NZ799576B2 - Auto-injector - Google Patents

Abstract

injection device includes a needle movable from a retracted configuration and a deployed configuration, a piston configured to move within a vial, a motor configured to apply force against the piston, and a controller coupled to the motor. The controller is configured to receive an indication that the injection device is positioned in contact with a user, and upon receiving the indication, send a signal to the motor to apply force against the piston in a first direction, causing a needle to move from the retracted configuration to the deployed configuration. The controller is also configured to retract the needle via sending a signal to apply force against the piston in a second direction, causing the needle to retract without user intervention. The current invention provides a simple system for automatic injection without requiring additional user actions.

Claims (20)

THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1. An injection device, comprising: a needle movable from a retracted configuration to a deployed configuration; a piston configured to move within a vial; a motor configured to apply force against the piston; and a controller coupled to the motor, wherein the ller is configured to: receive an indication that the injection device is oned in t with a user; after receiving the indication, sending a signal to the motor to apply force against the piston in a first direction, wherein applying force in the first direction causes the needle to move from the retracted configuration to the deployed configuration; and without ing any intervention by the user after receiving the indication, and after sending the signal to apply force against the piston in the first direction, automatically g a signal to the motor to apply force against the piston in a second direction, wherein applying force in the second direction causes the needle to retract.

2. The injection device of claim 1, further including a housing ing the vial, the piston, the motor, the controller, and the needle when the needle is in the retracted configuration, wherein the needle extends out of the housing in the deployed configuration.

3. The injection device of any one of the preceding claims, further including a cover or a shield that contains a distalmost n of the needle in the retracted configuration.

4. The injection device of any one of the preceding claims, r including an audio module, a visual module, and a haptic module, each of the modules being coupled to the controller and configured to provide feedback to the user.

5. The injection device of any one of the preceding claims, further including a top that seals an opening of the vial, the top including a portion including a rubber material that is permeable to a ant, n the needle includes a proximalmost portion configured to be coupled with the vial, and, before the needle and vial are in fluid communication with one another, the proximalmost portion of the needle is disposed within the portion including the rubber material.

6. The injection device of any one of the preceding claims, further including a ever coupled to the controller, and movable by the needle, wherein, when the needle is in the retracted configuration, the cantilever forms part of an open circuit that s to the controller that the needle is in the retracted uration, and when the needle is in the deployed configuration, the cantilever forms part of a closed circuit that signals to the controller that the needle is in the deployed configuration.

7. The injection device of any one of the preceding claims, further including one or more spring contacts configured to form an electrical connection between the motor and the controller.

8. The injection device of any one of the preceding , further including an activating switch movable between an extended position and a depressed position; wherein the indication is based at least in part on the activating switch being in the depressed position.

9. The injection device of any one of the ing claims, further including a touch sensor configured to detect contact with skin, n the indication is based at least in part on the touch sensor ing contact with skin.

10. The injection device of claim 9, wherein the touch sensor includes a tive sensing ode and is configured to detect contact with skin based on a change in a capacitance of the capacitive sensing electrode.

11. The injection device of any one of the preceding claims, further including: an emitter configured to transmit light through the vial; and a detector configured to receive the light and to detect interruption of the light by the piston.

12. The injection device of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to send the signal to the motor to apply force against the piston in the second direction in response to interruption of the light by the .

13. The ion device of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured, after a predetermined delay, to send the signal to the motor to apply force against the piston in the second direction in response to interruption of the light by the piston.

14. The injection device of any one of the preceding claims, further ing a wireless ication module configured to transmit to a remote device one or more of: diagnostic information of the injection device, information indicative of an error state of the injection device, and information indicative of completion of an injection.

15. The ion device of any one of claims 1-13, r including a wireless ication module configured to receive an activation command from a remote device, wherein the indication is based at least in part on the activation command.

16. A method of operating the injection device of claim 1, the method comprising: exposing the injection device to a sterilizing gas; removing the injection device from a packaging, wherein removing the injection device from the packaging causes a needle guard to be removed from the needle; and toggling an activating switch on the injection device, wherein toggling the activating switch causes a medicament to be expelled from the vial.

17. The injection device of claim 1, further comprising: an audio emitting device; a housing enclosing the needle, the vial, and the audio emitting device; a plurality of lights coupled to the g, wherein the plurality of lights are configured to illuminate upon activation of the injection device; and n the audio emitting device is configured to emit audio indicative of completion of an injection sequence.

18. The injection device of any one of claims 1-15, wherein the vial is configured to be in fluid communication with the needle.

19. The ion device of any one of claims 1-15, n in response to the motor applying force against the piston in the first direction, the needle is put in fluid communication with the vial.

20. A controller for an injection device comprising: one or more memories storing instructions; and one or more processors operatively ted to the one or more es, the one or more processors configured to execute the instructions to: receive an indication that the injection device is oned in contact with a user; after receiving the indication, send a signal to a motor to apply force against a piston in a first direction within a vial, n applying force in the first direction causes a needle to move from a retracted configuration to a deployed configuration; and without requiring any intervention by the user after receiving the indication, and after sending the signal to apply force against the piston in the first direction, automatically g a signal to the motor to apply force against the piston in a second direction, wherein applying force in the second direction causes the needle to retract. SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) atian “$355 ‘ E Tauch g Sensar SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) ‘ESGZ SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26)