Drug delivery device drive sensor
AssigneeInsulet Corporation
InventorKyle BREINGAN
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed are techniques for managing the application of a force by a drive mechanism in a drug delivery device as well as devices for implementing the disclosed techniques. One or more driving arms may be operable to drive a respective ratchet wheel and one or more sensor contacts may be positioned to determine when a respective driving arm is to be controlled to no longer drive the respective ratchet wheel thereby saving electrical power. The disclosed techniques and devices may be incorporated in a drug delivery device, such as those carried by a person or affixed to the skin of a person.
Claims18
A drug delivery device drive mechanism, comprising:
- a first ratchet wheel having a plurality of first drive teeth;
- a second ratchet wheel having a plurality of second drive teeth, wherein the second ratchet wheel and the first ratchet wheel rotate about a common axis;
- a first driving arm operable to engage a first drive tooth surface of the plurality of first drive teeth and rotate the first ratchet wheel in a first direction;
- a second driving arm operable to engage a first drive tooth surface of the plurality of first drive teeth and rotate the second ratchet wheel in the first direction;
- a first sensor contact operable to, in response to being contacted by the first driving arm, cause the second driving arm to stop pushing against the second ratchet wheel;
- and
- a second sensor contact operable to, in response to being contacted by the second driving arm, cause the first driving arm to stop pushing against the first ratchet wheel.
A drug delivery device drive system, comprising:
- control circuitry;
- a first ratchet wheel having a plurality of first ratchet wheel gear teeth;
- a second ratchet wheel having a plurality of second ratchet wheel gear teeth, wherein the first ratchet wheel and the second ratchet wheel rotate in unison about a common axis;
- a first driving arm operable to contact a respective gear tooth of the plurality of first ratchet wheel gear teeth;
- and
- a second driving arm operable to contact a respective gear tooth of the plurality of second ratchet wheel gear teeth,
- wherein the control circuitry alternates between causing the first driving arm to contact the respective gear tooth of the plurality of first ratchet wheel gear teeth and causing the second driving arm to contact the respective gear tooth of the plurality of gear teeth of the first ratchet wheel gear teeth.
A drug delivery device drive system, comprising:
- control circuitry;
- a drive mechanism coupled to the control circuitry;
- a first ratchet wheel having a plurality of first ratchet wheel gear teeth;
- a second ratchet wheel having a plurality of second ratchet wheel gear teeth, wherein the first ratchet wheel and the second ratchet wheel rotate in unison about a common axis;
- a first driving arm coupled to the drive mechanism and operable to contact a respective gear tooth of the plurality of first ratchet wheel gear teeth;
- a first sensor contact arm coupled to the drive mechanism and the control circuitry;
- a second driving arm coupled to the drive mechanism and operable to contact a respective gear tooth of the plurality of second ratchet wheel gear teeth;
- and
- a second sensor contact arm coupled to the drive mechanism and the control circuitry,
- wherein the first sensor driving arm and the first sensor contact arm are in contact with one another, and the drive mechanism is operable to push the first driving arm and the first sensor contact arm against a surface of a respective first ratchet wheel gear tooth until the first sensor contact arm no longer contacts the first sensor driving arm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.