KEYED CONNECTORS
A set of at least two drug delivery devices includes a first drug delivery device and a second drug delivery device, The first and second drug delivery devices each include a first set of mutual members that are identical, and the first drug delivery device and the second drug delivery device each include a second set of distinguishing members that differ. The first drug delivery device includes a first connection device for attaching a first dispensing unit to the first drug delivery device and the second drug delivery device includes second connection device for attaching a second dispensing unit to the second drug delivery device, the first and second connection devices differ from each other so that the second dispensing unit is not attachable to the first connection device and the first dispensing unit is not attachable to the second connection device.
1 . A of at least two drug delivery devices comprising:
at least a first drug delivery device and a second drug delivery device, each one of the first and second drug delivery device comprising
a housing,
a dosing mechanism within the housing comprising
a dose setting member configured to set an injection dose, a dose indication member to visually indicate the set dose, and a piston rod that is configured to move in a proximal direction out of the housing to eject the drug, the piston rod further being operatively coupled to the dose setting member,
the first drug delivery device and the second drug delivery device each comprising a first set of mutual members that are identical in both the first drug delivery device and the second drug delivery device, the first set comprising at least one mutual member,
the first drug delivery device and the second drug delivery device each comprise a second set of distinguishing members that differ among the first and second drug delivery device, the second set comprising at least one distinguishing member,
the first drug delivery device comprising a first connection device configured to attach a first dispensing unit to the housing of the first drug delivery device and the second drug delivery device comprising a second connection device configured to attach a second dispensing unit to the housing of the second drug delivery device, and the first and second connection devices differ from each other so that the second dispensing unit is not attachable to the first connection device and the first dispensing unit is not attachable to the second connection device.
2 . The set of at least two drug delivery devices according to claim 1 , wherein the dosing mechanisms of the first drug delivery device and the second drug delivery device each comprise a same set of functional members that includes the first set and the second set.
3 . The set of at least two drug delivery devices according to claim 1 , wherein the dosing mechanisms each comprise a dose definition mechanism configured to act between the dose setting member and the housing and the dose definition mechanisms configured to define dose positions that are settable with the dose setting members, the dose definition mechanisms define relative positions of the dose setting member with respect to the housing that correspond to the settable dose positions, the dose definition mechanisms of the first and second drug delivery device define the same number of settable doses or the dose definition mechanisms of the first and second drug delivery device define different numbers of settable doses.
4 . The set of at least two drug delivery devices according to claim 3 , wherein each of the dosing mechanisms further comprises a dose selector member rotationally fixed to the housing and axially movable with respect to the housing,
the dose definition mechanism disposed between the dose selector member and the dose setting member.
5 . The set of at least two drug delivery devices according to claim 3 , wherein each of the dose definition mechanisms comprises an elastic element in connection with functional features, such that upon actuation of the dose setting member the elastic elements snap into the functional features to provide an audible or tactile feedback for a user, wherein, for example, the first drug delivery device and/or the second drug delivery device can comprise an even number of elastic elements, for example four elastic elements.
6 . The set of at least two drug delivery devices according to claim 1 , wherein each of the dose indication members comprises optical markers visualizing the dose set upon actuation of the dose setting member, the optical markers of the first drug delivery device being different from the optical markers of the second drug delivery device, the dose indication member of the first drug delivery device being mechanically identical to the dose indication member of the second drug delivery device, or the dose indication member of the first drug delivery device being mechanically different from the dose indication member of the second drug delivery device.
7 . The set of at least two drug delivery devices according to claim 1 , wherein each of the dosing mechanisms further comprise a nut and a clutch mechanism, the nut is configured to axially advance the piston rod during dose delivery, the clutch mechanism is configured to rotationally couple the nut to a respective dosing member in distinct relative rotational positions and to rotationally decouple the nut from the housing during dose setting, the clutch mechanism is configured to rotationally decouple the nut from the dosing member and to rotationally couple the nut to the housing in distinct relative rotational positions during dose delivery, the dosing member is the dose indication member or the clutch mechanism is disposed between the dose setting member and the dosing member.
8 . The set of at least two drug delivery devices according to claim 7 , wherein for each of the dosing mechanism, the relative rotational positions in which the nut and the dosing member are coupled to each other during dose setting differ from each other among the first and second drug delivery device or the relative rotational positions in which the nut and the housing are coupled to each other during dose delivery differ among the first and second drug delivery device, or the relative rotational positions in which the nut and the dosing member are coupled to each other during dose setting of the first and second drug delivery device are identical, or the relative rotational positions in which the nut and the housing are coupled to each other during dose delivery of the first and second drug delivery device are identical.
9 . The set of at least two drug delivery devices according to claim 7 , wherein for each of the dosing mechanisms, the clutch mechanism comprises a clutch member connected to the respective dose setting member, the dose setting member comprises a first set of clutch elements and the clutch member comprises a second set of clutch elements, a connection between the clutch member and the dose setting member is configured to restrict a relative rotational orientation of the first set of clutch elements of the dose setting member with respect to the second set of clutch elements of the clutch member, the connection between the clutch member and the dose setting member of the first drug delivery device is mechanically different from the connection between the clutch member and the dose setting member of the second drug delivery device.
10 . The set of at least two drug delivery devices according to claim 7 , wherein for each of the dosing mechanisms, the clutch mechanism comprises a clutch member connected to a respective dose setting member, the dose setting member comprises a first set of clutch elements and the clutch member comprises a second set of clutch elements, a connection between the clutch member and the dose setting member is configured to restrict a relative rotational orientation of the first set of clutch elements of the dose setting member with respect to the second set of clutch elements of the clutch member, the connection between the clutch member and the dose setting member of the first drug delivery device is mechanically identical to the connection between the clutch member and the dose setting member of the second delivery device.
11 . The set of at least two drug delivery devices according to claim 9 , wherein the connection of the first or second drug delivery device is configured to restrict the relative rotational orientation to a single relative rotational orientation, or the connection of the first or second drug delivery device is configured to restrict the relative rotational orientation to two relative rotational orientations that differ by 180°.
12 . The set of at least two drug delivery devices according to claim 1 , wherein each of the dosing mechanisms further comprise an inner body to support the dosing mechanism and to transfer the movement of the dose setting member to the piston rod, the inner body is in threaded connection with the dosing member and with at least one member from the first set of mutual members.
13 . The set of at least two drug delivery devices according to claim 1 , wherein each of the dosing mechanisms of the first and second drug delivery device have a dialling resolution that is the same for both the first drug delivery device and second drug delivery device so as to expel the same amount of fluid per dose increment settable by the dose setting member, or each of the dosing mechanisms of the first and second drug delivery device has a dialling resolution, the dialling resolution of the first drug delivery device is different from the dialling resolution of the first drug delivery device so as to expel a different amount of fluid per dose increment settable by the dose setting members.
14 . The set of at least two drug delivery devices according to claim 1 , wherein each of the piston rods is rotationally fixed with respect to the housing at least during dose delivery.
15 . A set of dispensing units comprising:
the first dispensing unit and the second dispensing unit,
each of the first and second dispensing units configured to have a drug compartment containing a drug to be delivered by one of the first and second drug delivery devices according to one claim 1 , the first dispensing unit comprising a first connection device different from a second connection device of the second dispensing unit, the first connection device of the first dispensing unit configured to only connect to the first connection device of the first drug delivery device and incapable of connecting to the second connection device of the second drug delivery device and, the second connection device of the second dispensing unit configured to only connect to the second connection device of the second drug delivery device and not to the first connection device of the first drug delivery device.
16 . The set of dispensing units according to claim 15 , wherein each of the first and second dispensing units comprises a cartridge holder to receive a cartridge which comprises the drug compartment filled with the drug, the first connection device of the first drug delivery device means and the second connection device of the second drug delivery device provided at the cartridge holder, or the cartridge holder comprises a connector configured to non-releasably connect the cartridge to the cartridge holder during use of a respective dispensing unit, the connector being a snap fit connection, or the connector is configured to engage with an annular rim of the cartridge to abut against a distal surface of the annular rim that faces away from a needle end of the cartridge holder.
17 . The set of dispensing units according to claim 16 , wherein each of the cartridge holders comprises a push element configured to push the cartridge into the cartridge holder after insertion, the push element configured to push the cartridge against a stop that is disposed at a needle end of the cartridge holder.
18 . The set of at least two drug delivery devices according to claim 3 , wherein the dose definition mechanisms of the first and second drug delivery device define different numbers of settable doses per revolution of the dose setting member.
19 . The set of at least two drug delivery devices according to claim 13 , wherein the dialling resolution of the first drug delivery device is different from the dialling resolution of the first drug delivery device so as to expel a different amount of fluid per dose increment settable by the dose setting members between 0.010 ml and 0.015 ml.
20 . The set of at least two drug delivery devices according to claim 5 , wherein the functional features are dose stops.