Drug infusion 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

[0006]

[0001] The present invention relates to a drug injection device and method.

Background Art

[0002] Drugs can be injected into the body in various ways such as orally, subcutaneously, and intravenously, depending on the type, treatment purpose, and method. A drug injector utilizing a drug pump can automatically inject a drug into the body at a desired speed and volume for a required time. Therefore, a drug injector utilizing a drug pump can be used not only in a hospital or the daily life environment of a patient but also in various forms.

[0003] An insulin pump, generally called an insulin injector, is for diabetic patients in whom insulin is not secreted or only a small amount is secreted, and is a medical device that plays a role like the pancreas by accurately supplying insulin from the outside into the body at a determined time to regulate blood glucose levels.

[0004] Such an insulin pump is used by insulin-dependent diabetic patients and can continuously inject a drug for 24 hours while being worn by the patient. Thus, since an insulin injector must inject a drug for a long period and regularly for diabetic patients, technical development for miniaturization and automation of the insulin injector has been actively carried out for the convenience of users.

[0005] However, as the insulin injector is miniaturized and automated, it may be difficult to actually ensure the operational stability of the insulin injector, which is mainly due to back pressure caused by various reactions between the drug and biological fluid at the tip of the cannula or needle, and this is the main cause of the occlusion phenomenon. In particular, when the amount of the drug to be injected is small or the injection is slow, the problem of such an occlusion phenomenon becomes more serious.

[0006] Therefore, a method is required to continuously inject drugs into the patient, while simultaneously injecting accurate amounts of drugs stably and controlling the drug injection to prevent blockage of the drug pathway during injection. [Disclosure of the Invention] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] The technical objective of the present invention is to provide a drug infusion device and method that can inject a fixed amount of drug according to the injection conditions, in order to solve the aforementioned problems.

[0008] However, the technical challenges that this embodiment aims to address are not limited to those described above, and other technical challenges may exist. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] As a technical means for solving the above-mentioned technical problems, a drug injection device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a drug injector that electrochemically drives an electroosmotic pump, inhales a drug from a drug reservoir, and discharges the inhaled drug to an injection target, and a control unit that outputs a control signal to the drug injector corresponding to an injection sequence that defines the drive of the electroosmotic pump, wherein the injection sequence includes at least one pulse block that defines a voltage pulse or current pulse applied to the electroosmotic pump, each of which defines a pair of pulse signals applied to the electroosmotic pump, including a forward pulse and a reverse pulse that alternately generate negative pressure and positive pressure, and the electroosmotic pump inhales and discharges the drug by alternately generating negative pressure and positive pressure for each pulse block.

[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 discharge the drug, wherein the injection sequence includes at least one pulse block that defines a voltage pulse or current pulse applied to the electroosmotic pump, 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. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the aforementioned solution to the problem of the present invention, an appropriate injection sequence can be set for a drug injector that uses an electroosmotic pump, and the drug injector can be controlled to inject a quantitative amount of drug.

[0012] Furthermore, various data can be used to set up injection sequences for drug delivery, enhancing usability tailored to the user and situation. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram showing a drug injection device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 2 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of the drug injector shown in Figure 1.

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

[0016] Figure 4 is an illustrative diagram showing an injection sequence according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 5 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of the electroosmotic pump shown in Figure 2.

[0018] FIG. 6 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of the drive unit shown in FIG. 5.

[0019] FIG. 7 is an exemplary diagram schematically showing the operation of the drive unit shown in FIG. 6.

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

[0021] FIG. 9 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of the drug injection device shown in FIG. 8.

[0022] FIG. 10 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of the drug injection device shown in FIG. 8.

[0023] FIG. 11 is an exemplary diagram of a table in which a plurality of injection sequences are stored.

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

[0025] FIG. 13 is a flowchart for explaining a drug injection method according to an embodiment of the present invention. MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0026] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention can be embodied in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Also, the attached drawings are merely for facilitating understanding of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, and the technical idea disclosed in this specification is not limited by the attached drawings. To clearly explain the present invention in the drawings, parts not related to the explanation are omitted, and the sizes, forms, and shapes of each component shown in the drawings can be variously deformed. The same / similar reference numerals are given to the same / similar parts throughout the specification.

[0027] Suffixes such as "module" and "part" for the components used in the following description are given or mixed only for the ease of preparing the specification, and do not have meanings or roles that are distinguishable from each other by themselves. Also, in the description of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, when it is determined that the specific description of the related known art impairs the gist of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, the detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0028] Throughout the specification, when a part is "connected (connected, contacted or coupled)" to another part, it includes not only the case where it is "directly connected (connected, contacted or coupled)", but also the case where it is "indirectly connected (connected, contacted or coupled)" with other members interposed therebetween. Also, when a part "includes (comprises or has)" a certain component, it means that other components can be further "included (comprised or had)" without excluding other components unless otherwise stated.

[0029] The terms representing ordinal numbers such as the first, second, etc. used in this specification are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another component, and do not limit the order or relationship of the components. For example, the first component of the present invention may be named the second component, and similarly the second component may be named the first component.

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

[0031] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a drug injection device (10) according to an 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 an electroosmotic pump (110) to draw in a drug from a drug source and discharges the drawn drug to the target of injection. The control unit (200) then outputs a control signal to the drug injector (100) that corresponds to the injection sequence that defines the operation of the electroosmotic pump (110).

[0033] The control unit (200) may mean a data processing device embedded in hardware, having a physically structured circuit for performing a function expressed by code or instructions contained within a program. Examples of such data processing devices embedded in hardware include microprocessors, central processing units (CPUs), processor cores, multiprocessors, ASICs (application-specific integrated circuits), FPGAs (field programmable gate arrays), MCUs (Micro Controller Units), and embedded processors, but the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0034] On the other hand, the control unit (200) can be implemented not only as a standalone unit built into the drug injection device (10), but also in a configuration where it is connected to a user terminal (40), described later, via a communication module, and the user terminal (40) and the control unit (200) are integrated to control the operation of the drug injection device (10).

[0035] Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating the concept of an injection sequence according to one embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 4 is an illustrative diagram showing an injection sequence according to one embodiment of the present invention. The injection sequence will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 3 and 4.

[0036] As shown in Figure 3(a), the infusion sequence consists of at least one pulse block (20) sequentially arranged and applied to the electroosmotic pump (110). As shown in Figure 3(c), each pulse block (20) contains information for a pair of pulse signals, including a forward pulse and a reverse pulse, and includes information for the magnitude of each pulse and the duration for which the pulse is maintained. The pair of pulse signals, including the forward and reverse pulses, are applied to the electroosmotic pump (110) to alternately generate negative and positive pressure, thereby causing the drug to be inhaled and discharged by alternating negative and positive pressure for each pulse block (20).

[0037] The pair of pulse signals (21,22) included in the pulse block (20) are either voltage pulse signals or current pulse signals. A pair of voltage pulse signals consists of a forward voltage pulse and a reverse voltage pulse, and a pair of current pulse signals consists of a forward current pulse and a reverse current pulse. Here, a pair of voltage pulse signals may include information on the magnitude and duration of each voltage pulse, and a pair of current pulse signals may include information on the magnitude and duration of each current pulse. For example, in the injection sequence shown in Figure 4, the magnitude of the pulse signal may be 2V and the duration may be 10s.

[0038] Each pulse block included in the injection sequence may contain voltage pulses with different voltage magnitudes or current pulses with different current magnitudes. Alternatively, each pulse block may contain pulses with the same voltage magnitude or current pulses with the same current magnitude, but with different durations.

[0039] Furthermore, the forward pulse (21) and reverse pulse (22) included in the pulse block (20) are set to have the same magnitude and duration, thereby maintaining the same amount of drug inhaled and discharged by the electroosmotic pump (110).

[0040] Furthermore, the pair of pulse signals (21, 22) included in the pulse block (20) can be supplied with a constant voltage or constant current, and the duration of the pulse signals supplied with the constant voltage or constant current can be adjusted to control the amount of drug inhaled and dispensed by each pulse block. For example, the pulse block (20) in Figure 4 is supplied with a constant voltage of 2V.

[0041] Additionally, a pair of pulse signals (21,22) can be adjusted in both magnitude and duration to ensure that the amount of inhaled and exhaled drug is equal. For example, the magnitude of the forward voltage pulse can be set to 2V with a duration of 10s, and the magnitude of the subsequent reverse voltage pulse can be set to 1V with a duration of 20s. By setting the area of ​​the forward pulse and the area of ​​the reverse pulse to be the same, the amount of inhaled and exhaled drug can be maintained to be equal.

[0042] Referring to Figure 4, each pulse block (20) may further include a stabilization pulse (23), which is a pulse that maintains a 0V voltage for a predetermined time after the application of the forward voltage pulse (21) and the reverse voltage pulse (22). The operation of the electroosmosis pump (110) can be stabilized via the stabilization pulse (23). Here, if the pulse block (10) of the injection sequence consists of a pair of current pulses, the pulse block (20) may further include a stabilization pulse (23) that maintains a 0A 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 infusion 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 in which a 0V voltage or 0A current is maintained for a predetermined time. The drug infusion device (100) of the present invention must inject a constant amount of drug slowly over a long period of time. Therefore, by including a pause block (30) in the infusion sequence, the time over which the target drug injection amount is injected can be controlled, and by adjusting the time during which no drug is injected to a minimum, the phenomenon of the flow path of the drug infusion device (100) becoming clogged during the period when no drug is injected can be prevented.

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

[0045] When a control signal corresponding to such an infusion 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 discharge the drug. Here, the control signal may consist 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, in units of pulse blocks.

[0046] Figure 5 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the electroosmotic pump shown in Figure 2.

[0047] Referring to Figure 5, the electroosmotic pump (110) will be described in detail. The electroosmotic pump (110) includes a drive unit (111) and a chamber (112). The drive unit (111) is electrochemically driven by a control signal to generate positive and negative pressure, which causes the drug to be discharged. The chamber (112) draws the drug from the drug storage unit (120) by the pressure of the drive 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, and insulin injected into a diabetic patient can be given as an example.

[0048] Figure 6 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of the drive unit shown in Figure 5, and Figure 7 is an illustrative diagram showing the configuration of the drive unit shown in Figure 6.

[0049] Referring specifically to Figures 6 and 7, the drive 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 (membrane, 111a) using electrodes, thereby causing fluid to move. The drive unit (111) may include a membrane (111a), a power supply (111d) that applies a voltage or current to a first electrode (111b) and a second electrode (111c) positioned on both sides of the membrane (111a), and a flow path for the fluid to move.

[0050] Furthermore, the drive unit (111) may include a first diaphragm (111e) positioned adjacent to the first electrode (111b) and a second diaphragm (111f) positioned adjacent to the second electrode (111c). Each diaphragm (111e, 111f) is provided on one side and the other side of the membrane (111a), and its shape deforms due to the movement of the pumping solution as positive and negative pressures are alternately generated. Exemplarily, the first diaphragm (111e) and the second diaphragm (111f) transmit the negative and positive pressures generated by the drive of the membrane (111a) to the fluid to be transferred. More specifically, when negative pressure is generated, at least a portion of the first diaphragm (111e) and the second diaphragm (111f) moves backward (when moving in the direction of "○1" in Figure 6), and the fluid to be transferred is drawn into the chamber (112). Conversely, when positive pressure is generated, at least a portion of the first diaphragm (111e) and the second diaphragm (111f) moves forward (when moving in the direction of "○2" in Figure 6), and the fluid to be transferred is discharged from the chamber (112).

[0051] Generally, silica and glass are used as materials for the porous membrane (111a), but when these are placed in an aqueous solution, their surfaces become anionized. The porous membrane (111a) has many pathways through which fluids can pass, and when one of these is magnified, the surface of the fluid pathway that is anionized can be charged by mobile cations that have a movable (+) charge. In this state, when a (+) voltage is applied to the first electrode (111b) and a (-) voltage is applied to the second electrode (111c), a negative pressure is generated, and this negative pressure causes the fluid inside the drive unit (111) to move in the direction of "〇1" in Figure 6. At this time, the drug is inhaled through the inhalation passage (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 to the second electrode (111c), a reversible electrochemical reaction generates positive pressure in the opposite direction. This positive pressure causes the fluid inside the drive unit (111) to move in the direction of "○2" 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 passage (151). At this time, the inhalation valve (140) is shut off to prevent positive pressure from being transmitted to the inhalation passage (141). Meanwhile, the inhalation valve (140) and the discharge valve (150) act as check valves that move the fluid 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 an electroosmotic pump (110). Therefore, by controlling the magnitude and duration of the voltage or current applied to the first and second electrodes (111b, 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 the (-) second electrode (111c) of the drive unit (111), forward and reverse electrochemical reactions are reversibly generated. As the forward and reverse electrochemical reactions occur repeatedly, the fluid inside the electroosmotic pump performs repeated reciprocating motion. Furthermore, the first electrode (111b) and the second electrode (111c) are repeatedly consumed and regenerated by the repeated forward and reverse reversible electrochemical reactions. When an inhalation valve (140) and a discharge valve (150) are connected to the chamber (112) of such an electroosmotic pump (110), during inhalation operation, the drug in the drug storage unit (120) is drawn in through the inhalation passage (141) and stored in the chamber (112) via the inhalation valve (140). Then, during the dispensing operation, the drug stored in the chamber (112) is dispensed through the dispensing valve (150) and the dispensing passage (151) to the insertion section (130).

[0055] The electrodes used in the drive unit (111) can be provided in the form of porous electrodes such as platinum mesh (Pt mesh), porous carbon paper or carbon cloth, or various electrode materials coated on a porous structure, in order to facilitate the movement of fluid.

[0056] Furthermore, the electrodes used in the drive unit (111) can also be realized in the form of being applied to an impermeable substrate and coated with various fixable materials such as drop coating and spin coating. In this case, the impermeable substrate is a plate-shaped substrate containing at least one of conductive materials, semiconductor materials, and nonconductive materials, and the electrode material coated thereon may consist of metal, metal oxide, conductive polymer, metal hexacyanoferrate, carbon nanostructure, or a composite thereof.

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

[0058] The drug infusion device (10) receives predetermined information from the user and sets the infusion sequence based on this information. The process of setting the infusion sequence can be divided into different parts depending on the data used to set the infusion sequence. The process of setting the infusion sequence will be described below.

[0059] Referring to Figure 9, the process by which a drug infusion device (10) according to one embodiment of the present invention sets the infusion sequence will be explained.

[0060] The drug infusion device (10) can set an infusion sequence using drug infusion conditions. Here, the drug infusion conditions include the amount of drug infusion, the duration and rate of drug infusion, or the amount and duration of drug infusion. In the case of diabetic patients, the drug infusion conditions may be set differently depending on whether it is a baseline infusion or an immediate infusion. A baseline infusion is an infusion method to maintain a constant blood glucose level in a diabetic patient by infusing the drug at a predetermined rate within a predetermined time, while an immediate infusion is an infusion method to infuse the drug into a diabetic patient without any pause time. The baseline infusion and immediate infusion may be adjusted according to the user's choice.

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

[0062] The user terminal (40) can be represented by a computer or mobile device that can connect to the drug infusion device (10) via wireless communication. Here, the computer includes, for example, a laptop, desktop, or laptop computer equipped with a web browser, and the mobile device can include, for example, any type of handheld wireless communication device that ensures portability and mobility, such as various smartphones, tablet PCs, smartwatches, etc. Such a user terminal (40) is managed by the wearer of the drug infusion device (10) or a medical professional, and drug infusion conditions can be set through an application running on the user terminal (40).

[0063] Furthermore, the drug infusion device (10) can set an infusion 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 from the user via a user terminal (40) which is communicated with the drug infusion device (10) via a communication module (300), and the control unit (200) calculates the drug infusion conditions based on the received user input data. Then, it sets an infusion sequence corresponding to the drug infusion conditions and transmits a control signal corresponding to the infusion sequence to the drug injector (100).

[0064] Furthermore, the drug infusion device (10) can set an infusion 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 by the drug infusion device (10) through an external measuring device (50) which is connected via a communication module (300), and the control unit (200) calculates the drug infusion conditions based on the received user's biometric data. Then, it sets an infusion sequence corresponding to the drug infusion conditions and transmits a control signal corresponding to the infusion sequence to the drug injector (100). Here, the external measuring device (50) may be a device that senses the user's blood glucose.

[0065] Next, with reference to Figure 10, the process by which the drug infusion device sets the infusion sequence will be explained.

[0066] The drug infusion device 10 can set an infusion sequence using drug infusion conditions. The drug infusion device (10) may further include a user input / output interface module (400), through which the user can input drug infusion conditions. In embodiments in which the drug infusion device (10) includes a user input / output interface module (400), the user can directly input drug infusion conditions etc. into the user input / output interface module (400) without using a separate user terminal (40) to control the operation of the drug infusion device (10). In such cases, the communication module (300) may be selectively excluded.

[0067] The control unit (200) sets an infusion sequence corresponding to the drug infusion conditions input through the user input / output interface module (400) and transmits a corresponding control signal to the drug injector (100). Here, the infusion sequence is not set using the drug infusion conditions, but can also 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 an external housing including a drug injection device (10), and a signal processing circuit that transmits signals generated by the operation of the physical input / output buttons to a control unit (200).

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

[0070] Additionally, during the process of setting the aforementioned infusion sequence, the control unit (200) can also refer to a table in which multiple infusion sequences are stored for each drug infusion condition and set the infusion sequence corresponding to the drug infusion condition.

[0071] Figure 11 is an illustrative diagram of a portion of a table in which multiple infusion sequences are stored, and Figure 12 is an illustrative diagram showing information for multiple pulse blocks. The control unit (200) can match and set the 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 drug infusion conditions such as infusion rate or infusion volume.

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

[0073] Referring to Figure 12, the infusion sequence consists of a combination of M pulse blocks that satisfy the drug infusion rate, out of N pulse blocks that supply different amounts of drug. For example, the infusion sequence set to 1 U / hr shown in Figure 11 has a structure in which the second pulse block is placed 8 times, followed by the first pulse block being placed 4 times. Therefore, the infusion sequence can be configured with different pulse blocks depending on the drug infusion conditions. In Figure 12, the pulse blocks are shown to consist of forward voltage pulses and reverse voltage pulses, but this is not limited to this, and in some cases they may consist of forward current pulses and reverse current pulses.

[0074] Figure 13 is a flowchart illustrating a drug injection method according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0075] Referring to Figures 1, 2, and 13, a drug injection method (S100) according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described. The drug injection method (S100) sets an injection sequence that determines the operation of the drug injection device (10) (step S110), and applies a control signal corresponding to the injection sequence 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 discharge the drug, and the process proceeds to inject the drug to the user (step S130). Here, the injection sequence includes at least one pulse block that defines a voltage pulse or current pulse 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] From here on, I will explain each stage in detail.

[0077] The process 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 infusion device 10 can set an infusion sequence using drug infusion conditions. Here, the drug infusion conditions include the amount of drug infusion, the drug infusion period and drug infusion rate, or the drug infusion amount and drug infusion period. The drug infusion device (10) can receive drug infusion conditions from a user via a user terminal (40) which is connected to the drug infusion device (10) via a communication module (300). Then, the control unit (200) sets an infusion sequence corresponding to the drug infusion conditions and transmits a corresponding control signal to the drug injector (100). Here, the infusion sequence can also be selected directly by the user via the user terminal (40) without being set using drug infusion conditions.

[0079] Furthermore, the drug infusion device (10) can receive drug infusion conditions from the user using a user input / output interface module (400), and the control unit (200) sets an infusion sequence corresponding to the drug infusion conditions and transmits a control signal to the drug injector (100). Here, the infusion sequence is not set using the drug infusion conditions, but can also be directly selected by the user through the user input / output interface module (400).

[0080] Furthermore, the drug infusion device (10) can set an infusion 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 received from the user via a user terminal (40) which is connected to the drug infusion device (10) via a communication module (300), and the control unit (200) calculates the drug infusion conditions based on the received user input data. The control unit then sets an infusion sequence corresponding to the drug infusion conditions and transmits a control signal corresponding to the infusion sequence to the drug injector (100).

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

[0082] On the other hand, during the process of setting the infusion sequence, the control unit (200) can refer to a table in which multiple infusion sequences are stored for each drug infusion condition and set an infusion sequence corresponding to the drug infusion condition.

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

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

[0085] Furthermore, although the methods and systems of the present invention have been described in relation to specific embodiments, some or all of their components or operations can be embodied using a computer system having a general-purpose hardware architecture.

[0086] A person with ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains will understand, based on the above description, that the invention can be readily modified into other specific forms without altering the technical idea or essential features. Therefore, the embodiments described above should be understood to be illustrative and not limiting in all respects. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, which are set forth below, and all modifications or altered forms derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and the concept of equivalents thereto should be interpreted as being included within the scope of the present invention.

[0087] The scope of this application is indicated by the claims, which are described below rather than by the detailed description above, and all modified or altered forms derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and the concept of equivalents thereof should be interpreted as being included within the scope of this application.

Claims

1. In a drug infusion device, A drug injector that electrochemically drives an electroosmotic pump to draw a drug from a drug reservoir and discharges the drawn drug to the target of injection, and The control unit includes a control unit that sets an infusion sequence that defines the drive of the electroosmotic pump according to the drug infusion conditions, and outputs a control signal corresponding to the set infusion sequence to the drug injector. The injection sequence is data containing information that is a combination of multiple pulse blocks, each defining a voltage pulse or current pulse applied to the electroosmotic pump. Each of the pulse blocks defines a pair of pulse signals, each including a forward pulse and a reverse pulse, which are applied to the electroosmotic pump and alternately generate negative and positive pressure. The electroosmotic pump alternately generates negative and positive pressure for each pulse block to inhale and discharge the drug. A drug infusion device in which the drug infusion conditions include the amount of drug infusion, the duration of drug infusion and the drug infusion rate, or the amount of drug infusion and the duration of drug infusion.

2. A drug injection device according to claim 1, A drug infusion device in which the magnitude and duration of the forward pulse and the reverse pulse included in the pair of pulse signals are set to be the same, so that the amount of drug inhaled and the amount of drug discharged by the electroosmotic pump are the same.

3. A drug injection device according to claim 1, A drug infusion device in which information for a pair of voltage pulse signals or a 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. A drug injection device according to claim 1, The magnitude and duration of a pair of voltage pulse signals or a pair of current signals supplied by the drug injection device are adjusted. A drug infusion device that adjusts the amount of drug inhaled and the amount of drug dispensed to be the same by a pair of voltage pulse signals or a pair of current pulse signals.

5. A drug injection device according to claim 1, The drug injection device is A drug infusion device that supplies a constant voltage or constant current, adjusts the duration of the voltage pulses or current pulses supplied by the constant voltage or constant current, and adjusts the amount of drug inhaled and dispensed by each pulse block.

6. A drug injection device according to claim 1, The pair of pulse signals consists 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 or the reverse voltage pulse. A drug infusion device wherein the pair of pulse signals comprises a current pulse pair including a forward current pulse and a reverse current pulse, and includes a stabilization pulse that maintains a 0A current for a predetermined time after the application of the forward current pulse or the reverse current pulse.

7. A drug injection device according to claim 1, The injection sequence includes at least one pulse block, A drug infusion device that includes a pause block that maintains a 0V voltage or 0A current for a predetermined time after the application of the pulse block or between adjacent pulse blocks.

8. A drug injection device according to claim 1, A drug infusion device in which the infusion sequence includes a plurality of pulse blocks, each pulse block arranged sequentially.

9. A drug injection device according to claim 1, The aforementioned electroosmotic pump is A drive unit that is electrochemically driven by the aforementioned control signal and alternately generates positive and negative pressure, and A drug infusion device comprising a chamber that, in response to the pressure of the drive unit, inhales a drug from a drug source and then discharges the drug into an insertion unit.

10. A drug injection device according to claim 1, The control unit, A drug infusion device that receives the drug infusion conditions from a user terminal or user input / output interface module.

11. A drug injection device according to claim 1, The control unit, A drug infusion device that sets the infusion sequence corresponding to the drug infusion conditions by referring to a table in which multiple infusion sequences are stored for each drug infusion condition.

12. A drug injection device according to claim 1, The control unit, The system receives user input data from the user terminal and calculates the drug injection conditions based on the received user input data. The aforementioned user input data is: A drug infusion device that includes the user's blood glucose level, user activity information, or user dietary information.

13. A drug injection device according to claim 1, The control unit, The system receives the user's biometric measurement data from an external measuring device and calculates the drug injection conditions based on the received biometric measurement data. The aforementioned biometric data are A drug infusion device that contains the user's blood glucose information or user activity information.

14. A method for operating a drug infusion device, which includes an electroosmotic pump operated by a control unit of the drug infusion device, In the step where the control unit sets an infusion sequence that determines the operation of the electroosmotic pump according to the drug infusion conditions, The steps include: the control unit applying a control signal to the electroosmotic pump corresponding to the set injection sequence, and The process includes a step in which, in response to the control signal, the electroosmotic pump alternately generates negative and positive pressure for each pulse block to inhale and discharge the drug, The injection sequence is data containing information that is a combination of multiple pulse blocks defining voltage pulses or current pulses applied to the electroosmotic pump. Each of the aforementioned pulse blocks is: This defines a pair of pulse signals, including forward and reverse pulses, that are applied to the electroosmotic pump to alternately generate negative and positive pressure. A method for operating a drug infusion device, wherein the drug infusion conditions include the amount of drug infusion, the duration of drug infusion and the drug infusion rate, or the amount of drug infusion and the duration of drug infusion.

15. In the operating method described in claim 14, The step of setting the injection sequence is, A method for operating a drug infusion device, wherein the magnitude and duration of the forward and reverse pulses contained in a pair of pulse signals are set to be the same, so that the amount of drug inhaled and the amount of drug discharged by the electroosmotic pump are the same.

16. In the operating method described in claim 14, Each pulse block included in the injection sequence is: A method for operating a drug injection device, comprising information relating to 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.

17. In the operating method described in claim 16, The information for the pair of voltage pulse signals or the pair of current pulse signals is as follows: A method for operating a drug infusion device, which includes information on the magnitude and duration of each voltage pulse or the magnitude and duration of each current pulse.

18. In the operating method described in claim 16, The step of setting the injection sequence is, A method for operating a drug injection device, comprising adjusting the magnitude and duration of the pair of voltage pulse signals or the magnitude and duration of the pair of current signals so that the amount of drug inhaled and the amount of drug discharged by the pair of voltage pulse signals or the pair of current pulse signals are the same.

19. In the operating method described in claim 16, The step of setting the injection sequence is, A method for operating a drug infusion device, which involves adjusting the duration of a voltage pulse or a current pulse applied by a constant voltage or constant current supplied by the drug infusion device, so that the amount of drug inhaled and discharged by each pulse block is adjusted.

20. In the operating method described in claim 16, The aforementioned pair of pulse signals consists of a voltage pulse pair including a forward voltage pulse and a reverse voltage pulse. The system includes a stabilization pulse that maintains a 0V voltage for a predetermined time after the application of the forward voltage pulse or the reverse voltage pulse. A method for operating a drug infusion device, wherein the pair of pulse signals comprises a current pulse pair including a forward current pulse and a reverse current pulse, and includes a stabilization pulse that maintains a 0A current for a predetermined time after the application of the forward current pulse or the reverse current pulse.

21. In the operating method described in claim 14, The injection sequence is as follows: A method for operating a drug infusion device, comprising a pause block in which a 0V voltage or 0A current is maintained for a predetermined time after the application of the pulse block or between adjacent pulse blocks.

22. In the operating method described in claim 14, The step of setting the injection sequence is, A method for operating a drug injection device, wherein the drug injection device receives the drug injection conditions from a user terminal or a user input / output interface module.

23. In the operating method described in claim 14, The step of setting the injection sequence is, The control unit includes calculating the drug injection conditions based on user input data received from the user terminal. The aforementioned user input data is: A method for operating a drug infusion device, including the user's blood glucose level, user activity information, or user dietary information.

24. In the operating method described in claim 23, The step of setting the injection sequence is, A method for operating a drug infusion device, wherein the control unit refers to a table in which multiple infusion sequences are stored for each drug infusion condition and sets the infusion sequence corresponding to the drug infusion condition.

25. In the operating method described in claim 14, The step of setting the injection sequence is, The control unit includes calculating the drug injection conditions based on the user's biometric measurement data received from an external measuring device. The aforementioned user's biometric data is A method for operating a drug infusion device that includes the user's blood glucose information or user activity information.

26. A non-temporary computer-readable recording medium on which a computer program for performing the operation method described in claim 14 is recorded.

Images