Holding arrangement for a medication container

Abstract

Holding arrangement (10) for a drug container (20) of a drug delivery device, which comprises: a container holding element (11) having a proximal end and a distal end and configured to partially accommodate a drug container (20); a deformable element (12) that is arranged between a distal region of the container holding element (11) and the proximal end of a flange (21) of the drug container (20); a rear retaining element (13) which is arranged to be moved into contact with the distal end of the flange (21) of the drug container (20); wherein the deformable element (12) is deformed by a clamping force generated by the container holding element (11) and the flange (21) of the drug container (20) such that the deformation of the deformable element (12) is configured to compensate for a design tolerance of the drug delivery device.

Description

field of technology

[0001] The present application relates to a holding arrangement for a medication delivery device, in particular for holding the medication container in a medication delivery device in a stable state. background

[0002] For medication delivery devices that have a medication container disposed therein, it is often desirable for a medication container to be held in such a way that it does not rattle or move within the housing of the medication delivery device. Due to tolerance variations of both the medication container and the medication delivery device itself, a holder for a medication container should preferably be flexible and possibly also resilient to handle the forces exerted on the medication delivery device and thus the medication container if it is dropped, for example, onto a hard surface. Furthermore, medication delivery devices typically include a dispensing element for dispensing a medication in the medication container to a user.The dispensing element can be an integral component of the medication container or can be arranged on the medication delivery device and connected to the medication container immediately before a medication dispensing process is activated. Therefore, it is important for the distance to the front end of the medication container to be fixed relative to the medication delivery device, so that the distance between the medication dispensing element and the user's dispensing position, or the distance between the medication container and the medication dispensing element, can also be fixed. A correct dispensing process or a connection between the dispensing element and the medication container can thereby be provided.

[0003] Document WO 2011 / 123024 discloses a medication delivery device provided with various automatic functions, which has been very well received in the market. The medication delivery device comprises a rotatable tubular operating element and a rear support element having a tubular extension portion; wherein the rotatable tubular operating element is configured to interact with the flexible tongue on the tubular extension element of the rear support element via an internal groove arranged on the inner surface thereof; and to interact with an activation element via an external groove arranged on the outer surface thereof for controlling the activation of the medication delivery device.The rear support member further includes a projection configured to axially retain the rotatable tubular operating member relative to the rear support member and the medication delivery device, and a support structure in the form of arcuate flexible elements intended to contact a distal end surface of a medication container disposed in the medication delivery device. The support structure then exerts a force in the proximal direction of the medication container to prevent movement of the medication container.

[0004] This solution works very well. However, there is still room to develop more robust solutions. Overview

[0005] The aim of the present invention is to obtain alternative and more robust solutions.

[0006] In the present disclosure, when the term "distal direction" is used, it refers to a direction away from the dose delivery position during use of the medication delivery device. When the term "distal part / end" is used, it refers to the part / end of the delivery device or the parts / ends of the elements thereof that are furthest from the dose delivery position when the medication delivery device is in use. Accordingly, when the term "proximal direction" is used, it refers to a direction toward the dose delivery position during use of the medication delivery device. When the term "proximal part / end" is used, it refers to the part / end of the delivery device or the parts / ends of the elements thereof that are closest to the dose delivery position when the medication delivery device is in use.

[0007] Furthermore, the terms “longitudinal” or “axial” refer to a direction running from the proximal end to the distal end, typically along the device or components thereof in the direction of the longest extent of the device and / or component.

[0008] Likewise, the term “transverse” refers to a direction that is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

[0009] To hold a medication container in a medication delivery device, a support structure is typically used. The support structure is typically fixed to the medication container and may be axially movable or axially fixed to the medication delivery device. The support structure is typically designed to hold the medication container at either the proximal region, for example, the neck region or shoulder region of the medication container, or at the distal region of the medication container, for example, a flange region. The medication container is often designed to have a medication delivery element arranged at its proximal end, and to prevent contamination of the delivery element by the environment, there is typically a protective sheath or cap that encloses and completely seals the medication delivery element.Such an arrangement results in a medication container having a protective cover with a larger diameter than the cylinder diameter, thus creating an assembly problem for the support structure arranged to hold the medication container at its proximal end. A larger diameter of the support structure at its proximal end may increase the risk of the medication container slipping out of the support structure; however, a smaller diameter of the support structure at its proximal end may prevent the medication container's protective cover or cap from passing through the support structure or may damage the support structure upon passing through. To avoid this problem, a support structure that holds the medication container at its distal end may be a suitable solution.However, due to design tolerances during manufacturing, the medication container flange typically has a varying thickness or thicknesses within a batch of medication containers. This tolerance issue in the thickness of the medication container flange can lead to inaccurate distances between the medication dispensing element and a user's dispensing position.

[0010] An object of this invention is to provide a simple and reliable way of axially retaining a medication container in the medication dispensing device, to compensate for a design tolerance between the retaining arrangement and the medication container, and to maintain a more precise distance between the medication dispensing element and the user's dispensing position.

[0011] According to one aspect of the invention, this object is achieved by a robust and reliable holding arrangement according to claim 1.

[0012] Thus, a retention assembly for a medication container of a medication delivery device is provided, comprising: a container retention member having a proximal end and a distal end and configured to partially receive a medication container; a deformable member disposed between a distal portion of the container retention member and the proximal end of a flange of the medication container; a rear retention member disposed to be moved into contact with the distal end of the flange of the medication container; wherein the deformable member is deformed by a clamping force generated by the container retention member and the flange of the medication container, such that the deformation of the deformable member is configured to compensate for a design tolerance of the medication delivery device.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the container holding member comprises a container holding member inner structure configured to surround the outer surface of the medication container.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the container holding element inner structure may be a closed structure, such as a sleeve shape or a ring shape, or a semi-closed structure such as a C-shape.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the deformable element comprises an inner structure of the deformable element configured to surround the outer surface of the medicament container.

[0016] According to one embodiment, the internal structure of the deformable element may be a closed structure, such as a ring shape; or a semi-closed structure, such as a C-shape or a semi-circular shape.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the flange has a central opening such that an inner distal edge of the central opening defines the distal inner edge of the medicament container.

[0018] According to one embodiment, the rear retaining element has an inclined surface arranged at the proximal end thereof; wherein the inclined surface is configured to abut the distal inner edge of the medicament container.

[0019] According to one embodiment, the contact between the inclined surface and the distal inner edge of the medication container is configured to align the rear retaining element with the medication container during assembly of the medication delivery device.

[0020] According to one embodiment, the contact between the inclined surface and the distal inner edge of the medication container is configured to prevent the medication container from rattling in the assembled medication delivery device.

[0021] According to one embodiment, the holding arrangement has a predetermined axial distance between the distal end of the container holding element and the proximal end of the rear holding element.

[0022] According to one embodiment, the holding arrangement is used in a medication delivery device.

[0023] According to one embodiment, the medication delivery device comprises a housing configured to receive the retaining assembly.

[0024] According to one embodiment, the container holding element is axially and / or rotatably fixed to the housing.

[0025] According to one embodiment, the container holding element is integral with the inner surface of the housing.

[0026] According to one embodiment, the rear retaining member comprises a distally extending tubular body; and wherein the medication delivery device comprises a proximally biased piston rod disposed within the tubular body.

[0027] According to one embodiment, the tubular body is arranged with a radially inwardly extending retaining element; wherein the preloaded piston rod has a counter-retaining element arranged on the outer surface of the preloaded piston rod and configured to interact with the retaining element so that the proximal movement of the preloaded piston rod is prevented.

[0028] According to one embodiment, the radially inwardly extending retaining element is a shoulder structure arranged on the inner surface of the tubular body.

[0029] According to one embodiment, the counter-holding element is located in a recess structure.

[0030] According to one embodiment, the counter-holding element is a radially outwardly projecting projection.

[0031] According to one embodiment, the tubular body is arranged with a proximal flexible arm; wherein the retaining element is arranged at the proximal end of the flexible arm.

[0032] According to one embodiment, the proximal flexible arm is formed on a holding element which is received by the tubular body.

[0033] According to one embodiment, the proximal flexible arm is formed on the tubular body.

[0034] According to one embodiment, the drug delivery device may be an injection device, a body-worn device, an inhalation device, a nasal sprayer, or a medicated sprayer.

[0035] Other aspects, features and advantages will be apparent from the above overview as well as from the following description, including the figures and the claims.

[0036] In general, all terms used in the claims are to be interpreted according to their ordinary meaning in the technical field, unless expressly stated otherwise herein. All references to "an element, device, component, means, etc., are to be openly interpreted as at least one instance of the element, device, component, means, etc.," unless otherwise stated. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] The specific embodiments of the concept of the invention are described below by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 illustrates a holding assembly for a medication container of a medication delivery device. Fig. 2 a cross-sectional view of the holding arrangement of Fig. 1 represents. Fig. 3 a cross-sectional view of the drug delivery device with the holding arrangement of Fig. 1 represents. Fig. 4 a rear holding element of the holding arrangement of Fig. 1 represents. Fig. 5 illustrates a preloaded piston rod used in the drug delivery device. Fig. 6 represents an interaction between the preloaded piston rod and the rear retaining element. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] The concept of the invention is described more fully below with reference to the appended drawings, which illustrate exemplary embodiments. However, the concept of the invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; instead, these embodiments are provided by way of example so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the concept of the invention to those skilled in the art. Similar numerals refer to similar elements throughout the description.

[0039] Fig. 1 illustrates a holding assembly 10 for a medication container 20 of a medication delivery device, for example, a syringe. The medication container 20 extends along a longitudinal axis L between a proximal end and a distal end. The medication container 20 includes a barrel portion configured to contain a medication; a flange 21 with an enlarged portion disposed at the distal end of the barrel portion; a nozzle portion disposed with or for connection to a medication delivery element such that the contained medication can be delivered through the medication delivery element; and a seal 22 disposed to seal the nozzle portion. The holding assembly 10 includes a container holding member 11, a deformable member 12, and a rear holding member 13.The container holding member 11 is configured to receive the cylindrical portion of the medication container 20 and to hold the medication container 20 by engaging at least one end of the medication container, such that the container holding member 11 can hold the medication container by directly or indirectly engaging the flange 21 of the medication container 20. The container holding member is also referred to as a container holder or a container carrier. The deformable member 12 is disposed between a distal surface portion of the container holding member 11 and the proximal end surface of the flange 21 of the medication container 20. The rear holding member 13 is disposed distally with respect to the medication container 20 and is in contact with the distal end surface of the flange 21 of the medication container 20.In a preferred embodiment, the rear retaining member 13 is arranged to be moved axially into contact with the distal end of the flange 21 of the medicament container 20 after the retaining assembly 10 and the medicament container 20 are assembled in the medicament delivery device, as shown in FIG. Fig. 3 shown.

[0040] The container holding element 11 and the rear holding element 13 are configured to exert a clamping force on the flange 21 of the medication container 20 and the deformable element 12, such that the deformable element 12 can be deformed under the force. The deformation of the deformable element 12 is configured to compensate for a design tolerance 10 between the medication container 20 and the holding assembly 10.

[0041] Thus, the retaining assembly 10 can also be used to compensate for a design tolerance on a medicament container due to the manufacturing process of the medicament container, such that the flanges of the various medicament containers may have different axial thicknesses or may not be uniform. Such a design tolerance may also occur in a batch of medicament containers that has a generally fixed overall length, meaning that the medicament containers with a length measured from the distal end of the flange to the proximal tip of the medicament delivery element may be a fixed number for the entire batch of medicament containers or only with a significantly smaller difference.

[0042] The holding assembly 10 is in this case arranged at a predetermined axial distance between the proximal end of the rear holding element 13 and the distal end of the container holding element 11. The space between the proximal end of the rear holding element 13 and the distal end of the container holding element 11 can be filled by the deformable element 12 and the flange 21 of the medication container 20. The deformable element 12 is configured to compensate for the design tolerance of the flange 21 of the medication container 20 through its own deformation, which is caused by the clamping force generated by the rear holding element 13 and the container holding element 11.

[0043] Since the distal end of the flange 21 of the medicine container 20 is in contact with the proximal end of the rear holding member 13 and the total length of all the medicine containers in a batch is generally fixed, the position of the front end of the medicine container with respect to the container holding member 11 can be fixed thereby and the axial rattling of the medicine container in the container holding member 11 can be prevented.

[0044] The deformable element 12 can further distribute a shock between the flange 21 and the container holding element 11 which is generated by a sudden movement of the medication dispenser, for example by the medication dispenser falling down.

[0045] The distal surface of the deformable element 12 may be a rough surface so that the friction between the proximal end of the flange 21 and the distal surface of the deformable element 12 can be increased, and the radial rattling of the medication container 20 in the container holding element 12 can thereby be prevented or mitigated.

[0046] The rear holding element 13 may further comprise an inclined surface 13a, as in Fig. 2. The tapered surface is arranged to abut a distal inner edge of the medicament container 20, which is defined by a distal inner edge of a central opening disposed on the flange 21. Contact between the tapered surface 13a and the distal inner edge of the medicament container 20 is configured to align the rear retaining member 13 with the medicament container 20 during assembly of the medicament delivery device and / or to prevent the medicament container 20 from rattling radially within the assembled medicament delivery device.

[0047] Fig. Figure 3 illustrates the retainer assembly 10 and the medication container 20 when installed in the medication delivery device. The medication delivery device may further include a housing 30 configured to receive the retainer assembly 10 and the medication container 20, and a biased piston rod 40 configured to be proximally biased to expel the medication contained in the barrel of the medication container 20.

[0048] The rear retaining member 13 may further include a distally extending tubular body 13b extending distally along the longitudinal axis L. A rear cap 50 may be arranged to be axially fixed to or integral with a distal portion of the tubular body 13b. The rear cap 50 includes a shoulder 51 configured to be connected to the housing 30 of the medication delivery device.

[0049] As in Fig. 4, the distally extending tubular body 13b may further comprise an axially extending flexible arm 13c arranged with a fixed end 10 fixed to the tubular body 13b and a free end that is radially movable relative to the tubular body 13b. A radially inwardly extending retaining element 13c' is arranged at the free end of the flexible arm 13c and configured to interact with a counter-retaining element 41 arranged on the outer surface of the preloaded piston rod 40 received in the tubular body 13b, as shown in Fig. 5 - 6. Thus, when the holding element 13c' interacts with the counter-holding element 41, the proximal movement of the preloaded push rod 40 is prevented.

[0050] In a preferred embodiment, the extending flexible arm 13c is a proximally extending flexible arm 13c, such that the free end of the flexible arm 13c is also the proximal end of the flexible arm.

[0051] The concept of the invention has been described above with reference to some examples. However, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, other embodiments than those disclosed above are equally possible within the scope of the concept of the invention, as defined by the appended claims. QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents submitted by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. This list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] WO 2011 / 123024

[0003]

Claims

[1] Holding arrangement (10) for a medication container (20) of a medication dispensing device, comprising: a container holding member (11) having a proximal end and a distal end and configured to partially receive a medication container (20); a deformable element (12) arranged between a distal region of the container holding element (11) and the proximal end of a flange (21) of the medicament container (20); a rear holding member (13) arranged to be moved into contact with the distal end of the flange (21) of the medicament container (20); wherein the deformable element (12) is deformed by a clamping force generated by the container holding element (11) and the flange (21) of the medicament container (20), such that the deformation of the deformable element (12) is configured to compensate for a design tolerance of the medicament delivery device. [2] The retaining assembly (10) of claim 1, wherein the rear retaining member (13) has an inclined surface (13a) disposed at the proximal end thereof; wherein the inclined surface (13a) is configured to abut the distal inner edge of the medicament container (20). [3] The retaining assembly (10) of claim 2, wherein the contact between the inclined surface (13a) and the distal inner edge of the medication container (20) is configured to align the rear retaining member (13) with the medication container (20) during assembly of the medication delivery device. [4] The retaining assembly (10) of claim 2, wherein the contact between the inclined surface (13a) and the distal inner edge of the medication container (20) is configured to prevent the medication container (20) from rattling in the assembled medication delivery device. [5] The holding arrangement (10) according to claim 2, wherein the holding arrangement (10) has a predetermined axial distance between the distal end of the container holding element (11) and the proximal end of the rear holding element (13). [6] Drug delivery device comprising a holding arrangement (10) for a medication container (20) of a medication dispensing device, and a housing (30) configured to receive the retaining assembly (10); wherein the holding arrangement (10) comprises a container holding member (11) having a proximal end and a distal end and configured to partially receive a medication container (20); wherein the container holding element (11) has a container holding element inner structure configured to surround the outer surface of the medicament container (20); wherein the container holding element inner structure is a closed structure in a ring shape; wherein the container holding member (11) is integral with the inner surface of the housing (30); a rear holding member (13) arranged to be moved into contact with the distal end of the flange (21) of the medicament container (20); wherein the rear retaining element (13) comprises a distally extending tubular body (13b); and wherein the medication delivery device comprises a proximally biased piston rod (40) disposed within the tubular body (13b), the tubular body (13b) being disposed with a radially inwardly extending retaining element (13c'); wherein the pre-tensioned piston rod (40) has a counter-holding element (41) arranged on the outer surface of the pre-tensioned piston rod (40) and configured to interact with the holding element (13c') so that the proximal movement of the pre-tensioned push rod (40) is prevented; a deformable element (12) disposed between a distal region of the container holding element (11) and the proximal end of a flange (21) of the medication container (20); wherein the deformable element (12) is deformed by a clamping force generated by the container holding element (11) and the flange (21) of the medication container (20), such that the deformation of the deformable element (12) is configured to compensate for a design tolerance of the medication delivery device. [7] A drug delivery device according to claim 6, wherein the tubular body (13b) is arranged with a proximal flexible arm (13c); wherein the holding element (13c') is arranged at the proximal end of the flexible arm (b). [8] The drug delivery device according to claim 6, wherein the rear holding member (13) has an inclined surface (13a) disposed at the proximal end thereof; wherein the inclined surface (13a) is configured to abut the distal inner edge of the drug container (20). [9] The medication delivery device of claim 8, wherein the contact between the inclined surface (13a) and the distal inner edge of the medication container (20) is configured to align the rear retaining member (13) with the medication container (20) during assembly of the medication delivery device. [10] The medication delivery device according to claim 8, wherein the contact between the inclined surface (13a) and the distal inner edge of the medication container (20) is configured to prevent the medication container (20) from rattling in the assembled medication delivery device. [11] A medication delivery device according to claim 8, wherein the holding arrangement (10) has a predetermined axial distance between the distal end of the container holding member (11) and the proximal end of the rear holding member (13). [12] A drug delivery device according to claim 6, wherein the counter-holding element (41) is located in a recess structure. [13] The drug delivery device of claim 6, wherein the drug delivery device is an injection device.

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