Apparatus and methods for self-administration of vaccines and other medicaments

Abstract

A medicament delivery device includes a housing, a medicament container disposed within the housing, an activation mechanism, a cover and an electronic circuit system. The activation mechanism includes an energy storage member configured to produce a force to deliver the dose of a medicament and/or vaccine. The cover is configured to receive at least a portion of the housing. The electronic circuit system is coupled to the housing such that a protrusion of the cover electrically isolates a battery from a portion of the electronic circuit system when the portion of the housing is received by the cover. The electronic circuit system is configured to be electrically coupled to the battery and to produce a recorded speech output when the portion of the housing is at least partially removed from the cover. The electronic circuit system configured to produce a signal when the activation mechanism is actuated.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a housing;   a medicament container disposed within the housing, the medicament container configured to contain a dose of a medicament;   an activation mechanism including an energy storage member configured to produce a force to deliver the dose of the medicament into a body; and   an electronic circuit system coupled to the housing, the electronic circuit system configured to calculate a stability parameter associated with the medicament, the electronic circuit system configured to produce an output associated with the stability parameter when the electronic circuit system is actuated.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the medicament is at least one of an influenza A vaccine, an influenza B vaccine, an influenza A (H1N1) vaccine, a hepatitis A vaccine, a hepatitis B vaccine, a haemophilus influenzae Type B (HiB) vaccine, a measles vaccine, a mumps vaccine, a rubella vaccine, a polio vaccine, a human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine, a tetanus vaccine, a diptheria vaccine, a pertussis vaccine, a bubonic plague vaccine, a yellow fever vaccine, a cholera vaccine, a malaria vaccine, a smallpox vaccine, a pneumococcal vaccine, a rotavirus vaccine, a varicella vaccine or a meningococcus vaccine. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a cover configured to receive at least a portion of the housing, the cover including a protrusion configured to electrically isolate a battery from the electronic circuit system when the portion of the housing is received by the cover,   the electronic circuit system configured to be actuated when the portion of the housing is at least partially removed from the cover.   
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the stability parameter is associated with a temperature history of the medicament. 
     
     
         5 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a medicament injector including a medicament container configured to contain a dose of a medicament, an energy storage member configured to produce a force to deliver the dose of the medicament, and an actuator configured to actuate the energy storage member; and   a cover configured to contain at least a portion of the medicament injector, the cover configured to retain at least the portion of the medicament injector therein when the actuator is moved, the cover configured to be connected to a computing device;   at least one of the medicament injector or the cover including an electronic circuit system, the actuator configured to actuate the electronic circuit system when the actuator is moved such that the electronic circuit system produces a wireless signal, the electronic circuit system configured to transmit the wireless signal such that the computing device produces an output.   
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the computing device is a cell phone; and   the output includes a phone call.   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the computing device is a cell phone; and   the output is at least one of a visual output or a recorded speech output.   
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the cover defines a recessed volume configured to matingly receive the portion of the medicament injector such that movement of the medicament injector within the cover is limited when the actuator is moved. 
     
     
         9 . A method, comprising:
 moving a first portion of an actuator of a medicament injector to actuate an energy storage member such that the energy storage member produces a force to deliver a dose of a medicament from the medicament injector;   moving a second portion of the actuator of the medicament container to move a switch of an electronic circuit system from a first state to a second state, the electronic circuit system coupled to at least one of the medicament injector or a cover, the cover configured to contain at least a portion of the medicament injector, the cover configured to be connected to a computing device; and   transmitting, in response to the moving the switch, a wireless signal from the electronic circuit system such that the computing device produces an output   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the moving the first portion of the actuator and the moving the second portion of the actuator are performed substantially simultaneously. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the moving the first portion of the actuator includes moving the first portion of the actuator in a first direction; and   the moving the second portion of the actuator includes moving the second portion of the actuator in the first direction   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the computing device is a cell phone; and   the output includes a phone call.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the computing device is a cell phone; and   the output is at least one of a visual output or a recorded speech output.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the cover defines a recessed volume configured to matingly receive the portion of the medicament injector such that movement of the medicament injector within the cover is limited when the actuator is moved. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the transmitting includes transmitting the wireless signal having a frequency between approximately 2400 MHz and 2480 MHz.