U.S. patent application number 10/500445 was filed with the patent office on 2005-04-21 for storage case for portable medication delivery device.
Invention is credited to Anderson, Brian Scott.
Application Number | 20050084631 10/500445 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 27663079 |
Filed Date | 2005-04-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050084631 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Anderson, Brian Scott |
April 21, 2005 |
Storage case for portable medication delivery device
Abstract
A storage case for a portable medication delivery device. The
case holds a desiccant, such as within an internal space provided
within the lid of the case, which aids in limiting the build up of
moisture within the case which can be harmful to the case
contents.
Inventors: |
Anderson, Brian Scott;
(Darlington, IN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ELI LILLY AND COMPANY
PATENT DIVISION
P.O. BOX 6288
INDIANAPOLIS
IN
46206-6288
US
|
Family ID: |
27663079 |
Appl. No.: |
10/500445 |
Filed: |
June 29, 2004 |
PCT Filed: |
January 16, 2003 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/US03/00027 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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60352294 |
Jan 28, 2002 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
428/34.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61M 5/003 20130101;
A45C 2011/007 20130101; A45C 11/00 20130101; Y10T 428/13
20150115 |
Class at
Publication: |
428/034.1 |
International
Class: |
B65D 001/00 |
Claims
I claim:
1. A case for storing a portable medication delivery device,
comprising: a first part having an exterior surface and an interior
surface; a second part having an exterior surface and an interior
surface; said first and second parts movable relative to each other
between a case opening arrangement and a case closing arrangement,
wherein when in said case closing arrangement said interior surface
of said first part and said interior surface of said second part
are in a facing relationship that defines an internal volume
therebetween; means on at least one of said interior surfaces for
storing the portable medication delivery device within the internal
volume; and a desiccant held by said first part and in air flow
communication with said internal volume for limiting moisture
buildup on the portable medication delivery device.
2. The case of claim 1 wherein said desiccant is held within a
storage space between said interior surface of said first part and
said exterior surface of said first part.
3. The case of claim 2 wherein said interior surface defines at
least one opening therethrough to facilitate air flow communication
between said storage space and said internal volume.
4. The case of claim 3 wherein said at least one opening comprises
a plurality of openings.
5. The case of claim 1 wherein said first and second parts are
hingedly connected in a clamshell configuration to be pivotably
movable between the case opening and case closing arrangements.
6. The case of claim 1 wherein said storing means comprises a
recess of said interior surface of said second part in which at
least partially insertably fits the portable medication delivery
device.
7. The case of claim 2 wherein said first part comprises a shell
and an insert attached thereto, wherein said shell forms said
exterior surface of said first part and said insert forms said
interior surface of said first part, and wherein said storage space
is formed between said shell and said insert.
8. The case of claim 7 wherein said insert defines at least one
opening therethrough to facilitate air flow communication between
said storage space and said internal volume.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention pertains to portable medication
delivery devices, and, in particular, to cases suitable for storing
such devices when not being used.
[0002] Patients suffering from a variety of diseases often are able
to treat themselves by self-administering appropriate doses of
medication. An assortment of differently configured portable
medication delivery devices are known. One popular class of
portable medication delivery devices include portable injectors,
broadly known as injection pens, that have been developed to make
it convenient for users to inject medicine, typically through a
replaceable needle mounted to the end of the pen. Such injection
pens are available in a variety of shapes and sizes and with
different working components. The working components of some of
these pens utilize electronics to, for example, assist with the
selection of the dose, or the administration of a selected dose,
from a multi-dose cartridge of medicine provided within such an
injection pen.
[0003] Reusable injection pens are often provided with a storage
case in which the pen can be protectively stored when not in use.
Typically, the injection pen can be placed within a complementarily
shaped hollow provided in an interior surface of a clamshell-type
case. The interior surface of the case, which may be formed of one
or more inserts attached to a more rigid shell piece or pieces that
form the exterior of the case, also may provide separate hollows
adapted to accommodate pen accessories, for example, replacement
needles for the pen.
[0004] In some situations, the medicine to be delivered by use of
the pen should be refrigerated between pen uses. Thus, the
injection pen stored in its case stays in the refrigerator when not
being used, and is pulled out of the refrigerator for a short time,
such as 30 minutes, for use, and after use is then placed back in
the refrigerator for storage until its next use. Moving the
injection pen in and out of the refrigerator, due to the changing
environments, can cause condensation to form on the pen. This
condensation can adversely impact the operation of the pen
electronics, which may inconvenience the user and result in
complaints to the manufacturer.
[0005] Thus, it would be desirable to provide a storage case for a
portable medication delivery device that addresses at least one of
the shortcomings of the prior art.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] In one form thereof, the present invention provides a case
for storing a portable medication delivery device, including a
first part having an exterior surface and an interior surface, a
second part having an exterior surface and an interior surface, the
first and second parts being movable relative to each other between
a case opening arrangement and a case closing arrangement, wherein
when in the case closing arrangement the interior surface of the
first part and the interior surface of the second part are in a
facing relationship that defines an internal volume therebetween,
means on at least one of the interior surfaces for storing the
portable medication delivery device within the internal volume, and
a desiccant held by the first part and in air flow communication
with the internal volume for limiting moisture buildup on the
portable medication delivery device.
[0007] One advantage of the present invention is that a storage
case for a portable medication delivery device is provided which
reduces the likelihood of condensation forming on the device when
not in use, which condensation could adversely impact the
reliability of the device.
[0008] Another advantage of the present invention is that a storage
case for a portable medication delivery device is provided which
protects its contents from damage, such as by keeping items from
being spilled directly onto a delivery device enclosed within the
case.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] The above-mentioned and other advantages and objects of this
invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more
apparent, and the invention itself will be better understood by
reference to the following description of an embodiment of the
invention taking in conjunction with the accompanying drawings,
wherein:
[0010] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a storage case for a
portable medication delivery device of the present invention, which
case is in a closed arrangement;
[0011] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the storage case of
FIG. 1 after being manipulated to an opened arrangement, and
wherein the portable medication delivery device with which the case
is particularly adapted for use is abstractly shown in dashed lines
after its removal from the case; and
[0012] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view, taken along line 3-3 of
FIG. 2, further illustrating the lid part of the storage case of
FIGS. 1 and 2.
[0013] Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding
parts throughout the several views. Although the drawings represent
an embodiment of the present invention, the drawings are not
necessarily to scale, and certain features may be exaggerated or
omitted in some of the drawings in order to better illustrate and
explain the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0014] Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown an exemplary
embodiment of a portable medication delivery device storage case of
the present invention. When in the closed arrangement shown in FIG.
1, the case, generally designated 20, protectively houses articles
previously received therein. Case 20 is shown having a
clamshell-type design, similar to common types of eyeglasses cases,
formed by a lid part and a base part, generally designated 21 and
22 respectively, that are hingedly connected together. However,
otherwise designed cases that may be opened and closed may
naturally be employed within the scope of the invention.
[0015] Lid part 21 includes a contoured, aesthetically appealing
outer shell 24, and base part 22 includes an outer shell 26, each
made of a durable, rigid material such as plastic. Not shown hinges
connect lid shell 24 to base shell 26 such that lid part 21 can be
pivoted relative to base part 22 from the closed arrangement shown
in FIG. 1 to the arrangement shown in FIG. 2 to open the closed
case. The hinges may be spring loaded to resist the case parts when
closed together from being opened, and to urge the case parts to
mate or completely come together unless the case is fully or at
least substantially opened. A latching mechanism abstractly shown
at 29 cooperates between lid part 21 and base part 22 to prevent
inadvertent opening of the case.
[0016] The interior surfaces of case parts 21 and 22 are
respectively formed by inserts 30 and 32 molded from, for example,
a lightweight plastic which is more flexible than the material of
shells 24 and 26 that form the case exterior surfaces. Case inserts
30 and 32 are fixedly attached, such as via snap fits, press fits,
or another suitable manner, within lid shell 24 and base shell 26,
respectively. Lid part 21 and base part 22 are multiple piece
assemblies in the preferred embodiment, as this multiple piece
construction results from the fact that the use of separate inserts
installed within outer shells facilitates molding as well as allows
different material properties to be readily provided for the
exterior and interior surfaces of the case.
[0017] A central surface region of insert 32 is recessed to define
a device accommodating hollow or recess 35. Other hollows indicated
at 36 and 37 are sized and shaped to receive pen accessories, such
as not shown replacement needles and a replacement cartridge.
[0018] Hollow 35 is sized and shaped to uniquely accommodate the
portable medication delivery device abstractly shown at 40, such
that device 40 is retained securely enough to be held and stored in
place, even in the event the case is inverted. For example, this
could be a "friction-fit". Such an engagement configuration does
not require that the depth of hollow 35 accommodate the entire
device, but rather that the device at least partially insertably
fit within the hollow.
[0019] In alternate embodiments, rather than a direct frictional
engagement with the insert, device 40 may be received and stored by
insert 32 using additional fastener elements known in the art, such
as straps, clips or hinged levers to hold the device in place,
which hinged levers automatically snap over the device when
inserted between the levers. Still further, device 40 can be stored
within a shallow hollow in which it is not frictionally retained,
but which hollow, in combination with device 40, while still at
least partially within the hollow, abutting the underside of insert
30 when the case is closed but inverted, preventing unrestricted
movement of the device within the closed case.
[0020] Device 40, when not being stored within carrying case 20, is
operable to deliver medication into a user in a known fashion. The
shown portable medication delivery device is in the form of a
needled injection pen and may be of any type known to those of
ordinary skill in the art. In general, and as is conventional, the
pen has mechanisms for selecting and then injecting a dose of
medicine. More specifically, a dosing mechanism, such as a
rotatable knob, allows a user to adjust the amount of medication to
be injected by the pen from a prepackaged container of medication
contained within that pen. To inject a dose of medication, the user
inserts the needle into the skin and presses the knob as far as it
will depress to cause the injecting mechanism to in fact force the
selected amount of medication from the cartridge through the pen
needle. Case 20 is well suited for portable medication delivery
devices that use electronic circuitry, such as circuitry used to
accurately indicate the dose of medication being injected into the
user, or to record data about the injection, or to actually drive
the injection. However, and while storage case 20 finds
particularly beneficial application for storing devices having
electronic components potentially adversely impacted by moisture
within the device, this storage case can be utilized with strictly
mechanical pens, especially when other materials stored within the
case could be harmed by moisture contact. Moreover, the device
description herein is illustrative and not intended to be limiting
as the design of the device, other than its ability to be stored in
the carrying case and usable to deliver doses of medication
preferably stored in that same case, is not material to the present
invention, and other types of portable medication delivery devices,
including inhalers, may be substituted for the shown device 40
within the scope of the invention.
[0021] Storage case 20 includes a moisture absorbing material to
reduce the likelihood that the intended contents of the case will
be damaged from moisture when housed therein. The material is in
the form of a contained desiccant, such as a desiccant pack 50,
held in the shown embodiment by the lid part 21 of the case.
Although shown being located only in that lid part, in alternate
embodiments, the desiccant can be provided in the base part 22, or
in both the lid and base parts.
[0022] The desiccant is encapsulated within a container made of
paper or plastic, which desiccant pack 50, as further shown in FIG.
3, is held within an internal space 52 between facing surfaces of
insert 30 and lid shell 24. The desiccant is in air flow
communication with the internal volume of the case formed between
the facing interior surfaces of inserts 30, 32 when case 20 is
closed, in which internal volume device 40 is stored, such that
moisture in that internal volume can be drawn off. Although the air
flow communication may be a function of the non-airtight assembly
of insert 30 to lid shell 24, such air flow is preferably promoted
by the inclusion of one or more holes or slots through the insert.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a series of rows and columns of openings
54 serve as vent holes through which moisture can be drawn off by
the desiccant from the case internal volume in which the pen 40 is
stored. A suitable desiccant is available from Multisorb
Technologies, Inc. of Buffalo, N.Y.
[0023] While this invention has been shown and described as having
preferred designs, the present invention may be modified within the
spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore
intended to cover any variations, uses or adaptations of the
invention using its general principles. Further, this application
is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as
come within known or customary practice in the art to which this
invention pertains.
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