Medical infusion device and method for assembling the same - Patents.com

Abstract

The injection device (1) comprises a medical container (20) having a tubular barrel (21) extending along a longitudinal axis (A) and defining a reservoir for containing a medical product, said tubular barrel (21) having a distal shoulder (22) and a proximal end (23). A distal tip (10) projects longitudinally from the distal shoulder (22) of said tubular barrel (21), said distal tip (10) defining an axial passageway (11) in fluid communication with the reservoir such that the medical product may be discharged through said distal tip (10). An adapter (30) is secured to the distal tip (10), said adapter (30) being configured to allow connection of a connector to the distal tip (10). A support ring (40) includes a radio frequency identification RFID tag (60) configured to allow individual identification of the injection device (1). RFID tag (60) includes an RFID chip (61) and an RFID antenna (62), and the support ring (40) has an opening (41) that allows the support ring (40) to be placed around the distal tip (10) such that the RFID tag (60) is disposed between the proximal end (34) of the adapter (30) and the distal shoulder (22) of the barrel (21).

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a medical injection device and a method for assembling the same. [Background technology]

[0002] In this application, the distal end of a part or device is understood to mean the end furthest from the user's hand, and the proximal end is understood to mean the end closest to the user's hand. Similarly, in this application, the "distal direction" is understood to mean, in relation to the medical container of the invention, the direction of injection, and the "proximal direction" is understood to mean the direction opposite to said injection direction, i.e., towards the user's hand that holds the container for the injection operation.

[0003] A medical injection device, such as a prefillable or prefilled syringe, typically comprises a hollow body or barrel forming a container for a medical product. This tubular body comprises an open proximal end provided with a plunger rod for pushing a stopper located inside the barrel, a flange around said open proximal end to allow the user to place his or her finger, and a distal end in the form of a longitudinal tip defining an axial passage through which the medical product is expelled from the container. However, this longitudinal tip does not allow parenteral administration by itself, but must comprise either a staked needle or an adapter that allows connection to a connector such as a needle hub of a syringe or an intravenous (IV) line. Essentially, the adapter may be fixed around the longitudinal tip of the syringe by gluing, screwing, snap-fitting or frictional forces. The connector is then placed on the adapter, for example by screwing.

[0004] There is an increasing need for individual traceability of injection devices, from the manufacturing process through to the final labelling and final use or disposal of the injection device.

[0005] For example, from WO 2017 / 157784 A1, receptacles are known that have a cylindrical lateral surface surrounded by a sequence of printed, machine-readable, unique identification codes. These printed unique identification codes allow tracking and tracing of each receptacle along the supply chain. However, these unique identifier codes are printed on the outside of the receptacle, such that they can be removed or damaged, for example, during handling or use of the receptacle. Furthermore, the unique identification codes cover parts of the receptacle, such that they can affect the customer's visual inspection process.

[0006] US Patent Publication WO 2021 / 0236736 discloses an RFID tamper-proof assembly for a syringe. WO 2020 / 260298 discloses a medical container adapter and an RFID tag at least partially embedded in the adapter. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In this context, the object of the present invention is to provide a medical injection device which alleviates the above-mentioned drawbacks by enabling individual identification of the medical injection device with low or no impact on visual inspection, little or no risk of being removed or damaged, and with limited impact on the manufacturing process.

[0008] One aspect of the present invention is an injection device having a medical container, a tubular barrel extending along a longitudinal axis A and defining a reservoir for containing a medical product, said tubular barrel having a distal shoulder and a proximal end; a distal tip projecting longitudinally from a distal shoulder of said tubular barrel, said distal tip defining an axial passage in fluid communication with a reservoir such that a medical product may be discharged through said distal tip; an adapter secured to the distal tip, the adapter configured to enable connection of a connector to the distal tip; and a support ring including a radio frequency identification, RFID, tag configured to allow for individual identification of the injection device, the RFID tag including an RFID chip and an RFID antenna, said support ring having an opening to allow attachment of the support ring around the distal tip such that the RFID tag is disposed between the proximal end of the adapter and the distal shoulder of the barrel; The injection device comprises:

[0009] The medical injection device of the present invention thus allows for identification and tracking of medical containers without affecting visual inspection, as the RFID tag does not interfere with inspection of the tubular barrel and the medical product contained therein.

[0010] Because the RFID tag is blocked between the adapter and the tubular barrel, the risk of removal or damage to the RFID tag is eliminated or limited.Unlike solutions where the tag is embedded in a removable part of the medical device, where the RFID tag is located on a part that is held by the user such as the tip cap of a syringe, or where the RFID tag is attached to the medical device via an adhesive, the RFID tag of the infusion device of the present invention remains attached to the device while the medication is being administered and after it has been administered.

[0011] Advantageously, the opening in the support ring is a through opening arranged centrally in said support ring.

[0012] The impact on the manufacturing process is also limited, since the support ring containing the RFID tag may be easily mounted on the distal tip by insertion of the distal tip through a central opening in the support ring. Compared to the solution of overmolding the RFID tag onto a plastic part, the medical infusion device according to the invention allows the use of existing manufacturing methods (i.e. PRTC assembly) without the need to modify the mould.

[0013] The support ring is preferably a disk-shaped ring and the opening is preferably a circular through opening.

[0014] In one embodiment, the support ring has an inner diameter that is smaller than the outer diameter of the distal tip.

[0015] The inner diameter of the support ring may refer to the maximum diameter of the opening in the support ring.

[0016] Thus, the RFID tag is secured to the distal tip by an interference fit.

[0017] In one embodiment, the support ring has an outer diameter that is equal to or less than the outer diameter of the adapter and / or the tip cap, if the injection set includes a tip cap connected to the adapter to seal the axial passage of the distal tip.

[0018] This allows the radial dimension of the injection device to be limited so that no packaging modifications are required, and it also limits the risk of damage to the RFID tag as it does not protrude radially from the adapter.

[0019] In one embodiment, the support ring defines a distal abutment surface configured to abut the proximal end of the adapter.

[0020] Preferably, the terminal abutment surface is flat.

[0021] This allows for load sharing when pushing the RFID tag proximally by the proximal end of the adapter abutting against the support ring, thus limiting the risk of the RFID tag deforming and being damaged.

[0022] In one embodiment, when attached to the injection device, the support ring has a flat distal surface and a flat opposing proximal surface and extends in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis A.

[0023] In one embodiment, the support ring is secured to the proximal-most portion of the distal tip.

[0024] A proximal-most portion of the distal tip connects the distal tip to the distal shoulder of the barrel. This proximal-most portion may have a proximal flared diameter. An outer surface of the proximal-most portion has a concave shape.

[0025] In one embodiment, the support ring has a bevel on its proximal face that extends around the opening.

[0026] This allows the RFID tag to be positioned as close as possible to the distal shoulder of the barrel so that the length of the distal tip does not have to be increased to accommodate the support ring thereon.

[0027] The bevel of the support ring and the proximal-most portion of the distal tip may have complementary shapes.

[0028] In one embodiment, the support ring has inward radial legs that define an opening and are configured to secure the support ring to the distal tip.

[0029] The feet allow the RFID tag to be mounted around the distal tip with limited risk of deformation and damage to the RFID tag during assembly of the injection device. The feet limit the internal stresses of the RFID tag. Without the feet, more material of the support ring would have to deform, which would lead to more axial forces on said support ring during assembly, resulting in greater internal stresses in the RFID tag and thus the risk of damaging it.

[0030] Preferably, the distal tip comprises a groove configured to receive an inner ring of an adapter, the length of said groove being comprised between 1 mm and 2 mm, preferably about 1.5 mm. Preferably, a support ring carrying an RFID tag is also received within the groove of the distal tip when placed on the injection device. This groove may be cylindrical to stabilize the support ring, i.e., there are no ramps that would tend to move the support ring to one side or the other. Furthermore, having the support ring in the groove of the distal tip provides a clear indication that the support ring is properly positioned. During assembly, this indication may be a reduction in axial force pushing the support ring downwards (proximally) and possibly an audible "click."

[0031] In one embodiment, the RFID antenna and RFID chip are embedded, preferably overmolded, into the support ring.

[0032] The RFID antenna and chip are thus protected from the outside environment.

[0033] In one embodiment, the support ring is a printed circuit board, PCB, and the RFID antenna is printed on said PCB, preferably directly on its end face, and the RFID chip is welded to the RFID antenna.

[0034] This limits the axial dimension of the support ring and therefore the length of the distal tip, thereby limiting the risk of breakage of this distal tip.

[0035] Preferably, the antenna is in the form of a single loop, a folded loop or a cut loop.

[0036] By single loop it is meant that the antenna has both ends connected to the chip, forming a closed loop. By folded loop it is meant that the antenna includes two symmetrical branches, each having one end connected to the chip and a free end arranged such that each branch forms at least one turn between these two ends. By cut loop it is meant that the antenna includes two symmetrical branches, one end connected to the chip and a free end, forming no turn between these two ends. In the folded loop and cut loop configurations, the two branches of the antenna may extend in different halves of the support ring with respect to a longitudinal plane that includes the longitudinal axis A.

[0037] In one embodiment, the RFID tag is a Low Frequency Radio Frequency Identification, LF-RFID, tag, a High Frequency Radio Frequency Identification, HF-RFID, tag, or preferably an Ultra High Frequency Radio Frequency Identification, UHF-RFID, tag.

[0038] UHF-RFID tags make it possible to increase the reading range and therefore facilitate the identification of the injection device.

[0039] Another aspect of the invention is a method of assembling the injection device described above, the method including the step of placing a support ring on the distal tip before placing an adapter on the distal tip, such that the support ring including an RFID tag is disposed between the proximal end of the adapter and the distal end of the barrel.

[0040] In one embodiment, the method comprises: (i) inserting an opening in a support ring over the distal tip; (ii) moving the support ring proximally relative to the distal tip until an inner diameter of the support ring interferes with an outer diameter of the distal tip; (iii) pushing the support ring proximally to move the support ring into the groove of the distal tip; (iv) securing an adapter to the distal tip; Includes.

[0041] In one embodiment, the proximal movement of the support ring relative to the distal tip in step (ii) is accomplished by gravity.

[0042] That is, the distal tip is in a vertical position and the support ring supporting the RFID tag moves downwards due to gravity.

[0043] In one embodiment, step (iii) comprises the support ring being pushed further in the proximal direction by the proximal end of the adapter abutting the support ring until the adapter reaches its final position relative to the distal tip.

[0044] The final position is reached when the inner ring of the adapter is secured within the groove of the distal tip.

[0045] The invention and the advantages arising therefrom will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: [Brief description of the drawings]

[0046] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a medical injection device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2A] FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view of a medical injection device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2B] FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view of a medical injection device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3A] FIG. 3A is a perspective view of an RFID tag for a medical infusion device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3B] FIG. 3B is a bottom view of the proximal end of an RFID tag for a medical infusion device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an RFID tag for a medical infusion device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5A] FIG. 5A is a perspective and partial cutaway view of a disc-shaped ring of a medical infusion device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5B]FIG. 5B is a perspective and partial cutaway view of a disc-shaped ring of a medical infusion device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5C] FIG. 5C is a perspective and partial cutaway view of a disc-shaped ring of a medical infusion device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6A] 6A-6D are cross-sectional views illustrating different steps for assembling a medical injection device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6B] 6A-6B are cross-sectional views illustrating different steps for assembling a medical injection device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6C] 6A-6C are cross-sectional views illustrating different steps for assembling a medical injection device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6D] 6A-6D are cross-sectional views illustrating different steps for assembling a medical injection device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6E] 6A-6E are cross-sectional views illustrating different steps for assembling a medical injection device according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0047] 1, 2A and 2B, an injection device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. The medical injection device 1 comprises a medical container 20, such as a prefillable or prefilled syringe, an adapter 30 for connecting the medical container 20 to a connector, such as a needle hub (not shown) or an IV line (not shown), and a support ring, such as a disk-shaped ring 40, that includes a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag 60. Prior to use, e.g., during storage or transport, the injection device 1 may include a tip cap assembly 50.

[0048] The medical container 20 comprises a tubular barrel 21 defining a reservoir for containing a medical product. The tubular barrel 21 may be made of a plastic or glass material. With reference to Figures 2A and 2B, the barrel 21 has a distal end or shoulder 22 with a distal tip 10 extending longitudinally along a longitudinal axis A, and an opposite open proximal end 23 which may be provided with a finger flange 24. The open proximal end 23 may receive a plunger rod (not shown) for pushing a stopper (not shown) disposed inside the tubular barrel 21 to expel the medical product contained within the tubular barrel 21.

[0049] The distal tip 10 protrudes distally from the distal end 22 of the tubular barrel 21. The distal tip 10 has an axial passageway 11 in fluid communication with a reservoir such that the medical product is discharged through the passageway 11. The distal tip 10 is needle-free and therefore needs to receive an adapter 30 that allows connection of the distal tip 10 with a connector for delivery of the medical product to a patient. As mentioned above, the connector may be a needle hub or an IV line. The distal tip 10 has a proximal portion configured to receive the adapter 30, which may include a groove 12 and / or ribs 13, 14 for securing the adapter 30 thereon by snap-fit, interference fit or adhesive. Typically, the distal tip 10 comprises two ribs 13, 14 between which the groove 12 is disposed. The distal tip 10 also includes a proximal-most end 15 having an increasing diameter proximally, which connects the distal tip 10 to a distal shoulder 22 of the barrel 21.

[0050] The adapter 30 is configured to allow connection of a connector to the distal tip 10 of the medical container 20 and secure the connector to the distal tip 10. To that end, the adapter 30 includes a tubular body 31 defining a distal end 33, a proximal end 34, and an internal cavity 32 for receiving the connector, the internal cavity 32 including a connecting element, such as internal threads 36, configured to engage corresponding connecting features of the connector, such as external threads or external wings of a needle hub. Prior to use, the internal threads 36 may engage external threads 51 of a tip cap assembly 50, as shown in FIG. 2B.

[0051] The adapter 30 further includes an inner ring 35 that projects inwardly from the inner wall of the tubular body 31. The inner ring 35 is configured to engage a proximal portion of the distal tip 10 to secure the adapter 30 to the distal tip 10, for example, by adhesive, snap fit, or frictional forces. For example, the inner ring 35 may have resilient legs that engage grooves 12 in the distal tip 10.

[0052] The RFID tag 60 is configured to allow for individual identification and tracking of the injection device 1. To that end, as shown in Figures 5A-5C, the RFID tag 60 comprises an RFID chip 61 having a storage unit containing a unique device identifier (UDI), and an RFID antenna 62. The RFID chip 61 and the antenna 62 are supported by a support, which may be in the form of a support ring 40, such as a disc-shaped ring.

[0053] A support ring 40 is mounted around the distal tip 10 at the proximal portion or preferably at the proximal-most end 15 of the distal tip 10 and is disposed between the proximal end 34 of the adapter 30 and the distal shoulder 22 of the tubular barrel 21 such that removal of the support ring 40 is prevented during transportation, storage or use of the injection device 1.

[0054] As seen in Figure 3A, the disk-shaped support ring 40 defines a central through opening 41 that allows for insertion of the terminal tip 10. The disk-shaped support ring 40 may be a fully closed ring (Figures 5A, 5C) or a split ring (Figure 5B). In the case of a split ring, the RFID chip 61 is preferably located diametrically opposite the slot 42. Thus, the RFID antenna 62 may be symmetrical about a longitudinal plane that includes the longitudinal axis A to maximize performance.

[0055] The support ring 40 may have circular outer and inner edges 43, 44. For example, referring to FIG. 3B, the inner edge 44 defines an inner diameter d that may be smaller than the outer diameter of the terminal tip 10 so that the RFID tag 60 is secured to the terminal tip 10, preferably by an interference fit. When the disk-shaped ring 40 is within the groove 12 of the terminal tip 10, the inner diameter d may be 0.05 mm to 0.4 mm smaller than the outer diameter of the terminal tip 10. When the disk-shaped ring 40 is above the groove 12 where the interference is greatest, the inner diameter d may be 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm smaller than the outer diameter of the terminal tip 10.

[0056] The inner edge 44 of the support ring 40 may include a proximally disposed bevel 49 that facilitates seating of the support ring 40 on the distal tip 10. The bevel 49 also allows the support ring 40 to be positioned as proximally as possible, i.e., as close to the barrel 21 as possible, so that the support ring 40 does not take up too much of the axial dimension of the distal tip 10. To further reduce the axial dimension taken up by the support ring 40 along the distal tip 10, the disk-shaped ring 40 is flat, i.e., includes a distal face 45 and an opposing proximal face 46, which are preferably perpendicular to the longitudinal axis A. The axial dimension w of the support ring 40 may be configured to be between 0.5 mm and 1.5 mm.

[0057] The distal surface 45 of the disk-shaped support is intended to also function as an abutment surface configured to abut against the proximal end 34 of the adapter 30 as the support ring 40 is pushed proximally by the adapter 30 during assembly of the injection device 1. Having a flat distal surface 45 also makes it possible to distribute the load on the disk-shaped ring 40, thereby reducing the risk of the RDIF tag 60 being damaged during assembly.

[0058] As shown in Fig. 4, in order to facilitate the insertion of the terminal tip 10 through the central opening 41, the disk-shaped ring 40 may have inwardly extending legs 47 configured to deform slightly while the RFID tag 60 slides relative to the terminal tip 10 during assembly of the injection device 1. The legs 47 may be regularly distributed in the circumferential direction and separated by radial cavities 48. These legs 47 also limit the deformation of the RFID chip 61 and the antenna 62 during assembly, thus limiting the risk of damage.

[0059] 3B, the disk-shaped ring 40 has an outer diameter D that is equal to or less than the outer diameter of the tip cap assembly 50 (if present), or of the barrel 21, or preferably of the adapter 30, more specifically, the proximal end 34 of the adapter 30 as seen in FIG. 2B. Preferably, the outer diameter D of the support ring 40 is as close as possible to the outer diameter of the adapter 30.

[0060] The RFID tag 60 may be a low frequency (about 30-300 kHz, preferably 125-135 kHz, more specifically 124 kHz, 125 kHz, or 134 kHz) RFID (LF-RFID) tag, preferably a high frequency (about 3-30 MHz) RFID (HF-RFID) tag, or more preferably an ultra high frequency (about 400-1000 MHz) RFID (UHF-RFID) tag. An RFID reader can read, for example, LF-RFID tags at a distance up to about 10 cm, HF-RFID tags at a distance of about 1 m, and UHF-RFID tags at a distance of about 12 meters. In one embodiment, the RFID tag 60 may be a high frequency near field communication (HF-NFC) tag. The frequency is typically about 13.56 MHz. In this embodiment, the NFC reader can read, for example, HF-NFC tags at a distance up to a few centimeters. HF-NFC differs from HF-RFID in that it can be read by an NFC smartphone. The RFID tag 60 may be a Bluetooth tag.

[0061] 5A to 5C, the antenna 62 may be in the form of a single loop (FIG. 5A), a folded loop (FIG. 5B), or a cut loop (FIG. 5C). The single loop antenna 62 has two ends 63 connected, for example welded, to the chip 61, thus forming a closed loop. The folded loop antenna 62 includes two symmetrical branches 62a, 62b. Each of these branches 62a, 62b has one end 63a, 63b connected, for example welded, to the chip 61, and a free end 64a, 64b arranged such that the branches 62a, 62b form at least one turn 65 between these two ends. The cut loop antenna 62 has two symmetrical branches 62a, 62b, each of these branches 62a, 62b has one end 63a, 63b connected, for example welded, to the chip 61, and a free end 64a, 64b. The branches 62a, 62b do not form a fold 65 between their two ends. In the folded and cut loop antennas 62, the two branches 62a, 62b extend in different halves of the disk-shaped ring 40 with respect to a longitudinal plane containing the longitudinal axis A. In the folded and cut loop antennas 62, the support ring 40 may be a split ring, with the tip 61 and the slot 42 dividing the ring 40 preferably being diametrically opposed.

[0062] In one embodiment, the support formed by the disk-shaped ring 40 encapsulates the RFID chip 61 and the antenna 62 so as to protect them from the external environment. For example, the RFID chip 61 and the antenna 62 are overmolded on the disk-shaped support. In another embodiment, the support formed by the disk-shaped ring 40 is a printed circuit board (PCB), the RFID antenna 62 is printed on the PCB, preferably directly on its end face, and the RFID chip 61 is welded to the antenna 62.

[0063] The RFID tag 60 may include a wet inlay, a dry inlay, or a pressure sensitive label affixed to the disc-shaped ring 40 .

[0064] It should be noted that the disk-shaped ring 40 is preferably made of a rigid material, such as polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polystyrene (PS) or polycarbonate (PC), thereby limiting the risk of damage to the RFID chip 61 and antenna 62 when the support ring 40 is placed on the distal tip 10. Heat-resistant materials such as ceramic, nylon, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) such as Teflon® may be used to prevent damage from high temperatures.

[0065] 2B, the tip cap assembly 50 may include an outer cap 52 defining a cavity for receiving an inner cap 53. The outer cap 52 is made of a harder material and the inner cap 53 is made of a softer, more resilient material than the outer cap 52. The inner cap 53 is intended to seal the passageway 11 of the medical container distal tip 10. The outer cap 52 has external threads 51 that engage with the internal threads 36 of the adapter 30 to secure the tip cap assembly 50 to the adapter 30 and the medical container 20.

[0066] A method of assembling the injection device 1 of the present invention will now be described with reference to Figures 6A to 6E.

[0067] The support ring 40 is placed on the distal tip 10 of the injection device 1 by first inserting the distal tip 10 through the opening 41 of the disk-shaped ring 40 (FIG. 6A). The disk-shaped ring 40 moves downwards in a proximal direction, preferably by gravity, until its inner edge 44 interferes with the outer surface of the distal tip 10 (FIG. 6B). At this stage, the disk-shaped ring 40 may be blocked by a distal rib 13 at the distal end of the groove 12. The tip cap assembly 50 and the adapter 30, already connected to each other by the engagement of their threads, are then placed on the distal tip 10 by inserting the distal tip 10 through the inner ring 35 of the adapter 30 (FIG. 6C). The proximal end 34 of the adapter 30 comes into abutment against the distal face 45 of the disk-shaped ring 40 (FIG. 6D), such that the adapter 30 pushes the disk-shaped ring 40 further in the proximal direction. The disk-shaped ring 40 may deform slightly to clear the distal rib 13, then slide along the groove 12 and continue to move towards the barrel 21 until it reaches its final position where the adapter 30 is secured to the distal tip 10, i.e., until the inner ring 35 of the adapter 30 fits properly within the groove 12 of the distal tip 10 (FIG. 6E). The disk-shaped ring 40 containing the RFID tag 60 is now blocked between the adapter 30 and the barrel 21 and engages the proximal-most portion 15 of the distal tip 10. Also, the disk-shaped ring 40 cannot rotate around the distal tip 10 due to the interference fit, and therefore remains fixed relative to the distal tip 10.

Claims

1. An injection device (1) comprising a medical container (20), a tubular barrel (21) extending along a longitudinal axis (A) and defining a reservoir for containing a medical product, said tubular barrel (21) having a distal shoulder (22) and a proximal end (23); a distal tip (10) protruding longitudinally from the distal shoulder (22) of the tubular barrel (21), the distal tip (10) defining an axial passage (11) in fluid communication with the reservoir so that the medical product is discharged through the distal tip (10); an adapter (30) secured to the distal tip (10), the adapter (30) configured to allow connection of a connector to the distal tip (10); and a support ring (40) including a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag (60) configured to allow for individual identification of the injection device (1), the RFID tag (60) including an RFID chip (61) and an RFID antenna (62), the support ring (40) having an opening (41) to allow for placement of the support ring (40) around the distal tip (10), the RFID tag (60) being positioned between the proximal end (34) of the adapter (30) and the distal shoulder (22) of the barrel (21); An injection device (1) provided with:

2. 2. The injection device (1) of claim 1, wherein the support ring opening (41) has an inner diameter (d) that is smaller than the outer diameter of the distal tip (10).

3. 2. The injection device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the support ring (40) has an outer diameter (D) equal to or smaller than the outer diameter of the adapter (30).

4. 2. The injection device (1) of claim 1, wherein the support ring (40) defines a distal abutment surface (45) configured to abut against the proximal end (34) of the adapter (30).

5. 2. The injection device (1) of claim 1, wherein the support ring (40) has a flat distal face (45) and an opposite flat proximal face (46) and extends in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (A).

6. 2. The injection device (1) of claim 1, wherein the support ring (40) is fixed to the proximal-most portion (15) of the distal tip (10).

7. 2. An injection device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the support ring (40) has a bevel (49) on its proximal face (46) that extends around the opening (41).

8. 2. The injection device (1) of claim 1, wherein the support ring (40) has inward radial legs (47) configured to define the opening (41) and secure the support ring (40) to the distal tip (10).

9. 2. The injection device (1) of claim 1, wherein the RFID antenna (62) and the RFID chip (61) are embedded in, preferably overmolded into, the support ring (40).

10. 2. The injection device (1) of claim 1, wherein the support ring (40) is a printed circuit board PCB, the RFID antenna (62) is printed directly on the PCB, preferably on its end face (45), and the RFID chip (61) is welded to the RFID antenna (62).

11. Infusion device (1) according to claim 1, wherein said RFID tag (60) is a low frequency radio frequency identification (LF-RFID) tag, a high frequency radio frequency identification (HF-RFID) tag or preferably an ultra high frequency radio frequency identification (UHF-RFID) tag.

12. A method for assembling an injection device (1) as described in any one of claims 1 to 11, the method comprising the step of placing the support ring (40) on the distal tip (10) before placing the adapter (30) on the distal tip (10) so that the support ring (40) including the RFID tag (60) is positioned between the proximal end (34) of the adapter (30) and the distal end (22) of the barrel (21).

13. The method comprises: (i) inserting the opening (41) of the support ring (40) onto the distal tip (10); (ii) moving the support ring (40) proximally relative to the distal tip (10) until the inner diameter (d) of the support ring (40) interferes with the outer diameter of the distal tip (10); (iii) pushing the support ring (40) proximally to move the support ring (40) into the groove (12) of the distal tip (10); (iv) securing said adapter (30) to said distal tip (10); 13. The method of claim 12, comprising:

14. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the proximal movement of the support ring (40) relative to the distal tip (10) in step (ii) is accomplished by gravity.

15. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein step (iii) includes further pushing the support ring (40) in a proximal direction by abutting the proximal end (34) of the adapter (30) against the support ring (40) until the adapter (30) reaches its final position relative to the distal tip (10).

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