil arrangement according to some aspects of the invention;

[0017] FIG. 4B is a schematic diagram of a second exemplary antenna coil arrangement in accordance with some aspects of the invention;

[0018] FIG. 4C is a schematic diagram of a third exemplary antenna coil arrangement in accordance with some aspects of the invention;

[0019] FIG. 4D is a schematic representation of a fourth exemplary antenna coil arrangement in accordance with some aspects of the invention;

[0020] FIG. 4E is a schematic representation of a fifth exemplary antenna coil arrangement in accordance with some aspects of the invention;

[0021] FIG. 4F is a schematic diagram of a sixth exemplary antenna coil arrangement in accordance with some aspects of the invention;

[0022] FIG. 4G is a schematic diagram of a seventh exemplary antenna coil arrangement in accordance with some aspects of the invention;

[0023] FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of a tracking system of a drug delivery device according to some aspects of the invention;

[0024] FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of a method for operating a drug delivery device according to some aspects of the invention;

[0025] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a hardware diagram of an electrical control unit of a drug delivery device according to some aspects of the invention;

[0026] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a drug delivery device with a measurement system based on magnetic field changes, in accordance with some aspects of the invention;

[0027] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a drug delivery device with a measurement system based on capacitance changes, in accordance with some aspects of the invention;

[0028] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a drug delivery device with a measurement system based on changes in eddy currents, in accordance with some aspects of the invention;

[0029] FIG. 11 is a schematic representation of a resonator measurement system in accordance with some aspects of the invention;

[0030] FIG. 12A is a sectional view of a drug delivery device with a metering system in a first geometric design, in accordance with some aspects of the invention; and

[0031] FIG. 12B is a sectional view of a drug delivery device with a metering system in a second geometric design, in accordance with some aspects of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0032] All published works, patent applications, patents and other references mentioned in this document are incorporated by reference in their entirety. In addition, the materials, methods, and examples discussed herein are illustrative only and are not intended to be limiting.

[0033] In drawings, like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding elements in multiple images. In addition, in the context of this document, terms used in the singular have the meaning of "one or more" unless otherwise indicated. The drawings are generally not to scale unless otherwise noted or illustrative schematics or block diagrams are provided.

[0034] To improve the accuracy of measuring the applied substance, drug delivery devices based on mechanical and/or electromechanical systems, including syringe infusion pumps, have been used. While such drug delivery devices are useful, they exhibit numerous disadvantages. Namely, in such drug delivery devices, quantification is performed by electromechanical measuring systems such as electric stepper motors, tachometers, speed sensors or the like, which drive the syringes in small and fixed steps, which can result in quantification delivered substance. At the same time, such systems can be bulky, heavy, and require an electrical connection, making them impractical for field applications such as livestock vaccinations or other drug applications. In addition, such systems can be prohibitively expensive since the electromechanical measurement systems on which they are based can be expensive to manufacture. Moreover, such systems may require the use of special syringes and/or modification of existing syringes.

[0035] The drug delivery device of the present invention performs quantification of the delivered substance based on inductive interactions to determine the location of the piston ejecting the substance.

[0036] The drug delivery device of this invention provides numerous advantages over other systems. For example, a drug delivery device performs a quantification of the substance to be delivered that is external, non-invasive, and does not require contact with the substance to be delivered, and therefore does not affect the substance, e.g., the device does not heat, discolor, and/or contaminate the substance. For delivery. In another example, the disclosed drug delivery device performs quantification of the delivered substance that is independent of the physical characteristics of the substance, such as color, surface adhesion, and contamination, and that can be integrated into conventional dispensing devices, such as syringes, with no or limited modification. .

[0037] FIG. 1A-1B are a perspective view and a cross-sectional view of a drug delivery device 1000 in accordance with some aspects of the invention.

[0038] The drug delivery device 1000 may include a holder A-1000, a dispenser B-1000 mounted on the holder A-1000, and a measurement system C-1000 attached along the dispenser B-1000.

[0039] Dispenser B-1000 can withdraw, retain and/or release substance 10 for administration to object 20, see FIG. 5, for example, a farm animal including a pig, among others. Substance 10 can be introduced into object 20 for nutrition, sanitation, treatment, prevention, diagnosis of a disease, testing and/or euthanasia, or in general to affect the health of object 20 and be a drug, antibiotic, vaccine, mixture of nutrients substances or any pharmaceutical products. Substance 10 may be in the form of a liquid, a gas, and/or a suspension of solid particles in a liquid.

[0040] The measuring system C-1000 can perform determination of the quantity Qs of the substance sampled and/or released by the drug delivery device 1000.

[0041] The A-1000 holder can serve as a base for the B-1000 dispenser and/or C-1000 measuring system, as well as ergonomic features such as a handle, trigger, retract lever, or the like, for manual operation, transport, and/ or user control of the operation of the drug delivery device 1000.

[0042] The drug delivery device 1000 can perform quantification of the substance 10 dispensed and dispensed by the B-1000 dispenser while minimizing resource consumption, such as space, energy, and/or mass, allocated to quantify the substance. 10 taken and dispensed with the B-1000 dispenser.

[0043] This determination of the amount of substance 10 sampled and dispensed by the B-1000 dispenser is performed based on the results of quantification and/or measurement in non-contact interactions between the B-1000 dispenser and the C-1000 measurement system.

[0044] Non-contact interactions can correspond to any type of interaction that does not require physical contact between the B-1000 dispenser and the C-1000 measurement system to obtain quantitatively measured values, depending on the results of determining the amount of substance 10 released by the B-1000 dispenser, namely based on the displacement of the B-1200 piston of the B-1000 dispenser.

[0045] In one example, non-contact interactions may correspond to changes in the amount of inductive reactance created by the moving parts of the B-1000 metering device on the inductors of the C-1000 measurement system and/or on the inductive sensors of the C-1000 measurement system, for example, inductive sensors based on a linear differential transformer from Micro-Epsilon.

[0046] In another example, non-contact interactions may correspond to changes in the magnetic field created by a magnet attached to the moving parts and/or the moving parts of the B-1000 dispenser themselves on the magnetic sensors of the C-1000 measurement system, such as Hall effect sensors and/or eddy current sensors from Micro-Epsilon.

[0047] In another example, non-contact interactions may correspond to magneto-inductive interactions created by a magnet attached to the moving parts of the B-1000 dispenser on magnetic sensors of the C-1000 measurement system, such as magnetic inductive displacement sensors from Micro-Epsilon.

[0048] In another example, non-contact interactions may correspond to sonic interactions created by microwave radiation emanating from the C-1000 measurement system and moving parts of the B-1000 dispenser reflecting microwave radiation back to the C-1000 measurement system with phase shift values dependent on on the position of the moving parts.

[0049] In another example, non-contact interactions may correspond to optical interactions between light emitted from the C-1000 measurement system and optical markers, such as reflectors, located on the moving parts of the B-1000 dispenser, reflecting the light radiation back into the C- measurement system. 1000 with reflection angles depending on the position of the moving parts.

[0050] In another example, non-contact interactions may correspond to optical interactions between light emitted outward from the C-1000 measurement system and directed toward an object. For example, the light emitted from the C-1000 measurement system may have known properties, including, but not limited to, the angle of emission towards the object. Said emission angle may be determined in relation to the reception angle determined when the C-1000 measuring system receives reflected outgoing light. In one example, the outgoing light is infrared light and the reflected light is reflected by an object or, for example, an animal. By determining the change in the angle of emission based on the magnitude of the angle of acceptance, the angle at which the B-1800 needle and, more broadly, the B-1000 dispenser comes into contact with the object can be calculated. As a result of comparing the specified calculated contact angle with a certain tolerance level assumed, for example, at the server level, as suitable for performing quality injections, a signal can be transmitted to the user of the B-1000 dispensing device about the possible inappropriate value of the contact angle in this case and ineffective administration substances. In another example, as a result of establishing an improper contact angle, the B-1000 dispensing mechanism may be deactivated. In such a case, the actuator of the B-1000 dispenser can be controlled in such a way that it only ejects the substance when the contact angle is within an acceptable range. The above-described measurement and calculation processes may be performed by the hardware described in connection with the measurement system C-1000 of FIG. 2 or generally shown in FIG. 5.

[0051] The dispensing device B-1000 may include a barrel B-1100, a piston B-1200 slidably mounted within the barrel B-1100, a syringe rod B-1300 connected to the piston B-1200 and partially protruding from the barrel B- 1100, a B-1400 hole opposite the B-1200 piston, and a B-1500 plain tip protruding from the B-1400 hole.

[0052] The syringe rod B-1300 can be driven to slide the piston B-1200 inside the barrel B-1100 along the stroke L of the piston in the first direction, for example, towards the hole B-1400, extruding the substance 10 through the hole B- 1400 and opening B-1400 and the release of the substance 10 from the device 1000 for drug delivery or in the second direction, for example, away from the opening B-1400, with the possibility of drawing the substance 10 through the opening B-1400 and removing the substance 10 from the external environment.

[0053] Actuation of the syringe shaft B-1300 may be performed by the user manually or automatically using an electrical actuator, such as an electric motor that rotates a lead screw that extends and/or retracts the syringe shaft B-1300, and/or hydraulic and/or or a pneumatic actuator, such as compressed gas, that extends and/or retracts the syringe shaft B-1300. According to an embodiment of the invention, driving the electric actuator can be controlled by the processing circuitry installed in the drug delivery device 1000 and programmed to control the start of the electric actuator when predetermined conditions are met. Typed fully compatible circuits for data processing may be contained in the electrical control unit or in the additional electrical control unit. In addition, fully compatible data processing circuits may be held on a remote server (eg, server (and database)), thereby remotely controlling the dispenser B-1000 of the drug delivery device 1000 in accordance with the transmitted data.

[0054] The B-1100 cylinder can be made from chemically resistant and electrically insulating materials, including glass, ceramics, and/or polymer blends such as polyethylene blends, to prevent inductive interactions between the B-1100 cylinder and the C- measurement system. 1000.

[0055] The B-1200 piston can be made from chemically resistant and electrically conductive materials, including stainless steel alloys and/or other metal alloys, to effect inductive interactions between the B-1200 piston and the C-1000 measurement system.

[0056] In an alternative embodiment, the B-1200 piston may be made of insulating materials, such as polymer blends, but an inductance marker B-1210 made of electrically conductive materials may be attached to or contained within the B-1200 piston to effect inductive interactions between the B-1210 inductance marker and the C-1000 measuring system

[0057] Orifice B-1400 may be configured to receive a needle B-1800 to facilitate insertion and/or withdrawal of substance 10 into and/or from object 20.

[0058] In addition, port B-1400 may include an inlet B-1600 connected to conduit B-1700 to combine the auxiliary substance with substance 10.

[0059] FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of the measurement system C-1000 of a drug delivery device 1000 according to some aspects of the invention.

[0060] The measurement system C-1000 may include a power supply circuit C-1300, an antenna C-1100 fixed along the cylinder B-1100 and having an electrical connection with the power supply circuit C-1300, a data acquisition circuit C-1400 having an electrical connection with an antenna C-1100, and an electrical control unit C-1200 having an electrical connection with the data acquisition circuit C-1400.

[0061] The C-1300 power supply circuit can supply the input signals Is to the C-1100 antenna, the C-1100 antenna can receive input signals and generate an electromagnetic field M according to the input signals, the electromagnetic field M can interact with the piston B-1200 of the dispensing device B-1000 and may cause the C-1100 antenna to generate one or more Os feedback signals in accordance with the position X of the piston and/or change in position along the stroke L of the piston, the acquisition circuitry C-1400 may read one or more Os feedback signals. and output the values of the physical quantities of one or more feedback signals Os, and the C-1200 electrical control unit can receive the values of the physical quantities and output the values of the position X of the piston through software commands.

[0062] For example, the input signals Is may be current fluctuations generated by the inductive-capacitive circuit of the power supply circuit, and one or more feedback signals Os may be induced currents, characterized by a resonant frequency value Fr depending on the position X of the piston along the stroke L piston.

[0063] In an alternative embodiment, the dispensing device B-1000, comprising the piston B-1200 and/or the inductance marker B-1210, may have a magnetic permeability significantly lower than the magnetic permeability of the substance 10, to create with the antenna C-1100 and/ or power supply circuit C-1300 of a sufficiently large amplitude of the electromagnetic field M for preferential interaction with the substance 10 in comparison with the interaction with the B-1200 piston and/or the B-1210 inductance marker.

[0064] According to an embodiment of the invention, the above-described methods for determining the position of the B-1200 piston, for example, can also be used to determine the amount of substance 10 to be dispensed and, therefore, to report that the dispensed amount is equal to, less than, or greater than a given dosage . For example, in the event that the position of the B-1200 piston set by the C-1000 measuring system is less than the set piston position, resulting in insufficient dosage for the subject or animal, a message may be issued indicating that an additional amount of substance 10 is offered. or, for example, an antibiotic. In an additional embodiment, in this case, a control signal (from local or remote data processing circuitry) can be sent to the B-1000 dispenser to continue dosing the antibiotic until the amount matches the predetermined dosage. In another example, in the case where the position of the piston B-1200 set by the measuring system C-1000 is equal to the position corresponding to the predetermined dosage of the substance 10, a message confirming the dosage of the proper amount of the substance 10 can be issued. Similar to the above, in the case where the match set before the end of the dosing process, a control signal can be sent to the B-1000 dosing device to turn off the electric actuator. The target dosage may be set based on the object and substance identification. Such data is described in detail using FIG.

[0065] The acquisition circuitry C-1400 may be any type of circuitry capable of receiving electrical signals and outputting physical quantities indicative of the electrical signals, including intensity, voltage, and/or frequency. For example, the data acquisition circuitry of the C-1400 may be an LDC1612EVM board manufactured by Texas Instruments or a similar circuitry.

[0066] In addition, the measuring system C-1000 may include a noise filter C-1500 to partially reduce external and/or internal electrical noise, for example, from the electrical actuator of the stem B-1300, and improve the accuracy of determining the amount of substance 10. Filter C -1500 noise can be any type of active or passive noise filter. For example, the noise filter may be ferrite beads placed on the electrical connections between the elements of the C-1000 measurement system, such as the C-1100 antenna, the power circuit C-1300, the data acquisition circuitry C-1400, and/or the C-1200 electrical control and ground connection between the data acquisition circuitry C-1400 and the B-1000 dispenser.

[0067] In addition, the measurement system C-1000 and/or other elements of the device 1000 for drug delivery, such as holder A-1000 and/or dispenser B-1000, may contain other structural elements and/or details to partially reduce and /or eliminate interference that may affect the determination of the amount of substance 10, for example, fluctuations in room temperature and/or ambient temperature, external fields created by surrounding objects, animals and/or body parts, and/or any other type of interference generated outside account of mechanical and/or electrical interactions. For example, the measurement system C-1000 may include temperature sensors T-1000, such as thermistors, which output temperature signals Ts in accordance with the ambient temperature, as shown in FIG. 2, and the electrical control unit C-1200 may also be configured to receive the temperature signals and the feedback signals Os, and calculate the position X of the piston B-1200 based on the temperature signals and the feedback signals Os.

[0068] In another example, temperature sensors T-1000 can be used to maximize the therapeutic efficacy of a substance or, for example, an antibiotic. For example, the C-1000 measurement system may include temperature sensors T-1000 (eg, thermistors) that provide temperature signals Ts according to the ambient temperature or the temperature of the antibiotic in the B-1000 dispenser. The electrical control unit C-1200 may also be configured to receive temperature signals and feedback signals Os and determine from them, for example, the therapeutic efficacy of an antibiotic.

[0069] For example, in some cases, it may be known that there is an elevated ambient temperature in the animal room, and as a result, animals or objects may have an elevated body temperature. An increase in body temperature in animals can lead to increased levels of stress and have a negative impact on the therapeutic efficacy of the antibiotic. As a result, if such a fact is established, a message can be displayed to the user, and the room temperature can be automatically changed. In addition, the data processing circuitry may be configured to send a control signal to the B-1000 dispenser to disable the electrical actuator and securely block the drug delivery device 1000 from administering any substance, such as an antibiotic.

[0070] In another example, the temperature sensors T-1000 can be used to determine the temperature of a substance or, for example, an antibiotic in the B-1000 dispenser of the C-1000 measuring system, thereby fulfilling the antibiotic temperature determination within the antibiotic storage and transportation requirements. For example, if the temperature of the antibiotic in the B-1000 dispenser rises above an acceptable value, corresponding to a drop in the therapeutic efficacy of the antibiotic, a message may be issued so that the antibiotic can be replaced. Further, the data processing circuitry may be configured to send a control signal to the B-1000 dispenser to disable the electrical actuator.

[0071] In another example, the C-1000 measurement system may include a shield located on the rear of the C-1100 antenna to protect the C-1100 antenna from external fields. In another example, the electrical control unit C-1200 may also be configured to calibrate and/or account for inaccuracies associated with mechanical and/or electrical interactions, such as backlash between the B-1200 piston and B-1100 cylinder, inaccuracies in inductance readings. or the like.

[0072] In an alternative implementation, non-contact interactions may correspond to changes in the magnitude of the magnetic field, and determination of the amount of substance 10 may be performed by measuring changes in the magnitude of the magnetic field, as shown in FIG. eight.

[0073] For example, the B-1000 dispenser may include an M-1210 magnetic marker, such as a magnet attached to the B-1200 piston and oriented along the polarization axis, for example, in a north-south direction, as shown in Fig. 8, essentially coaxial with the stroke L of the piston, and the C-1000 measuring system may contain a combination of magnetic sensors M-1100, for example, Hall effect sensors, magnetic induction sensors from Micro-Epsilon, located along the stroke L of the piston and / or on an axis essentially perpendicular to axes of polarization of magnetic marker M-1210.

[0074] The magnetic marker M-1210 can generate magnetic field lines M-1000 that move when the marker M-1210 moves along the stroke L of the piston, while the set of magnetic sensors M-1100 can perceive the magnetic field lines M-1000 and output a set of magnetic field signals Ms in accordance with the magnitudes of the magnetic field strength. The magnetic field signal constellation Ms may be received by the acquisition circuitry C-1400, and the position X of the piston B-1200 may be determined by software commands executed by the electrical control unit C-1200, as shown in FIG. 2.

[0075] For example, program instructions executed by the electrical control unit C-1200 may be written to determine the position X of the B-1200 piston based on a plurality of magnetic field signals Ms through differential measurement methods that aim to determine parts with linear characteristics for each signal. magnetic field from the set of signals Ms of the magnetic field. Such differential measurement methods can lead to a reduction in measurement errors associated with fluctuations in temperature and/or humidity.

[0076] In an alternative implementation, non-contact interactions may correspond to changes in capacitance value, and determination of the amount of substance 10 can be performed by measuring changes in capacitance value, as shown in FIG. 9.

[0077] For example, the B-1000 dispenser may include a movable electrode N-1210 attached to the piston B-1200 and a plurality of fixed electrodes N-1110 located along the stroke L of the piston.

[0078] The fixed electrode array N-1110 can output a capacitive signal array Mc in accordance with the amount of capacitance between the movable electrode N-1210 and the fixed electrode array N-1110.

[0079] The N-1110 fixed electrode array may be electrically connected to each other, whereby the N-1110 fixed electrode array outputs each capacitive signal from the sinusoidal waveform capacitive signal array Mc with a predetermined phase difference between them of ϕ, as shown in FIG. . 9. For example, the N-1110 fixed electrode array may be electrically connected to form two sets of electrodes and have a predetermined phase difference ϕ of essentially 180° to further improve the measurement accuracy of the X position of the B-1200 piston as shown in FIG. 9.

[0080] The capacitive signals Mc may be received by the data acquisition circuitry C-1400, and the position X of the piston B-1200 may be determined by software commands executed by the electrical control unit C-1200.

[0081] In an alternative implementation, non-contact interactions can correspond to changes in the magnitude of the eddy current, and determination of the amount of substance 10 can be performed by measuring changes in the magnitude of the eddy current, as shown in FIG. ten.

[0082] For example, the dispensing device B-1000 may include a conductive target E-1210, a metal portion attached to the piston B-1200, and a plurality of sensor coils E-1110 located along the stroke L of the piston. The E-1110 sensing coil array can receive an AC signal from the power supply circuit C-1300, and the E-1110 sensing coil array can create an alternating magnetic field that induces eddy currents in the E-1210 conductive targets, causing a counter magnetic field. The sensor coil array E-1110 can output feedback signals Mfd according to the magnitude of the interactions between the magnetic field generated by the sensor coil array E-1110 and the counter magnetic field.

[0083] The feedback signals may be received by the data acquisition circuitry C-1400, and the X position of the piston B-1200 may be determined by software commands executed by the electrical control unit C-1200.

[0084] Alternatively, the E-1210 conductive target may be replaced by an E-1220 resonator that is energized by the magnetic field generated by the E-1110 sensor coil array and which in turn enters into resonance with the coil array. E-1110 to form a coupling coefficient between the E-1220 resonator and the E-1110 pickup coil array as shown in FIG. eleven.

[0085] In addition, the C-1000 measurement system may include sensor circuitry E-1320, such as a cosine coil sensor (KCOS) and/or a sine coil sensor (KSIN), as shown in FIG. 11, which are sensors for the magnitude of the coupling coefficient between the E-1220 resonator and the E-1110 sensor coil array.

[0086] The various elements of the electrical control unit C-1200, as well as their interactions and functionality, are described in more detail in the following sections.

[0087] FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a C-1100 antenna of a drug delivery device 1000 in accordance with some aspects of the invention.

[0088] The C-1100 antenna may be a printed circuit board with a sandwich structure containing a stacked stack of C-1110 layers that serves as the basis for a stack of C-1120 inductors.

[0089] For example, a C-1100 antenna may comprise a first layer C-1112 with a first set of inductors C-1122, a second layer C-1114 with a second set of inductors C-1124, a third layer C-1116 with a third set of inductors C- 1126 inductors and a fourth layer C-1118 with a fourth set of C-1128 inductors.

[0090] The first, second, third, and fourth sets of inductors C-1122, C-1124, C-1126, C-1128 may be arranged along the stroke L of the piston, electrically connected to each other, and located at a predetermined distance Do of mutual separation so that each feedback signal of one or more feedback signals Os corresponds to the position X of the piston B-1200 in a certain section of the stroke L of the piston.

[0091] For example, the first, second, third, and fourth sets of inductors C-1122, C-1124, C-1126, C-1128 may be electrically connected in pairs through the power supply circuit C-1300 and spaced half the length to output a first feedback signal Os1 and a second feedback signal Os2, wherein the first feedback signal Os1 corresponds to the position X of the piston in the first half of the stroke L of the piston, while the second signal Os2 corresponds to the position X of the piston in the second half of the stroke L of the piston.

[0092] Antenna C-1100 may have geometrical arrangements, such as shape and/or location, to improve the accuracy of measuring the amount Qs of a substance withdrawn and/or released by drug delivery device 1000.

[0093] In the first arrangement, as shown in FIG. 12A, antenna C-1100 may have a rectangular shape and a substantially rigid structure, and be tangential to the outer surface B-1110 of cylinder B-1100, for example, to minimize the distance between antenna C-1100 and piston B-1200.

[0094] In the second arrangement, as shown in FIG. 12B, antenna C-1100 may have a rectangular shape and a substantially flexible and/or semi-flexible structure to follow the shape of the outer surface of cylinder B-1110, for example, to minimize the distance between antenna C-1100 and piston B-1200 and increase to the maximum value of the amplitude of the feedback signals Os.

[0095] In accordance with the foregoing principles of the invention, numerous modifications and embodiments of the C-1100 antenna geometries presented above are possible. As a result, it should be understood that the C-1100 antenna may have other layouts than those specifically described herein.

[0096] In addition, as shown in FIG. 1A, the C-1100 antenna may be mounted at a given distance db from the B-1100 cylinder, small enough to maximize the amplitude of the feedback signals Os, but large enough to allow proper wall thickness for the B-1100 cylinder wall and/or installation measuring system C-1000 inside the case. For example, the predetermined distance may be 1 mm to 10 mm, and preferably 2 mm to 5 mm.

[0097] FIG. 4A-4G are schematic diagrams of first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh exemplary C-1100 antenna coil arrangements in accordance with some aspects of the invention;

[0098] The set of inductors C-1120 may have inductor arrangements for providing one or more feedback signals Os with predetermined signal analysis characteristics that improve the accuracy of piston position X values extracted by the electrical control unit C-1200 from one or more feedback signals Os by executing software commands.

[0099] Inductor layout options may include inductor shape, inductor length, inductor transverse, and/or winding direction, while signal analysis performance may include number of signals, bijectivity conditions, and/or amplitude change signal as a function of the X position of the piston.

[00100] The shape of the inductor may be square, as shown in FIG. 4B-4C for the third and fourth sets of inductors C-1126 and C-1128, rectangular as shown in FIG. 4A-4C for the first and second sets of inductors C-1122 and C-1124, round as shown in FIG. 4E-4F for the first, second, third, and fourth sets of inductors C-1122, C-1124, C-1126, and C-1128 and/or oval as shown in FIG. 4D for the first, second, third and fourth sets of C-1122, C-1124, C-1126 and C-1128 inductors.

[00101] The arrangement of the inductors in the longitudinal direction may be serial, as shown in FIG. 4A-4E for the first and second sets of inductors C-1122 and C-1124, or in pairs and single rows, as shown in FIG. 4A-4C for the third and fourth sets of C-1126 and C-1128 inductors.

[00102] The arrangement of the inductors in the transverse direction can be performed in a single row, with two inductors installed in series essentially mounted in a row one above the other, as shown in FIG. 4A-4C for the first and second sets of inductors C-1122 and C-1124, or offset, with two inductors in series offset from one another, for example by half a length, as shown in FIG. 4D-4E for the first and second sets of C-1122 and C-1124 inductors.

[00103] The winding direction may be clockwise as shown in FIG. 4A-4F for the first set of inductors C-1122 or counterclockwise as shown in FIG. 4A-4F for the second set of inductors C-1124, in the case of inductors arranged in series, with the same winding direction, as shown in FIG. 4F for the first and third sets of inductors C-1122 and C-1126, wound in opposite directions as shown in FIG. 4A-4C for the third and fourth sets of inductors C-1126 and C-1128 in the case of paired inductors.

[00104] In the 7th arrangement for the plurality of inductor sets C-1120, the first, second, third, and fourth sets of inductors C-1122, C-1124, C-1126, and C-1128 may have opposite winding direction and single row arrangement , and be stacked one above the other to limit interference within the C-1120 inductor array.

[00105] Numerous modifications and variations of the C-1100 antenna arrangements presented above are possible in accordance with the foregoing principles of the invention. As a result, it should be understood that the C-1100 antenna inductors may have other layouts than those specifically described herein.

[00106] FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of a tracking system D-1000 of a drug delivery device 1000 according to some aspects of the invention.

[00107] The drug delivery device 1000 may include a tracking system D-1000 for retrieving, storing and transmitting key information K associated with the use of the drug delivery device 1000.

[00108] The tracking system D-1000 may include an object identifier D-1100, a substance identifier D-1200, a network controller D-1300, and an auxiliary electrical control unit D-2000 associated with the ability to communicate (using wired or wireless communication) with each of the object identifier D-1100, the substance identifier D-1200, the network controller D-1300, and the measurement system data acquisition circuitry C-1400 C-1000.

[00109] The object identifier D-1100 may be any device capable of determining the object marker D-1110 and outputting the object identification signals TI to the auxiliary electrical control unit D-2000 in accordance with the object identification data 20. For example, the marker D- The object 1110 may be an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) chip using a Near-Field Communication (NFC) standard and/or Ultra High Frequency (UHF) systems, and the object ID D-1100 may represent an RFID tag reader.

[00110] The object marker D-1110 may be placed on an ear tag, neck tag, ankle tag, and/or abdominal bolus attached to the object 20.

[00111] The object identification data may comprise any data related to the identification and tracking of the object 20. For example, in the case where the object 20 is an animal, the object identification data may comprise an animal identification number (AIN, Animal Identification Number), an animal code , herd code, flock code, property identification code (PIC, Property Identification Code) or the like.

[00112] According to an embodiment of the invention, the above-described object identification data stored locally on an animal by an RFID chip, for example, can be received as an object identification signal TI and processed by an auxiliary electrical control unit D-2000 (or similar data processing circuitry) , for example, to match the received object's identity with the expected identity. Based on such a match, or lack of it, the Auxiliary Electrical Control Unit D-2000 (or similar) can generate an appropriate message for the farmer. In an alternative implementation, the data processing circuitry may send a control signal to the B-1000 dispenser to disable the electrical actuator. The expected identification data of the animal may contain, inter alia, AIN. For example, a farmer is preparing to inject a substance into the animal in question. If the animal in question, which is to be administered an antibiotic, has an AIN of 91, while according to the farmer's records and data obtained from the D-1500 server (and database) or through the D-1400 network, the expected AIN value of the animal in question is be 36, a message may be issued indicating that there is no match between the expected identity and the object identity in question, and a control signal may be sent to disable the electrical actuator. In another example, the auxiliary electrical control unit D-2000 or similar, in coordination with the server (and database) D-1500 via the D-1400 network, performs registration of the identification data of animals that have undergone a recent sanitation, so that a request for obtaining can be made later. specified registered data. As a result, by cross-referencing the latest recorded data, multiple sanitations on the same animal can be avoided. For example, if the electrical control sub-unit D-2000 finds a match between the identification of the animal to be sanitized and the identification of the recent registration in the data storage device, a message can be generated and the electrical actuator can be disabled to avoid re-sanitization of the animal.

[00113] The substance identifier D-1200 may be any device capable of determining the substance marker D-1210 and outputting the substance identification signals Sis to the auxiliary electrical control unit D-2000 according to the identity of the substance. For example, the substance tag D-1210 may be a radio frequency identification (RFID) chip using near field communication (NFC) and/or ultra high frequency (UHF) systems, and the substance identifier D-1200 may be an RFID tag reader.

[00114] In another example, the substance marker D-1210 may be a barcode and the substance identifier D-1200 may be a barcode scanner, as shown in FIG. 5. Substance marker D-1210 may be placed on a container, such as a bottle or pocket, containing substance 10.

[00115] Substance identification data may contain any data related to the identification and tracking of substance 10. For example, in the case where object 20 is a drug, substance identification data may contain a drug identification number (DIN, Drug Identification Number), production batch code or the like.

[00116] According to an embodiment of the invention, the identification data of the substance, including but not limited to the production batch code, can be processed by the auxiliary electrical control unit D-2000 to determine the date of manufacture of the substance 10 or, for example, an antibiotic, and the expiration date of the substance 10 For example, if it was determined that the pending sanitization date in question is greater than or close to the expiration date of the antibiotic, as determined from the production batch code, a message could be generated that the activity, and therefore the suitability of the substance 10, may be deteriorating, and antibiotic should not be used. However, the data processing circuitry may send a control signal to turn off the electrical actuator of the B-1000 dispenser.

[00117] In contrast to the local application of substance identification information described above, according to another embodiment of the invention, substance identification data, including, but not limited to, the production batch code, can be considered in conjunction with global data collected via the D-1400 network on the server ( and in the database) D-1500. Such global data may include, for example, information from other farms relating to the therapeutic efficacy of substance 10 or related animal problems. In the example where substance 10 is an antibiotic, it can be assumed that there may be time between a local farmer receiving an antibiotic and administering the antibiotic to his animals, during which the bacterium can mutate and become resistant to the antibiotic. Resistance can be established by evaluating data collected on the D-1500 server (and database) from other farmers indicating that animals on said farms have fallen victim to the disease. As a result, when preparing a local farmer to administer an antibiotic to their animals, a message can be created informing the local farmer that the antibiotic is no longer effective for a particular disease. In addition, the data processing circuitry may send a control signal to disable the electric actuator of the B-1000 dispenser. For example, substance identification data, including the production batch code, can be processed by the D-2000 auxiliary electrical control unit or similar device and compared with data collected on the D-1500 server (and database). If an antibiotic has been flagged as prohibited within a specific geographic region or for a specific breed of animal, a message can be generated informing the local farmer that a different antibiotic is required to effectively protect his/her animals with the antibiotic. Similar to the above case, shutdown of the electrical actuator of the B-1000 dispenser can be performed at the same time.

[00118] According to an embodiment of the invention, a joint assessment of the identification data of the object and the identification data of the substance can be performed. For example, in the case where different antibiotics are suitable for different animals, specific data for each animal can be stored in an RFID chip or similar device so that, at the beginning of the sanitation process, the antibiotic required for a particular animal, based on the identity of the substance, can be compared with the identity of the substance to meet the conditions under which the animal receives the appropriate antibiotic.

[00119] The network controller D-1300 may be any electrical circuit capable of exchanging, via the network D-1400, key information K, such as object identification data, substance identification data, and/or substance quantity Qs introduced into object 20, between tracking system D-1000, server (and database) D-1500 and electronic device D-1600.

[00120] For example, the D-1300 network controller can be used as an Intel Ethernet PRO network card from Intel Corporation of America to interface with the D-1400 network. It is understood that the D-1400 network may be a public network, such as the Internet, or a private network, such as a LAN or WAN, or any combination thereof, and may also contain PSTN or ISDN subnets. The D-1400 network may also be wired, such as an Ethernet network, or may be wireless, such as a cellular network, including a cellular network containing EDGE, 3G, and 4G wireless cellular systems. The wireless network may also be a WiFi network, Bluetooth, or any other known form of wireless communication.

[00121] In an alternative implementation, the network controller D-1300 may be integrated into the auxiliary electrical control unit D-2000 as shown in FIG. 6.

[00122] The D-1500 server (and database), including an electronic database, a computer and/or an automated server, a database server, or any network node configured to store data, may be configured to store and/or providing access to key information K on the use of the drug delivery device 1000.

[00123] Electronic device D-1600 may be a computer, laptop, smartphone, tablet, or the like, which is capable of storing and displaying key information K. Similarly, electronic device D-1600 may be configured to create messages based on signals, transmitted from the server (and database) D-1500 through the network D-1400, or key information K and the results of its processing, and the message is one or more of an audio message, a visual message, a tactile message, and the like.

[00124] According to an embodiment of the invention, the above messages can be sent to a farmer or user as a result of controlling the D-1600 electronic device with the electrical control unit C-1200, the auxiliary electrical control unit D-2000, the D-1500 server (and database), and the like.

[00125] According to an embodiment of the invention, the above-described control signals (for example, blocking signals) can be sent to the farmer or user as a result of controlling the drug delivery device 1000 and/or the electric device D-1600 using the electrical control unit C-1200, an auxiliary unit D-2000 electrical control, server (and database) D-1500 and the like.

[00126] The Auxiliary Electrical Control Unit D-2000 may have similar functionality and features to the Electrical Control Unit C-1200, or be substituted for the Electrical Control Unit C-1200, and therefore may be used interchangeably to perform the tasks described above. Both the electrical control box C-1200 and the Auxiliary electrical control box D-2000 are described in more detail in the following sections.

[00127] According to another embodiment of the invention, the information obtained by the drug delivery device 1000 during the administration of the substance can be stored and/or processed locally (in the drug delivery device 1000) or remotely (on a server (and in a database) D -1500) or in the D-1000 tracking system to perform a continuous health assessment of the animal (i.e. subject). For example, for animal health retrospective assessment, object identification data (e.g., AIN) derived from an RFID chip local to the animal, substance identification data (e.g., DIN) derived from an RFID chip local to the animal may be transmitted and/or stored locally or remotely. of the substance storage unit, data on the quantity Qs of the substance to be administered as measured by the measurement system C-1000 of the drug delivery device 1000, as well as other information related to the batch of the substance, the date of administration, the angle of administration, and additional environmental factors. For example, in the case where the substance is an antibiotic, the animal's health can be tracked over time from the time of administration of the antibiotic and in relation to environmental factors recorded at the time of administration. Such tracking over time allows for the possible correlation of animal health status with specific rates of antibiotic administration and, in some cases, can provide predictive health status for animals.

[00128] FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of a method for operating a drug delivery device 1000 in accordance with some aspects of the invention.

[00129] In step S100, substance identification data is retrieved with substance identifier D-1200 by executing program commands in electrical control unit C-1200 and/or auxiliary electrical control unit D-2000.

[00130] For example, the substance identifier D-1200 can read the substance marker D-1210 and, in accordance with the substance identification data, transmit substance reading signals to the electrical control unit C-1200 and/or the auxiliary electrical control unit D-2000.

[00131] In addition, the identification data of the substance can be stored in the memory C-1204 of the electrical control unit C-1200 and/or the auxiliary electrical control unit D-2000.

[00132] In step S200, determination of the object 20 is performed, and the object identification data is retrieved with the object identifier D-1100 by executing program commands in the electrical control unit C-1200 and/or auxiliary electrical control unit D-2000.

[00133] For example, the object identifier D-1100 can determine and read the substance marker D-1210 and, in accordance with the object identification data, transmit object reading signals to the electrical control unit C-1200 and/or the auxiliary electrical control unit D-2000.

[00134] In addition, the object identification data may be stored in the memory C-1204 of the electrical control unit C-1200 and/or the auxiliary electrical control unit D-2000.

[00135] Immediately after the completion of step S200, evaluation of the extracted substance data and the extracted object data in the electrical control unit C-1200 and/or auxiliary electrical control unit D-2000 may be performed to check the proper dosing of the substance and, if necessary, interrupt the process by creating communication and deactivation of the electrical actuator of the B-1000 dispenser, as shown above with respect to FIG. 5.

[00136] In step S300, the amount Qs of the substance is determined by the measuring system C-1000 and by the software commands executed in the electrical control unit C-1200.

[00137] For example, the C-1100 antenna may provide output currents Os based on electromagnetic interactions between the B-1200 piston and the C-1100 antenna. The acquisition circuitry C-1400 can receive the output currents Os, and, based on the output currents Os, supply frequency reading signals to the electrical control unit C-1200 according to the resonant frequency Fr of the output currents Os. The electrical control unit C-1200 can receive the frequency reading signals and, based on the frequency reading signals, determine the position X of the piston and hence the amount Qs of the substance delivered by the drug delivery device 1000.

[00138] In step S400, the object identification data, the substance identification data, and the substance number Qs data are transmitted to the D-1600 electronic device and/or to the D-1500 server (and database) using the D-1300 network controller and using software commands executed in the C-1200 electrical control unit.

[00139] In an alternative embodiment, the object identification data, the substance identification data, and/or the substance quantity Qs data may first be stored in the memory C-1204 of the electrical control unit C-1200, and then transmitted to the electronic device D-1600 and/ or a D-1500 server (and database) using the D-1300 network controller and using software commands executed on the C-1200 electrical control box.

[00140] In addition, as a result of the practicability of the C-1000 measurement system and/or the D-1000 tracking system, such as light weight, portability, no reliance on mechanical systems, low power consumption, and/or no need to connect to a high voltage power supply system , the C-1000 measurement system and/or the D-1000 tracking system may be later installed on a previously manufactured drug delivery device, such as a drug delivery device already in service and/or in production. For example, the C-1000 measurement system and/or the D-1000 tracking system can be later incorporated into a manufactured drug delivery device by attaching to the B-1000 dispenser and/or A-1000 holder using mounting devices, including bolts. , rivets, adhesives, adhesives, or combinations thereof.

[00141] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a hardware diagram of the electrical control unit C-1200 of the drug delivery device 1000. It should be noted that in one embodiment of the invention in FIG. 7 also shows the hardware diagram of the auxiliary electrical control unit D-2000. It should be noted that in one embodiment of the invention in FIG. 7 also shows the hardware diagram of a D-1500 server (and database) (and in particular at least a C-1214 monitor, a C-1212 display controller, a C-1208 disk drive, a C-1210 ROM on a CD, a controller C-1206 disk drive, C-1204 storage device, C-1228 bus, C-1202 processor, C-1226 network interface, C-1224 network, C-1216 I/O interface, and C-1220 keyboard/mouse).

[00142] As shown in FIG. 7, the systems, operations, and processes of the present invention may be implemented using a data processing circuitry such as a C-1202 processor or at least one application specific processor (ASP). The C-1202 processor may use a computer-readable storage medium, including a C-1204 memory device (e.g., ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash memory, static memory, DRAM, SDRAM, and the like) capable of controlling the C-1202 processor to execute and/or control systems, operations and processes according to this invention. Other storage media can be controlled by the C-1206 disk drive controller, which can control the C-1208 hard disk drive or C-1210 optical drive.

[00143] In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the C-1202 processor, or variations thereof, may contain or exclusively contain a logical device to supplement or to implement the present invention in its entirety. Such a logical device contains, among other things, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a generic-array of logic (GAL), and their analogues. . The C-1202 processor may be a separate device or a single data processing device. In addition, the present invention can take advantage of the parallel processing capabilities of a multi-core processor.

[00144] In another aspect, the results of data processing in accordance with the present invention may be displayed by the display controller C-1212 on a monitor C-1214, which may be external to or integral with the electrical control unit C-1200. In addition, the C-1214 monitor can be equipped with a touch interface for entering commands/instructions. The display controller C-1212 may also include at least one graphics processing unit to improve computational efficiency. In a further embodiment, the electrical control unit C-1200 may include an I/O interface C-1216 for inputting sensor data from sensors C-1218 and for outputting orders to actuators C-1222. C-1218 sensors and C-1222 actuators are illustrative examples of any of the sensors and actuators of this invention. For example, the sensors may be a data acquisition circuit C-1400 for the electrical control unit C-1200 and an auxiliary electrical control unit D-2000, and an object identifier D-1100 and a substance identifier D-1200 for an auxiliary electrical control unit D-2000.

[00145] In addition, other devices can be connected to the I/O interface C-1216 as peripherals or as part of the electrical control unit C-1200. For example, a keyboard or pointing device, including the C-1220 mouse, can control the parameters of various processes and algorithms of this invention and can be connected to the C-1216 I/O interface for additional functionality and configuration options, or to control parameters. display. Actuators C-1222, which can be used in any of the elements of the devices according to this invention, can also be connected to the input/output interface C-1216.

[00146] The above hardware components can be interfaced with a C-1224 network, including the Internet or a local intranet, via the C-1226 network interface to transmit or receive data containing adjustable parameters to a mobile device. A central bus C-1228 may be provided to interconnect the aforementioned hardware components and to provide at least one path for the exchange of numerical data between them.

[00147] Embodiments of this invention may also be those indicated in parentheses below.

[00148] (1) A drug delivery device, comprising a cylinder for accommodating a substance, a piston slidable in the cylinder along the piston stroke, a power supply circuit for outputting input currents, an antenna fixed along the cylinder, containing a circuit board with a plurality of layers, in series stacked on top of each other and connected to the power supply circuit, and a set of inductors on a set of layers for receiving input currents, creating an inductive resistance together with the piston and outputting output currents in accordance with the value of the inductive resistance, an object identifier for determining the object marker and issuing object reading signals in accordance with the object data, a substance identifier for reading the substance marker and outputting substance reading signals in accordance with the substance data, and a data processing circuit configured to receive output currents, volume reading signals ct and substance reading signals, determining the amount of substance inside the cylinder based on output currents, extracting object data based on object reading signals, and extracting substance data based on substance reading signals.

[00149] (2) The drug delivery device according to (1), wherein the plurality of inductors is disposed along the stroke of the piston.

[00150] (3) The drug delivery device according to (1) or (2), wherein at least two inductors of the plurality of inductors are offset from each other by a predetermined offset distance to provide a first output current corresponding to the position piston in the first part of the piston stroke, and a second output current corresponding to the position of the piston in the second part of the piston stroke.

[00151] (4) The drug delivery device according to any one of paragraphs. (1)-(3), wherein the offset distance is essentially half the width of the at least two inductors.

[00152] (5) The drug delivery device according to any one of paragraphs. (1)-(4), wherein the circuit board further comprises a first layer with a first single rectangular inductor, a second layer with a second single rectangular inductor, a third layer with a first pair of rectangular inductors electrically connected to the first rectangular inductor, and offset by a predetermined bias distance, to deliver a first output current, and a fourth layer with a second pair of rectangular inductors electrically connected to the second rectangular inductor and offset by a predetermined bias distance, to deliver a second output current,

[00153] (6) The drug delivery device according to any one of paragraphs. (1)-(5), wherein the object marker is an RFID chip and the object ID is readable by the RFID chip.

[00154] (7) The drug delivery device according to any one of paragraphs. (1)-(6), wherein the substance marker is an RFID chip placed on the container containing the substance, and the substance identifier is readable by the RFID chip.

[00155] (8) The drug delivery device according to any one of paragraphs. (1)-(7), further comprising a network controller configured to send the amount of the substance, the object data and the substance data to at least one of the database and the electronic device.

[00156] (9) A drug delivery device, comprising a cylinder for placing a substance, a piston with the possibility of sliding movement in the cylinder along the piston, a power supply circuit for outputting input currents, an antenna fixed along the cylinder, containing a circuit board with a plurality of layers, in series stacked on top of each other and connected to the power supply circuit, and a plurality of inductors on a plurality of layers for receiving input currents, creating inductive resistance together with the piston, and outputting output currents in accordance with the magnitude of the inductive resistance, and a data processing circuit connected to the plurality of coils inductance and configured to receive output currents and determine the amount of substance inside the cylinder based on the output currents.

[00157] (10) The drug delivery device according to (9), wherein the plurality of inductors is disposed along the stroke of the piston.

[00158] (11) The drug delivery device according to claims (9) or (10), wherein at least two of the plurality of inductors are displaced relative to each other by a predetermined displacement distance to provide a first output current corresponding to the position of the piston in the first part of the piston stroke and a second output current corresponding to the position piston in the second part of the piston stroke.

[00159] (12) The drug delivery device according to any one of paragraphs. (9)-(11), wherein the offset distance is essentially half the width of the at least two inductors.

[00160] (13) The drug delivery device according to any one of paragraphs. (9)-(12), wherein the circuit board further comprises a first layer with a first single rectangular inductor, a second layer with a second single rectangular inductor, a third layer with a first pair of rectangular inductors electrically connected to the first rectangular inductor, and offset by a predetermined bias distance, to deliver a first output current, and a fourth layer with a second pair of rectangular inductors electrically connected to the second rectangular inductor and offset by a predetermined bias distance, to deliver a second output current,

[00161] (14) A drug delivery device comprising a cylinder for placing a substance, a piston capable of sliding in the cylinder along the piston stroke, a measuring system fixed along the cylinder to create non-contact interaction with the piston and output currents in accordance with the results a non-contact interaction numerically; and a data processing circuit configured to receive output currents and determine values of a variable dependent on the position of the piston within the cylinder based on the output currents.

[00162] (15) The drug delivery device according to (14), wherein the non-contact interaction is an inductive interaction, and the measurement system comprises a plurality of coils to create an inductive interaction.

[00163] (16) The drug delivery device according to claims (14) or (15) in which the piston contains an inductance marker.

[00164] (17) The drug delivery device according to any one of paragraphs. (14)-(16), in which the non-contact interaction is a magnetic field, and the measuring system contains magnetic field sensors for sensing the magnetic field.

[00165] (18) The drug delivery device according to any one of paragraphs. (14)-(17), in which the piston contains a magnetic marker to create a magnetic field.

[00166] (19) The drug delivery device according to any one of paragraphs. (14)-(18), in which the non-contact interaction is a magnetic induction interaction, and the measuring system contains magnetic induction sensors, for example, displacement sensors.

[00167] (20) A drug delivery device according to any one of paragraphs. (14)-(19), in which the non-contact interaction is a sound interaction, and the measuring system contains a microwave generator.

[00168] (21) The drug delivery device according to any one of paragraphs. (14)-(20), in which the non-contact interaction is an optical interaction, and the measuring system contains an optical sensor.

[00169] (22) A method for controlling the operation of a drug delivery device that delivers a substance to an object, including the following steps: extracting the substance identification data using the substance identifier in the drug delivery device and the substance marker for the substance, extracting the object identification data using an object identifier in the drug delivery device and an object marker for the object, delivering the substance using a dosing device in the drug delivery device, determining the amount of the substance delivered using the measuring system of the drug delivery device, and documenting the identity of the substance, identification data of the object and data on the delivered amount of the substance using the electrical circuit of the drug delivery device.

[00170] (23) The method of claim (22), further comprising outputting input currents through the measurement system power circuit, receiving input currents in the measurement system inductor array, creating inductive interactions between the inductor array and the dosing system piston, and outputting output currents in accordance with the magnitude of inductive interactions.

[00171] (24) The method according to claims (22) or (23), in which the device for drug delivery contains a cylinder for placing a substance, a piston with the possibility of sliding movement in the cylinder along the piston and a measuring system fixed along the cylinder.

[00172] (25) The method according to any one of paragraphs. (22)-(24), additionally including the creation of non-contact interaction with the piston using the measuring system.

[00173] (26) The method according to any one of paragraphs. (22)-(25), additionally including the creation of output currents using the measuring system in accordance with the results of the numerical determination of the non-contact interaction.

[00174] (27) The method according to any one of paragraphs. (22)-(26), in which the non-contact interaction is an inductive interaction, and the measuring system contains a set of coils to create an inductive interaction.

[00175] (28) The method according to any one of paragraphs. (22)-(27), in which the piston contains an inductance marker.

[00176] (29) The method according to any one of paragraphs. (22)-(28), in which the non-contact interaction is a magnetic field, and the measuring system contains magnetic field sensors for sensing the magnetic field.

[00177] (30) The method according to any one of paragraphs. (22 - (29), in which the piston contains a magnetic marker to create a magnetic field.

[00178] (31) The method according to any one of paragraphs. (22)-(29), in which the non-contact interaction is a magnetic induction interaction, and the measuring system contains magnetic induction sensors, for example, displacement sensors.

[00179] (32) The method according to any one of paragraphs. (22)-(31), in which the non-contact interaction is a sound interaction, and the measuring system contains a microwave generator.

[00180] (33) The method according to any one of paragraphs. (22)-(32), in which the non-contact interaction is an optical interaction, and the measuring system contains an optical sensor.

[00181] In the foregoing discussion, only exemplary embodiments of the subject matter of this disclosure have been disclosed and described. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the objectives of the invention as described herein may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit of the invention or its essential characteristics. Therefore, this description is intended solely to illustrate and not to limit the scope of the objects of the present invention, as well as the scope of the claims of the present invention.

[00182] In accordance with the above principles of the invention, numerous modifications and embodiments of the invention according to this description are possible. As a result, it should be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be embodied in other embodiments than those specifically described herein.

Claims (36)

1. Device for drug delivery, containing: cylinder (B-1100) for containing the substance; a piston (B-1200) slidable in the cylinder along a stroke (L) of the piston; power supply circuit (S-1300) to provide input currents; antenna (C-1100) fixed along the cylinder (B-1100), characterized in that the antenna contains: a circuit board with layers (C-1110) stacked in series and connected to the power circuit (C-1300), and sets of coils (C-1120) of inductance on layers (C-1110) of said layers, passing along the stroke (L) of the piston for: - receiving input currents, - creation of inductive resistance together with the piston and - issuance of output currents in accordance with the value of inductive resistance; and an electrical data processing circuit connected to the inductors and configured to: - receiving output currents and - determining the amount of substance inside the cylinder (B-1100) based on output currents. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the coil sets have different coil configurations, said coil configurations including coil shape, coil longitudinal, coil transverse, and/or winding direction. 3. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that at least two sets of coils of the sets of coils are offset by a predetermined displacement distance (D0) from each other to provide a first output current, in accordance with the position of the piston within the first part of the stroke ( L) of the piston, and a second output current, according to the position of the piston in the second part of the stroke (L) of the piston. 4. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that the displacement distance is substantially equal to half the width of the coils in at least two sets of inductors. 5. The device according to claim 3, characterized in that the displacement distance is substantially equal to half the length of the coils in at least two sets of inductors. 6. The device according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the circuit board further includes: the first layer with the first single coil (C-1122); the second layer with the second single coil (S-1124); a third layer with a first pair of coils (C-1126) offset by a predetermined offset distance; and a fourth layer with a second pair of coils (C-1128) offset by a predetermined offset distance. 7. The device according to any one of paragraphs. 1-6, characterized in that the sets of coils are electrically connected together in groups, each of which provides a corresponding one of the output currents. 8. The device according to any one of paragraphs. 1-7, characterized in that the coils are square or rectangular. 9. The device according to any one of paragraphs. 1-7, characterized in that the coils are oval or spherical. 10. The device according to any one of paragraphs. 1-9, characterized in that at least one of the sets of coils consists of two coils located side by side on one of the layers and rotating in opposite directions. 11. The device according to any one of paragraphs. 1-10, characterized in that it additionally contains: an object identifier (D-1100) for determining the object marker (D-1110) and issuing object read signals according to the object data; a substance identifier (D-1200) for reading the substance marker (D-1210) and issuing substance reading signals according to the substance data; in this case, the electrical circuit for data processing is configured to: - reception of object reading signals and substance reading signals, - extracting data about the object based on the object reading signals and - extracting data about the substance based on the substance reading signals. 12. The device according to claim. 11, characterized in that the marker (D-1110) of the object is an RFID chip, and the identifier (D-1100) of the object is configured to read the RFID chip. 13. The device according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the marker (D-1210) of the substance is an RFID chip placed on the container containing the substance, and the identifier (D-1200) of the substance is configured to read the RFID chip. 14. The device according to paragraphs. 11, 12 or 13, characterized in that it further comprises a network controller configured to send substance amount data, object data, and substance data to at least one of the database and the electronic device.

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