US 11,715,391 B2
Injection cartridge detection
Patrick Armand Anquetil, Brookline, MA (US)
Assigned to Portal Instruments, Inc., Cambridge, MA (US)
Filed by Portal Instruments, Inc., Cambridge, MA (US)
Filed on Apr. 8, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/225,962.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/006,843, filed on Apr. 8, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0319718 A1, Oct. 14, 2021
Int. Cl. G09B 23/28 (2006.01); A61M 5/30 (2006.01); A61M 5/315 (2006.01); G09B 5/00 (2006.01)
CPC G09B 23/285 (2013.01) [A61M 5/30 (2013.01); A61M 5/31586 (2013.01); A61M 2005/31588 (2013.01); A61M 2205/332 (2013.01); A61M 2205/3317 (2013.01); A61M 2205/3327 (2013.01); A61M 2205/52 (2013.01); A61M 2205/8206 (2013.01); G09B 5/00 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An injector comprising:
a chamber that receives a cartridge,
a plunger positioned to engage the cartridge when the cartridge has been placed in the chamber,
a drive system coupled to the plunger for applying a linear force to drive the plunger into the chamber, wherein the drive system includes a rotary motor and a controller that controls a drive current to the rotary motor,
a sensor system including a rotary encoder providing a signal indicative of a rotary position of the rotary motor and a drive signal indicative of a drive current supplied to the rotary motor, and
a controller coupled to the sensor system and to the drive system, the controller comprising a memory having computer-executable code stored therein that configures the controller to select, based on information received from the sensor system, between a training mode for training a user of the injector in proper operation of the injector and an injection mode for delivering a needle-free injection from the cartridge, the information including the signal from the rotary encoder used by the controller to determine a linear position of the plunger and the drive signal used by the controller to determine a linear force applied by the drive system to the plunger, wherein the controller evaluates the manner in which the linear position of the plunger changes in response to the drive signal.