Compact architecture needleless syringe

• US 20040015125A1
• Filed: 04/15/2003
• Published: 01/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Crossject SA
• Original Assignee: Crossject SA
• Inventors: Alexandre, Patrick, Gautier, Philippe, Brouquieres, Bernard, Piel, Marc
• Granted Patent: US 6,964,650 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/69
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/2046 Media being expelled from injector by gas generation, e.g. explosive charge
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/30 Syringes for injection by jet action, without needle, e.g. for use with replaceable ampoules or carpules

Abstract

The technical field is that of pre-filled disposable needleless syringes, operating with a gas generator (100) and used for intradermal, subcutaneous and intramuscular injections of liquid active principle for therapeutic purposes in human and veterinary medicine. The inventive needleless syringe (1) is characterised in that it comprises a compact architecture body (2) and the gas generator (100) is released by a cap (17) covering said body (2), said cap (17) being adapted to slide along said body (2). Said releasing mode provides the syringe with great stability (1) at the time of injection.

Claims

1. A needleless syringe (1) comprising a body (2), a gas generator (100), a chamber (6) for expansion of said gases, a reservoir (7) containing the active principle (8), and an injection system (9) having at least one injection channel (16), characterized in that the body (2) has a compact architecture inducing the misalignment of the gas generator (100) and of the reservoir (7) containing the active principle (8), and the gas generator (100) is triggered by a cap (17) which covers said body (2), said cap (17) being able to slide along said body (2).

2. The needleless syringe as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the gas generator (100) is a pyrotechnic gas generator comprising a pyrotechnic charge (5) and an initiation device.

3. The needleless syringe as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, on the one hand, the gas generator (100) constitutes a first linear subassembly of the body (2), and, on the other hand, the reservoir (7) containing the active principle (8) and the injection system (9) form a second linear subassembly of said body (2), the two subassemblies forming between them an angle of less than or equal to 90°

and being connected to one another via the expansion chamber (6).

4. The needleless syringe as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the two subassemblies have mutually parallel axes and are connected to one another via the expansion chamber (6) which has an axis perpendicular to the axes of said subassemblies.

5. The needleless syringe as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the cap (17) is able to slide along the body (2) on an axis parallel to those of the two subassemblies.

6. The needleless syringe as claimed in either one of claims 1 and 5, characterized in that the ratio of the maximum height of said syringe (1) to its maximum length is between 0.8 and 1.8.

7. The needleless syringe as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that a compression member (19) is arranged between the cap (17) and the body (2) in such a way as to push said cap (17) back from said body (2).

8. The needleless syringe as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the reservoir (7) is formed by a tube (10) obturated by an upstream piston plug (11) and a downstream piston plug (12) between which the active principle (8) is contained.

9. The needleless syringe as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the cap (17) completely covers the body (2) and the injection system (9) emerges from said cap (17).

10. The needleless syringe as claimed in any one of claims 1 through 9, characterized in that the injection system (9) and the cap (17) cooperate in order to trigger said syringe (1).

11. The needleless syringe as claimed in either one of claims 1 and 9, characterized in that the injection system (9) ends in a retractable protective plate.

12. The needleless syringe as claimed in either one of claims 1 and 9, characterized in that the cap (17) is continued by a stopper (33) covering the injection system (9), said stopper (33) having substantially the same cross section as that of the cap (17) which it continues.

13. The needleless syringe as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that the stopper (33)

a) has a plane base (34),

b) is connected to the injection system (9) via a system of bayonets,

c) obturates the cap (17) by being in contact with it and in its continuity.

14. The needleless syringe as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the initiation device comprises a primer (4) and a percussion device (3) which includes a spring (27) and a striker (20), said striker (20) being in the form of a hollow cylindrical component which is provided at one of its ends with a projection (22) and has, on its outer lateral surface, at least two lugs (23), each having an inwardly curved inclined plane (25), said striker (20) enclosing said spring (27).

15. The needleless syringe as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that the hollow cylindrical component has, on its outer lateral surface, at least two protuberances (26) of substantially parallelepipedal shape, said protuberances (26) bearing against at least two limit stops on the body (2) in order to prevent the striker (20) from being translated under the action of the spring (27).

16. The needleless syringe as claimed in claim 15, characterized in that the cap (17) has, on the one hand, at least two locking stubs (29) which bear against the protuberances (26) of the striker (20) in order to prevent said striker (20) from undergoing a rotation about its axis, and, on the other hand, at least two overhangs (30) which each end in an inwardly curved inclined plane (31), in such a way that the sliding of the cap (17) along the body (2) causes both the translation of the stubs (29), so as to free the striker (20) in terms of rotation, and also the translation of said overhangs (30) which come into contact with the lugs (23) on the striker (20) at the level of their respective inclined planes (25, 31) which engage each other, bringing about the rotation of said striker (20) and the misalignment of the protuberances (26) with the limit stops on the body (2).

17. The needleless syringe as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the cap (17) has a means (32) for securing it to the body (2), allowing it to remain in a position of maximum engagement.