Drug injection device

Abstract

A patch-type drug injection device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a housing including a cover part and a contact surface; a needle outlet formed in one area of the contact surface; a power button disposed adjacent to the needle outlet on the contact surface; a drug injection port formed adjacent to the needle outlet on the contact surface; and a needle protection cap formed to have a predetermined area, coupled to the needle outlet, and selectively separable from the needle outlet, wherein the needle protection cap is formed to cover the needle outlet and the power button when coupled to the needle outlet.

Description

drug injection device

[0001] The present invention relates to a patch-type drug injection device.

[0002] Depending on the type, purpose, and method of treatment, medications can be administered orally, subcutaneously, or intravenously. Drug infusion devices utilizing drug pumps can automatically inject medication into the body at the desired rate and dose at the required time. Therefore, drug infusion devices utilizing drug pumps can be utilized in a variety of ways, not just in hospitals or patients' daily lives.

[0003] An insulin pump, commonly called an insulin injector, is a medical device that acts like a pancreas to control blood sugar levels by supplying insulin from outside the body at a set time precisely for diabetic patients who do not secrete insulin or secrete only a small amount.

[0004] These insulin pumps are used by patients with insulin-dependent diabetes, and can deliver medication continuously 24 hours a day while attached to the patient. Because insulin injectors require patients to administer medication periodically over long periods of time, active technology development is underway to miniaturize and automate insulin injectors for greater user convenience.

[0005] Insulin injectors are generally attached to the user's body for a specified period of use. However, the process of operating the insulin injector and attaching it to the user can be somewhat complicated, so a technology is needed to guide the user through the initial process of operating the insulin injector so that the user can handle it easily.

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the present invention provides a drug injection device capable of guiding an initial process for operating the drug injection device through a needle protection cap coupled to a needle of an injection assembly for injecting a drug.

[0007] However, the technical tasks that this embodiment seeks to accomplish are not limited to the technical tasks described above, and other technical tasks may exist.

[0008] As a technical means for solving the above-described technical problem, a patch-type drug injection device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a housing including a cover part and a contact surface; a needle discharge port formed in an area of ​​the contact surface; a power button disposed adjacent to the needle discharge port on the contact surface; a drug injection port formed adjacent to the needle discharge port on the contact surface; and a needle protection cap formed to have a predetermined area, coupled to the needle discharge port, and selectively detachable from the needle discharge port, wherein the needle protection cap is formed to cover the needle discharge port and the power button when coupled to the needle discharge port.

[0009] According to the above-described problem solving means of the present invention, the needle is protected through a needle protection cap, and the user can easily attach the drug injection device to the body by intuitively guiding the user through the sequence until the drug injection device is attached to the user.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a drug injection device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0011] Figures 2 and 3 are rear plan views of a drug injection device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] Figure 4 is an inner plan view of the needle protection cap illustrated in Figure 3.

[0013] FIG. 5 is a rear plan view of a drug injection device with a needle protection cap attached according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 6 is an inner plan view of the needle protection cap illustrated in Figure 5.

[0015] Figure 7 is a drawing showing a sequence mark printed on a needle protection cap according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 8 is an exploded perspective view of the housing illustrated in Figure 1.

[0017] Figure 9 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of the pump assembly illustrated in Figure 8.

[0018] Fig. 10 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of the driving unit illustrated in Fig. 9.

[0019] Fig. 11 is an example diagram schematically showing the operation of the driving unit illustrated in Fig. 10.

[0020] Figure 12 is a perspective view of the injection assembly illustrated in Figure 8.

[0021] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. However, the present invention can be implemented in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In addition, the attached drawings are only intended to facilitate easy understanding of the embodiments disclosed in the present specification, and the technical ideas disclosed in the present specification are not limited by the attached drawings. In order to clearly explain the present invention in the drawings, parts that are not related to the description are omitted, and the size, shape, and shape of each component shown in the drawings can be variously modified. The same / similar drawing reference numerals are assigned to the same / similar parts throughout the specification.

[0022] The suffixes "module" and "part" used in the following description for components are assigned or used interchangeably solely for the convenience of writing the specification, and do not in themselves have distinct meanings or roles. Furthermore, in describing the embodiments disclosed herein, detailed descriptions of related known technologies have been omitted if they are deemed to obscure the gist of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0023] Throughout the specification, when a part is said to be "connected (connected, in contact with, or coupled)" to another part, this includes not only cases where it is "directly connected (connected, in contact with, or coupled)" but also cases where it is "indirectly connected (connected, in contact with, or coupled)" with another member in between. Furthermore, when a part is said to "include (have or provide)" a certain component, this does not mean that it excludes other components, but rather that it may "include (have or provide)" other components, unless otherwise specifically stated.

[0024] As used herein, ordinal terms such as "first," "second," etc., are used solely to distinguish one component from another and do not limit the order or relationship of the components. For example, the first component of the present invention may be referred to as the "second component," and similarly, the second component may also be referred to as the "first component."

[0025] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a drug injection device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are rear plan views of the drug injection device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, a patch-type drug injection device (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention is described. The patch-type drug injection device (100) includes a housing (110) and components arranged inside the housing (110).

[0027] The housing (110) includes a cover portion (111) and a contact surface (112), and a mounting space is formed between the cover portion (111) and the contact surface (112). The cover portion (111) has rounded corners, so that the patch-type drug injection device (100) can be continuously attached to the injection target without a foreign body sensation.

[0028] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the contact surface (112) is configured to be attached to an injection target, and includes a needle discharge port (112a) formed in one area, a power button (112b) positioned adjacent to the needle discharge port (112a), a drug injection port (112c) positioned adjacent to the needle discharge port (112a), and a needle protection cap fastening groove (112d). The needle discharge port (112a) is for protruding a needle through which a drug is injected into the injection target to the outside, and a silicone cap can be coupled to the needle discharge port (112a) to fix the needle. The drug injection port (112c) is formed on the opposite side of the power button (112b) with respect to the needle discharge port (112a).

[0029] Also, referring to FIG. 3, the housing (110) is coupled with a needle protection cap (113). The needle protection cap (113) is formed to have a predetermined area, is coupled to the needle discharge port (112a), and is selectively detachable from the needle discharge port (112a). When coupled to the needle discharge port (112a), the needle protection cap (113) is formed to cover the needle discharge port (112a) and the power button (112b). At this time, the drug injection port (112c) is not covered by the needle protection cap (113). Through this configuration, the needle protection cap (113) covers the power button (112b), and the drug injection port (112c) is maintained in an exposed state, thereby guiding the user to first perform a drug injection procedure for the drug injection port (112c).

[0030] Fig. 4 is a rear perspective view of the needle protection cap illustrated in Fig. 3. Referring to Fig. 4, the needle protection cap (113) may have an insertion tube (113a) formed on the inner surface thereof, which is coupled with a needle outlet (112a). The insertion tube (113a) is formed to protrude from the inner surface of the needle protection cap (113), and when the insertion tube (113a) is coupled to the needle outlet (112a), the needle penetrates the center of the insertion tube (113a) and is placed within the insertion tube (113a). With this structure, the needle can be safely protected within the space within the insertion tube (113a) of the needle protection cap (113).

[0031] In addition, a rubber material finishing component (113b) that increases the sealing force when inserting the insertion tube (113a) may be combined on the outside of the insertion tube (113a). In addition, referring to FIG. 3, the needle protection cap (113) may have an air filter (114) combined on the outer surface facing the insertion tube (113a). The air filter (114) closes the internal space where the needle of the insertion tube (113a) is placed, and communicates air with the inside of the drug injection device (100) through the needle outlet (112a). Through this, a sterilizing gas can be introduced into the inside of the drug injection device (100) to sterilize the needle.

[0032] In addition, the needle protection cap (113) has a fastening protrusion (113c) formed on the inner surface, and the fastening protrusion (113c) is inserted into a fastening groove (112d) formed on the contact surface (112) to be coupled with the needle discharge port (112a). Accordingly, the needle protection cap (113) can be coupled and fixed to the contact surface (112) of the drug injection device (100). In another embodiment, the needle protection cap (113) can be implemented in a form in which the fastening protrusion (113c) is formed on the contact surface (112), and a fastening groove (112d) is formed on the inner surface of the needle protection cap (113).

[0033] In addition, the needle protection cap (113) may be formed with a grip portion (113d) on one side for easy removal. The grip portion (113d) is formed in a dome shape so that the user's fingertips can enter when removing the needle protection cap (113), thereby making it easy to remove the needle protection cap (113).

[0034] Additionally, the contact surface (112) includes an adhesive sheet so as to be attached to an injection target, and a release sheet (112e) is attached to the adhesive sheet. Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the release sheet (112e) may include a sequence mark printed adjacent to the drug injection port (112a), the needle protection cap (113), and the power button (112b). The sequence mark guides the initial operation of the drug injection device (100), and may include a first sequence mark (①) guiding the injection of a drug into the drug injection port (112c), a second sequence mark (②) guiding the removal of the needle protection cap (113), and a third sequence mark (③) guiding the pressing of the power button (112b).

[0035] In another embodiment, referring to FIG. 7, the order markings may be printed on one side of the needle protection cap (113) and the release liner (112e). Specifically, the first order marking (①) and the second order marking (②) may be printed on a portion adjacent to the drug injection port (112a) and the grip portion (113d) of one side of the needle protection cap (113), and the third order marking (③) may be printed on a portion adjacent to the power button (112b) of the surface of the release liner (112e).

[0036] Accordingly, the user can operate the drug injection device (100) by first injecting the drug through the drug injection port (112c) according to the first order indication (①), removing the needle protection cap (113) according to the second order indication (②), and then pressing the power button (112b) according to the third order indication (③).

[0037] When the initial operation of the drug injection device (100) is completed through the sequence display, the release paper (112e) is removed and attached to the injection target. The release paper (112e) may have a pre-processed cut portion formed in the center so that only a portion can be removed, and a guide portion exposed to the outside may be formed to facilitate removal.

[0038] FIG. 5 is a rear plan view of a drug injection device with a needle protection cap attached according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is an inner plan view of the needle protection cap illustrated in FIG. 5.

[0039] A needle protection cap (113) according to another embodiment of the present invention is formed larger than the needle protection cap (113) illustrated in FIG. 3 to cover the drug injection port (112c), and a drug injection hole (115) can be formed at a position corresponding to the drug injection port (112c).

[0040] In other words, a drug injection hole (115) may be formed in the needle protection cap (113) in an area corresponding to the area where the drug injection port (112c) is arranged. At this time, when the needle protection cap (113) is coupled to the needle discharge port (112a), it may be formed to cover the needle discharge port (112a), the power button (112b), and the drug injection port (112c). Through this, a user can inject a drug into the drug injection port (112c) by penetrating the drug injection hole (115) while the needle protection cap (113) is coupled.

[0041] Fig. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the housing illustrated in Fig. 1. Referring to Fig. 8, the mounting space formed in the housing (110) expands in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction of the needle, and major components are combined. In a typical case, the PCB circuit part is first arranged over the entire or most of the plane of the device, and then the drug storage part or pump, etc. are arranged on top of it, so there is a problem that the thickness of the device is formed thick. However, in order to make the patch-type drug injection device (100) of the present invention thin, the area where each component overlaps with each other is minimized.

[0042] The components may include a drug storage unit (120), a pump assembly (130), a circuit unit (140), and an injection assembly (150). The arrangement structure of each component may be such that the injection assembly (150) is arranged in the central region, and the drug storage unit (120), the pump assembly (130), and the circuit unit (140) are arranged in a form surrounding the injection assembly (150).

[0043] In this way, the injection assembly (150) including the needle is positioned in the central region so that the patch-type drug injection device (100) can remain connected to the user without the insertion tube coming off even when the insertion tube is shaken due to the user's movement.

[0044] Next, the drug storage unit (120), pump assembly (130), circuit unit (140), and injection assembly (150) will be described in detail.

[0045] The drug storage unit (120) stores drugs and varies in thickness depending on the amount of drugs stored. The drug storage unit (120) can be formed as a flat pouch bag made of polymer material, and is formed thinly using a flexible material, thereby enabling the patch-type drug injection device (100) to be implemented thinner and lighter.

[0046] FIG. 9 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of the pump assembly illustrated in FIG. 8. Referring to FIG. 9, the pump assembly (130) draws in a drug from the drug storage unit (120) and delivers the drug to the injection assembly (150). The pump assembly (130) includes an electroosmotic pump (131) and a port connector (132). The electroosmotic pump (131) is an electrochemically driven pump, and is electrochemically driven by a control signal to generate positive and negative pressures, draw in a drug from the drug storage unit (120), store it in the transfer chamber unit (134), and discharge the drug stored in the transfer chamber unit (134) to the injection assembly (150).

[0047] Specifically, the electroosmotic pump (131) includes a driving unit (133) and a transfer chamber unit (134). The driving unit (133) is electrochemically driven by a control signal to generate positive and negative pressures, thereby drawing in a drug from the drug storage unit (120), storing it in the transfer chamber unit (134), and discharging the drug stored in the transfer chamber unit (134) to the injection assembly (150). The transfer chamber unit (134) receives the drug drawn from the drug storage unit (120) according to the pressure of the driving unit (133). Here, the drug is a drug that must be injected into a specific patient, and an example of this is insulin that is injected into a diabetic patient.

[0048] Fig. 10 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of the driving unit illustrated in Fig. 9, and Fig. 11 is an exemplary diagram schematically showing the operation of the driving unit illustrated in Fig. 9.

[0049] Referring to FIGS. 10 and 11, the driving unit (133) is described in detail. The driving unit (133) is a pump that uses the movement of fluid by the electroosmotic phenomenon that occurs when voltage or current is applied using electrodes at both ends of the pumping unit (membrane, 133a). The driving unit (133) includes a membrane (133a) and a first electrode (133b) and a second electrode (133c) arranged on both sides of the membrane (133a), and when voltage or current is applied to the first electrode (133b) and the second electrode (133c) through a power source (133d), the fluid moves and the electroosmotic phenomenon occurs.

[0050] In addition, the driving unit (133) may include a first diaphragm (133e) and a second diaphragm (133f). Each diaphragm (133e, 133f) is provided on one side and the other side of the pumping unit (133a) and changes shape by the movement of the pumping solution as positive and negative pressures are alternately generated. For example, the first diaphragm (133e) and the second diaphragm (133f) transfer the negative and positive pressures generated by the driving of the pumping unit (133a) to the drug. More specifically, when negative pressure occurs, at least a portion of the first diaphragm (133e) and the second diaphragm (133f) moves backward (when moving in the direction ①), and the fluid to be transported is sucked into the transport chamber portion (134). Conversely, when positive pressure occurs, at least a portion of the first diaphragm (133e) and the second diaphragm (133f) moves forward (when moving in the direction ②), and the drug is discharged from the transport chamber portion (134).

[0051] The membrane (133a) is generally made of silica, glass, etc., and when immersed in an aqueous solution, the surface thereof becomes negatively charged. The membrane (133a) has numerous paths through which fluids can pass, and when one of these is enlarged, the surface of the fluid passage with a negative charge (bound anion) can be in a state where the charge is balanced by cations with a movable (+) charge. In this state, when a (+) voltage is applied to the first electrode (133b) and a (-) voltage is applied to the second electrode (133c), a negative pressure is generated, and the fluid inside the driving unit (133) moves in the ① direction due to this negative pressure. At this time, the drug flows into the transport chamber unit (134) through the suction valve (135) of the port connector (132). At this time, the discharge valve (136) is closed.

[0052] Conversely, when a (-) voltage is applied to the first electrode (133b) and a (+) voltage is applied to the second electrode (133c), a positive pressure in the opposite direction is generated by a reversible electrochemical reaction. The fluid inside the driving unit (133) moves in the ② direction due to this positive pressure. At this time, the drug stored in the transfer chamber unit (134) is discharged to the injection assembly (150) through the discharge valve (136) of the port connector (132). At this time, the suction valve (135) is closed.

[0053] This phenomenon is called electroosmosis, and a pump utilizing this principle is an electroosmotic pump (131). Since the patch-type drug injection device (100) of the present invention uses an electroosmotic pump (131) as a driving means, the driving means can be manufactured thinner than other technologies using electric motors, etc. Accordingly, the overall thickness of the patch-type drug injection device (100) can be manufactured thinner, allowing for more stable bonding to the skin.

[0054] The port connector (132) connects the drug storage unit (120) and the injection assembly (150) to the electroosmotic pump (131). The port connector (132) includes an inlet check valve (135) that allows the drug to flow into the transfer chamber unit (134) and a discharge check valve (136) that discharges the drug discharged from the transfer chamber unit (134) to the injection assembly (150). The inlet check valve (135) and the discharge check valve (136) are arranged parallel to each other. In addition, the port connector (132) is formed with an inlet path (132a) through which the drug flows from the drug storage unit (120) into the electroosmotic pump (131) and a discharge path (132b) through which the drug is discharged from the electroosmotic pump (131) to the injection assembly (150).

[0055] Referring again to FIG. 7, the circuit unit (140) is equipped with electronic components necessary for driving and controlling the pump assembly (130) and may include a battery for supplying power.

[0056] Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the injection assembly illustrated in Fig. 8. Referring to Fig. 12, the injection assembly (150) includes a needle (151) and a needle mover (152), and can inject a drug discharged from a pump assembly (130) into a subject to be injected. One side (151a) of the needle (151) is coupled to a discharge path (132b) of a port connector (132), and the other side (151b) is inserted into the subject to be injected. The needle (151) is formed in a shape extending from the discharge path (132b) toward the needle outlet (112a) of the contact surface (112). The needle mover (152) is fixed by inserting a part of the needle (151), and moves by an external force to insert the needle (151) into the subject to be injected.

[0057] Next, the operation of inserting the needle (151) into the injection target will be briefly described. Referring to Fig. 1, a shooting hole (111a) is formed in a region corresponding to the region where the injection assembly (150) is placed in the cover portion (111) of the housing (110). The shooting hole (111a) is a hole (111a) into which a shooting member of an applicator (not shown) that presses a needle mover (152) so that the needle (151) can be inserted into the injection target is inserted. When the shooting member is inserted into the shooting hole (111a) and collides with the needle mover (152), the force with which the shooting member presses the needle mover (152) causes the other side (151b) of the needle (151) and the needle mover (152) to move toward the needle outlet (112a), so that a part of the other side (151b) of the needle (151) is inserted into the injection target.

[0058] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that, based on the above description, the present invention can be readily modified into other specific forms without altering the technical spirit or essential characteristics thereof. Therefore, the embodiments described above should be understood as illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the following claims, and all changes or modifications derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalents should be construed as being included within the scope of the present invention.

[0059] The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims described below rather than the detailed description above, and all changes or modifications derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalent concepts should be interpreted as being included in the scope of the present invention.

[0060] [Explanation of symbols]

[0061] 100: Drug injection device

[0062] 110: Housing

[0063] 120: Drug storage unit

[0064] 130: Pump assembly

[0065] 140: Circuit section

[0066] 150: Injection assembly

Claims

1. In a patch-type drug injection device, A housing including a cover portion and a contact surface; A needle discharge port formed in one area of ​​the above contact surface; A power button positioned adjacent to the needle outlet on the contact surface; a drug injection port formed adjacent to the needle discharge port on the contact surface; and A needle protection cap formed to have a predetermined area, coupled to the needle outlet, and selectively detachable from the needle outlet, The above needle protection cap, A patch-type drug injection device, which is formed to cover the needle outlet and the power button when coupled to the needle outlet.

2. In paragraph 1, The above drug injection port is, A patch-type drug injection device formed on the opposite side of the power button based on the needle outlet and not covered by the needle protective cap.

3. In paragraph 1, The above needle protection cap, When coupled to the above needle outlet, it is formed to cover the needle outlet, the power button and the drug injection port, A patch-type drug injection device comprising a drug injection hole formed in an area corresponding to an area where the drug injection port is positioned.

4. In paragraph 1 or paragraph 3, The above needle protection cap, An insertion tube is formed in a protruding shape on the inner surface to be combined with the needle outlet, A patch-type drug injection device, wherein an air filter of a predetermined area is coupled to the outer surface so as to face the insertion tube, and the air filter is exposed through the outer surface of the needle protection cap.

5. In paragraph 1 or paragraph 3, The above contact surface is, A fastening groove is formed in the area adjacent to the above needle outlet, The above needle protection cap, A patch-type drug injection device having a fastening projection formed on the inner surface to be coupled with the fastening groove.

6. In paragraph 1 or paragraph 3, The above contact surface is, A fastening protrusion is formed in the area adjacent to the above needle outlet, The above needle protection cap, A patch-type drug injection device having a fastening groove formed on the inner surface to be combined with the fastening protrusion.

7. In paragraph 1 or paragraph 3, The above contact surface is, The release paper is combined, and the order mark is printed on the surface of the release paper adjacent to the drug injection port, the needle protection cap, and the power button, respectively. A patch-type drug injection device, wherein a first order mark guiding the injection of a drug into the drug injection port, a second order mark guiding the removal of the needle protective cap, and a third order mark guiding the pressing of the power button are printed.

8. In paragraph 3, A first order mark is printed on the needle protection cap to guide the injection of the drug adjacent to the drug injection hole, A second sequence mark is printed on the part adjacent to the grip portion of the needle protection cap to guide the removal of the needle protection cap, A patch-type drug injection device, wherein a third order mark for guiding pressing of the power button is printed on a portion of the surface of the release paper bonded to the contact surface adjacent to the power button.

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