Autoinjector with stall and end point detection

Abstract

An autoinjector drug delivery device configured with a stall and endpoint detection algorithm is described that allows for variations in the fill of the drug, barrel, plunger, and other components. The stall or end point detection can cause the autoinjector to stop an extrusion process.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A drug delivery device comprising:
 a reservoir configured to contain a drug and having a first end and a second end;   a plunger disposed within the reservoir at the first end thereof, the plunger slidingly movable within the reservoir;   a plunger rod configured to engage the plunger;   a motor operably coupled to the plunger rod and configured to drive the plunger rod to thereby slide the plunger from the first end of the reservoir to the second end of the reservoir;   an encoder operably coupled to the motor; and   a controller configured for
 (i) receiving signals from the encoder, 
 (ii) determining a position and/or movement of the plunger within the reservoir based on the signals, and 
 (iii) determining whether to stop operation of the motor based on the position and/or movement of the plunger. 
   
     
     
         2 . The drug delivery device of  claim 1 , wherein the encoder includes a disk having one or more discernible portions and an optical sensor configured to detect the discernible portions and send a signal in response to the detection. 
     
     
         3 . The drug delivery device of  claim 1 , wherein a count of the signals is indicative of a position of the plunger rod and the controller is configured for sampling the position of the plunger rod at set intervals by determining a current count of the signals. 
     
     
         4 . The drug delivery device of  claim 3 , wherein the controller determining whether to stop operation of the motor based on the position and/or movement of the plunger comprises comprises the controller determining whether the signals indicate that the plunger has moved within a predetermined number of samples of the signals. 
     
     
         5 . The drug delivery device of  claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to compare the current count to an expected endpoint count corresponding to the plunger being driven to the second end of the reservoir. 
     
     
         6 . The drug delivery device of  claim 5 , wherein the controller is configured to revise the predetermined number of samples in response to determining that the current count is less than the expected endpoint. 
     
     
         7 . The drug delivery device of  claim 5 , wherein the controller is configured to determine that the plunger has stalled in response to determining that the current count is less than the expected endpoint. 
     
     
         8 . The drug delivery device of  claim 1 , further comprising a needle and a needle insertion mechanism, and wherein the controller is configured for causing the needle insertion mechanism to retract the needle in response to determining to stop operation of the motor. 
     
     
         9 . The drug delivery device of  claim 1 , wherein the drug delivery device comprises an autoinjector. 
     
     
         10 . A method for operating a drug delivery device, the method comprising:
 receiving signals at a controller from an encoder coupled to a motor of the drug delivery device, the motor operably coupled to a plunger rod configured to engage and drive a plunger within a reservoir;   determining a position and/or movement of the plunger within the reservoir based on the signals, and   determining whether to stop operation of the motor based on the position and/or movement of the plunger.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 detecting a discernible portion of a disk of the encoder with an optical sensor; and   sending a signal in response to the detection.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising sampling a position of the plunger rod at set intervals with the controller by determining a current count of the signals. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein determining whether to stop operation of the motor based on the position and/or movement of the plunger comprises determining whether the signals indicate that the plunger has moved within a predetermined number of samples of the signals. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising comparing the current count to an expected endpoint count corresponding to the plunger being driven to a second end of the reservoir. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising revising the predetermined number of samples in response to determining that the current count is less than the expected endpoint. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising determining that the plunger has stalled before being driven to the second end of the reservoir in response to determining that the current count is less than the expected endpoint. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising retracting a needle of the drug delivery device with a needle insertion mechanism in response to the controller determining to stop operation of the motor. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the drug delivery device comprises an autoinjector. 
     
     
         19 . The drug delivery device of  claim 1 , further comprising a drug in the reservoir, wherein the drug comprises etanercept.