Injection device comprising a sterilely attached injection needle and a needle support and ampoule for such an injection device

• US 20030144633A1
• Filed: 01/30/2003
• Published: 07/31/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TecPharma Licensing AG (Ypsomed Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: TecPharma Licensing AG (Ypsomed Holding AG)
• Inventors: Kirchhofer, Fritz
• Granted Patent: US 7,374,558 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/201
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/2013 triggering of discharging means by contact of injector with patient body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/206 With automatic needle insertion
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/2033 Spring-loaded one-shot injectors with or without automatic needle insertion multishot dosing syringes A61M5/31525, needle insertion only A61M5/3287
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/2466 by piercing without internal pressure increase A61M5/2429 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3202 Devices for protection of the needle before use, e.g. caps A61M5/50 takes precedence; for infusion spikes A61M5/1626; protectors for sharps A61B50/3001
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/326 Fully automatic sleeve extension, i.e. in which triggering of the sleeve does not require a deliberate action by the user

Abstract

An injection device including a sterile injection needle, the injection device including a container for an injectable product including an outlet for the product at a front end sealed by a membrane, the injection needle, which has a front needle portion facing away from the container for injecting into tissue and a rear needle portion which, in an initial state of the injection device lies opposite and faces the membrane and which is injected through the membrane into the container for an injection, a needle support which holds the injection needle in a central needle portion, and a casing which supports the needle support and the container and movably guides them relative to each other for piercing the membrane, wherein, in the initial state of the injection device, the needle support forms a sterile chamber for the rear needle portion, the chamber sealed by a sealing element on a rear side of the chamber facing the outlet of the container, and wherein the front end of the container for piercing the membrane penetrates through the sealing element into the sterile chamber.

Claims

1. An injection device comprising an injection needle, said injection device comprising:

a) a container for an injectable product, comprising an outlet for the product at a front end sealed by a membrane;

b) said injection needle, comprising a front needle portion facing away from said container for injecting into tissue and a rear needle portion which in an initial state of the injection device lies opposite and faces said membrane and which is injected through the membrane into the container for an injection;

c) a needle support which holds the injection needle in a central needle portion;

d) and a casing which supports the needle support and the container and movably guides them relative to each other for piercing the membrane;

e) wherein, in an initial state of the injection device, the needle support forms a sterile chamber for the rear needle portion, said chamber being sealed by a sealing element on a rear side of the chamber facing the outlet of the container;

f) and wherein the front end of the container for piercing the membrane penetrates through the sealing element into the sterile chamber.

2. The injection device as set forth in claim 1, wherein a separating means for cutting through the sealing element is at the front end of the container.

3. The injection device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the sealing element is a film.

4. The injection device as set forth in claim 1, wherein a needle covering device is connected to the casing and covers the needle support in the initial state.

5. A needle support for an injection needle, said needle support comprising:

a) a holding body which holds the injection needle in a central needle portion and from which a front needle portion and a rear needle portion project;

b) and a hollow-cylindrical outer body which accommodates said holding body so as to be movable in an advancing direction in the longitudinal direction of the injection needle and which forms a sterile front chamber for the front needle portion, said chamber being pierced by the injection needle by means of a movement which the holding body performs in the advancing direction, relative to the outer body;

c) wherein at least one of the bodies forms a sterile rear chamber for the rear needle portion, said chamber being sealed by a sealing element on its rear side facing away from the front needle portion.

6. The needle support as set forth in the preceding claim, wherein the outer body comprises at least one fixing element arranged outside the front chamber and outside the rear chamber for operably coupling the needle support to an injection device.

7. The needle support as set forth in the preceding claim, wherein the outer body is provided with a flange pointing outwardly to form the at least one fixing element.

8. The needle support as set forth in claim 5, wherein the holding body and the outer body are detachably connected when the holding body assumes a rear position with respect to the advancing direction relative to the outer body.

9. The needle support as set forth in the preceding claim, wherein said detachable connection is a positive connection.

10. The needle support as set forth in claim 5, wherein the front chamber and the rear chamber are parts of a single chamber connected to each other, formed by the outer body.

11. The needle support as set forth in claim 5, wherein the front chamber is sealed by a septum which is pierced by the injection needle when the holding body is moved in the advancing direction, relative to the outer body.

14. The needle support as set forth in claim 5, wherein the holding body is provided with a flange pointing outwardly to form the at least one fixing element.

12. A needle support for an injection needle, said needle support comprising:

a) a holding body which holds the injection needle in a central needle portion and from which a front needle portion and a rear needle portion project;

b) and a protective cap which is detachably but tightly connected to the holding body to form a sterile front chamber for the front needle portion;

c) wherein the holding body forms a sterile rear chamber for the rear needle portion, said chamber being sealed by a sealing element on its rear side facing away from the front needle portion;

d) and wherein the holding body comprises at least one fixing element outside the rear chamber, for fixing the needle support into or onto an injection device.

13. The needle support as set forth in the preceding claim, wherein a sealing element is arranged between the holding body and the protective cap in order to obtain an air-tight connection.

15. An ampoule for an injection device, containing an injectable product and comprising a product outlet at one end of said ampoule, said outlet being sealed by a membrane which may be pierced by an injection needle, wherein a separating means is formed at the end of the ampoule, to cut through a tensioned film using a relative movement, directed perpendicular to said film, between the ampoule and the film.

16. The ampoule as set forth in the preceding claim, wherein the separating means forms a separating edge surrounding an longitudinal axis of the product outlet at a radial distance.

17. An injection device comprising an injection needle, said injection device comprising:

a) a container for an injectable product, comprising a front end with an outlet sealed by a membrane;

b) the injection needle comprising a front needle portion for penetrating tissue and a rear needle portion for penetrating the membrane;

c) a needle support which holds the injection needle in a central needle portion;

d) and a casing which operably supports the needle support and the container;

e) wherein, in an initial state of the injection device, the needle support forms a sterile chamber for the rear needle portion, said chamber being sealed by a sealing element.

18. The device as set forth in claim 17, wherein the front end of the container is adapted to penetrate the sealing element.