Medication delivery device with syringe sensing system
A medication delivery device including a drive mechanism, a retraction mechanism and a sensing system. A medication container is movable relative to the medication delivery device between storage and delivery positions. The drive mechanism drives a plunger in a translational movement to move the medication container from the storage position to the delivery position and to dispense medication from the medication container in a dispensing event. The retraction mechanism includes a rotary member that rotates during a retraction movement of the retraction mechanism. The sensing system includes a first sensor to detect operational status and a second sensor to sense rotational movement of the rotary member. A controller is configured to detect initiation of the dispensing event based on signals generated by the first sensor and detect completion of the dispensing event and/or completion of the retraction movement based on signals generated by the second sensor.
1 . A medication delivery device comprising:
a housing;
a medication container positioned within the housing and having a container body to hold a medication and a slidable piston operably coupled with the container body, the slidable piston movable relative to the container body to dispense the medication from the medication container, the medication container being movable relative to said housing between a storage position and a delivery position;
an accelerometer embedded on or affixed within the housing and disposed outside of the medication container such that the accelerometer does not directly contact the container body or the slidable piston;
a drive spring adapted to, when a dispensing event is initiated, drive the medication container from the storage position to the delivery position; and
a retraction spring adapted to, when a retraction movement is initiated, drive the medication container from the delivery position to the storage position;
wherein the accelerometer is configured to detect a first acceleration caused by motion of the medication container relative to the housing as the medication container is driven from the storage position to the delivery position by the drive spring, and configured to detect a second acceleration caused by motion of the medication container relative to the housing as the medication container is driven from the delivery position to the storage position by the retraction spring; and
a controller operably coupled with the accelerometer, wherein the controller is configured to determine an initiation of the dispensing event based on the detected first acceleration, and a completion of the retraction movement based on the detected second acceleration.
2 . The medication delivery device of claim 1 further comprising a user interface communicably coupled to the controller, wherein the controller is configured to communicate the initiation of the dispensing event and at least one of a completion of the dispensing event or the completion of the retraction movement to said user interface.
3 . The medication delivery device of claim 2 , wherein the user interface is disposed on the medication delivery device.
4 . The medication delivery device of claim 2 , wherein the user interface is separate from the medication delivery device, and the controller is configured to communicate the initiation of the dispensing event and the at least one of the completion of the dispensing event or the completion of the retraction movement wirelessly to the user interface.
5 . The medication delivery device of claim 1 , wherein the drive spring is adapted to drive the medication container axially in a distal direction, and the retraction spring is adapted to drive the medication container axially in a proximal direction.
6 . The medication delivery device of claim 1 , further comprising the medication held within the container body.