Supplemental Device for Attachment to an Injection Device

Abstract

A supplemental device for attachment to an injection device, the supplemental device comprising: an electromechanical switch arrangement having an open state and a closed state, the electromechanical switch arrangement comprising a protrusion configured to contact a surface of the injection device when a dose of zero units is dialled into the injection device, wherein the state of the switch arrangement is configured to change when a dose dialled into the attached injection device is decreased from one unit to zero units; and a processor arrangement configured to: detect one or more changes in the state of the electromechanical switch arrangement; and determine from the one or more state changes that a dose of zero units is dialled into the injection device.

1 - 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . The supplemental device for attachment to an injection device, the supplemental device comprising:
 an electromechanical switch arrangement having an open state and a closed state, the electromechanical switch arrangement comprising:
 a main body; and 
 a protrusion configured to protrude from the main body such that the protrusion contacts a surface of the injection device, wherein the open state or the closed state of the electromechanical switch arrangement is configured to change when a dose dialled into the attached injection device is decreased from one unit to zero units; and 
   a processor arrangement configured to:
 detect one or more changes in the open state or the closed state of the electromechanical switch arrangement; 
 determine from the one or more changes in the open state or the closed state that the dose dialled into the injection device has decreased from one unit to zero units; and 
 subsequent to determining from the one or more changes in the open state or the closed state that the dose dialled into the injection device has decreased from one unit to zero units, place the supplemental device into a power saving mode. 
   
     
     
         16 . The supplemental device according to  claim 15 , wherein the protrusion is configured to contact the surface of the injection device when any number of dose units are dialled into the injection device. 
     
     
         17 . The supplemental device according to  claim 15 , wherein the protrusion is configured to contact the surface of the injection device only when a dose of zero units is dialled into the injection device. 
     
     
         18 . The supplemental device according to  claim 15 , wherein the processor arrangement is configured to place the supplemental device into a power saving mode when a predetermined period of time has elapsed after it is determined that the dose dialled into the injection device has decreased from one unit to zero units. 
     
     
         19 . The supplemental device according to  claim 15 , further comprising a first user input configured to cause establishment of a connection to or a pairing with another device. 
     
     
         20 . The supplemental device according to  claim 15 , further comprising a second user input configured to trigger transmission of information from the supplementary device to another device. 
     
     
         21 . The supplemental device according to  claim 15 , wherein the processor arrangement is further configured, subsequent to determining from the one or more changes in the open state or the closed state that the dose dialled into the injection device has decreased from one unit to zero units, to trigger communication of data stored in the supplemental device with an external apparatus. 
     
     
         22 . The supplemental device according to  claim 15 , wherein the protrusion is configured to contact a surface of the injection device when any number of dose units are dialled into the injection device and wherein the supplemental device comprises:
 a further electromechanical switch arrangement having an open state and a closed state, the further electromechanical switch arrangement comprising a second protrusion configured to contact the surface of the injection device only when a dose of zero units is dialled into the injection device.   
     
     
         23 . The supplemental device according to  claim 22 , wherein the processor arrangement is configured to determine whether the electromechanical switch arrangement and the further electromechanical switch arrangement are open or closed. 
     
     
         24 . The supplemental device according to  claim 22 , wherein the processor arrangement is configured to determine an amount of rotation of the surface of the injection device from signals received from the electromechanical switch arrangement. 
     
     
         25 . The supplemental device according to  claim 22 , wherein the supplemental device further comprises a biasing element configured to bias the protrusion of the electromechanical switch arrangement against the surface of the injection device. 
     
     
         26 . The supplemental device according to  claim 25 , wherein the second protrusion is configured not to be biased against the surface of the injection device. 
     
     
         27 . The supplemental device according to  claim 15 , wherein the supplemental device further comprises a dose dialled detector operable to detect a dose of medicament dialled into the attached injection device. 
     
     
         28 . The supplemental device according to  claim 27 , wherein the dose dialled detector comprises an image capture device and an optical character recognition system. 
     
     
         29 . A system comprising:
 an injection device; and   a supplemental device for attachment to the injection device, the supplemental device comprising:
 an electromechanical switch arrangement having an open state and a closed state, the electromechanical switch arrangement comprising:
 a main body; and 
 a protrusion configured to protrude from the main body such that the protrusion contacts a surface of the injection device, wherein the open state or the closed state of the electromechanical switch arrangement is configured to change when a dose dialled into the attached injection device is decreased from one unit to zero units; and 
 
 a processor arrangement configured to:
 detect one or more changes in the open state or the closed state of the electromechanical switch arrangement; 
 determine from the one or more changes in the open state or the closed state that the dose dialled into the injection device has decreased from one unit to zero units; and 
 subsequent to determining from the one or more changes in the open state or the closed state that the dose dialled into the injection device has decreased from one unit to zero units, place the supplemental device into a power saving mode. 
 
   
     
     
         30 . The system according to  claim 29 , wherein the injection device comprises:
 a housing;   a corrugated dialling sleeve rotatably supported within the housing, the corrugated dialling sleeve having a plurality of axially aligned corrugations; and   a rotatable dosage knob coupled to the corrugated dialling sleeve at a first end of the corrugated dialling sleeve, wherein the protrusion of the electromechanical switch arrangement is configured to engage the corrugated dialling sleeve.   
     
     
         31 . The system according to  claim 30 , wherein each of a plurality of troughs forming the corrugations terminates at the first end of the corrugated dialling sleeve with a common incline or respective inclines. 
     
     
         32 . The system according to  claim 30 , wherein the rotatable dosage knob has a larger diameter than the corrugated dialling sleeve and defines a flange at the first end of the corrugated dialling sleeve. 
     
     
         33 . A supplemental device for attachment to an injection device, the supplemental device comprising:
 an electromechanical switch arrangement having an open state and a closed state, the electromechanical switch arrangement comprising:
 a main body; and 
 a first protrusion configured to protrude from the main body such that the first protrusion contacts a surface of the injection device when any number of dose units are dialled into the injection device, wherein the open state or the closed state of the electromechanical switch arrangement is configured to change when a dose dialled into the injection device is decreased from one unit to zero units; 
   a switching member having an open state and a closed state, the switching member comprising a second protrusion configured to contact a surface of the injection device only when a dose of zero units is dialled into the injection device; and   a processor arrangement configured to:
 detect one or more changes in the open state or the closed state of the switching member; 
 determine from the one or more changes in the open state or the closed state that the dose dialled into the injection device has decreased from one unit to zero units; and 
 subsequent to determining from the one or more changes in the open state or the closed state that the dose dialled into the injection device has decreased from one unit to zero units, place the supplemental device into a power saving mode. 
   
     
     
         34 . The supplemental device according to  claim 33 , wherein the processor arrangement is further configured, subsequent to determining from the one or more changes in the open state or the closed state that the dose dialled into the injection device has decreased from one unit to zero units, to trigger communication of data stored in the supplemental device with an external apparatus.