Claims for Patent: 9,457,154

Summary for Patent: 9,457,154

Title:	Injection device with an end of dose feedback mechanism
Abstract:	An injection device with a dose delivering mechanism being adapted to provide a non-visual, e.g. audible and/or tactile, feedback signal when a set dose has been at least substantially injected. A first and a second part of the injection device are adapted to perform a relative rotational movement with respect to each other. The relative rotational movement causes at least two parts of the injection device to abut or engage, and this abutment or engagement causes the non-visual feedback signal to be generated. A very distinct and precise feedback is provided as compared to prior art axial solutions because the generation of the feedback signal is initiated by the relative rotational movement. Feedback signal may be generated by a change in a rotational velocity of at least one part, e.g. by changing the pitch of a threaded portion or by engaging a non-rotating part and a rotating part, thereby causing the non-rotating part to start rotating. May alternatively be generated by building up and releasing a tension. The injection device is suitable for injecting insulin.
Inventor(s):	Moller; Claus Schmidt (Fredensborg, DK), Radmer; Bo (Hillerod, DK), Nielsen; Lars Ulrik (Virum, DK), Engaard; Christian Peter (Vejby, DK)
Assignee:	Novo Nordisk A/S (Bagsvaerd, DK)
Application Number:	11/813,389
Patent Litigation and PTAB cases:	See patent lawsuits and PTAB cases for patent 9,457,154
Patent Claims:	1. An injection device comprising: a housing having a longitudinal axis, a dose setting member being operable by a user to set a desired dose to be injected, the desired dose thereby being a set dose, a piston rod being adapted to cooperate with a piston so as to cause the set dose to be injected from an ampoule, and a dose delivering mechanism being adapted to operate the piston rod in such a way that the set dose is injected by means of a mechanically biased mechanism comprising at least one spring, the dose delivering mechanism further being adapted to provide a distinct audible feedback signal to a user only at the end of injection of the set dose, wherein first and second parts of the injection device are adapted to perform a relative rotational movement around a longitudinal axis with respect to each other during injection of a dose, and wherein said relative rotational movement causes at least the first and the second parts of the injection device to abut or engage, said abutment or engagement causing the audible feedback signal to be generated. 2. An injection device according to claim 1, wherein the audible feedback signal further comprises a tactile signal. 3. An injection device according to claim 1, wherein the abutment or engagement is caused by a change in a rotational velocity of at least one part of the dose delivering mechanism. 4. An injection device according to claim 3, further comprising a ratchet operating the piston rod and having a threaded portion being adapted to engage with a part of the dose delivering mechanism, and wherein the change in a rotational velocity is generated by a change in the pitch of the threaded portion of the ratchet, said change in the pitch in return causing a change in a translational velocity of said part of the dose delivering mechanism, said change in translational velocity causing at least the first and the second parts of the injection device to abut, thereby causing the audible feedback signal to be generated. 5. An injection device according to claim 3, wherein the dose delivering mechanism comprises a first dose part and a second dose part, the first dose part being adapted to rotate relatively to the housing during injection of a dose and the first dose part comprising means for engaging the second dose part at the end of injection of a set dose, thereby causing the second dose part to rotate along with the first dose part, and wherein the audible feedback signal is generated by the resulting rotational movement of the second dose part. 6. An injection device according to claim 5, wherein the second dose part is positioned between the first dose part and the housing. 7. An injection device according to claim 1, wherein the audible feedback signal is generated as a result of an abutment between the first and the second parts of the dose delivering mechanism performing a relative rotational movement. 8. An injection device according to claim 7, wherein the audible feedback signal is generated by releasing a tension which has previously been introduced in a part of the injection device, the release of the tension being caused by the abutment between the first and the second parts. 9. An injection device according to claim 8, wherein the tensed part comprises a spring means. 10. An injection device according to claim 8, wherein the tension is introduced during dose setting. 11. An injection device according to claim 8, wherein the tension is introduced during injection of a dose. 12. An injection device comprising: a housing having a longitudinal axis, a dose setting member being operable to set a desired dose to be injected, a piston rod being configured to cooperate with a piston so as to cause a set dose to be injected from an ampoule, and a dose delivering mechanism being configured to operate the piston rod in such a way that a set dose is injected, wherein the dose delivering mechanism further is configured to provide an audible feedback signal to a user only at the end of injection of a set dose, wherein first and second parts of the injection device are arranged and configured to perform a relative rotational movement around a longitudinal axis with respect to each other during injection of a dose, wherein said relative rotational motion is performed in such a manner that one of the first and second parts performs a helical motion accompanying a displacement in the longitudinal direction of the injection device, and wherein said relative rotational movement causes at least two parts of the injection device to abut or engage, said abutment or engagement causing the audible feedback signal to be generated. 13. An injection device as in claim 12, wherein the abutment of the first and second parts occurs only after substantially all of the set dose is delivered from the pen. 14. An injection device according to claim 12, wherein the feedback signal further comprises a tactile signal. 15. An injection device comprising: a housing having a longitudinal axis, a dose setting member being operable by a user to set a desired dose to be injected, the desired dose thereby being a set dose, a piston rod being adapted to cooperate with a piston so as to cause the set dose to be injected from an ampoule, and a dose delivering mechanism being adapted to operate the piston rod in such a way that the set dose is injected by means of a mechanically biased mechanism comprising at least one spring, the dose delivering mechanism further being adapted to provide a distinct audible feedback signal to a user only at the end of injection of the set dose, wherein first and second parts of the injection device are adapted to perform a relative rotational movement around a longitudinal axis with respect to each other during injection of a dose, and wherein said relative rotational movement between the first and the second parts causes at least the first and the second parts of the injection device to abut or engage, said abutment or engagement of the first and second parts causing the audible feedback signal to be generated. 16. An injection device comprising: a housing having a longitudinal axis, a dose setting member being operable by a user to set a desired dose to be injected, the desired dose thereby being a set dose, wherein the dose setting member is rotatable about a longitudinal axis, a piston rod being adapted to cooperate with a piston so as to cause the set dose to be injected from an ampoule, and a dose delivering mechanism being adapted to operate the piston rod in such a way that the set dose is injected by means of a mechanically biased mechanism comprising at least one spring, the dose delivering mechanism further being adapted to provide a distinct audible feedback signal to a user only at the end of injection of the set dose, wherein first and second parts of the injection device are adapted to perform a relative rotational movement around a longitudinal axis with respect to each other during injection of a dose, wherein the rotation is about the longitudinal axis and wherein said relative rotational movement between the first and the second parts causes at least the first and the second parts of the injection device to abut or engage during the final portion of an injection, said abutment or engagement of the first and second parts causing the audible feedback signal to be generated. 17. An injection device as in claim 16, wherein the abutment of the first and second parts occurs only after substantially all of the set dose is delivered from the pen.