Medication dispensing apparatus configured for rotate to prime and pull/push to inject functionality
First Claim
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1. A medication dispensing apparatus comprising:
- a housing;
a fluid container mounted to said housing, said container defining a medicine-filled reservoir;
a needle assembly removably attached to a distal end of said fluid container to have an injection needle of said needle assembly in flow communication with said reservoir;
a drive mechanism for dispensing a dose of medicine from said reservoir through said injection needle, said drive mechanism including a plunger manually pullable relative to said housing in a proximal direction to shift the apparatus from a ready state to a cocked state, said plunger manually pushable relative to said housing in a distal direction to force medicine out said injection needle while returning the apparatus from the cocked state to the ready state;
a priming mechanism for priming said injection needle with medicine from said reservoir, said priming mechanism including a drive portion external to said housing to be manually rotatable relative to said housing; and
a rotation controlling mechanism that permits manual rotation of said priming mechanism drive portion in a first direction and as far as necessary to achieve priming, and that prevents manual rotation of said priming mechanism drive portion in a direction opposite to said first direction.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A medication dispensing apparatus having a manually operable plunger axially shiftable relative to the apparatus housing. The plunger is pullable relative to the housing in a proximal direction to cock the apparatus, and when the plunger is then manually pushed back toward the housing, a piston within a medicine container of the apparatus is shifted to force medication from a needle assembly at the distal end of the apparatus. The medication dispensing apparatus also includes a priming mechanism which is operated by rotating an externally accessible driver portion to prime the apparatus for use, which priming can be performed whether or not the apparatus is in a cocked state.
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Citations
45 Claims
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1. A medication dispensing apparatus comprising:
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a housing;
a fluid container mounted to said housing, said container defining a medicine-filled reservoir;
a needle assembly removably attached to a distal end of said fluid container to have an injection needle of said needle assembly in flow communication with said reservoir;
a drive mechanism for dispensing a dose of medicine from said reservoir through said injection needle, said drive mechanism including a plunger manually pullable relative to said housing in a proximal direction to shift the apparatus from a ready state to a cocked state, said plunger manually pushable relative to said housing in a distal direction to force medicine out said injection needle while returning the apparatus from the cocked state to the ready state;
a priming mechanism for priming said injection needle with medicine from said reservoir, said priming mechanism including a drive portion external to said housing to be manually rotatable relative to said housing; and
a rotation controlling mechanism that permits manual rotation of said priming mechanism drive portion in a first direction and as far as necessary to achieve priming, and that prevents manual rotation of said priming mechanism drive portion in a direction opposite to said first direction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A medication dispensing apparatus comprising:
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a housing;
a fluid container mounted to said housing, said container defining a medicine-filled reservoir;
a needle assembly removably attached to a distal end of said fluid container to have an injection needle of said needle assembly in flow communication with said reservoir;
a drive mechanism for dispensing a dose of medicine from said reservoir through said injection needle, said drive mechanism including a plunger manually pullable relative to said housing in a proximal direction to shift the apparatus from a ready state to a cocked state, said plunger manually pushable relative to said housing in a distal direction to force medicine out said injection needle while returning the apparatus from the cocked state to the ready state;
a priming mechanism for priming said injection needle with medicine from said reservoir by manually rotating an element other than said plunger; and
wherein said priming mechanism is operable to effect priming whether the apparatus is in the cocked state or the ready state, and without altering the dose to be dispensed by the drive mechanism if the apparatus is in the cocked state.
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11. A medication dispensing apparatus comprising:
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a housing;
a fluid container mounted to said housing, said container defining a medicine-filled reservoir with a movable piston at a proximal end;
a needle assembly removably attached to a distal end of said fluid container to have an injection needle of said needle assembly in flow communication with said reservoir;
a drive member axially extending within said housing and movable distally to advance said movable piston toward said injection needle, said drive member, along an axial cross-section, having a series of axially spaced projections;
a follower portion engagable with said projections and having a resilient construction;
a plunger operably connected to said follower portion and manually pullable in a proximal direction to shift said plunger from a first position to a second position, and manually pushable in a distal direction to shift said plunger from said second position to said first position;
said follower portion being axially shiftable by movement of said plunger in said proximal and distal directions, wherein said follower portion bends radially outward and axially slides over at least one projection of said drive member when said plunger is pulled proximally to shift from said first position to said second position, and wherein said follower portion, by abutment with a projection of said drive member over which said follower portion previously slid, advances said drive member distally when said plunger is pushed distally from said second position to said first position; and
a priming driver operably connected to said drive member and including a drive portion external to said housing which is manually rotatable independently of said plunger to axially advance said drive member to prime said injection needle with medicine from said reservoir. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A medication dispensing apparatus comprising:
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a housing;
a fluid container mounted to said housing, said container defining a medicine-filled reservoir with a movable piston at one end and an outlet at the other end;
a drive screw with external threading, said drive screw axially extending within said housing and movable distally to advance said movable piston toward said outlet;
at least one anti-rotation member operably engaging said drive screw to prevent rotation of said drive screw within said housing;
a priming driver axially retained relative to said housing and having a first portion and a second portion, said first portion internal to said housing and in threaded engagement with said drive screw, said second portion external to said housing to be manually rotatable, whereby rotation of said second portion rotates said first portion to force said drive screw to translate distally;
a follower axially movable relative to said priming driver and rotatably fixed thereto, said follower including a portion internal to said housing and in threaded engagement with said drive screw;
a plunger axially movable relative to said housing between a distal position and a proximal position, said plunger including a manually graspable grip portion which is pullable proximally to move said plunger from said distal position to said proximal position, said plunger connected to said follower to allow relative rotation therebetween and to shift said follower axially when said plunger moves back and forth between said distal and proximal positions; and
wherein each of said follower portion and said priming driver first portion comprises a resilient construction, whereby when said plunger is pulled from said distal position to said proximal position to shift said follower proximally, said follower portion slides over said threading of said drive screw that is being axially retained by engagement with said priming driver first portion, and whereby when said plunger is pushed from said proximal position to said distal position to shift said follower distally, said priming driver first portion slides over said threading of said drive screw that is being axially advanced by engagement with said follower portion. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A medication dispensing apparatus (20) comprising:
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a housing (60);
a fluid container (28, 48) mounted to said housing, said container defining a medicine-filled reservoir (50);
a needle assembly (38) removably attached to a distal end of said fluid container to have an injection needle (40) of said needle assembly in flow communication with said reservoir;
a drive mechanism for dispensing a dose of medicine from said reservoir through said injection needle, said drive mechanism including a plunger (160) manually pullable relative to said housing in a proximal direction to shift the apparatus from a ready state to a cocked state, said plunger manually pushable relative to said housing in a distal direction to force medicine out said injection needle while returning the apparatus from the cocked state to the ready state;
a priming mechanism for priming said injection needle with medicine from said reservoir, said priming mechanism including a drive portion (102) external to said housing to be manually rotatable relative to said housing;
characterized in that said medication dispensing apparatus further comprises a rotation controlling mechanism (68, 106, 108) that permits manual rotation of said priming mechanism drive portion in a first direction and as far as necessary to achieve priming, and that prevents manual rotation of said priming mechanism drive portion in a direction opposite to said first direction. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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Specification