Fluid delivery device needle retraction mechanisms, cartridges and expandable hydraulic fluid seals

• US 10,376,638 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2017
• Issued: 08/13/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mannkind Corporation
• Original Assignee: Valeritas, Inc. (Zealand Pharma A/S)
• Inventors: Levesque, Steven F., Jenkins, Geoffrey H., Standley, Robert L., Johnson, Matthew P., Dube, Jr., Daniel A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Flick, Jason E
• Application Number:
  US15/696,646
• Publication Number:
  US 20170361016A1
• Time in Patent Office: 706 Days
• Field of Search: 604150
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14252 with needle insertion means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14256 with means for preventing access to the needle after use
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/1586 Holding accessories for holding infusion needles on the body holding devices for catheters A61M25/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3123 having air entrapping or venting means, e.g. purging channels in pistons
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3128 Incorporating one-way valves, e.g. pressure-relief or non-return valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14248 of the skin patch type
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14526 the piston being actuated by fluid pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/158 Needles for infusions; Accessories therefor, e.g. for inserting infusion needles, or for holding them on the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1684 by detecting the amount of infusate remaining, e.g. signalling end of infusion
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/322 Retractable needles, i.e. disconnected from and withdrawn into the syringe barrel by the piston devices for protecting guide needles in combination with catheters A61M25/0612
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3232 Semi-automatic needle retraction, i.e. in which triggering of the needle retraction requires a deliberate action by the user, e.g. manual release of spring-biased retraction means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3234 Fully automatic needle retraction, i.e. in which triggering of the needle does not require a deliberate action by the user

Abstract

A fluid delivery device includes an automatic needle retraction mechanism configured to automatically retract a delivery end of a needle into a housing. In one embodiment, the needle assembly is configured to automatically withdraw the delivery end of the needle into the housing upon an actuator moving from the first position to the second position. In one embodiment, the needle assembly is configured to automatically withdraw the delivery end of the needle into the housing upon decoupling a bottom surface of the housing from a skin surface.

Claims

1. A cartridge for use with a fluid delivery device comprising:

a septum;

a piston; and

a container sealed at a distal end by the septum and sealed at a proximal end by the piston forming a fluid reservoir there between having a pressure, the septum configured to be pierced in a radial direction by a delivery needle, the septum configured to slide distally with respect to the container in a longitudinal direction upon insertion of the cartridge into the fluid delivery device causing the piston to be displaced distally so that the fluid reservoir shifts distally relative to the container to enable insertion of the cartridge into the fluid delivery device prior to engagement with the delivery needle and without changing the pressure of the fluid reservoir.

2. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the septum includes a space for receiving an end of the delivery needle and a fluid passageway fluidly coupling the space and the fluid reservoir, a radial width of fluid passageway being less than a radial width of the space.

3. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the container is substantially rigid.

4. A cartridge for use with a fluid delivery device comprising:

a container forming a fluid reservoir having a volume, a pressure and a septum, the septum configured to be pierced in a radial direction by a delivery needle;

a relief valve; and

a piston configured to expel air and/or fluid through the relief valve upon insertion of the cartridge into the fluid delivery device so that the volume is reduceable to enable the insertion of the cartridge into the fluid delivery device prior to engagement with the delivery needle and without changing the pressure of the fluid reservoir.

5. The cartridge of claim 4, wherein the septum is on a sidewall of the container and configured to allow for the delivery needle to extend through the sidewall of the container.

6. A cartridge for use with a fluid delivery device comprising:

a piston;

a septum;

a relief piston; and

a container sealed at a distal end by the relief piston and sealed at a proximal end by the piston forming a fluid reservoir there between having a pressure, the septum configured to be pierced in a radial direction by a delivery needle, and the relief piston configured to slide distally with respect to the container upon insertion of the cartridge into the fluid delivery device causing movement of the piston during insertion of the cartridge into the fluid delivery device prior to engagement with the delivery needle and without changing the pressure of the fluid reservoir.

7. The cartridge of claim 6, wherein the septum is on a sidewall of the container and configured to allow for the delivery needle to extend through the sidewall of the container.