Sensor systems for drug delivery devices
Systems for drug delivery devices include a temperature control system and an identification system. A temperature control system configured to sense and control temperature of a cartridge containing a drug includes a heater, one or more temperature sensors, and a control unit. An identification system configured to identify a cartridge containing a drug includes a control unit and a tag sensor that is electrically coupled to the control unit, wherein the tag sensor is activated upon detecting a presence of the cartridge. A drug delivery device includes both the temperature control system and the identification system such that the control unit of the device may process the information of the drug that is received from the tag sensor of the identification system, and based on at least a portion of the processed information, determine and control the temperature of the drug within a cartridge.
1. A drug delivery device configured to sense and control temperature of a cartridge containing a drug, the drug delivery device comprising:
a housing;
a cartridge carrier configured to receive at least a portion of the cartridge;
a plunger carrier disposed for movement relative to the cartridge carrier and configured to engage a plunger assembly of the cartridge;
a drive control mechanism coupled to the plunger carrier and configured to control movement of the plunger assembly; and
a temperature control system comprising:
a heater that is configured to be in close proximity to the cartridge and configured to warm the drug;
a first temperature sensor that is positioned in close proximity to the heater and configured to detect a first temperature value of the heater;
a second temperature sensor that is positioned in close proximity to the cartridge and configured to detect a second temperature value of the drug; and
a control unit that is electrically coupled to the heater, the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor; and the control unit being configured to:
determine whether the detected first temperature value of the heater is below a first alarm set point temperature value and the detected second temperature value of the drug is within a range of drug operating temperature values; and
restrict operation of the drive control mechanism and adjust the detected second temperature value of the drug to an operational temperature value of the drug that is within the range of drug operating temperature values if it is determined that the first detected first temperature value is below the first alarm set point temperature value and the detected second temperature value is not within the range of drug operating temperature values.
2. The drug delivery device of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is a feedback control unit that receives the detected first and the second temperature values from the first and the second temperature sensors, respectively.
3. The drug delivery device of claim 1 , wherein the control unit transmits an error signal upon determination that the detected first temperature value of the heater is above the first alarm set point temperature value or below a second alarm set point temperature value.
4. The drug delivery device of claim 3 , wherein the first alarm set point temperature value and the second alarm set point temperature values are pre-determined values that are programmed in a storage unit associated with the first temperature sensor.
5. The drug delivery device of claim 1 , wherein the adjustment of the detected second temperature value further includes transmission of a command signal, by the control unit, to the heater to warm the drug within a predetermined time while monitoring the first temperature value of the heater.
6. The drug delivery device of claim 5 , wherein the control unit controls the transmitted command signal to warm the drug via the heater within the predetermined time based on a thermal profile of the drug.
7. The drug delivery device of claim 1 , wherein the control unit transmits an error signal to a display unit that is coupled to the control unit upon determining that the second temperature was not adjusted to the operational temperature value within a predetermined time.
8. The drug delivery device of claim 1 , wherein the control unit prompts a user to activate one or more operations related to drug delivery from the cartridge upon the adjustment of the second detected temperature to the operational temperature value.
9. The drug delivery device of claim 1 , wherein the control unit further stores the operational temperature value, after the adjustment of the detected second temperature of the drug, in a storage unit that is coupled to the control unit.
10. The drug delivery device of claim 1 , wherein the range of drug operating temperature values has an upper limit value and a lower limit value that are programmed to be percentages of a desired operating temperature of the drug.
11. The drug delivery device of claim 1 , wherein the control unit transmits a command signal to the heater upon receiving an activation signal from a user that indicates initiation of warming of the cartridge containing the drug.
12. The drug delivery device of claim 1 further comprising an identification system configured to identify the cartridge containing the drug, the identification system comprising:
a tag sensor that is electrically coupled to the control unit,
wherein the control unit activates the tag sensor to initiate a contactless communication with the cartridge upon detecting a presence of the cartridge.
13. The drug delivery device of claim 12 , wherein the control unit transmits a command signal to the heater upon receiving an activation signal from the tag sensor that indicates that the tag sensor is activated and has wirelessly received drug information from a cartridge tag.
14. The drug delivery device of claim 12 , wherein the adjustment of the detected second temperature further includes transmission of a command signal to the heater to warm the drug within a predetermined time based on warming period information received from a cartridge tag.
15. The drug delivery device of claim 12 further comprising a communication unit, wherein the control unit stores the operational temperature value after the adjustment of the detected second temperature of the drug in a remote storage unit via the communication unit.
16. The drug delivery device of claim 12 , wherein the control unit controls the cartridge carrier to move the cartridge from a first position where a needle of the cartridge is within the housing, to a second position where the needle extends distally from the housing, based on the information received from at least one of the temperature control system and the identification system.
17. The drug delivery device of claim 12 , wherein the control unit comprises a first control unit associated with the temperature control system and a second control unit associated with the identification system.
18. The drug delivery device of claim 12 further comprising a sensor carriage configured to receive the tag sensor, wherein the control unit activates the tag sensor to initiate a contactless communication with the cartridge upon detecting the presence of the cartridge within the sensor carriage.
19. The drug delivery device of claim 12 , wherein motion of the plunger carrier is controlled by the control unit based on the information received by the tag sensor from a cartridge tag to control a rate of drug delivery.
20. The drug delivery device of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is further configured to control the drive control mechanism to deliver the drug upon determination of the detected second temperature value of the drug being at the operational temperature value.
21. The drug delivery device of claim 1 , wherein the heater and the first and second temperature sensors are disposed on the cartridge carrier.