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EP-3782677-B1 - DRUG DELIVERY DEVICE WITH CARTRIDGE HOLDER

EP3782677B1EP 3782677 B1EP3782677 B1EP 3782677B1EP-3782677-B1

Inventors

  • RAAB, STEFFEN
  • ARNHOLD, SANDRA

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20110131

Claims (10)

  1. A drug delivery device operable to deliver a drug from a cartridge (3), the drug delivery device comprising a cartridge holder (2) in which the cartridge (3) is located, wherein the cartridge holder (2) has a distal end, a proximal end and a longitudinal axis (50), the cartridge holder (2) comprising a coupling housing portion (13, 14) in which a cartridge (3) can be inserted at least partly, the coupling housing portion (13, 14) being configured to be coupled to a part (11, 15) of a drug delivery device, a fixing member (21) being connected with the coupling housing portion (13, 14), wherein the fixing member (21) is flexible and integrally formed with the coupling housing portion (13, 14), the fixing member (21) being moveable radially inwardly towards the longitudinal axis (50) of the cartridge holder (2) to a position in which the fixing member (21) is configured to secure the cartridge (3) against distal displacement of the cartridge (3), wherein the fixing member (21) is configured to at least partly engage with a cavity provided in the cartridge (3) or a necking (6) of the cartridge, thereby securing the cartridge (3), characterized in that the fixing member (21) is moveable radially inwardly towards the longitudinal axis (50) of the cartridge holder (2) to a position in which the fixing member (21) is configured to fix the cartridge (3) in such a manner that distal displacement is hindered or prevented and proximal displacement is hindered or prevented, wherein the coupling housing portion (13, 14) comprises a thread (16) and is configured to be coupled with a needle unit (15).
  2. The drug delivery device according to claim 1, wherein the fixing member (21) has a side (43) which is connected with the coupling housing portion (13, 14), an edge (44) of the fixing member (21) extending from one end of the side (43) which is connected with the coupling housing portion (13, 14) to the other end of this side (43), the edge (44) being separated from the coupling housing portion (13, 14) by a cut-out (22).
  3. The drug delivery device according to any of the claims 1 to 2, wherein the fixing member (21) comprises a first protrusion (24) formed on an outer side (41) of the fixing member (21).
  4. The drug delivery device according to any of the claims 1 to 3, wherein the fixing member (21) comprises a catch portion (25) formed on an inner side (42) of the fixing member (21).
  5. The drug delivery device according to any of the claims 1 to 4, wherein the coupling housing portion (13) is configured to be coupled with a body member (1) of the drug delivery device.
  6. The drug delivery device according to any of the claims 1 to 5, wherein a part (11, 15) of the drug delivery device is coupled with the coupling housing portion (13, 14), thereby the part (11, 15) of the drug delivery device abuts on the fixing member (21) so that the fixing member (21) secures the cartridge (3) against distal displacement.
  7. The drug delivery device according to claim 6, wherein the coupling housing portion (13, 14) is inserted in the part (11, 15) of the drug delivery device.
  8. The drug delivery device according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the part (11, 15) of the drug delivery device comprises a second protrusion (31) which abuts on the fixing member (21).
  9. The drug delivery device according to any of the claims 6 to 9, wherein the cartridge (3) has a neck portion (6) and a skirt (29) which radially protrudes over the neck portion (6), the fixing member (21) being configured to engage at least partly with the neck portion (6).
  10. The drug delivery device according to any of the claims 6 to 9, wherein the fixing member (21) abuts on the cartridge (3) so that a force-fit connection is formed.

Description

The invention concerns a drug delivery device. Drug delivery devices are known in the prior art. US 2004/108339 A1 discloses a front loadable injection device comprising a housing, a tubular cartridge holder for receiving a cartridge and a clamping member. Further, WO 2007/104636 A1 discloses a cartridge holder, comprising a housing and a pair of arms, wherein the arms are suitable to clamp the cartridge. A drug delivery device is operable to deliver a drug from a cartridge, for example via a cannula. The cartridge is located in a cartridge holder which is part of the drug delivery device. A dose setting and delivery mechanism of the drug delivery device pushes a bung in the distal direction along the inner wall of the cartridge so that a dose of drug is delivered. If the cartridge is not connected with the dose setting and delivery mechanism or the housing of the drug delivery device, the cartridge may be axially disposable with respect to the dose setting and delivery mechanism. Even a slight mobility of the cartridge may cause underdosing or overdosing of the drug. It is an aim of the present invention to reduce the risk of underdosing or overdosing. For this aim a drug delivery device with a cartridge holder as defined in claim 1 is provided. The cartridge holder which has a distal end, a proximal end and a longitudinal axis, comprises a coupling housing portion in which a cartridge can be inserted at least partly. The coupling housing portion is configured to be coupled to a part of a drug delivery device. The cartridge holder further comprises a fixing member which is connected with the coupling housing portion, the fixing member being moveable radially inwardly towards the longitudinal axis of the cartridge holder to a position in which the fixing member is configured to secure the cartridge against distal displacement of the cartridge. A cartridge which is at least partly located inside the coupling housing portion of the cartridge holder is secured when the fixing member is moved inwardly, which means that the fixing member is moved towards the cartridge. The movement of the fixing member may be caused by a force impact to an outer side of the fixing member. The fixing member serves to lock the cartridge in place in the drug delivery device. A cartridge holder which comprises the fixing member is suitable for securing the cartridge, thereby reducing the mobility of the cartridge inside the cartridge holder, so that the exact dose is delivered. The drug delivery device is a single-dose or multi-dose, disposable or re-usable device designed to dispense a selected dose of a drug, preferably multiple selected doses, e.g. insulin, human growth hormones, heparins and their analogues and/or derivates. The device may be of any shape, e.g. compact or pen-type. A pen-type device is an elongate device which may be essentially cylindrical or be formed like an ellipsoid. Dose delivery may be provided through a mechanical or electrical drive mechanism or a stored energy drive mechanism. In one embodiment the drug delivery device comprises a needle unit for injection. The cartridge is a container for the drug. The cartridge may be replaceable in a re-usable device. The term "drug", as used herein, preferably means a pharmaceutical formulation containing at least one pharmaceutically active compound, wherein in one embodiment the pharmaceutically active compound has a molecular weight up to 1500 Da and/or is a peptide, a proteine, a polysaccharide, a vaccine, a DNA, a RNA, a antibody, an enzyme, an antibody, a hormone or an oligonucleotide, or a mixture of the above-mentioned pharmaceutically active compound,wherein in a further embodiment the pharmaceutically active compound is useful for the treatment and/or prophylaxis of diabetes mellitus or complications associated with diabetes mellitus such as diabetic retinopathy, thromboembolism disorders such as deep vein or pulmonary thromboembolism, acute coronary syndrome (ACS), angina, myocardial infarction, cancer, macular degeneration, inflammation, hay fever, atherosclerosis and/or rheumatoid arthritis,wherein in a further embodiment the pharmaceutically active compound comprises at least one peptide for the treatment and/or prophylaxis of diabetes mellitus or complications associated with diabetes mellitus such as diabetic retinopathy,wherein in a further embodiment the pharmaceutically active compound comprises at least one human insulin or a human insulin analogue or derivative, glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1) or an analogue or derivative thereof, or exedin-3 or exedin-4 or an analogue or derivative of exedin-3 or exedin-4. Insulin analogues are for example Gly(A21), Arg(B31), Arg(B32) human insulin; Lys(B3), Glu(B29) human insulin; Lys(B28), Pro(B29) human insulin; Asp(B28) human insulin; human insulin, wherein proline in position B28 is replaced by Asp, Lys, Leu, Val or Ala and wherein in position B29 Lys may be replaced by Pro; Ala(B26) human insulin; Des(B28-