Drug injection device and method

Abstract

A drug injection device according to the present invention includes a drug injector that electrochemically drives an electroosmotic pump to aspirate a drug from a drug reservoir and eject the aspirated drug into an injection target, and a control unit that outputs a control signal to the drug injector corresponding to an injection sequence that defines the operation of the electroosmotic pump, the injection sequence including at least one pulse block that defines voltage pulses or current pulses to be applied to the electroosmotic pump, each pulse block defining a pair of pulse signals including a forward pulse and a reverse pulse that are applied to the electroosmotic pump and generate negative and positive pressures alternately, and the electroosmotic pump generates negative and positive pressures alternately for each pulse block to aspirate and eject the drug.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a drug infusion device and method. [Background technology]

[0002] Drugs can be injected into the body in various ways, such as orally, subcutaneously, or intravenously, depending on the type, purpose, and method of treatment. Drug injectors using drug pumps can automatically inject drugs into the body at a desired rate and volume at a required time. Therefore, drug injectors using drug pumps can be used in a variety of ways, not only in hospitals and in patients' daily lives.

[0003] Insulin pumps, commonly known as insulin injectors, are medical devices for diabetics who do not secrete insulin or who secrete only small amounts of insulin. They act like the pancreas, supplying insulin to the body from the outside at precisely set times to regulate blood sugar levels.

[0004] Such insulin pumps are used by insulin-dependent diabetics and can inject medicine continuously 24 hours a day while worn by the patient. Because insulin injectors must inject medicine into diabetics regularly over a long period of time, active technological development is underway to miniaturize and automate insulin injectors for user convenience.

[0005] However, as insulin injectors become smaller and more automated, it is sometimes difficult to ensure the operational stability of the insulin injector, and the main cause of blockage is back pressure at the tip of the cannula or needle due to various reactions between the drug and biological fluids. This blockage problem becomes more serious when the amount of drug to be injected is small or is injected slowly.

[0006] Therefore, there is a need for a method for continuously injecting a drug into a patient, while at the same time stably injecting a precise amount of drug and controlling the drug injection so that the drug injection channel does not become clogged during drug injection. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the technical object of the present invention is to provide a drug injection device and method that can inject a fixed amount of drug according to injection conditions.

[0008] However, the technical problem that this embodiment aims to achieve is not limited to the above-mentioned technical problem, and other technical problems may exist. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] As a technical solution to the above-mentioned technical problems, one embodiment of the present invention provides a drug injection device that includes a drug injector that electrochemically drives an electroosmotic pump to aspirate a drug from a drug reservoir and eject the aspirated drug into an injection target, and a control unit that outputs a control signal to the drug injector corresponding to an injection sequence that defines operation of the electroosmotic pump, the injection sequence including at least one pulse block that defines voltage pulses or current pulses to be applied to the electroosmotic pump, each pulse block defining a pair of pulse signals including a forward pulse and a reverse pulse that are applied to the electroosmotic pump and generate alternating negative and positive pressures, and the electroosmotic pump generates alternating negative and positive pressures for each pulse block to aspirate and eject the drug.

[0010] Furthermore, a drug injection method according to one embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of setting an injection sequence that determines the operation of the drug injection device, applying a control signal corresponding to the injection sequence to the electroosmotic pump, and, in response to the control signal, causing the electroosmotic pump to alternately generate negative and positive pressure in each pulse block to inhale and expel drug, wherein the injection sequence includes at least one pulse block that defines voltage pulses or current pulses to be applied to the electroosmotic pump, and each pulse block defines a pair of pulse signals that includes a forward pulse and a reverse pulse that are applied to the electroosmotic pump to alternately generate negative and positive pressure. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the above-described means for solving the problems of the present invention, an appropriate injection sequence can be set for a drug injector that utilizes an electroosmotic pump, and the drug injector can be controlled so as to inject a fixed amount of drug.

[0012] In addition, various data can be used to set an injection sequence for injecting drugs, improving usability according to the user and the situation. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] FIG. 1 is a block diagram that schematically illustrates a drug injection device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the drug injector shown in FIG.

[0015] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the concept of an injection sequence according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] FIG. 4 is an exemplary diagram illustrating an injection sequence according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the electroosmotic pump shown in FIG.

[0018] FIG. 6 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of the driving unit shown in FIG.

[0019] FIG. 7 is an exemplary diagram illustrating the operation of the driving unit shown in FIG.

[0020] FIG. 8 is an exemplary application diagram of a drug injection device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration of the drug injection device shown in FIG.

[0022] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration of the drug injection device shown in FIG.

[0023] FIG. 11 is an example of a table in which multiple injection sequences are stored.

[0024] FIG. 12 is an exemplary diagram showing information of a plurality of pulse blocks.

[0025] 13 is a flow chart illustrating a drug injection method according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention may be embodied in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Furthermore, the accompanying drawings are merely provided to facilitate understanding of the embodiments disclosed herein, and the technical ideas disclosed herein are not limited to the accompanying drawings. To clearly illustrate the present invention in the drawings, parts that are not relevant to the description are omitted, and the size, shape, and form of each component shown in the drawings may be modified in various ways. The same or similar reference numerals are used throughout the specification to refer to the same or similar parts.

[0027] The suffixes "module" and "section" used in the following description for components are used solely for the convenience of drafting the specification and do not have any distinct meanings or roles. In addition, when describing the embodiments disclosed herein, if a detailed description of related publicly known technology is deemed to detract from the gist of the embodiments disclosed herein, such detailed description has been omitted.

[0028] Throughout this specification, a part being "coupled (connected, in contact, or coupled)" to another part includes not only a "directly coupled (connected, in contact, or coupled)" part, but also an "indirectly coupled (connected, in contact, or coupled)" part with another member interposed therebetween. Furthermore, when a part "includes (comprises or comprises)" a certain component, it does not exclude other components, but means that it may further "include (comprises or comprises)" other components, unless otherwise specified.

[0029] As used herein, ordinal terms such as "first," "second," etc. are used only to distinguish one component from another, and do not limit the order or relationship of the components. For example, a first component of the present invention may be designated as a second component, and similarly, the second component may be designated as a first component.

[0030] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a drug injection device according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the drug injector shown in FIG.

[0031] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a drug injection device (10) according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described. The drug injection device (10) includes a drug injector (100) and a control unit (200).

[0032] The drug injector 100 electrochemically drives the electroosmotic pump 110 to inhale a drug from a drug source and discharge the inhaled drug into an injection target. The control unit 200 outputs a control signal to the drug injector 100 corresponding to an injection sequence that defines the operation of the electroosmotic pump 110.

[0033] The control unit (200) may refer to a data processing device built into hardware having a circuit physically structured to perform functions expressed by codes or instructions contained in a program. Examples of such data processing devices built into hardware include a microprocessor, a central processing unit (CPU), a processor core, a multiprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a microcontroller unit (MCU), an embedded processor, etc., but the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0034] Meanwhile, the control unit (200) may be implemented not only in a form independently built into the drug injection device (10), but also in a form connected to the user terminal (40) described below via a communication module, with the user terminal (40) and the control unit (200) integrated to control the operation of the drug injection device (10).

[0035] 3 is a diagram illustrating the concept of an injection sequence according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is an example diagram illustrating an injection sequence according to an embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, the injection sequence will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

[0036] As shown in Figure 3(a), an injection sequence is a sequence of at least one pulse block (20) applied to an electroosmotic pump (110). As shown in Figure 3(c), each pulse block (20) contains information about a pair of pulse signals, including a forward pulse and a reverse pulse, and information about the amplitude and duration of each pulse. The pair of pulse signals, including a forward pulse and a reverse pulse, is applied to the electroosmotic pump (110) to generate alternating negative and positive pressures, thereby inhaling and exhaling the drug by alternately generating negative and positive pressures for each pulse block (20).

[0037] The pair of pulse signals (21, 22) included in the pulse block (20) are voltage pulse signals or current pulse signals. The pair of voltage pulse signals consists of a forward voltage pulse and a reverse voltage pulse, and the pair of current pulse signals consists of a forward current pulse and a reverse current pulse. Here, the pair of voltage pulse signals may include information regarding the magnitude and sustain time of each voltage pulse, and the pair of current pulse signals may include information regarding the magnitude and sustain time of each current pulse. For example, in the injection sequence shown in FIG. 4, the magnitude of the pulse signals may be 2 V and the sustain time may be 10 seconds.

[0038] Each pulse block included in the injection sequence can include voltage pulses having different voltage magnitudes or current pulses having different current magnitudes, or each pulse block can include pulses having the same voltage magnitude or current magnitude but with different sustain times.

[0039] The forward pulse (21) and the reverse pulse (22) included in the pulse block (20) are set to have the same magnitude and duration, so that the amount of drug inhaled and expelled by the electroosmotic pump (110) can be maintained the same.

[0040] Furthermore, the pair of pulse signals (21, 22) included in the pulse block (20) can be provided at a constant voltage or a constant current, and the amount of drug inhaled and exhaled by each pulse block can be adjusted by adjusting the duration of the pulse signal provided by the constant voltage or constant current. For example, the pulse block (20) in FIG. 4 is provided at a constant voltage of 2 V.

[0041] Additionally, the pair of pulse signals (21, 22) can be adjusted in both signal magnitude and duration so that the amounts of inhaled and exhaled drug are equal. For example, the forward voltage pulse has a magnitude of 2 V and a duration of 10 s, and the subsequent reverse voltage pulse has a magnitude of 1 V and a duration of 20 s, and the areas of the forward pulse and the reverse pulse are set to be equal, so that the amounts of inhaled and exhaled drug are equal.

[0042] 4, each pulse block 20 may further include a stabilization pulse 23, which is a pulse that maintains a 0 V voltage for a predetermined time after the application of the forward voltage pulse 21 and the reverse voltage pulse 22. The operation of the electroosmotic pump 110 may be stabilized through the stabilization pulse 23. Here, if the pulse block 10 of the injection sequence is composed of a pair of current pulses, the pulse block 20 may further include a stabilization pulse 23 that maintains a 0 A current for a predetermined time after the application of the forward current pulse and the reverse current pulse.

[0043] Additionally, as shown in Figure 3(b), the injection sequence may further include a pause block (30). The pause block (30) is placed after the pulse block (20) is applied or between pulse blocks (20) and is a signal that maintains a 0V voltage or 0A current for a predetermined period of time. The drug injection device (100) of the present invention must slowly inject a constant amount of drug over a long period of time. Therefore, by including a pause block (30) in the injection sequence, it is possible to control the time during which the target drug injection amount is injected and to minimize the time during which no drug is injected, thereby preventing the flow path of the drug injector (100) from becoming clogged during periods during which no drug is injected.

[0044] Based on the pulse block information included in the injection sequence, the control unit (200) generates a control signal consisting of a voltage pulse or current pulse corresponding to the injection sequence and applies it to the drug injector (100).

[0045] When a control signal corresponding to such an injection sequence is applied to the electroosmotic pump 110, the electroosmotic pump 110 alternately generates negative and positive pressure for each pulse block to inhale and expel the drug. Here, the control signal may be a signal consisting of a voltage pulse pair including a forward voltage pulse and a reverse voltage pulse or a current pulse pair including a forward current pulse and a reverse current pulse for each pulse block.

[0046] FIG. 5 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of the electroosmotic pump shown in FIG.

[0047] 5, the electroosmotic pump 110 includes a driving unit 111 and a chamber 112. The driving unit 111 is electrochemically driven by a control signal to generate positive and negative pressures, and discharges a drug by the positive and negative pressures. The chamber 112 draws in the drug from the drug reservoir 120 by the pressure of the driving unit 111, and then discharges the drug into the insertion unit 130. Here, the drug is a drug to be injected into a specific patient, such as insulin injected into a diabetic patient.

[0048] FIG. 6 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of the driving unit shown in FIG. 5, and FIG. 7 is an exemplary diagram schematically showing the configuration of the driving unit shown in FIG.

[0049] 6 and 7, the driving unit (111) is a pump that utilizes the electroosmotic phenomenon that occurs when a voltage or current is applied to both ends of a porous membrane (111a) using electrodes, causing fluid to move. The driving unit (111) includes the membrane (111a), a power source (111d) that applies a voltage or current to a first electrode (111b) and a second electrode (111c) that are disposed on both sides of the membrane (111a), and a flow path for the fluid to move.

[0050] The actuator 111 may include a first diaphragm 111e disposed adjacent to the first electrode 111b and a second diaphragm 111f disposed adjacent to the second electrode 111c. Each diaphragm 111e, 111f is provided on one side and the other side of the membrane 111a, and changes shape as the pumping solution moves due to the alternating generation of positive and negative pressures. For example, the first diaphragm 111e and the second diaphragm 111f transmit the negative and positive pressures generated by the actuation of the membrane 111a to the fluid to be pumped. More specifically, when negative pressure is generated, at least a portion of the first diaphragm (111e) and the second diaphragm (111f) moves backward (when they move in the direction of "O1" in Figure 6), and the fluid to be transferred is sucked into the chamber (112), and conversely, when positive pressure is generated, at least a portion of the first diaphragm (111e) and the second diaphragm (111f) moves forward (when they move in the direction of "O2" in Figure 6), and the fluid to be transferred is discharged from the chamber (112).

[0051] The porous membrane (111a) is typically made of silica or glass, and when immersed in an aqueous solution, its surface becomes charged with anions. The porous membrane (111a) has numerous fluid-passing channels. A close-up of one of these channels reveals that the surface of the fluid channel, which is charged with bound anions, is balanced by mobile positively charged cations. In this state, applying a positive voltage to the first electrode (111b) and a negative voltage to the second electrode (111c) generates negative pressure, which moves the fluid inside the actuator (111) in the direction indicated by "O1" in Figure 6. The drug is then inhaled through the inhalation channel (141) and flows into the chamber (112) via the inhalation valve (140). At this time, the discharge valve (150) is closed to prevent negative pressure from being transmitted to the discharge passage (151).

[0052] Conversely, when a negative voltage is applied to the first electrode (111b) and a positive voltage is applied to the second electrode (111c), a reversible electrochemical reaction generates a positive pressure in the opposite direction. This positive pressure causes the fluid inside the actuator (111) to move in the direction of "O2" in Figure 6. At this time, the drug stored in the chamber (112) flows into the target object through the discharge valve (150) and the discharge path (151). At this time, the intake valve (140) is closed, preventing positive pressure from being transmitted to the intake path (141). Meanwhile, the intake valve (140) and the discharge valve (150) function as check valves that allow fluid to move in one direction, preventing backflow of the fluid when the pressure is released.

[0053] This phenomenon is called electroosmosis, and a pump that utilizes this principle is the electroosmotic pump 110. Therefore, by controlling the magnitude and duration of the voltage or current applied to the first and second electrodes 111b and 111c, the pressure generated by the electroosmotic pump 110 and the volume of drug discharged can be controlled.

[0054] With this configuration, by alternately supplying voltage or current polarity to the first electrode (111b) and (-) second electrode (111c) of the driving unit (111), forward and reverse electrochemical reactions occur reversibly. The fluid inside the electroosmotic pump repeatedly moves back and forth as the forward and reverse electrochemical reactions occur repeatedly. Furthermore, the first electrode (111b) and the second electrode (111c) are repeatedly consumed and regenerated as a result of the repeated forward and reverse reversible electrochemical reactions. When the suction valve (140) and the discharge valve (150) are respectively coupled to the chamber (112) of the electroosmotic pump (110), during the suction operation, the drug in the drug reservoir (120) is drawn in through the suction passage (141) and stored in the chamber (112) via the suction valve (140). During the discharge operation, the medicine stored in the chamber (112) is discharged into the insertion part (130) through the discharge valve (150) and the discharge path (151).

[0055] The electrodes used in the driving unit (111) may be provided in the form of a porous electrode such as platinum mesh, porous carbon paper or fiber, or a porous structure coated with various electrode materials to facilitate fluid movement.

[0056] In addition, the electrodes used in the actuator 111 may be applied to a non-transparent substrate and coated with various immobilizable materials by drop coating, spin coating, etc. In this case, the non-transparent substrate is a plate-shaped substrate including at least one of a conductive material, a semiconductor material, and a non-conductive material, and the electrode material coated thereon may be a metal, a metal oxide, a conducting polymer, a metal hexacyanoferrate, a carbon nanostructure, or a composite thereof.

[0057] Figure 8 is a diagram showing an application example of a drug injection device according to one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 9 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the drug injection device shown in Figure 8, and Figure 10 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the drug injection device shown in Figure 8. The operation of drug injection device 10 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 8 to 10.

[0058] The drug injection device 10 receives predetermined information from the user and sets an injection sequence based on the information. The process of setting an injection sequence can be categorized according to the data used to set the injection sequence. The process of setting an injection sequence will be described below.

[0059] Referring to FIG. 9, the process of setting an injection sequence in a drug injection device (10) according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0060] The drug infusion device 10 can set an infusion sequence using drug infusion conditions. Here, the drug infusion conditions include a drug infusion amount, a drug infusion duration and a drug infusion rate, or a drug infusion amount and a drug infusion duration. For diabetic patients, the drug infusion conditions can be set differently depending on whether they are basal infusion or immediate infusion. Basal infusion is an infusion method for injecting a drug at a predetermined rate within a predetermined time to maintain a constant blood glucose level in a diabetic patient, while immediate infusion is an infusion method for injecting a drug into a diabetic patient without a downtime. Basal infusion and immediate infusion can be adjusted according to the user's preference.

[0061] The drug injection device 10 may further include a communication module 300 for receiving drug injection conditions from a user terminal 40. The drug injection conditions are input by a user through the user terminal 40, which is communicatively connected to the drug injection device 10 through the communication module 300. The control unit 200 then sets an injection sequence corresponding to the drug injection conditions and transmits a control signal to the drug injector 100. Here, the injection sequence does not have to be set using the drug injection conditions, but may be directly selected by the user through the user terminal 40, or calculated and received through an external computing device based on the user's past usage history of the drug injection device.

[0062] The user terminal 40 may be embodied as a computer or a mobile terminal that can connect to the drug injection device 10 via wireless communication. Here, the computer may include, for example, a notebook computer, desktop computer, or laptop computer equipped with a web browser, and the mobile terminal may include, for example, any type of handheld-based wireless communication device, such as various smartphones, tablet PCs, or smart watches, as a wireless communication device that ensures portability and mobility. The user terminal 40 is managed by the wearer of the drug injection device 10 or a medical professional, and drug injection conditions can be set through an application running on the user terminal 40.

[0063] Furthermore, the drug injection device 10 can set an injection sequence using user input data. Here, the user input data includes the user's blood glucose level or the user's dietary information. The user input data is input by the user through a user terminal 40 that is communicatively connected to the drug injection device 10 via a communication module 300. The control unit 200 calculates drug injection conditions based on the received user input data. Then, the control unit 200 sets an injection sequence corresponding to the drug injection conditions and transmits a control signal corresponding to the injection sequence to the drug injector 100.

[0064] Furthermore, the drug injection device 10 can set an injection sequence using the user's biometric data. Here, the user's biometric data includes the user's blood glucose information. The user's biometric data is received through an external measurement device 50 that is communicatively connected to the drug injection device 10 via a communication module 300, and the control unit 200 calculates drug injection conditions based on the received user's biometric data. Then, the control unit 200 sets an injection sequence corresponding to the drug injection conditions and transmits a control signal corresponding to the injection sequence to the drug injector 100. Here, the external measurement device 50 may be a device that senses the user's blood glucose.

[0065] Next, the process by which the drug injection device sets the injection sequence will be described with reference to FIG.

[0066] The drug injection device 10 can set an injection sequence using the drug injection conditions. The drug injection device 10 can further include a user input / output interface module 400, through which the drug injection conditions are input by the user. In an embodiment in which the drug injection device 10 includes the user input / output interface module 400, the user can input the drug injection conditions, etc. directly into the user input / output interface module 400 without using a separate user terminal 40, thereby controlling the operation of the drug injection device 10. In such a case, the communication module 300 can be selectively omitted.

[0067] The control unit 200 sets an injection sequence corresponding to the drug injection conditions input through the user input / output interface module 400 and transmits a corresponding control signal to the drug injector 100. Here, the injection sequence may not be set using the drug injection conditions, but may be directly selected by the user through the user input / output interface module 400.

[0068] The user input / output interface module (400) may include physical input / output buttons coupled to the external housing including the drug injection device (10) and a signal processing circuit that transmits signals generated by operation of the physical input / output buttons to the control unit (200).

[0069] Alternatively, the user input / output interface module 400 may output a UI that guides the user to input information about drug infusion conditions or infusion sequences through a touch screen display.

[0070] Additionally, in the process of setting the above-mentioned injection sequence, the control unit (200) can also set an injection sequence corresponding to the drug injection condition by referring to a table in which a plurality of injection sequences are stored according to the drug injection condition.

[0071] Figure 11 is an example of a portion of a table storing a plurality of infusion sequences, and Figure 12 is an example of information for a plurality of pulse blocks. The control unit 200 can match and set an infusion sequence corresponding to each drug infusion condition from the table shown in Figure 11. That is, the infusion sequence can be set according to the drug infusion conditions such as the infusion rate or the infusion amount.

[0072] An example of a process for setting an injection sequence according to a drug injection condition will be described with reference to Figures 11 and 12. Referring to Figure 11, when an injection rate (injection amount per time) is input as a drug injection condition, the control unit 200 sets an injection sequence corresponding to the input injection rate. When 1 U / hr is input as a drug injection condition, the control unit 200 sets an injection sequence set for 1 U / hr as the injection sequence for the drug injection condition. The injection sequence set for 1 U / hr is composed of eight pulse blocks that supply 1 μL and four pulse blocks that supply 0.5 μL.

[0073] Referring to FIG. 12, an infusion sequence is composed of a combination of M pulse blocks, among N pulse blocks that supply different amounts of drug, that satisfy the drug infusion rate. For example, the infusion sequence set to 1 U / hr shown in FIG. 11 is structured such that the second pulse block is arranged eight times, followed by the first pulse block four times. Therefore, the infusion sequence can be configured to have different pulse blocks depending on the drug infusion conditions. In FIG. 12, the pulse block is shown to be composed of a forward voltage pulse and a reverse voltage pulse, but is not limited thereto and may be composed of a forward current pulse and a reverse current pulse in some cases.

[0074] FIG. 13 is a flow chart illustrating a drug injection method according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0075] 1, 2, and 13, a drug infusion method (S100) according to one embodiment of the present invention is described. In the drug infusion method (S100), an infusion sequence that determines the operation of the drug infusion device (10) is set (step S110), and a control signal corresponding to the infusion sequence is applied to the electroosmotic pump (110) (step S120). Thereafter, in response to the control signal, the electroosmotic pump (110) alternately generates negative and positive pressure for each pulse block to inhale and expel the drug, thereby injecting the drug into the user (step S130). Here, the infusion sequence includes at least one pulse block that defines voltage pulses or current pulses to be applied to the electroosmotic pump (110), and each pulse block defines a pair of pulse signals including a forward pulse and a reverse pulse that are applied to the electroosmotic pump to alternately generate negative and positive pressure.

[0076] Hereinafter, each step will be described in detail.

[0077] The step of setting the injection sequence (step S110) can be divided into various embodiments depending on the data used to set the injection sequence.

[0078] First, the drug injection device 10 can set an injection sequence using drug injection conditions. Here, the drug injection conditions include the drug injection amount, the drug injection duration and the drug injection rate, or the drug injection amount and the drug injection duration. The drug injection device 10 can receive input of the drug injection conditions from a user through a user terminal 40 that is communicatively connected to the drug injection device 10 via a communication module 300. The control unit 200 then sets an injection sequence corresponding to the drug injection conditions and transmits a corresponding control signal to the drug injector 100. Here, the injection sequence can also be directly selected by the user through the user terminal 40, rather than being set using the drug injection conditions.

[0079] Furthermore, the drug injection device 10 can receive drug injection conditions input from the user using the user input / output interface module 400, and the control unit 200 sets an injection sequence corresponding to the drug injection conditions and transmits a control signal to the drug injector 100. Here, the injection sequence can also be directly selected by the user through the user input / output interface module 400, without being set using the drug injection conditions.

[0080] Furthermore, the drug injection device 10 can set an injection sequence using user input data. Here, the user input data includes the user's blood glucose level or the user's dietary information. The user input data is input by the user through the user terminal 40, which is communicatively connected to the drug injection device 10 via the communication module 300. The control unit 200 calculates drug injection conditions based on the received user input data. Then, the control unit 200 sets an injection sequence corresponding to the drug injection conditions and transmits a control signal corresponding to the injection sequence to the drug injector 100.

[0081] Furthermore, the drug injection device 10 can set an injection sequence using the user's biometric data. Here, the user's biometric data includes the user's blood glucose information. The drug injection device 10 receives the user's biometric data through an external measurement device 50 that is communicatively connected to the drug injection device 10 via a communication module 300, and the control unit 200 calculates drug injection conditions based on the received user's biometric data. Then, the control unit 200 sets an injection sequence corresponding to the drug injection conditions and transmits a control signal corresponding to the injection sequence to the drug injector 100. Here, the external measurement device 50 may be a device that senses the user's blood glucose.

[0082] Meanwhile, in the process of setting the injection sequence, the control unit 200 can set the injection sequence corresponding to the drug injection condition by referring to a table in which a plurality of injection sequences are stored for each drug injection condition.

[0083] Then, in the process of applying a control signal to the electroosmotic pump (step S120), the control signal corresponding to the injection sequence may include a voltage pulse pair including a forward voltage pulse and a reverse voltage pulse or a current pulse pair including a forward current pulse and a reverse current pulse in pulse block units. Based on this control signal, the electroosmotic pump alternately generates negative and positive pressure for each pulse block to inhale and expel the drug (step S130), thereby injecting the drug into the user.

[0084] A method according to an embodiment of the present invention may also be embodied in the form of a recording medium containing instructions that can be executed by a computer, such as a program module executed by a computer. A computer-readable medium may be any available medium accessible by a computer, including both volatile and nonvolatile media, removable and non-removable media. A computer-readable medium may also include computer storage media. A computer storage medium includes both volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media embodied in any method or technology for storage of information, such as computer-readable commands, data structures, program modules, or other data.

[0085] Additionally, although the methods and systems of the present invention have been described in connection with particular embodiments, some or all of their components or operations may be implemented using a computer system having a general-purpose hardware architecture.

[0086] Those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention can be easily modified into other specific forms based on the above description without changing the technical idea or essential characteristics of the present invention. Therefore, the above-described embodiments should be understood to be illustrative in all respects and not limiting. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims set forth below, and all modifications and variations derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalents should be construed as being within the scope of the present invention.

[0087] The scope of the present application is indicated by the claims that follow rather than by the above detailed description, and all modifications or variations that fall within the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalents should be construed as being included within the scope of the present application.

Claims

1. In a drug injection device, A drug injector that electrochemically drives an electroosmotic pump to inhale a drug from a drug reservoir and eject the inhaled drug into an injection target; a control unit that outputs a control signal to the drug injector corresponding to an injection sequence that defines the operation of the electroosmotic pump, the injection sequence includes at least one pulse block defining voltage or current pulses applied to the electroosmotic pump; each of the pulse blocks defines a pair of pulse signals including a forward pulse and a reverse pulse that are applied to the electroosmotic pump and generate alternating negative and positive pressures; The electroosmotic pump alternately generates negative and positive pressure for each pulse block to draw in and expel the drug.

2. Claim 1: A drug injection device in which the magnitude and duration of the forward pulse and reverse pulse contained in the pair of pulse signals described above are set to be the same, so that the amount of drug inhaled and expelled by the electroosmotic pump is the same.

3. Claim 1: A drug infusion device, wherein the information for the pair of voltage pulse signals or the pair of current pulse signals includes information for the magnitude and duration of each voltage pulse or the magnitude and duration of each current pulse.

4. Claim 1: The magnitude and duration of a pair of voltage pulse signals or a pair of current signals provided by the drug infusion device described above are adjustable; A drug injection device in which the amounts of drug inhaled and expelled are adjusted to be the same by a pair of voltage pulse signals or a pair of current pulse signals.

5. Claim 1: The drug infusion device described comprises: A drug injection device that supplies a constant voltage or a constant current, adjusts the duration of the voltage pulse or the duration of the current pulse supplied by the constant voltage or the constant current, and adjusts the amount of drug inhaled and exhaled by each pulse block.

6. Claim 1: The pair of pulse signals described is composed of a voltage pulse pair including a forward voltage pulse and a reverse voltage pulse, and includes a stabilization pulse that maintains a 0V voltage for a predetermined time after the application of the forward voltage pulse and the reverse voltage pulse, or A drug injection device, wherein the pair of pulse signals consists of a current pulse pair including a forward current pulse and a reverse current pulse, and includes a stabilization pulse that maintains a current of 0 A for a predetermined time after the application of the forward current pulse and the reverse current pulse.

7. Claim 1: The described injection sequence includes at least one or more pulse blocks, A drug infusion device which includes a rest block in which a voltage of 0 V or a current of 0 A is maintained for a predetermined time after application of the pulse block or between adjacent pulse blocks.

8. Claim 1: A drug infusion device, wherein the infusion sequence comprises a plurality of pulse blocks, each pulse block being arranged consecutively.

9. Claim 1: The electroosmotic pump described is a driving unit that is electrochemically driven by the control signal and alternately generates positive pressure and negative pressure; and The drug injection device further comprises a chamber that draws in a drug from a drug source in response to the pressure of the driving portion and then discharges the drug to the insertion portion.

10. Claim 1: The drug infusion device described comprises: receiving drug infusion conditions from a user terminal or a user input / output interface module; The control unit The control signal is output using an injection sequence corresponding to the drug injection conditions. The drug injection conditions are: A drug infusion device comprising a drug infusion amount, a drug infusion period and a drug infusion rate, or a drug infusion amount and a drug infusion period.

11. Claim 1: The drug infusion device described comprises: receiving user input data from the user terminal; The control unit The drug injection conditions are calculated based on the user input data, and the control signal is output using an injection sequence corresponding to the drug injection conditions. The user input data is including the user's blood glucose, the user's activity information, or the user's dietary information; The drug injection conditions are: A drug infusion device comprising a drug infusion amount, a drug infusion period and a drug infusion rate, or a drug infusion amount and a drug infusion period.

12. Claim 1: The drug infusion device described comprises: receiving biometric data of the user from an external measurement device; The control unit The drug injection conditions are calculated based on the biometric data of the user, and the control signal is output using an injection sequence corresponding to the drug injection conditions. The biometric data of the user including the user's blood glucose information or the user's activity information; The drug injection conditions are: A drug infusion device comprising a drug infusion amount, a drug infusion period and a drug infusion rate, or a drug infusion amount and a drug infusion period.

13. In any one of claims 10 to 12, The control unit described is A drug injection device that references a table in which a plurality of injection sequences are stored for each drug injection condition, and sets an injection sequence corresponding to the drug injection condition.

14. Claim 1: The drug infusion device described comprises: receiving an injection sequence set by a user terminal or a user input / output interface module; The control unit A drug injection device that uses the injection sequence to output the control signal.

15. Claim 1: The injection sequence comprises: The drug injection device is calculated and received via an external computing device based on the user's past drug injection device usage history.

16. 1. A method for injecting a drug using a drug infusion device including an electroosmotic pump, comprising: setting an infusion sequence that determines the operation of the drug infusion device; Applying a control signal corresponding to the injection sequence to the electroosmotic pump. In response to the control signal, the electroosmotic pump alternately generates negative and positive pressure for each pulse block to inhale and expel the drug, the injection sequence includes at least one pulse block defining voltage or current pulses applied to the electroosmotic pump; Each of the pulse blocks comprises: A drug infusion method for a drug infusion device, which defines a pair of pulse signals including a forward pulse and a reverse pulse that are applied to the electroosmotic pump to generate alternate negative and positive pressures.

17. In claim 16, The steps of setting up the injection sequence described include: A drug injection method for a drug injection device, in which the magnitude and duration of the forward pulse and the reverse pulse included in a pair of pulse signals are set to be the same, so that the amount of drug inhaled and expelled by the electroosmotic pump is the same.

18. In claim 16, Each pulse block included in the described injection sequence is A drug injection method for a drug injection device, comprising information on a pair of voltage pulse signals including a forward voltage pulse and a reverse voltage pulse or a pair of current pulse signals including a forward current pulse and a reverse current pulse.

19. In claim 18, The information for the pair of voltage pulse signals or the pair of current pulse signals is: A drug injection method for a drug injection device, which includes information on the magnitude and duration of each voltage pulse or the magnitude and duration of each current pulse.

20. In claim 18, The steps of setting up the injection sequence described include: A drug injection method for a drug injection device, which adjusts the magnitude and maintenance time of the pair of voltage pulse signals or the magnitude and maintenance time of the pair of current signals so that the amount of drug inhaled and the amount of drug expelled by the pair of voltage pulse signals or the pair of current pulse signals are the same.

21. In paragraph 18: The step of setting the injection sequence comprises: A drug injection method for a drug injection device, which comprises adjusting the duration of a voltage pulse or a current pulse applied by a constant voltage or constant current supplied by the drug injection device, and setting the amount of drug inhaled and exhaled by each pulse block to be adjusted.

22. In claim 18, The pair of pulse signals described comprises a voltage pulse pair including a forward voltage pulse and a reverse voltage pulse; After the application of the forward voltage pulse and the reverse voltage pulse, a stabilization pulse is included that maintains a 0V voltage for a predetermined time. A drug injection method for a drug injection device, wherein the pair of pulse signals consists of a current pulse pair including a forward current pulse and a reverse current pulse, and includes a stabilization pulse that maintains a current of 0 A for a predetermined time after the application of the forward current pulse and the reverse current pulse.

23. In claim 16, The injection sequence described is: A drug injection method for a drug injection device, which includes a rest block in which a voltage of 0 V or a current of 0 A is maintained for a predetermined time after application of the pulse block or between adjacent pulse blocks.

24. In claim 16, The injection sequence described is: A drug injection method for a drug injection device, comprising a plurality of pulse blocks, each pulse block being arranged consecutively.

25. In claim 16, The step of setting the injection sequence comprises: The drug injection device sets an injection sequence based on drug injection conditions received from a user terminal or a user input / output interface module; A drug injection method for a drug injection device, wherein the drug injection conditions include a drug injection amount, a drug injection period and a drug injection rate, or a drug injection amount and a drug injection period.

26. In claim 16, The step of setting the injection sequence comprises: The drug injection device calculates the drug injection conditions based on user input data received from a user terminal, and sets an injection sequence corresponding to the drug injection conditions; The user input data is including the user's blood glucose, the user's activity information, or the user's dietary information; The drug injection conditions are: A drug injection method for a drug injection device, which includes a drug injection amount, a drug injection period and a drug injection rate, or a drug injection amount and a drug injection period.

27. In claim 16, The steps of setting up the injection sequence described include: The drug injection device calculates the drug injection conditions based on the user's biometric data received from the external measurement device, and sets an injection sequence corresponding to the drug injection conditions. The biometric data of the user including the user's blood glucose information or the user's activity information; The drug injection conditions are: A drug injection method for a drug injection device, which includes a drug injection amount, a drug injection period and a drug injection rate, or a drug injection amount and a drug injection period.

28. In any one of claims 25 to 27, The steps of setting up the injection sequence described include: A drug injection method for a drug injection device, comprising: referencing a table in which a plurality of injection sequences are stored for each drug injection condition, and setting an injection sequence corresponding to the drug injection condition.

29. In claim 16, The steps of setting up the injection sequence described include: A drug injection method for a drug injection device, wherein the drug injection device receives an injection sequence set by the user terminal or the user input / output interface module, and sets the received injection sequence as the injection sequence.

30. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a computer program for carrying out the drug injection method according to claim 16.

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