U.S. patent application number 10/308148 was filed with the patent office on 2003-06-12 for medicament cartridge assembly.
This patent application is currently assigned to DCA Design International Limited. Invention is credited to Woolston, Robert.
Application Number | 20030109845 10/308148 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 9927088 |
Filed Date | 2003-06-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030109845 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Woolston, Robert |
June 12, 2003 |
Medicament cartridge assembly
Abstract
A person having diabetes will often be red to take both slow
acting and fast acting forms of insulin. It is important to be able
to distinguish readily between medicament cartridges containing
different medicaments. The present invention enables more ready
distinction as between medicament cartridges containing different
medicaments. An adaptor top for a medicament catridge, the
medicament cartridge comprising a cylinder having a main body
portion, a neck portion at a first end having a radially outwardly
directed flange portion, a narrowing shoulder portion connecting
the body portion and the neck portion, a cap beaded across the
first end thereby to retain a fluid impermeable membrane, and the
adaptor top comprising a fist cylindrical body portion having a
radially inwardly directed flange at one end, in use to be seated
over and against the cap and a second cylindrical skirt portion
being adapt, in use, to be seated against the shoulder portion of
the cartridge, the second skirt portion including a plurality of
fingers, the free ends of the fingers in use being adapted to be
seated beneath the outwardly directed flange of the medicament
cartridge.
Inventors: |
Woolston, Robert; (Warwick,
GB) |
Correspondence
Address: |
OLIFF & BERRIDGE, PLC
P.O. BOX 19928
ALEXANDRIA
VA
22320
US
|
Assignee: |
DCA Design International
Limited
Warwick
GB
|
Family ID: |
9927088 |
Appl. No.: |
10/308148 |
Filed: |
December 3, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
604/403 ; 29/428;
604/189 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61J 1/062 20130101;
A61J 2205/20 20130101; A61M 2039/1038 20130101; A61J 1/18 20130101;
A61M 39/10 20130101; A61M 5/24 20130101; Y10T 29/49826 20150115;
A61J 1/1418 20150501; A61M 2205/6081 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
604/403 ;
604/189; 29/428 |
International
Class: |
A61B 019/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 6, 2001 |
GB |
0129176.4 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1 An adaptor top for a medicament cartridge, the medicament
cartridge comprising a cylinder having a main body portion, a neck
portion at a first end having a radially outwardly directed flange
portion, a narrowing shoulder portion connecting the body portion
and the neck portion, a cap beaded across the fist end thereby to
retain a fluid impermeable membrane, the adaptor top comprising a
first cylindrical body portion having a radially inwardly directed
flange at one end, in use to be seated over and against the cap and
a second skirt portion being adapted, in use, to be seated against
the shoulder portion of the cartridge, the second skirt portion
including a plurality of fingers, the free ends of the fingers in
use being adapted to be seated beneath the outwardly directed
flange of the medicament cartridge.
2 An adaptor top according to claim 1, in which the adaptor top is
provided with information regarding the content of the medicament
cartridge.
3 An adaptor top according to claim 1, in which the adaptor top is
colour coded to provide information regarding the content of the
medicament catridge.
4 An adaptor top according to claim 1, in which the first
cylindrical portion is provided with a screw threads.
5 A method of assembling a medicament cartridge and an adaptor top,
the medicament cartridge comprising a cylinder having a bottleneck
at a first end, a fluid impermeable membrane secured across the
fist end by a cap and a displaceable plunger located internally of
the cylinder towards the second end of the cylinder, and the
adaptor top comprising a first cylindrical portion having at a
first end an inwardly directing flange and a second cylindrical
portion depending from a second end of the first cylindrical
portion, the second cylindrical ski portion including a number of
deformable member, comprising the steps of inserting the cap of the
medicament cartridge through the second cylindrical portion into
the first cylindrical portion until the cap is positioned against
the inwardly directed flange; and plastically deforming the
deformable members beneath the cap to retain the adaptor top in
position against the medicament cartridge.
6 A method according to claim 5, in which the adaptor top is
provided with information regarding the content of the medicament
cartridge.
7 A method according to claim 5, in which the adaptor top is colour
coded to provide information regarding the content of the
medicament cartridge.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a improved medicament
cartridge assembly and, in particular, but not exclusively, to a
medicament cartridge assembly for use with a medication delivery
apparatus such as an injection pen or an infuser.
[0002] Such medication delivery apparatus are conveniently used to
provide a means for administration of a medicament to a patient
without medical supervision, for example, by self administration or
administration by a carer.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
[0003] Medicament cartridges are produced in large volumes to take
advantage of economies of scale. The medicament cartridges will
then be fined with an appropriate medicament, such as insulin or a
human growth hormone.
[0004] However, it is often the case that a patient will require
more than one form of medicament. A person having diabetes will
often be required to take both slow acting and fast acting forms of
insulin. It is important that a user of the medicament delivery
apparatus is able to distinguish readily between medicament
cartridges containing different medicaments.
[0005] It is an advantage of the present invention that it enables
the user to distinguish readily between medicament cartridges
containing different medicament. It is a further advantage that the
present invention makes use of known medicament cartridges, thereby
enabling economies of scale to be maintained.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] According to the first aspect of the present invention there
is provided an adaptor top for a medicament cartridge, the
medicament cartridge comprising a cylinder having a main body
portion, a neck portion at a first end having a radially outwardly
directed flange portion, a narrowing shoulder portion connecting
the body portion and the neck portion, a cap beaded across the
first end thereby to retain a fluid impermeable membrane, the
adaptor top comprising a first cylindrical body portion having a
radially inwardly directed flange at one end, in use to be seated
over and against the cap and a second cylindrical skirt portion
being adapted, in use, to be seated against the shoulder portion of
the cartridge, the second skit portion including a plurality of
fingers, the free ends of the fingers in use being adapted to be
seated beneath the outwardly directed flange of the medicament
cartridge.
[0007] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a
method of assembling a medicament cartridge and an adaptor top,
[0008] the medicament cartridge comprising a cylinder having a
bottleneck at a first end, a fluid impermeable membrane secured
across the first end by a cap and a displaceable plunger located
internally of the cylinder towards the second end of the cylinder,
and the adaptor top comprising a fist cylindrical potion having at
a first end an inwardly directing flange and a second cylindrical
portion depending from a second end of the first cynical portion,
the second cylindrical skirt portion including a number of
deformable members, comprising the steps of
[0009] inserting the cap of the medicament cartridge through the
second cylindrical portion into the first cylindrical portion until
the cap is positioned against the inwardly directed flange;
[0010] plastically deforming the deformable member beneath the cap
to retain the adaptor top in position against the medicament
cartridge.
[0011] The adaptor top may conveniently be provided with
information regarding the content of the medicament cartridge.
Preferably, the adaptor top is colour coded to provide information
regarding the content of the medicament cartridge.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] The present invention will now be described, by way of
example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in
which:
[0013] FIG. 1 shows a part-cut-away section through a known
medicament cartridge,
[0014] FIG. 2 shows a section through a medicament cartridge
assembly in accordance with the present invention, and
[0015] FIG. 3 shows a side view of the assembly of FIG. 2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0016] Referring to FIG. 1 there may be seen a known cartridge for
use with the present invention. The medicament cartridge 2
comprises a cylinder 4 having a main body portion. A neck portion 6
is provided at fist end of the body portion. The neck portion 6
includes a radially outwardly directed flange portion 8. A
narrowing shoulder portion 10 connects the body portion and the
neck portion 6. A cap 12 is provided beaded across the first end of
the cylinder 4 thereby to retain a fluid impermeable membrane 14
across an open end of the neck portion 6.
[0017] A piston 16 is provided within lie cylinder 4. In use, a
needle unit (not shown) pierces the fluid impermeable membrane 14
such that movement of the piston 16 towards the first end of the
body potion causes the contents of the medicament cartridge to be
expelled through the needle unit. The cylinder 4 may additionally
be provided with a label 18 providing information about the
medicament cartridge 2 and the contents of the medicament cartridge
2.
[0018] Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3 an adaptor 20 for a
medicament cartridge is shown. The adaptor top 20 comprises a first
cylindrical body portion 22 and a second skirt portion 24. The
first cylindrical body portion 22 has a radially inwardly directed
flange 26 at one end. In use the radially inwardly directed flange
is seated over and against the cap 12 and the second skirt portion
24 is seated against the shoulder portion 10 of the cartridge
2.
[0019] The first cylindrical body portion 22 is conveniently formed
with engagement means. In the embodiment of FIG. 3 the engagement
means takes the form of a screw thread 23 formed integrally with
the first cylindrical body portion 22. In use, the engagement means
enables an assembly comprising the medicament cartridge 2 and
adaptor top 20 to be received and secured within a medicament
delivery apparatus such as an infusion or injection device from
which the contents of the medicament cartridge 2 may be
dispensed.
[0020] The second skirt portion 24 includes a plurality of
deformable members or fingers 28. The fingers 28 are formed at a
first end integrally with the adaptor top 20. The fingers 28 are
plastically deformable.
[0021] In order to assemble the adaptor top 20 with the medicament
cartridge 2, the cap 12 of the medicament cartridge 2 is inserted
trough the second skirt portion 24 into the first cylindrical
portion 22 until the cap 12 is in contact with the inwardly
directed flange 26. The fingers 28 are then plastically deformed
such that free ends of the fingers 28 are located beneath the cap
12 thereby to retain the adaptor top 20 in position in relation to
the medicament cartridge 2. Since the free ends of the fingers 28
are now located beneath the cap 12 between the cap 12 and the
shoulder portion 10 of the cartridge 2, it is difficult for a user
or other third party to remove the adaptor top 20 from the
medicament cartridge 2 without damaging the fingers 28. In this
way, the adptor top 20 and he associated medicament cartridge 2
provide a tamper evident assembly.
* * * * *