Container for an injectable medicament

Abstract

A container for an injectable medicament is provided. The container can include an elongated body having a tubular-shaped sidewall extending along a longitudinal axis and having a distal end and a proximal end. The container can include an outlet at the distal end and a bung arranged inside the elongated body, sealingly engaged with the sidewall and slidable along the longitudinal axis relative to the sidewall. The container can include an interior volume to receive the injectable medicament and being confined by the sidewall, the outlet, and the bung. The container can include a measuring arrangement arranged in or on the bung. The measuring arrangement can include a signal generator configured to emit a measurement signal into or through the interior volume, the measurement signal being capable to stimulate or to excite a resonance of the container. The measuring arrangement can include a signal detector configured to detect a feedback signal indicative of a resonating interaction of the measurement signal with at least one of the sidewall, the outlet or the interior volume.

1 . An injection device comprising:
 a medicament container;   a signal generator configured transmit one or more signals towards the medicament container, the one or more signals configured to excite one or more resonances of the medicament container;   a signal detector configured to measure one or more voltages or currents of the signal generator while the signal generator transmits the one or more signals; and   a processor configured to determine one or more properties of the medicament container based on the measured one or more voltages or currents.   
     
     
         2 . The injection device of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the signal generator, the signal detector, or the processor is disposed in or on a bung of the medicament container. 
     
     
         3 . The injection device of  claim 1 , wherein the signal generator, the signal detector, and the processor are disposed in or on a bung of the medicament container. 
     
     
         4 . The injection device of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more properties include at least one of a size of an interior volume of the medicament container or a position of a bung within the medicament container. 
     
     
         5 . The injection device of  claim 4 , wherein the processor is configured to determine the one or more properties based on one or more positive or negative frequency-dependent peaks of the measured one or more voltages or currents. 
     
     
         6 . The injection device of  claim 5 , wherein one or more frequencies of the one or more positive or negative frequency-dependent peaks is indicative of one or more frequencies of the one or more resonances of the medicament container. 
     
     
         7 . The injection device of  claim 6 , wherein a first frequency of the one or more frequencies of the one or more positive or negative frequency-dependent peaks is indicative of a fundamental resonance frequency of the medicament container and a second frequency of the one or more frequencies of the one or more positive or negative frequency-dependent peaks is indicative of a harmonic resonance frequency of the medicament container. 
     
     
         8 . The injection device of  claim 1 , wherein the signal detector is configured to measure the one or more voltages or currents of the signal generator at each frequency of the one or more signals while the signal generator transmits the one or more signals. 
     
     
         9 . The injection device of  claim 1 , further comprising a circuit board disposed in or on a bung of the medicament container, the circuit board comprising the processor, the signal generator, and the signal detector. 
     
     
         10 . The injection device of  claim 1 , wherein the signal detector comprises an impedance measurement circuit comprising a diode, a capacitor, and an analog-to-digital converter electrically connected to a node between the diode and the capacitor. 
     
     
         11 . A medicament container comprising:
 a signal generator configured transmit one or more signals towards the medicament container, the one or more signals configured to excite one or more resonances of the medicament container; and   a signal detector configured to measure one or more voltages or currents of the signal generator while the signal generator transmits the one or more signals, the measured one or more voltages or currents being indicative of one or more frequencies of the one or more resonances of the medicament container.   
     
     
         12 . The medicament container of  claim 11 , further comprising a processor configured to determine one or more properties based on the measured one or more voltages or currents. 
     
     
         13 . The medicament container of  claim 12 , wherein at least one of the signal generator, the signal detector, or the processor is disposed in or on a bung of the medicament container. 
     
     
         14 . The medicament container of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more properties include at least one of a size of an interior volume of the medicament container or a position of a bung within the medicament container. 
     
     
         15 . The medicament container of  claim 12 , wherein the processor is configured to determine the one or more properties based on one or more positive or negative frequency-dependent peaks of the measured one or more voltages or currents. 
     
     
         16 . The medicament container of  claim 15 , wherein one or more frequencies of the one or more positive or negative frequency-dependent peaks is indicative of one or more frequencies of the one or more resonances of the medicament container. 
     
     
         17 . A method comprising:
 transmitting, by a signal generator, one or more signals towards a medicament container to excite one or more resonances of the medicament container;   while the signal generator transmits the one or more signals, measuring, by a signal detector, one or more voltages or currents of the signal generator; and   determining, by a processor, one or more properties of the medicament container based on the measured one or more voltages or currents.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the one or more voltages or currents are measured at each frequency of the one or more signals. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein determining the one or more properties comprises determining one or more positive or negative frequency-dependent peaks of the measured one or more voltages or currents. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein determining the one or more properties comprises:
 determining one or more frequencies of the positive or negative frequency-dependent peaks; and   determining the one or more properties based on the one or more frequencies of the positive or negative frequency-dependent peaks.