DOSE SETTING MECHANISM FOR A DRUG DELIVERY DEVICE

• Main Author: PLUMPTRE DAVID
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; Korean
• Published: 22.03.2012
• Subjects: ARRANGEMENTS FOR MEASURING TWO OR MORE VARIABLES NOT COVEREDIN A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS; DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROMTHE BODY; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; MEASURING; MEASURING NOT SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR A SPECIFIC VARIABLE; MEASURING OR TESTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; PHYSICS; TARIFF METERING APPARATUS; TESTING

A method and system for limiting a maximum dose that may be set in a drug delivery device. A dose setting mechanism, which is operable to be coupled to a medication cartridge, comprises a lock-out mechanism that prevents one from setting a dose greater than the medication in the cartridge. The lock-out mechanism comprises a rotatable shaft. A helical groove having a first pitch is provided along a first portion of the rotatable shaft and a second pitch provided along a second portion of the rotatable shaft. The first pitch is different from the second pitch. A third pitch may be provided on a third portion of the shaft. This third pitch is provided at the end of the second pitch and is preferably different than the second pitch. The lock-out mechanism further comprises a non-rotating member disposed on the helical groove of said shaft. During dose setting, the shaft is rotated relative to the non-rotating member while the non-rotating member traverses along the groove from a proximal end of the shaft towards a distal end of the shaft.