Durable hypodermic jet injector apparatus and method
First Claim
1. A gas powered hypodermic jet injection device, said device comprising:
- a device body having a forward end;
an injection cylinder at the forward end of said device body, and said injection cylinder having a cylinder bore in which an injection piston is sealingly movable to cooperatively define a variable-volume chamber for holding a dose of liquid medication;
said injection cylinder defining a fine-dimension injection orifice in liquid flow communication with said variable-volume chamber to receive and discharge liquid medication as a forceful high velocity jet upon forceful movement of said injection piston in said cylinder;
a power source in said device body for forcefully moving said injection piston in said cylinder in response to communication of gas pressure to a gas pressure piston;
said power source including a source of pressurized gas for selective communication with said gas pressure piston;
a trigger assembly for selectively effecting communication of pressurized gas from said source to said gas pressure piston; and
a lost motion preventing mechanism selectively drivingly connecting said gas pressure piston to said injection piston.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A gas-powered, durable, needle-less hypodermic jet injection device (10, 210) includes a hand-held injector (12, 212) which receives into an injection cylinder a volume of liquid medication to be injected in the form of a high velocity jet capable of penetrating the skin without the use of a hypodermic needle. The injection device provides an injection orifice, and an injection piston. Forceful movement of the injection piston causes a high velocity injection jet of liquid medication to be expelled from the injection cylinder via the injection orifice. The injection device includes features which improve its usability, particularly for users with hands that are possibly weak, feeble, or arthritic, for example; and also includes additional features which improve manufacturability, durability, and cost effectiveness of the device.
42 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A gas powered hypodermic jet injection device, said device comprising:
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a device body having a forward end;
an injection cylinder at the forward end of said device body, and said injection cylinder having a cylinder bore in which an injection piston is sealingly movable to cooperatively define a variable-volume chamber for holding a dose of liquid medication;
said injection cylinder defining a fine-dimension injection orifice in liquid flow communication with said variable-volume chamber to receive and discharge liquid medication as a forceful high velocity jet upon forceful movement of said injection piston in said cylinder;
a power source in said device body for forcefully moving said injection piston in said cylinder in response to communication of gas pressure to a gas pressure piston;
said power source including a source of pressurized gas for selective communication with said gas pressure piston;
a trigger assembly for selectively effecting communication of pressurized gas from said source to said gas pressure piston; and
a lost motion preventing mechanism selectively drivingly connecting said gas pressure piston to said injection piston. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A gas powered hypodermic jet injection device, said device comprising:
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a device body having a forward end;
an injection cylinder at the forward end of said device body, and said injection cylinder having a cylinder bore in which an injection piston is sealingly movable to cooperatively define a variable-volume chamber for holding a dose of liquid medication;
said injection cylinder defining a fine-dimension injection orifice in liquid flow communication with said variable-volume chamber to receive and discharge liquid medication as a forceful high velocity jet upon forceful movement of said injection piston in said cylinder;
a power source in said device body for forcefully moving said injection piston in said cylinder in response to communication of gas pressure to a gas pressure piston;
said power source including a source of pressurized gas for selective communication with said gas pressure piston;
a trigger assembly for selectively effecting communication of pressurized gas from said source to said gas pressure piston; and
said device body defining an axially elongate recess opening along a side thereof, a door member in a first position closing said recess, and said door member opening to a second position to reveal said recess and a penetrator member disposed within said recess, said recess being sized and configured to accept a pressurized gas capsule including a penetrable diaphragm portion and an end surface opposite to said penetrable diaphragm portion, said door member including a camming surface engaging said end surface, and in response to closing of said door member from said second position to said first position said camming surface moving said pressurized gas capsule fully into said recess and impaling said pressurized gas capsule at said penetrable diaphragm portion upon said penetrator member. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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11. A gas powered hypodermic jet injection device, said device comprising:
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a device body having a forward end;
an injection cylinder at the forward end of said device body, and said injection cylinder having a cylinder bore in which an injection piston is sealingly movable to cooperatively define a variable-volume chamber for holding a dose of liquid medication;
said injection cylinder defining a fine-dimension injection orifice in liquid flow communication with said variable-volume chamber to receive and discharge liquid medication as a forceful high velocity jet upon forceful movement of said injection piston in said cylinder;
said injection piston abutting a movable ram member having an elongate gear rack section formed along a side thereof, a thumb wheel rotationally carried by said injection device body, and said thumb wheel including a pair of laterally spaced apart wheel portions each defining a peripheral tactile surface, and a pinion gear member disposed between said pair of wheel portions and drivingly connecting therewith, said pinion gear member drivingly engaging with said gear rack section on said ram member. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 16)
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12. A method of operating a gas powered hypodermic jet injection device, said method comprising steps of:
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providing a device body having a forward end;
providing an injection cylinder at the forward end of said device body, and providing said injection cylinder with a cylinder bore in which an injection piston is sealingly movable, utilizing said injection piston and said injection cylinder to cooperatively define a variable-volume chamber for holding a dose of liquid medication;
providing for said injection cylinder to define a fine-dimension injection orifice in liquid flow communication with said variable-volume chamber to receive and discharge liquid medication as a forceful high velocity jet upon forceful movement of said injection piston in said injection cylinder;
providing a power source in said device body for forcefully moving said injection piston in said injection cylinder in response to communication of gas pressure to a variable-volume chamber in which a gas pressure piston is sealingly movable;
said power source including a source of pressurized gas for selective communication with said gas pressure piston;
providing a trigger assembly for selectively effecting communication of pressurized gas from said source to said gas pressure piston; and
providing a volume minimizing mechanism variably connecting said injection piston and said gas pressure piston so that said variable-volume chamber defines a minimum volume when pressurized gas begins communication to said gas pressure piston.
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15. A method of providing a gas powered hypodermic jet injection device, said method comprising steps of:
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providing a device body having a forward end;
providing an injection cylinder at the forward end of said device body, disposing sealingly in said injection cylinder an injection piston to cooperatively define a variable-volume chamber for holding a dose of liquid medication;
providing said injection cylinder with a fine-dimension injection orifice in liquid flow communication with said variable-volume chamber, and utilizing said injection orifice to receive and discharge liquid medication as a forceful high velocity jet upon forceful movement of said injection piston in said injection cylinder;
providing a power source in said device body for forcefully moving said injection piston in said cylinder in response to communication of gas pressure to a gas pressure piston;
providing for said power source to include a source of pressurized gas for selective communication with said gas pressure piston;
providing a trigger assembly for selectively effecting communication of pressurized gas from said source to said gas pressure piston; and
configuring said device body to define an axially elongate recess opening along a side thereof, providing a door member in a first position closing said recess and said door member opening to a second position to reveal said recess and a penetrator member disposed within said recess;
providing for said recess to be sized and configured to accept a pressurized gas capsule including a penetrable diaphragm portion and an end surface opposite to said penetrable diaphragm portion;
including on said door member a camming surface engaging said end surface, and in response to closing of said door member from said second position to said first position utilizing said camming surface to move said pressurized gas capsule fully into said recess and to be impaled at said penetrable diaphragm portion upon said penetrator member.
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17. A method of providing for convenient filling of a gas powered hypodermic jet injection device, said method comprising steps of:
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providing said injection device with a device body having a forward end;
providing an injection cylinder at the forward end of said device body, and providing for said injection cylinder to define a cylinder bore in which an injection piston is sealingly movable to cooperatively define a variable-volume chamber for holding a dose of liquid medication;
providing for said injection cylinder to define a fine-dimension injection orifice in liquid flow communication with said variable-volume chamber, and utilizing said injection orifice to receive and discharge liquid medication as a forceful high velocity jet upon forceful movement of said injection piston in said cylinder;
providing for said injection piston to abut a movable ram member, and configuring said movable ram member to have an elongate gear rack section formed along a side thereof, providing a thumb wheel rotationally carried by said injection device body, and configuring said thumb wheel to include a pair of laterally spaced apart wheel portions each defining a peripheral tactile surface, and providing a pinion gear member disposed between said pair of wheel portions and drivingly connecting therewith, and drivingly engaging said pinion gear member with said gear rack section on said ram member so that manual rotation of said thumb wheel portions is effective to retract said ram member along with said injection piston within said injection cylinder.
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Specification