# US 10,946,144 B2 · Power efficient accessory device

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- Number: US 10,946,144 B2
- Document ID: US10946144B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/081,365
- Filed: 2017-02-27
- Published: 2019-03-21
- Granted: 2021-03-16
- Earliest claimed: 2016-03-01
- Assignees: Novo Nordisk A/S
- Applicants: Novo Nordisk A/S
- Inventors: Dan Groenkjaer Nielsen; Nikolai Byskov
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10946144B2

## CPC

- A61M 5/31553: {without axial movement of dose setting member}
- A61M 5/009: {Electronic or electro-mechanical add-on modules}
- A61M 5/20: Automatic syringes, e.g. with automatically actuated piston rod, with automatic needle injection, filling automatically (A61M5/142 takes precedence)
- A61M 5/31568: {Means keeping track of the total dose administered, e.g. since the cartridge was inserted}
- A61M 5/31583: {the piston rod being moved by the rotational movement of a component directly in contact with it}
- G06V 30/224: of printed characters having additional code marks or containing code marks
- G16H 20/17: delivered via infusion or injection
- G16H 40/63: for local operation
- A61M 2005/2407: {from the rear}
- A61M 2205/8212: with means or measures taken for minimising energy consumption
- A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)}
- G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING
- G16H: HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING OR PROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA

## Abstract

An add-on device adapted to be releasably attached to a drug delivery device, the drug delivery device comprising an indicator adapted to display a dose amount during dose setting, and to display the remaining dose amount to be expelled during drug expelling. The add-on device comprises an electronically controlled display adapted to display a set dose amount, a sensor assembly adapted to detect movement of the dose setting member when the add-on device is attached to a drug delivery device, a camera device adapted to capture an image of the indicator, and processor means adapted to (i) control the display dynamically to show the set dose amount based on input from the sensor assembly, and (ii) determine an expelled dose amount based on input from the camera device.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An add-on device adapted to be releasably attached to a drug delivery device, the drug delivery device comprising:
a housing,
a drug reservoir or structure for receiving a drug reservoir,
a drug expelling structure comprising a moveable dose setting member allowing a user to set a dose amount of drug to be expelled,
an actuation member actuatable between a first and a second state, the first state allowing a dose amount to be set, the second state allowing the drug expelling structure to expel a set dose, and
an indicator adapted to display the set dose amount during dose setting, and to display the remaining dose amount to be expelled during drug expelling,
the add-on device comprising:
a mounting structure,
an electronically controlled display adapted to display a set dose amount,
a sensor assembly adapted to detect movement of the dose setting member when the add-on device is attached to a drug delivery device,
a camera device adapted to capture an image of the indicator,
a processor structure adapted to:
(i) control the display dynamically to show the set dose amount based on input from the sensor assembly, and
(ii) determine an expelled dose amount based on input from the camera device,
a dial portion adapted to be releasably attached, directly or indirectly, to the moveable dose setting member,
a release portion adapted to be moved by the user between an initial and an actuated position, and
wherein the release portion is adapted to move axially relative to the dial portion.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

An add-on device as in claim 1, wherein an expelled dose amount is determined based on a first feature captured from a first image and a second feature captured from a second image, the first image being captured when a dose amount has been set and the second image being captured when a dose amount has been expelled.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

An add-on device as in claim 2, wherein the first feature is used to determine a first position of the indicator, and the second feature is used to determine a second position of the indicator, a positional difference between the first and second positions being indicative of an expelled amount of drug.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

An add-on device as in claim 1, wherein the processor is adapted to:
control the camera device to capture a first image when no input has been received from the sensor assembly for a predetermined amount of time after the last input.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

An add-on device as in claim 1, further comprising a switch structure adapted to detect when the actuation member is actuated from the second to the first state,
wherein the processor is adapted to control the camera device to capture a second image when the switch structure detects that the actuation member is actuated from the second to the first state.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

An add-on device as in claim 1, further comprising a memory adapted to store a reference position value corresponding to a rotational position of the indicator, the processor structure being adapted to:
(i) determine a current rotational position of the indicator based on: a captured image of the indicator, the stored reference position value, and the amount of rotational movement detected by the sensor assembly since the position value was stored,
(ii) store the determined current rotational position in the memory as a new reference position value, and
(iii) determine an expelled dose amount based on input from the camera device.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

An add-on device as in claim 1, comprising:
a main portion adapted to be releasably attached to the housing, and
the sensor assembly comprising:
a first portion coupled to the main portion, and
a second portion coupled to the dial portion,
wherein the sensor assembly is adapted to detect rotational movement between the first and second portion.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

An add-on device as in claim 7, wherein:
the add-on device is adapted to cover the dose setting member when attached to a drug delivery device, and
the dial portion is adapted to be gripped by the user to thereby move the dose setting member.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

An add-on device as in claim 8, wherein:
the dial portion is adapted to rotate to thereby rotate the dose setting member, and
the sensor assembly is a rotary sensor assembly.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

An add-on device as in claim 7, wherein the dial portion has an initial axial position, the dial portion being restricted from being moved proximally relative to the main portion.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

An add-on device as in claim 7, further comprising:
wherein the release portion with the add-on device attached to a drug delivery device is adapted to engage and move the actuation member.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

An add-on device as in claim 11, wherein:
the add-on device is adapted to cover the actuation member when attached to a drug delivery device.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

An add-on device as in claim 11, wherein the dial portion is adapted to rotate to thereby rotate the dose setting member.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

An add-on device as in claim 11, wherein the dial portion is coupled to and moves axially together with the release portion.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

An add-on device as in claim 1 in combination with a drug delivery device as in claim 1.