Injection device

Abstract

The invention relates to an injection device comprising a housing, a container holder arranged within said housing, the container holder being configured for accommodating a medicament container having a needle attached to one end thereof and a stopper sealingly and slidable arranged inside the medicament container at the other end thereof, a drive unit comprising a plunger rod and plunger drive means, the plunger drive means being slidable arranged in relation to the plunger rod, being rotationally locked to the plunger rod and being rotatable in relation to the housing, said drive unit further comprising a first energy accumulating member arranged in the interior of the housing of the injection device and adapted to accumulate and store energy, wherein said plunger drive means is operationally associated with said first energy accumulating member, wherein the plunger drive means is releasable such that due to an output torque from said first energy accumulating member, the plunger drive means are allowed to be rotated and the plunger rod is urged towards the proximal end of the injection device whereby an injection is performed, and a rotary injection indication mechanism configured for indicating to the user the progress of the injection, wherein the rotary injection indication mechanism comprises a signalling member and a drive mechanism for rotationally driving said signalling member, said signalling member being coupled to said drive mechanism, said drive mechanism being coupled to said plunger drive means at the distal end of said plunger drive means, said rotary injection indication mechanism being arranged such that the progress of injection is shown through at least one opening provided at least in a distal end surface of the housing.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An injection device, comprising:
 a housing;   a container holder arranged within the housing and configured for accommodating a medicament container having a needle attached to an end of the medicament container and a stopper sealingly and slidably arranged inside the medicament container at the other end of the medicament container;   a drive unit, comprising:
 a plunger rod; 
 a plunger drive mechanism slidably arranged in relation to the plunger rod, rotationally locked to the plunger rod, and rotatable in relation to the housing; 
 a first energy accumulating member arranged in an interior of the housing and configured to accumulate and store energy, wherein the plunger drive mechanism is operationally associated with the first energy accumulating member; and the plunger drive mechanism is releasable such that, due to an output torque from the first energy accumulating member, the plunger drive mechanism is rotatable and the plunger rod is urged toward a proximal end of the injection device, whereby an injection is performed; and 
   a rotary injection indication mechanism configured for indicating a progress of the injection, wherein the rotary injection indication mechanism comprises a signaling member and an indication drive mechanism for rotationally driving the signaling member, the indication drive mechanism being coupled to the plunger drive mechanism at a distal end of the plunger drive mechanism, and the rotary injection indication mechanism being arranged such that the progress of the injection is indicated through at least one opening provided at least in a distal end surface of the housing; and the indication drive mechanism includes a planetary gear assembly, and a solar wheel of the planetary gear assembly is coupled to the plunger drive mechanism.   
     
     
       2. An injection device, comprising:
 a housing;   a container holder arranged within the housing and configured for accommodating a medicament container having a needle attached to an end of the medicament container and a stopper sealingly and slidably arranged inside the medicament container at the other end of the medicament container;   a drive unit, comprising:
 a plunger rod; 
 a plunger drive mechanism slidably arranged in relation to the plunger rod, rotationally locked to the plunger rod, and rotatable in relation to the housing; 
 a first energy accumulating member arranged in an interior of the housing and configured to accumulate and store energy, wherein the plunger drive mechanism is operationally associated with the first energy accumulating member; and the plunger drive mechanism is releasable such that, due to an output torque from the first energy accumulating member, the plunger drive mechanism is rotatable and the plunger rod is urged toward a proximal end of the injection device, whereby an injection is performed; and 
   a rotary injection indication mechanism configured for indicating a progress of the injection, wherein the rotary injection indication mechanism comprises a signaling member and an indication drive mechanism for rotationally driving the signaling member, the indication drive mechanism being coupled to the plunger drive mechanism at a distal end of the plunger drive mechanism, and the rotary injection indication mechanism being arranged such that the progress of the injection is indicated through at least one opening provided at least in a distal end surface of the housing; the signaling member comprises at least one indication element for indicating that the injection device is ready for a medicament injection, that the medicament injection is in progress, and that the medicament injection has come to an end; and the at least one indication element is provided on a surface of the signaling member that is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the injection device.   
     
     
       3. The injection device of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one indication element faces toward the distal end of the injection device. 
     
     
       4. The injection device of  claim 1 , wherein the signaling member comprises a rotatable disk. 
     
     
       5. The injection device of  claim 1 , wherein the indication drive mechanism includes a hub coupled to the plunger drive mechanism. 
     
     
       6. The injection device of  claim 5 , wherein the signaling member is a rotatable element. 
     
     
       7. The injection device of  claim 5 , wherein the signaling member comprises an indication structure for indicating that the injection device is ready for a medicament injection, that the medicament injection is in progress, and that the medicament injection has come to an end. 
     
     
       8. An injection device, comprising:
 a housing;   a container holder arranged within the housing and configured for accommodating a medicament container having a needle attached to an end of the medicament container and a stopper sealingly and slidably arranged inside the medicament container at the other end of the medicament container;   a drive unit, comprising:
 a plunger rod; 
 a plunger drive mechanism slidably arranged in relation to the plunger rod, rotationally locked to the plunger rod, and rotatable in relation to the housing; 
 a first energy accumulating member arranged in an interior of the housing and configured to accumulate and store energy, wherein the plunger drive mechanism is operationally associated with the first energy accumulating member; and the plunger drive mechanism is releasable such that, due to an output torque from the first energy accumulating member, the plunger drive mechanism is rotatable and the plunger rod is urged toward a proximal end of the injection device, whereby an injection is performed; and 
   a rotary injection indication mechanism configured for indicating a progress of the injection, wherein the rotary injection indication mechanism comprises a signaling member and an indication drive mechanism for rotationally driving the signaling member, the indication drive mechanism being coupled to the plunger drive mechanism at a distal end of the plunger drive mechanism, and the rotary injection indication mechanism being arranged such that the progress of the injection is indicated through at least one opening provided at least in a distal end surface of the housing;   wherein the indication drive mechanism includes a hub coupled to the plunger drive mechanism; the signaling member comprises an indication structure for indicating that the injection device is ready for a medicament injection, that the medicament injection is in progress, and that the medicament injection has come to an end; the indication structure comprises a plurality of segments separated from each other by at least one of a plurality of ribs protruding from a surface of the signaling member, indentations in the surface of the signaling member, and different colors of the segments or the surface of the signaling member.   
     
     
       9. The injection device of  claim 5 , wherein the indication drive mechanism and the signaling member are formed as one piece. 
     
     
       10. The injection device of  claim 1 , wherein the rotary injection indication mechanism is located distal to the first energy accumulating member or the plunger drive mechanism. 
     
     
       11. An injection device, comprising:
 a housing;   a container holder arranged within the housing and configured for accommodating a medicament container having a needle attached to an end of the medicament container and a stopper sealingly and slidably arranged inside the medicament container at the other end of the medicament container;   a drive unit, comprising:
 a plunger rod; 
 a plunger drive mechanism slidably arranged in relation to the plunger rod, rotationally locked to the plunger rod, and rotatable in relation to the housing; 
 a first energy accumulating member arranged in an interior of the housing and configured to accumulate and store energy, wherein the plunger drive mechanism is operationally associated with the first energy accumulating member; and the plunger drive mechanism is releasable such that, due to an output torque from the first energy accumulating member, the plunger drive mechanism is rotatable and the plunger rod is urged toward a proximal end of the injection device, whereby an injection is performed; 
   a rotary injection indication mechanism configured for indicating a progress of the injection, wherein the rotary injection indication mechanism comprises a signaling member and an indication drive mechanism for rotationally driving the signaling member, the indication drive mechanism being coupled to the plunger drive mechanism at a distal end of the plunger drive mechanism, and the rotary injection indication mechanism being arranged such that the progress of the injection is indicated through at least one opening provided at least in a distal end surface of the housing; and   a container driver connectable to the container holder, threadedly connected to the plunger rod, and operationally associated with a second energy accumulating member such that, due to an output axial force from the second energy accumulating member, the container holder and the plunger rod are axially movable in relation to the housing a predetermined distance toward a proximal end of the injection device from an initial locked position to a second position, whereby a needle penetration is performed.   
     
     
       12. The injection device of  claim 11 , wherein in the initial locked position, the plunger drive mechanism is locked from rotation by the container driver. 
     
     
       13. The injection device of  claim 11 , further comprising a container driver locking mechanism rotatable in relation to the housing and to the container driver. 
     
     
       14. The injection device of  claim 13 , wherein the container driver locking mechanism is configured to hold the container driver in the initial locked position and to release the container driver from the initial locked position toward a proximal end of the injection device to the second position. 
     
     
       15. The injection device of  claim 11 , wherein the first energy accumulating member comprises a first end connected to the plunger drive mechanism and a second end connected to the housing. 
     
     
       16. The injection device of  claim 11 , wherein the second energy accumulating member is arranged in a longitudinal direction between the container driver and a ledge on an inner surface of the housing. 
     
     
       17. The injection device of  claim 13 , further comprising a needle shield sleeve slidably arranged in a proximal part of the housing and configured to act on the container driver locking mechanism when the needle shield sleeve is pressed against an injection site. 
     
     
       18. The injection device of  claim 17 , wherein the needle shield sleeve and the container driver locking mechanism are operationally connected such that axial movement of the needle shield sleeve toward a distal end of the injection device causes the container driver locking mechanism to rotate. 
     
     
       19. The injection device of  claim 18 , wherein rotation of the container driver locking mechanism releases the container driver. 
     
     
       20. An injection device, comprising:
 a housing comprising an opening located at a distal end surface of the housing;   a container holder arranged within the housing and configured for accommodating a medicament container having a needle attached to an end of the medicament container and a stopper sealingly and slidably arranged inside the medicament container at the other end of the medicament container;   a drive unit, comprising:
 a plunger rod; 
 a plunger drive mechanism slidably arranged in relation to the plunger rod, rotationally locked to an outside surface of the plunger rod such that rotation of the plunger drive mechanism relative to the housing causes rotation and axial displacement of the plunger rod in a proximal direction, where the plunger drive mechanism has a locked state and an unlocked state; 
 a first energy accumulating member arranged in an interior of the housing and operationally associated to the plunger drive mechanism and configured to accumulate and store energy, 
   wherein when the plunger drive mechanism is in the unlocked state an output torque from the first energy accumulating member rotates both the plunger drive mechanism and the plunger rod such that the plunger rod is axially moved toward a proximal end of the injection device, whereby an injection is performed;
 a rotary injection indication mechanism that indicates injection progress through the opening, where the rotary injection indication mechanism comprises a signaling member visible to a user through the opening and configured as a rotating wheel and an indication drive mechanism for rotationally driving the rotating wheel, the indication drive mechanism being operatively coupled to the plunger drive mechanism at a distal end of the plunger drive mechanism such that rotation of the plunger drive mechanism causes rotation of the signaling member, and 
   wherein the rotating wheel comprises a distal facing surface containing an indication element for indicating the injection device is ready for a medicament injection, the medicament injection is in progress, and the medicament injection has come to an end, where rotation of the indication element is provided on a surface of the rotating wheel and is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the injection device.    
     
     
       21. The injection device of  claim 20 , further comprising a plunger drive lock, where when the plunger drive mechanism is in the locked state the plunger drive lock is operatively engaged with the plunger drive mechanism.  
     
     
       22. The injection device of  claim 20 , further comprising a needle shield sleeve partially positioned inside the housing and slidable in a distal direction relative to the housing such that axial movement of the needle shield sleeve toward the distal end surface causes the plunger drive mechanism to transition from the locked state to the unlocked state.