US 12,239,820 B2
Cartridge unit for a drug delivery device
Hugh Smith, Warwick (GB); and Steven Wimpenny, Warwick (GB)
Assigned to Sanofi, Paris (FR)
Appl. No. 17/258,785
Filed by Sanofi, Paris (FR)
PCT Filed Jul. 15, 2019, PCT No. PCT/EP2019/068972
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jan. 8, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/016163, PCT Pub. Date Jan. 23, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 18305978 (EP), filed on Jul. 18, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0290848 A1, Sep. 23, 2021
Int. Cl. A61M 5/24 (2006.01)
CPC A61M 5/24 (2013.01) [A61M 2005/2488 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
17. A method comprising:
dispensing a dose of medicament from a cartridge that is permanently secured in a cartridge holder of a cartridge unit for a drug delivery device,
wherein the cartridge unit comprises:
a cartridge unit guide feature, the cartridge unit guide feature being provided to mechanically cooperate with a housing guide feature provided on a housing of the drug delivery device to establish a guiding interface in order to guide relative movement of the cartridge unit and the housing when attaching the cartridge unit to the housing,
wherein the cartridge unit guide feature is provided with at least one cartridge unit interface feature, wherein the at least one cartridge unit interface feature is adapted to establish a further interface with the housing,
wherein the cartridge unit is a cartridge assembly comprising the cartridge and the cartridge holder,
wherein the cartridge comprises a head portion, a main body portion, and a neck portion, wherein the neck portion is arranged between the head portion and the main body portion, and wherein the neck portion has a reduced diameter as compared to the main body portion and the head portion,
wherein the cartridge unit guide feature is provided on the cartridge holder,
wherein the guiding interface is configured to define a first stage of movement and a second stage of movement, wherein the first stage of movement precedes the second stage of movement when attaching the cartridge unit to the housing, wherein the further interface is established in the first stage of movement and released in the second stage of movement,
wherein the further interface comprises a helical interface, wherein a lead of a helical movement guided by the helical interface is equal to a lead of a helical movement of the cartridge unit relative to the housing during the first stage of movement, and
wherein the further interface and the guiding interface are different interfaces.