WO2009150043A1

WO2009150043A1 - Medicament delivery device having two compartments fixedly arranged parallel to each other

Info

Publication number: WO2009150043A1
Application number: PCT/EP2009/056409
Authority: WO
Inventors: Anders Wiselblad
Original assignee: Shl Group Ab
Priority date: 2008-06-11
Filing date: 2009-05-27
Publication date: 2009-12-17

Abstract

The present invention relates to a medicament delivery device, comprising a housing having a first (12) and a second (14) elongated compartments, wherein said first compartment (12) is arranged to store a medicament container holder (16) arranged to hold a medicament container (18) and to which medicament container a delivery member (60) can be attached; and wherein said second compartment (14) is arranged to comprise actuation means (30); characterised in that said compartments are fixedly arranged parallel to each other forming a large grasp surface, and in that said second compartment further comprises attachment means (52) on its inner annular surface arranged to cooperate with corresponding attachment means (28) arranged on the outer annular surface of said medicament container holder, such that said actuation means (30) is capable of, upon actuation, expelling a dose of medicament from said medicament container (20) through said delivery member (60) after said medicament container holder is attached to said second compartment.

Description

MEDICAMENT DELIVERY DEVICE HAVING TWO COMPARTMENTS FIXEDLY ARRANGED PARALLEL TO EACH OTHER

TECHNICAL AREA

The present invention relates to a medicament delivery device and in particular an injector.

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND

A large number of medicament delivery devices such as injectors have been developed during a number of years, having a number of different features that can facilitate in particular the self-administration of medicament. The features include mixing, priming, penetration, injection, retraction of the injection needle and covering of the injection needle, where all or some of the features are performed automatically upon actuation. These features have been combined in many ways in different injectors.

A main design of the above mentioned type of injectors is a generally elongated tubular shape as well as pen-shape. The advantage with this shape is that it can accommodate elongated plunger rods that act on medicament containers, where the plunger rods are acted upon by spiral springs, such that the components are placed after each other in the longitudinal direction of the injector.

However, this design also means that the injector tends to be rather long and in particular when a number of the above mentioned features are included in the injector. This can be a major drawback for the users and in particular when the injectors are used publicly and/or if the user has to carry the injector with him. Most users do not want to show others that they use such medical devices, and therefore there is a general desire that they are as small as possible.

Document US 5,137,516 discloses an injection device that is divided in two parts when not in use, which parts are stored in a housing, which fits into the pocket or handbag of the user. When the injector is to be used, the housing is opened; a syringe administrating device is pulled out and threaded onto a syringe cartridge housing containing a medicament container onto which an injection needle is attached. When threaded together the assembled injector is withdrawn from the housing whereby a rubber septum covering the needle is removed. The injector is now ready for use. The housing could further include compartments for further syringe cartridge housings.

The drawback with this solution is that the housing during use is an additional part or component that has to be placed somewhere or stored until the injection procedure is terminated, after which the injector is again disassembled and put back into the housing.

Document patent application No. US 2007/0219506 discloses a disassemble injection device comprising two parts connectable beside each other, where one part contains an ampoule with medicament and the other part contains a plunger rod and mechanism for bringing it forward. When the user is to perform an injection of a dose of medicament, the parts are separated from each other and the proximal end of the drive mechanism part is connected to the distal end of the ampoule part.

The drawback with the solution according to '506 is that it requires two connection mechanisms between the parts, one mechanism for attaching them detachably side by side and a further mechanism for attaching them after each other. The document shows a number of alternatives to the side-by-side connection, all of them rather complicated and thus costly to manufacture. In order for the mechanism to actually function as intended without breaking, it is apparent that they should be made of a metallic material such as e.g. aluminium, which makes the device even more costly to manufacture.

Moreover, none of the devices described in the above mentioned documents offer a large grasp surface to patients that have suffer of hand dexterity when grasping such a device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The aim of the present invention is to provide a medical delivery device that provides a very compact appearance when not in use, and provides an ergonomic grasp and simplified function when to be used.

This aim is obtained according to the present invention with a medical delivery device with the features according to the independent patent claims. Preferable embodiments of the invention form the subject of the dependent patent claims.

According to a main aspect of the invention, it is characterised by a medicament delivery device, comprising a housing having a first and a second elongated compartments, wherein said first compartment is arranged to store a medicament container holder arranged to hold a medicament container and to which medicament container a delivery member can be attached; and wherein said second compartment is arranged to comprise actuation means; characterised in that said compartments are fixedly arranged parallel to each other forming a large grasp surface, and in that said second compartment further comprises attachment means on its inner annular surface arranged to cooperate with corresponding attachment means arranged on the outer annular surface of said medicament container holder, such that said actuation means is capable of, upon actuation, expelling a dose of medicament from said medicament container through said delivery member after said medicament container holder is attached to said second compartment.

According to a further aspect of the invention, said attachment means said are bayonet fixings or threads.

According to yet an aspect of the invention, said medicament container is a multi chamber container, and wherein a mixing of the components of the chambers is performed when the medicament container holder is threaded into said second compartment. According to another aspect of the invention, said actuation means comprises a plunger rod, a resilient means arranged compressed within the plunger rod, manually activation means and locking means for locking said plunger rod and said resilient means in a compressed state until said medicament container holder is attached to said second compartment.

According to a further aspect of the invention, said housing further comprises a third compartment for storing an injection needle.

There are a number of advantages with the present invention. Because the injector is in two parts when not ready for use, a very compact and handy device is obtained which easily can be put in a handbag for example. Further, during use, the user holds the two compartment housing, which provides a better and more comfortable grip than an ordinary tubular housing.

There is further an advantage that the housing is used as a part of the injector when it is to be used, thereby requiring fewer components. The housing could then be arranged with different automatic functions such as injection. It is also then an advantage that the function cannot be activated until the medicament container holder is properly attached to the housing. Until then an actuation button cannot be depressed.

In an embodiment of the invention, the injector could handle a multi chamber container, and in that respect the mixing is preferably performed when the two parts are properly attached to each other. In a further preferable embodiment, an injection needle is also arranged in a compartment in the housing, whereby all components needed for the function of the injection are obtained.

These and other aspects of and advantages with the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and from the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference will be made to the accompanying drawings, of which

Fig. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a medicament delivery device according to the present invention, Figs. 2-6 show different functional positions of the device according Fig. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In the present application, when the term "distal part/end" is used, this refers to the part/end of the medicament delivery device, or the parts/ends of the members thereof, which under use of the medicament delivery device is located the furthest away from the medicament delivery site of the patient.

Correspondingly, when the term "proximal part/end" is used, this refers to the part/end of the medicament delivery device, or the parts/ends of the members thereof, which under use of the device is located closest to the medicament delivery site of the patient.

The medicament delivery device shown in the drawings comprises a housing 10. The housing in its turn comprises a first 12 and a second 14 elongated compartment fixedly arranged parallel to each other forming a large grasp surface, wherein said first compartment 12 is arranged to store a medicament container holder 16 arranged to hold a medicament container 18 and to which medicament container a delivery member 60, such as an injection needle, can be attached; and wherein said second compartment 14 is arranged to comprise actuation means 30. The second compartment further comprises attachment means 52 on its inner annular surface arranged to cooperate with corresponding attachment means 28 arranged on the outer annular surface of said medicament container holder, such that said actuation means 30 is capable of, upon actuation, expelling a dose of medicament from said medicament container 20 through said delivery member after said medicament container holder is attached to said second compartment. In the embodiment shown, the medicament container 18 is a multi chamber container where one chamber 20 contains medicament in powder form and the other chamber 22 contains a diluent. The two chambers are sealed off by a first stopper 24. The end of the container is sealed off by a second stopper 26.

The attachment means (28, 52) comprises threads as sown in Figs. 2 and 3. Moreover, the threads 52 of the second compartment have a corresponding pitch as the threads of the container holder 16.

The actuation means which are arranged to perform a delivery of medicament comprises a plunger rod 32, a resilient means as a spring (not shown) arranged compressed within the plunger rod, manually activation means and locking means for locking said plunger rod and said resilient means in a compressed state until said medicament container holder is attached to said second compartment, as will be described in detail below.

The manually activation means comprises an actuation member 46 partially surrounding a distal part of the plunger rod, and a manually actuation button 48 fixedly connected to the distal end of the actuation member 46 and protruding distally through the second compartment. The actuation member is further arranged with a ledge 50 for preventing the actuation sleeve from moving axially in the distal direction.

The locking means comprises an actuation sleeve 34 partially surrounding the actuation member 46 and the plunger rod, and a release ring 40 surrounding the actuation sleeve. The proximal end of the actuation sleeve 34 is arranged with flexible tongues 36 directed in the proximal direction, where each tongue is arranged with inwardly radially directed ledges 37. In an initial state, these ledges are positioned in a circumferential groove 38 on the plunger rod 32. The tongues and ledges are held in this position by the release ring 40. The compressed spring (not shown) within the plunger rod is arranged between a proximal wall of the plunger 30 and a wall part 46 of the actuation member 46; and the actuation member is fixedly connected to the actuation sleeve 34.

The device is intended to function as follows. When the device is delivered to the patient/user it looks like the device of Fig. 2. Here the container holder is placed in the first compartment and held in placed by ridges 54 on the outer surface mating into corresponding recesses 55 on the inner surface of the first compartment 12.

When the device is to be used, the patient pushes on two diametrically placed surfaces 56, wherein the front end of the first compartment becomes slightly oval, whereby the ridges 54 can leave the recesses and the container holder 16 can be removed from the first compartment 12, Fig. 3.

The container holder 16 is now threaded into the second compartment due to the corresponding threads 28 and 52, Fig. 4 and 5. When the container holder is threaded into the second compartment, the plunger rod 32 comes in contact with the second stopper 26 and pushes it forward. Due to the incompressibility of the diluent in the chamber, the first stopper 24 is also moved, whereby passages are freed between the first and the second chamber 20, 22 and a mixing is obtained. The user can now stop the threading of the container holder, Fig. 6. This may be indicated in a window 58 on the housing. A delivery member, here a needle, is then attached to the medicament container whereby a priming of the device is performed.

The distal end of the container holder 16 has now come in contact with the proximal end of the release ring 40 and has moved the ring such that it is only partly in contact with the flexible tongues of the actuation sleeve. The user now penetrates the injection site with the needle, and depresses the actuation button 48. This causes the actuation member 46 to act on the actuation sleeve 34 and move it towards the proximal end of the device whereby the flexible tongues 36 move out of contact with the release ring 40 causing the inwardly radially directed ledges 37 of the flexible tongues 36 to move radially outwards from the groove 38 of the plunger rod 32 for releasing the force of the compressed spring to push the plunger rod 32 towards the proximal end of the device. The plunger rod now pushes the stoppers 24, 26 towards the proximal end of the device whereby a dose of medicament is expelled through the needle 60.

When the injection is performed, the cartridge holder 16 may be screwed off and put back in the first compartment, after which the device is discarded.

It is to be understood the actuation member 46 and the actuation sleeve 34 may also be manufactured as one component.

If the a manually activated actuation button 48 is depressed before the medicament container holder is completely attached to said second compartment, the actuation member 46 acts on the actuation sleeve 34 and move it towards the proximal end of the device, but the flexible tongues 36 cannot be moved out of contact with the release ring 40 since the release ring is still surrounding the flexible tongues 36 and therefore the inwardly radially directed ledges 37 of the flexible tongues 36 cannot move radially outwards from the groove 38 of the plunger rod 32.

Even though the embodiment above has been described with a dual chamber container, it is to be understood that other types of containers can be used. In that respect, the attachment between the medicament container holder and the second compartment could be performed by other attachment means such as bayonet fixings, when mixing is not necessary.

Further, additional features such as automatic penetration function, automatic needle shield function and the like can be used. Regarding the delivery member, it could be placed for example within a third compartment of the housing (not shown). The delivery member being a needle, a safety pen needle, a nozzle or the like The wording medicament container may embrace several different types of containers such as cartridges, ampoules, syringes, vials, aerosol containers, just to mention a few. In that respect the present invention could also be used with other types of delivery devices such as powder or aerosol inhalers as well as nebulizers, with a delivery member as a nozzle e.g. a mouth piece or nasal piece and capable of delivering a medicament to be inhaled by the patient.

It is further to be understood that other types of power sources can be used for the delivery of the medicament to a patient, such as leaf springs, clock springs, constant force springs, volute springs, pneumatic or hydraulic springs or any other type of non-electric power source suitable for the intended use according to the present invention.

It is to be understood that the embodiment described above and shown in the drawings is to be regarded as a non-limiting example only and that it may be modified in many ways within the scope of the patent claims.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS

1. Medicament delivery device, comprising a housing having a first (12) and a second (14) elongated compartments, wherein said first compartment (12) is arranged to store a medicament container holder (16) arranged to hold a medicament container (18) and to which medicament container a delivery member (60) can be attached; and wherein said second compartment (14) is arranged to comprise actuation means (30); characterised in that

- said compartments are fixedly arranged parallel to each other forming a large grasp surface, and in that

- said second compartment further comprises attachment means (52) on its inner annular surface arranged to cooperate with corresponding attachment means (28) arranged on the outer annular surface of said medicament container holder, such that said actuation means (30) is capable of, upon actuation, expelling a dose of medicament from said medicament container

(20) through said delivery member (60) after said medicament container holder is attached to said second compartment.

2. Medicament delivery device according to claim 1 , wherein said attachment means (28, 52) are bayonet fixings.

3. Medicament delivery device according to claim 1 , wherein said attachment means (28, 52) are threads.

4. Medicament delivery device according to claim 3, wherein said medicament container (18) is a multi chamber container, and wherein a mixing of the components of the chambers is performed when the medicament container holder (16) is threaded into said second compartment.

5. Medicament delivery device according to any of the claims 1-4, wherein said actuation means comprises a plunger rod (32), a resilient means arranged compressed within the plunger rod, manually activation means (48, 46) and locking means (34, 40) for locking said plunger rod and said resilient means in a compressed state until said medicament container holder is attached to said second compartment.

6. Medicament delivery device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said housing further comprises a third compartment for storing an injection needle.