Hand-piece for injection device with a retractable and rotating needle

• US 20020183701A1
• Filed: 07/31/2002
• Published: 12/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Milestone Scientific Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Milestone Scientific Incorporated
• Inventors: Hochman, Mark N., Livingston, Troy W., Pettinato, David
• Application Number:
  US10/209,415
• Publication Number:
  US 20020183701A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/264
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3228 the needle being retracted by a member protruding laterally through a slot in the barrel, e.g. double-ended needles
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3289 with rotation of the needle, e.g. to ease penetration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/00 Devices for bringing media into the body in a subcutaneous, intra-vascular or intramuscular way; Accessories therefor, e.g. filling or cleaning devices, arm-rests vaccination appliances for veterinary use A61D1/025 ; tube connectors, tube couplings, valves or branch units specially adapted for medical use A61M39/00; containers specially adapted for medical or pharmaceutical purposes A61J1/00; combinations of vial and syringe for mixing or transferring their contents A61J1/20; holders for containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/322 Retractable needles, i.e. disconnected from and withdrawn into the syringe barrel by the piston devices for protecting guide needles in combination with catheters A61M25/0612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: B01J 19/0046 Sequential or parallel reactions, e.g. for the synthesis of polypeptides or polynucleotides; Apparatus and devices for combinatorial chemistry or for making molecular arrays synthesis methods per se C40B50/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00313 the reactor vessels being formed by arrays of wells in blocks
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00364 Pipettes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00389 Feeding through valves
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00394 in multiple arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00495 Means for heating or cooling the reaction vessels
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00585 Parallel processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00698 Measurement and control of process parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00707 separated from the reactor apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0072 Organic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 60/14 for creating libraries

Abstract

An injection device is arranged and constructed to simultaneously rotate a needle during its forward translation as a therapeutic agent such as a liquid is ejected therefrom. In one embodiment the injection device is an automatic device including a pump forcing the liquid through a tube to a hand-piece. The needle has a first position in which it is disposed within a housing of the hand-piece, and a second position in which the needle extends outwardly of the hand-piece so that it can be used to eject the liquid, with the needle being automatically uni- or bi-directionally rotated as it is advanced between the first and second positions. In an alternate positions a syringe is provided with a barrel, a plunger extending into the barrel to eject the liquid through the needle, and a plunger which is pushed into the barrel by the operator. The needle and plunger are arranged so that as the plunger enters the barrel forcing the liquid to be expelled, the needle automatically rotates about its axis at the same time.

Claims

1. An injection system for injecting a liquid such as a therapeutic agent into a patient, said system comprising:

a source of liquid;

a hand-piece remote from said source and adapted to be held by the operator during an injection procedure;

a-tubing coupling said source to said hand-piece;

said hand-piece including a hollow housing and a needle supported by said housing and having a first position wherein said needle is disposed in said housing and a second position in which said needle is disposed at least partially outside said housing to provide the injection, said needle being coupled to said tubing;

whereby said needle can be selectively moved by an operator between two positions, including a first position in which said needle extends outwardly of said housing and a second position in which said needle is retracted complete inside said housing.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a first stop cooperating with said hand-piece to lock said needle in said first position.

3. The system of claim 2 further comprising a second stop cooperating with said hand-piece to lock said needle in said second position.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a spring biasing said needle toward one of Aid first and second positions.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said spring bias said needle toward said second position, whereby when said needle is released from said first position it automatically returns to said second position.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising a rotating member cooperating with said hand-piece to simultaneously rotate said needle as said needle advances outwardly of said housing.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said rotating member cooperates with said hand-piece to impart to it a bi-directional rotation.

8. An injection device for delivering a liquid such as a therapeutic agent to a patient, said device comprising:

a cylindrical housing;

a needle associated with said housing and adapted to deliver said liquid to the patient'"'"'s tissues; and

a rotating member associated with said housing and provided to selectively rotate said needle as said needle delivers said liquid.

9. The injection device of claim 8 further comprising a tank holding said liquid, said tank being remote from said housing, said needle having a first position in which said needle is disposed outside said housing and a second position in which said needle is disposed inside said housing, and a tubing connecting said tank to said needle.

10. The injection device of claim 9 wherein said housing includes a longitudinal slot and a button sliding in said slot, said button being coupled to said needle to move said needle between said first and said second positions.

11. The injection device of claim 10 further comprising a first locking element that cooperates with said housing to lock said needle in said first position.

12. The injection device of claim 11 further comprising a second locking element cooperating with said housing to lock said needle in said second position.

13. The injection device of claim 12 wherein said button cooperates with one of said first and second locking elements to release said needle from said first and second positions, respectively.

14. The injection device of claim 10 further comprising a spring disposed in said housing, said spring being arranged to bias said needle toward one of said first and second position.

15. The injection device of claim 14 wherein said spring is arranged to bias said needle toward said second position whereby said needle automatically moves to said second position when released from any position external of said housing.

16. The injection device of claim 9 wherein said housing includes an inner surface formed with a helical groove and said rotating member includes a coupling attached to said needle, said coupling being arranged to engage said helical groove to rotate around a longitudinal axis of said housing as said needle is moved between said first and second positions.

17. The injection device of claim 16 wherein said coupling and said groove cooperate to impart a simultaneous translation and rotation of said needle.

18. The injection device of claim 16 wherein said coupling is attached to said tubing.

19. The injection device of claim 8 wherein said housing has a tubular shape and includes a first and a second wall and is adapted to hold said liquid, wherein said needle is rotatably supported on said first wall, said device further comprising a piston disposed in said housing and arranged to push liquid from said housing toward said needle when urged toward said first wall;

said device further including a plunger supported by said second wall and having an end coupled to said piston, said plunger being movable between two positions and being constructed and arranged to rotate said needle when said plunger is moved to urge said piston toward said first wall.

20. The injection device of claim 19 further comprising a carpule disposed in said housing, said carpule containing said liquid, said carpule being arranged to transfer rotational motion from said plunger to said needle.

21. An automatic injection system comprising:

a tank holding a therapeutic liquid;

a pump arranged to pump said liquid through a tubing;

a hand-piece associated with said tubing and having a housing, said hand-piece including a needle having a first position in which said needle extends outwardly from said housing and a second position inside said housing; and

a control member coupled to said housing and arranged to selectively move said needle between said first and second positions, said control member said control member cooperating with said housing to rotate said needle about an axis of said housing as said needle is moved between said first and said second positions.

22. The device of claim 21 wherein said housing has a tubular shape with two opposed ends and a sidewall with a longitudinal slot and wherein said control member includes a coupling attached to said needle and said tubing and a button slidably supported in said longitudinal slot and coupled to said coupling.

23. The device of claim 22 wherein said sidewall is formed with a helical groove extending along a longitudinal axis of said housing and wherein said coupling includes a boss engaging said groove, whereby as said button is moved by an operator in said slot, the movement of said button being transmitted to said coupling to cause said coupling and the needle attached thereto to rotate.

24. The device of claim 23 further comprising a first and a second stop cooperating respectively with said button to lock said needle in said first and said second positions respectively.

25. The device of claim 23 further comprising a spring disposed in said housing and being positioned and arranged to bias said needle toward one of said first and second positions.

26. The device of claim 25 wherein said spring is positioned to abut said coupling and is adapted to bias said needle toward said second position.

27. The device of claim 22 wherein said needle is bonded to said coupling.

28. The device of claim 22 wherein said coupling includes an adapter arranged and constructed to removably secure said needle to said coupling.

29. The device of claim 22 wherein said coupling is hollow and is arranged to allow liquid to flow from said tubing to said needle.

30. An injection device comprising:

a hand-piece;

a needle having a sharp tip and an opposed base connected to a source of therapeutic agent, wherein said hand-piece and needle cooperate to allow said needle to be advanced with respect to said hand-piece in a combined and simultaneous rotational and translational motion.