TWI417118B - Medicament delivery device - Google Patents

Description

Drug delivery device

The present invention relates to a drug delivery device, particularly a device that can be controlled during different operational steps.

There are many syringes on the market that have high functionality and automatic features such as: mixing, puncture, injection, dose setting, pre-flushing and coverage of the needle after use. At the same time, it needs to be rugged, reusable, reliable, and sometimes difficult to handle when dealing with complex versatility, including many interactive components. When there is a low production cost requirement, especially for devices that are used only once, the situation is more complicated.

The patent literature has many solutions for injection devices that have never been available due to their inability to meet demand. Therefore, it is continually searched for solutions that meet functional and/or economical requirements.

Many devices have a variety of functions that can be operated in sequence, such as: mixing followed by pre-flushing, followed by puncture, then injection, and then retraction. Subsequent steps are triggered by the end of the previous step, such as when the depth of the needle is fully punctured, the injection is triggered. Many of these functions and sequences are initiated and implemented by a tensioning force spring that, when released, moves the components of the conveyor by a force of a force (eg, friction, hydraulic resistance, etc.) at a spring force.

However, there are many examples of the order in which they are implemented and may be controlled at a slow rate. One example is the mixing of drugs in a two-compartment vial. For certain types of drugs, if the liquid is forced into the bottle containing the powdered drug too Fast, it will foam and it is difficult to remove, so it has a negative impact on the injection. In another case, when a particular drug is injected too quickly, it can cause pain because the tissue absorbs the drug at a slower rate than the drug. Yet another example is delayed after the end of the injection until the drug delivery device is removed from the injection site.

Some attempts have been made to control the sequential control of the drug delivery device. Document WO 88/10129 discloses an example of a slow delivery injection device. It includes a syringe having a spring acting on a plunger rod via a piston in a stationary housing. The spring has a damper inside, and a valve sets the damping resistance of the damper to set the injection speed. According to WO 88/10129, its speed control is cumbersome and is not used or implemented to implement a hand-held drug delivery device, such as a pen-type syringe. Another example is disclosed in WO2007020090A1.

Therefore, the speed control mechanism needs to be reliable, flexible, less parts and light enough to be utilized in handheld drug delivery devices.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a drug delivery device that can compensate for today's shortcomings and that provides a good sequential speed control in a hand-held drug delivery device.

This goal can be accomplished by the characteristics of a separate item of patent scope. A more preferred embodiment of the invention is the subject matter of the scope of this patent.

According to a primary aspect of the present invention, a drug delivery device includes a housing; a drug container is disposed within the housing, wherein the container has a front opening or a drug delivery device for delivering a drug therethrough, and at least one movable Cork stopper; drug delivery drive device includes a slim plunger rod and stopper Touching, and a power source for driving the plunger rod, and wherein the drug delivery drive can be moved from the firing position within the drug container to the released position, and thus can apply pressure to the stopper for administration via the drug Discharging the drug to the device; the operable release device is movable in a firing position (the manual operation releasing device supports the drug delivery driving device) and an activation position (the manual operation releasing device releases the drug delivery driving device) Between: the apparatus includes a movement speed control mechanism including at least one elongated and flexible compartment fixedly attached to the outer casing, and wherein the compartment contains viscous liquid, and at least one flexible speed control member is detached from the plunger The rod extends out and a contact surface is provided with a longitudinal passage; wherein the contact surface is pressed against the at least one compartment to force the liquid to pass through the member, and thus the drug delivery drive is displaced from the firing position In the open position, the movement speed control of the drug delivery drive is generated.

According to another aspect of the present invention, at least one flexible speed control member 44 extends radially outward from the plunger rod and has a slope toward the front end of the plunger rod such that the greater the driving force, from the flexible compartment The greater the pressure from the contact surface 46.

According to another aspect of the invention, the angle between the at least one flexible speed control member and the front end of the plunger rod is between 45 and 90 degrees.

According to another aspect of the invention, the power source is a compression spring inside the plunger rod.

According to another aspect of the invention, the contact surface has a rounded portion.

According to another aspect of the invention, the compartments have different volumes and thus produce different speeds along the compartment.

According to another aspect of the present invention, in order to change the speed control characteristics, the viscosity of the liquid can be changed.

The present invention has a number of advantages in that the speed control mechanism positively controls the speed and function of the various components of the drug delivery device. In this connection, hydraulic dampers squeeze liquid through a narrow passage, providing a reliable and simple solution with a few components.

The solution of the present invention in turn provides a number of potential values to control and regulate the speed of different functions of the drug delivery device. Therefore, the speed can be adjusted according to the desired result. The speed can be increased or slowed by changing the passage through which the liquid is squeezed, or by changing the viscosity of the liquid, or by changing the amount of liquid in the compartment, or by changing the size of the passage on the contact surface. Moreover, due to the structural design of the at least one flexible speed control member, the speed control of the drug delivery is independent of the magnitude of the driving force from the power source.

These and other advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is an illustration of a drug delivery device in accordance with the present invention, physically indicating a drug injector. It includes a conventional elongated casing 12. A drug container 14 is located within the housing, wherein the container has a front opening or drug delivery device for delivering medicament therethrough, and the container also has at least one removable stopper 20. The outer casing is provided with a neck 16 on a drug administration device 18 (e.g., an attached injection needle).

The device includes a drug delivery drive from within the drug container 14 The firing position is moved to the released position, and thus pressure can be applied to the stopper to expel the medication via the medication administration device. The drug delivery drive includes an elongated plunger rod 22 at the front end in contact with the stopper, and a power source 24 (shown in the body by a compression spring) located within the plunger rod. A guide rod 26 is again located within the spring. When the drug delivery drive is in the firing position, the spring 24 is stretched to accumulate the driving force and is supported by the manually operated release device (as explained below) with the plunger rod in the retracted position. When the drug delivery drive is in the released position, the spring 24 within the container is released together with the plunger rod.

The manually operated release device is movable between a firing position (the manual operation release device supports the drug delivery drive) and an activation position (the manual operation release device releases the drug delivery drive). The manually operated release device includes a driver 38 having arms 36 and a ledge 34 at its free end. When the manually operated release device is in the locked position, the ledge 34 contacts the projection 32 of the flexible arm 30 on the inner face of the outer casing.

A rearward groove 28 (Fig. 2) is provided at the rear end of the plunger rod to the left of the finger. When the drug delivery drive is in the firing position and the user takes the device, the projection 32 is initially located within the recess 28 (e.g., a circumferential groove). The projection 32 is supported within the circumferential groove by projecting the inwardly extending ledge 34 (on the arm 36 of the actuator 38). In the entity diagram, the button extends from the rear end of the housing. A spring 40 is also located between the inner face of the button and a fixed face 42 of the outer casing.

According to the invention, the physical icon shows a movement speed control mechanism comprising at least one elongated and flexible compartment 48 (eg, an elongated flexible bag) fixedly attached to An outer casing, and wherein the flexible compartment contains a viscous liquid; and at least one flexible speed control member 44 extends from the plunger rod and has a contact surface 46 provided with a longitudinal passage; wherein the contact surface is biased against the at least A flexible compartment is pressed to force the liquid through the member, and thus a movement speed control of the drug delivery drive is generated when the drug delivery drive is moved from the fired position to the released position.

The contact surface 46 has the shape of a circular portion (e.g., a roll) whose principles and functions are described below. The liquid in each flexible compartment and the force from each speed control member 44 causes each contact surface 46 to press each flexible compartment at each contact point, as will be described below. The length of each flexible compartment is generally consistent with the length of the transport sequence (labeled in the solid map). However, other suitable lengths of the flexible compartment will be described below. Furthermore, at least one flexible speed control member 44 extends radially outward from the plunger rod and has a slope toward the front end of the plunger rod such that the greater the driving force, the pressure from the contact surface 46 against the flexible compartment The bigger. The angle between the at least one flexible speed control member 44 and the front end of the plunger rod is between 45 and 90 degrees. This structural design makes the speed control of the drug delivery independent of the driving force of the power source.

This device is intended to function as follows. When the user wants to inject a dose of medication, he/she attaches a medication administration device 18 to the device neck 16 as needed. The device is placed on the injection site and the user initiates manual operation of the release device (from the firing position to the activation position) by pressing the driver 38. This causes the ledge 34 of the arm 36 to separate from the projection 32, thereby being free to separate from the recess of the plunger rod 22. Due to the force of the compression spring, the plunger rod moves forward, so the stopper 20 moves to discharge the medicine via the drug administration device.

However, movement of the plunger rod causes each contact surface 46 of each speed control member to move along each liquid flexible compartment 48 (Fig. 3). Due to the pressing and squeezing action of each contact surface 46, the liquid is forced to flow through the longitudinal passage of each contact surface, with the result that the movement of the plunger rod 22 is effortless and reliable. Therefore the speed control of the delivery is obtained from such a hydraulic damper. The drug delivery sequence is therefore controlled in a very efficient and robust manner.

From the above description, the speed of the device components according to this invention can be varied in a number of ways depending on the application and/or function. Therefore, the buckling characteristics of the speed control member 44 can be changed in order to increase/decrease the compressive force. Again, the contact surface 46 can have other shapes to affect the compression action so that the opening passes through it and the liquid is compressed. Liquid viscosity can also be altered, thus affecting inhibition or speed control characteristics. The liquid can be water or eucalyptus oil. Again, the shape and size of the flexible compartment 48 can also be altered to alter the characteristics of the damper. For example, there may be different areas above and below the flexible compartment, whereby the movement process can change the speed. Furthermore, the inner surface of the outer casing has longitudinal grooves which open the opening for the liquid.

The flexible compartment 48 is only located in one of the moving distances of the components, such as the user wishing to process the last part of the delivery sequence at a low speed to ensure emptying of the drug container, during the processing of the last part of the delivery sequence, the flexible compartment and contact Contact. In the other part of the delivery sequence, the plunger rod moves at the speed provided by the spring. Due to the preferred flexible attachment 44 and the angle β between them (see Figure 1), some self-driving function can be obtained.

Other components and/or functions may be used with the drug delivery device in accordance with the device of the present invention. For example, the mixing speed of the double vials can be controlled to allow enough time to mix the drugs and liquids without foaming. Furthermore, puncture and / or injection needle The retracted movement can be controlled and used as a delay function.

The drug container can include many different types of containers, such as vials, ampoules, glass bottles, and aerosol bottles, to name a few. The invention is also applicable to other types of delivery devices, such as powder or aerosol inhalers and nebulizers. A mouthpiece or mouthpiece can deliver the drug for inhalation.

Other types of power sources can also be used to deliver medication to a patient, such as a time spring, a scroll spring, a gas spring, a hydraulic spring, or other non-electrical power source suitable for use in the present invention.

The embodiments and the drawings described above are only to be considered as limiting examples of the invention, and the invention may be modified in many ways within the scope of the patent.

12‧‧‧ Shell

14‧‧‧ drug container

20‧‧‧ stopper

22‧‧‧Plunger rod

24‧‧‧Power source

32‧‧‧Protrusions

34‧‧‧ ledge

38‧‧‧ drive

44‧‧‧Flexible speed control components

46‧‧‧Contact surface

48‧‧‧(flexible) compartment

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In the following detailed description, reference is made to the drawings in which: FIG.

Figure 2 is a diagram of the physical explosion according to Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side cross-sectional view of the invention in accordance with the present invention when the drug is delivered.

12‧‧‧ Shell

14‧‧‧ drug container

18‧‧‧Drug application device

20‧‧‧ stopper

22‧‧‧Plunger rod

24‧‧‧Power source

26‧‧‧Guide bars

30‧‧‧(flexible) arm

32‧‧‧ Protrusion

34‧‧‧ ledge

36‧‧‧ Arm

38‧‧‧ drive

40‧‧‧ Spring

42‧‧‧Fixed surface

44‧‧‧(flexible) speed control member

46‧‧‧Contact surface

48‧‧‧(flexible) compartment

Claims (10)

A drug delivery device comprising: a housing (12); a drug container (14) in the housing, wherein the container has a front opening or a drug delivery device for delivering a drug therethrough, and at least one removable stopper (20) The drug delivery drive device includes a elongated plunger rod (22) having a front end and a rear end, wherein the front end is in contact with the stopper, and a power source (24) is used to drive the plunger rod, wherein the drug delivery driving device The drug can be moved from the firing position within the drug container (14) to the released position, and thus a pressure can be applied to the stopper to expel the drug via the drug administration device; the manually operated release device (38) can be moved to a a firing position (the manual operation releasing device supports the drug delivery driving device) and an activation position (the manual operation releasing device releases the drug delivery driving device); characterized in that the device includes a moving speed control mechanism including at least one An elongated flexible compartment (48) is fixedly attached to the outer casing, and wherein the flexible compartment contains a viscous liquid, and at least one flexible speed control member (44) extends from the plunger rod and has a contact surface ( 46) with longitudinal a channel; wherein the contact surface is pressed against the at least one flexible compartment to force the liquid to pass through the member, and thus the drug delivery drive is generated when the drug delivery drive is moved from the firing position to the released position The speed of movement control. The drug delivery device of claim 1, wherein the at least one flexible speed control member (44) extends radially outward from the plunger rod, There is also a tilt toward the front end of the plunger rod such that the greater the driving force, the greater the pressure from the contact surface (46) against the flexible compartment. The drug delivery device of claim 2, wherein the angle between the at least one flexible speed control member (44) and the front end of the plunger rod is between 45 and 90 degrees. The drug delivery device of claim 1 or 2, wherein the power source is a compression spring located within the plunger rod. The drug delivery device of claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the contact surface has the shape of a circular portion. The drug delivery device of claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the at least one flexible compartment (48) has a different amount of liquid, thus producing different speeds. The drug delivery device according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the viscosity of the liquid can be changed to change the speed control characteristics. A drug delivery device according to claim 2, wherein the manually operated release device comprises a driver (38) having an arm (36) and a ledge (34) at its free end, when the manually operated release device is When the position is locked, the ledge is in contact with the projections (32) of the flexible arms (30) on the inner face of the outer casing. The drug delivery device of claim 8, wherein the protrusion (32) is in contact with the groove (28) of the plunger rod (22) when the drug delivery driving device (22, 24) is located at the firing device. The drug delivery device of claim 9, wherein the ledge (34) is separated from the projection (32) such that the projection can also exit the groove (28) when the manually operated release device is in the activated position.