Patent Description:
The widespread use of medicament delivery devices for self-treatment places demands on methods and equipment to handle the spent medicament delivery devices. One such piece of equipment is a type of waste container, often called a sharps bin, which may be placed in the user's home. Since the medicament delivery device may comprise potentially hazardous parts, such as injection needles and glass containers holding remains of drugs, the user is requested to discard the device in a sharps bin as soon as possible after use. The sharps bin serves to keep the hazardous parts out of harm's way until they are taken care of by professionals.

An example of a prior art sharps bin is disclosed by <CIT>. The disclosed sharps bin is intended to collect data from a discarded medicament delivery device.

The discarded device comprises an electronics unit which unlocks the sharps bin and allows disposal of the device in the bin. The sharps bin is in turn arranged with a monitoring unit which collects the data from the discarded device. The whole device is stored in one compartment of the sharps bin.

<CIT> discloses a sharps bin with two compartments, one compartment for the sharps/ needles of an injection device, a second compartment for the injector housing.

Mass consumption puts an enormous pressure on the world's environment. In addition, medicament delivery devices may comprise parts which may be re-used, or which should be recycled in a manner different from the hazardous parts. Consequently, there is a need for recycling systems that handle the disposal of medicament delivery devices in a more sustainable and affordable manner.

<CIT> describes apparatus for counting and disposing of expendable medical items, including sharps and the like. In particular, a device is disclosed in which a pinch style cutter mechanism shears suture material from a needle and a safety device sweeps the sharp into a drop window.

In view of the above, a general object of the present disclosure is to provide a waste container for separating two recyclable parts of a medicament delivery device and for storing the parts in different compartments of the waste container. An additional object of the present disclosure is to provide a medicament delivery device comprising two parts that may be separated by disposal in such a waste container.

The following definitions may be used herein:
In the present disclosure, when the term "distal" is used, this refers to the direction pointing away from the dose delivery site. When the term "distal part/end" is used, this refers to the part/end of the delivery device, or the parts/ends of the members thereof, which under use of the medicament delivery device is/are located furthest away from the dose delivery site. Correspondingly, when the term "proximal" is used, this refers to the direction pointing to the dose delivery site. When the term "proximal part/end" is used, this refers to the part/end of the delivery device, or the parts/ends of the members thereof, which under use of the medicament delivery device is/are located closest to the dose delivery site.

Further, the term "longitudinal", with or without "axis", refers to a direction or an axis through the device or components thereof in the direction of the longest extension of the device or the component.

The term "lateral", with or without "axis", refers to a direction or an axis through the device or components thereof in the direction of the broadest extension of the device or the component. "Lateral" may also refer to a position to the side of a "longitudinally" elongated body.

In a similar manner, the terms "radial" or "transversal", with or without "axis", refers to a direction or an axis through the device or components thereof in a direction generally perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, e.g. "radially outward" would refer to a direction pointing away from the longitudinal axis.

Also, if nothing else is stated, in the following description wherein the mechanical structure of the device and the mechanical interconnection of its components is described, the device is in an initial non-activated or non-operated state.

According to a main aspect of the present disclosure there is provided a waste container for medicament delivery devices, which waste container comprises, a first waste compartment, a second waste compartment, a receiving compartment for receiving a medicament delivery device inserted into the waste container, a separation tool for interacting with a medicament delivery device, and wherein the separation tool is arranged to separate a first part from a second part, of a medicament delivery device received in the receiving compartment, such that the first part is stored in the first waste compartment and the second waste part is stored in the second compartment.

According to the invention, the receiving compartment and the separation tool are movable in relation to each other such that interaction between the separation tool and a medicament delivery device received in the receiving compartment separates the first part from the second part.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the receiving compartment is movable relative to the separation tool, and wherein the separation tool is fixed in relation to the waste container.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, movement of the receiving compartment towards the separation tool moves a medicament delivery device, received in the receiving compartment, towards the cutting tool.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the receiving compartment is fixed relative to waste container, and wherein the separation tool is movable relative receiving compartment.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, movement of the separation tool towards the receiving compartment is a movement of the separation tool towards a medicament delivery device received in the receiving compartment.

According to the invention, the separation tool is a cutting tool.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the separation tool is a wedge-like member.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the waste container further comprises a removable lid, and the receiving compartment and the separation tool are arranged in the lid.

According to a further main aspect of the present disclosure there is provided a medicament delivery device for disposal in the waste container according to the above, wherein the medicament delivery device comprises a first part attached to a second part, which first part and second part are separable from each other by disposal of the medicament delivery device in said waste container.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the first part and the second part are attached to each other by a breakable member.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the breakable member is a label.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the breakable member is a snap-fit member.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the first part comprises a medicament delivery member and a medicament container, and the second part comprises an electronics unit.

An advantage of the present disclosure is that a medicament delivery device containing different kinds of components may be conveniently disposed of, and the parts may be recycled separately, without compromising the security of the persons handling the medicament delivery device after disposal, e.g. by separately storing injection needles and medicament containers. In addition, parts that may be reused may be stored separately for later processing, and parts that are potentially environmentally damaging, e.g. parts containing batteries, may be stored separately and disposed of in an appropriate manner.

An embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below, with references being made to the drawings.

<FIG> shows a perspective view of a waste container <NUM>, and a longitudinally elongated medicament delivery device <NUM>, according to the present disclosure. The medicament delivery device comprises at least a first part <NUM> and a second part <NUM>, which need to be separated when the medicament delivery device is to be recycled. The waste container <NUM> comprises a first compartment <NUM> and a second compartment <NUM>. The first and the second compartments are configured to receive the first part <NUM> and the second part <NUM>, respectively, of the medicament delivery device <NUM>, after it has been disposed in the waste container <NUM>. The second compartment <NUM> is detachable from the waste container <NUM>.

The waste container <NUM> further comprises a removable lid assembly <NUM>, <FIG>. When assembled with the waste container <NUM>, the lid assembly seals the first compartment <NUM> and the second compartment <NUM> such that any contents are kept safely inside. The lid assembly <NUM> comprises a receiving compartment <NUM> and a separation tool <NUM>, for separating the first part <NUM>, of the medicament delivery device <NUM>, from the second part <NUM>. A top lid <NUM> covers the receiving compartment <NUM> and the separation tool <NUM>. The top lid <NUM> further comprises a longitudinally elongated first slot <NUM> for inserting the medicament delivery device <NUM> into the receiving compartment <NUM>. When assembled with the waste container <NUM>, the top lid <NUM> is fixed in relation to the first compartment <NUM> and the second compartment <NUM>.

The receiving compartment <NUM> is a longitudinally elongated through-hole, formed in a tray <NUM>. The tray <NUM> is positioned above a cover plate <NUM> and below the top lid <NUM>. The separation tool <NUM> is arranged on the cover plate <NUM> at a longitudinally elongated second slot <NUM> formed in the cover plate <NUM>.

The tray <NUM>, and thus the receiving compartment <NUM>, is movable relative to the cover plate <NUM>, and thus relative to the separation tool <NUM>, between a first position and a second position. In the first position, the receiving compartment <NUM> is aligned with the first slot <NUM> of the top lid <NUM> such that a medicament delivery device <NUM> that is inserted, from above, into the first slot <NUM> is accommodated in the receiving compartment <NUM>. In the exemplified embodiment, the medicament delivery device <NUM> is inserted laterally into the first slot <NUM> and the receiving compartment <NUM>. Longitudinal insertion is a conceivable alternative. Also, the movement from the first position to the second position is a lateral movement with regard to the medicament delivery device <NUM>. The first slot <NUM> and the receiving compartment <NUM> are shaped according to a shape of the medicament delivery device <NUM> so that the medicament delivery device <NUM> may only be accommodated in the receiving compartment <NUM> when correctly oriented with the receiving compartment <NUM>, <FIG>. In the second position, the receiving compartment <NUM> is aligned with the second slot <NUM> of the cover plate <NUM> such that a medicament delivery device accommodated in the receiving compartment <NUM> may fall through the second slot into the first compartment <NUM> and the second compartment <NUM> below, as will be described in more detail.

The separation tool <NUM> is positioned at a predetermined longitudinal position along the second slot <NUM>, and in relation to the receiving compartment <NUM>, such that it is aligned with an interface between the first part <NUM> and the second part <NUM> of the medicament delivery device <NUM> accommodated in the receiving compartment. The separation tool <NUM> is furthermore aligned with an interface between the first compartment <NUM> and the second compartment <NUM>. Accordingly, movement of the tray <NUM>, from the first position to the second position, will move the receiving compartment <NUM> and the medicament delivery device <NUM> accommodated therein towards the separation tool <NUM>, which will cause the separation tool to interact with the medicament delivery device <NUM> at the interface between the first part <NUM> and the second part <NUM>. In other words, the receiving compartment <NUM> and the separation tool <NUM> are movable in relation to each other such that interaction between the separation tool <NUM> and the medicament delivery device <NUM> received in the receiving compartment separates the first part <NUM> from the second part <NUM>.

In the depicted exemplary embodiment, the receiving compartment <NUM> is movable relative to the separation tool <NUM>, and the separation tool <NUM> is fixed in relation to the waste container <NUM>, and also in relation to the top lid <NUM>. A resiliently flexible member <NUM> is arranged to bias the receiving compartment <NUM>, such that receiving compartment <NUM>, i.e. the tray <NUM>, is returned to the first position after disposal of the medicament delivery device <NUM>.

An alternative configuration (not shown) is conceivable, wherein the receiving compartment <NUM> is fixed relative to waste container <NUM>, and relative to the top lid <NUM>, and wherein the separation tool <NUM> is movable relative receiving compartment <NUM>.

The first part <NUM> and the second part <NUM> of the medicament delivery device may be attached to each other by breakable or separable members such as a label, e.g. a sticker glued to an outer circumferential surface of the medicament delivery device <NUM>, thin plastic members, latches, snap-fit members, or friction-fit members, etc..

As shown in <FIG>, the separation tool <NUM> may be a cutting tool. The cutting tool comprises a sharp edge that that may severe a breakable attachment member, such as a label or thin plastic members, when the separation tool <NUM> interacts with the medicament delivery device <NUM>.

Alternatively, the separation tool <NUM> may be a wedge-like member (not shown). As such, the wedge-like member is wedged between the first part <NUM> and the second part <NUM>, forcing them apart, when the separation tool <NUM> interacts with the medicament delivery device <NUM>.

At the end of the relative movement from the first position to the second position, the first part <NUM> and second part <NUM> are completely separated from each other. The receiving compartment <NUM> and the second slot <NUM> are aligned. The parts may fall through the second slot <NUM> on opposite sides of the separation tool, such that the first part <NUM> may fall into the first compartment <NUM> and the second part <NUM> may fall into the second compartment <NUM>.

Other embodiments are conceivable, wherein the medicament delivery device <NUM> is inserted longitudinally into the waste container <NUM>, either vertically or horizontally. In the vertical case, it may be necessary to implement a pushing member to separate the two parts since they do not spontaneously fall into the two separate compartments. The pushing member may be a resilient member, such as a spring, that biases one of the parts, laterally, away from the other part.

The first part <NUM> of the medicament delivery device <NUM> comprises a medicament delivery member, such as a needle, and a medicament container. The second part <NUM> may comprise an electronics unit, for instance a circuit, a transceiver module and a power cell, e.g. a battery. The interface between the first part <NUM> and the second part <NUM> is longitudinally positioned to match the longitudinal position of the separation tool <NUM> of the waste container <NUM>.

A manner of using the waste container <NUM> will hereinafter be described, referring to <FIG>, which show a cross-section of the waste container <NUM> and the medicament delivery device <NUM>. The cross-sectional plane is located at the longitudinal position of the interface between the first part <NUM> and the second part <NUM>, i.e. at the longitudinal position of the separation tool <NUM>.

After a user has expended the contents of a medicament delivery device <NUM>, the device is inserted into the first slot <NUM>, such that it is accommodated in the receiving compartment <NUM>, <FIG>, which receiving compartment <NUM> is initially in the first position.

The user then pushes the tray <NUM> and the receiving compartment <NUM>, together with the medicament delivery device <NUM>, towards the second position and the separation tool <NUM>. <FIG> shows an intermediate position, at an initial stage of interaction between the separation tool <NUM> and the medicament delivery device <NUM>. An upper surface of the tray <NUM> covers the first slot <NUM>, such that the first slot <NUM> is closed.

As the user continues to push the tray <NUM>, the receiving compartment <NUM> and the medicament delivery device <NUM> towards the second position, the separation tool <NUM> separates the first part <NUM> of the medicament delivery device <NUM> from the second part <NUM>, by cutting, or by pushing the parts apart. <FIG> shows how the separation tool <NUM> has reached approximately half-way through the medicament delivery device <NUM>.

Claim 1:
A sharps bin (<NUM>) for medicament delivery devices, which sharps bin (<NUM>) comprises:
- a first waste compartment (<NUM>),
- a second waste compartment (<NUM>),
- a receiving compartment (<NUM>) for accommodating a medicament delivery device inserted into the sharps bin (<NUM>),
- a separation tool (<NUM>) for interacting with a medicament delivery device, the separation tool (<NUM>) being arranged to separate a first part (<NUM>) of the medicament delivery device accommodated in the receiving compartment (<NUM>) from a second part (<NUM>) of the medicament delivery device, such that the first part (<NUM>) is stored in the first compartment (<NUM>) and the second part (<NUM>) is stored in the second compartment (<NUM>),
wherein the receiving compartment (<NUM>) and the separation tool (<NUM>) are movable in relation to each other such that interaction between the separation tool (<NUM>) and the medicament delivery device (<NUM>) received in the receiving compartment (<NUM>) separates the first part (<NUM>) from the second part (<NUM>),
characterised in that the separation tool (<NUM>) is a cutting tool.