Injector with bypass channel

• US 20050020984A1
• Filed: 08/13/2004
• Published: 01/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Antares Pharma Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Antares Pharma Incorporated
• Inventors: Lesch, Paul R. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,488,308 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/187
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/2013 triggering of discharging means by contact of injector with patient body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/2462 by displacing occluding plugs
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/287 by displacing occluding plugs
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3103 Leak prevention means for distal end of syringes, i.e. syringe end for mounting a needle
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3132 having flow passages for injection agents at the distal end of the barrel to bypass a sealing stopper after its displacement to this end due to internal pressure increase
• 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 5/24 Ampoule syringes, i.e. syringes with needle for use in combination with replaceable ampoules or carpules, e.g. automatic ampoules or carpules A61J1/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/2459 upon internal pressure increase, e.g. pierced or burst A61M5/2429 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/286 upon internal pressure increase, e.g. pierced or burst A61M5/283 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/30 Syringes for injection by jet action, without needle, e.g. for use with replaceable ampoules or carpules
• 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 injector with a substance container defining a substance chamber configured for containing a substance to be injected, and an injection conduit configured for injecting the substance into a patient. A driver is associated with the substance chamber for driving the substance through the injection conduit. The injector also has a channel member defining a channel that has an open configuration in which the channel fluidly communicates the substance container to the injection conduit for the injection of the substance. The channel also has a closed configuration for blocking flow of any substance in the substance container therethrough to the injection conduit for inhibiting or preventing contact with the injection conduit prior to injection.

Claims

1. An injector, comprising:

a substance container defining a substance chamber configured for containing a substance to be injected;

an injection conduit configured for injecting the substance into a patient;

a driver associated with the substance chamber for driving the substance through the injection conduit;

a channel member defining a channel fluidly communicating the substance container to the injection conduit for injecting the substance;

a blocking stopper having a closed position for blocking flow of any substance from the substance container through the channel to the injection conduit, the blocking stopper being movable to an open position for fluidly communicating the channel with the substance container for injecting the substance; and

a firing mechanism operably associated with the driver and operable by the user to cause the driver to drive the substance sufficiently to move the blocking stopper to the open position and also to inject the substance into the patient.

2. The injector of claim 1, wherein the firing mechanism is operable by the user to cause the driver to drive the substance sufficiently to move the blocking stopper to the open position and also to inject the substance into the patient by a single action of the user on the firing mechanism.

3. The injector of claim 1, wherein the injector is assembled such that actuation of the firing mechanism to cause the substance to be injected also causes the blocking stopper to move to the open position.

4. The injector of claim 1, further comprising an energy source configured for driving the driver to both move the blocking stopper to the open position and inject the substance into the patient.

5. The injector of claim 4, wherein the firing mechanism comprises a trigger mechanism activatable by the user, wherein a single activation of the trigger activates the energy source for moving the blocking stopper to the open position and also to inject the substance into the patient.

6. The injector of claim 1, wherein the injector is fully assembled and in condition for firing the substance with the blocking stopper in the closed position.

7. The injector of claim 1, wherein substantially all of the substance to be injected is disposed between the driver and the blocking stopper.

8. The injector of claim 7, wherein the driver comprises a plunger, and both the plunger and the blocking stopper are slideable within the container.

9. The injector of claim 1, wherein the substance container has a distal end disposed adjacent the injection conduit, and the channel member is disposed in or adjacent the distal end.

10. The injector of claim 1, wherein the injection conduit comprises a needle.

11. The injector of claim 1, wherein the injection conduit comprises a needle-free jet nozzle configured for firing the substance in a fluid jet sufficient to penetrate tissue of the patient.

12. The injector of claim 1, further comprising a delivery conduit configured for delivering the substance from the container to the injection conduit, wherein the channel is defined in the delivery conduit and has a substance entryway that is blocked by the blocking stopper in the closed position and unblocked thereby in the open position.

13. The injector of claim 1, further comprising a delivery conduit configured for delivering the substance from the container to the injection conduit, wherein the channel is defined in the blocking stopper, and the delivery conduit comprises a protrusion received in the channel to close the channel when the blocking stopper is in the closed position, and removed therefrom when the blocking stopper is in the open position.

14. The injector of claim 1, further comprising:

a resilient cartridge-gripping portion engaged with the cartridge to retain the cartridge sealed and in fluid communication with the injection conduit during injection; and

a locking portion in contact with the cartridge gripping portion to retain the cartridge-gripping portion in the engagement with the cartridge to withstand pressures within the cartridge during injection.

15. The injector of claim 1, wherein the substance container comprises a shoulder to stop movement of the driver towards the blocking stopper prior to moving into contact herewith.

16. An injector, comprising:

a substance container defining a substance chamber configured for containing a substance to be injected;

an injection conduit configured for injecting the substance into a patient;

a driver associated with the substance chamber for driving the substance through the injection conduit;

a channel member defining a channel that has an open configuration in which the channel fluidly communicates the substance container to the injection conduit for injecting the substance;

a blocking stopper positioned downstream of any substance to be injected that is contained in the container, the blocking stopper being movable with respect to the channel between closed and open positions, in the closed position the stopper closing the channel for sealing and retaining the substance within the cartridge, and in the open position the stopper cooperating with the channel to allow the substance to move past the stopper, through the channel and to the injection conduit; and

a firing mechanism operably associated with the driver and operable by the user to cause the driver to drive the substance sufficiently to move the blocking stopper to the open position and also to inject the substance into the patient.

17. The injector of claim 16, wherein the substance container has a distal end adjacent the injection conduit, and the stopper is disposed in the distal end, the open position of the stopper being disposed in a first direction closer to the injection conduit than the closed position, and the channel having a substance exit for delivering the substance to the injection conduit and located in the first direction from the substance entryway.

18. The injector of claim 17, wherein the container comprises a cartridge that includes said distal end, the stopper being disposed in the distal end in the open position and outside the cartridge in the open position.

19. The injector of claim 16, wherein the channel comprises a groove along an interior surface of the channel member, wherein a first end of the groove comprises the entryway.

20. The injector of claim 16, wherein:

the injection conduit comprises a needle having an upstream opening for receiving the substance during injection thereof; and

the blocking stopper is configured to move to the open position without the needle piercing the stopper.

21. The injector of claim 16, wherein the second side of the blocking stopper is configured for receiving the needle in the open position, the stopper defining an internal groove configured and dimensioned for allowing the substance to flow therethrough to the upstream opening of the needle in the open position.

22. The injector of claim 16, wherein the channel member comprises a guide protruding towards the interior of the channel member for guiding and positioning the stopper in the open position.

23. The injector of claim 16, wherein the channel member comprises a narrow portion configured for blocking movement of the blocking stopper past the open position.

24. The injector of claim 16, wherein the stopper has a first side facing inside the cartridge and a second side facing the outside the cartridge, in the closed position, the stopper closing the channel for sealing and retaining the substance within the cartridge adjacent the first side of the stopper such that the second side of the stopper is free from contact with any of the substance from the cartridge.

25. An injector, comprising:

a cartridge configured and dimensioned for containing a substance to be injected;

an injection conduit configured for injecting the substance into a patient;

a driver associated with the substance chamber for pressurizing and driving the substance through the injection conduit;

a resilient cartridge-gripping portion engaged with the cartridge to retain the cartridge sealed and in fluid communication with the injection conduit during injection; and

a locking portion in contact with the cartridge gripping portion to retain the cartridge-gripping portion in the engagement with the cartridge to withstand pressures within the cartridge during injection.

26. The injector of claim 25, wherein:

the cartridge comprises a first end that defines a locking recess;

the cartridge-gripping portion comprises a plurality of resilient fingers that are received in the locking recess; and

the locking portion is disposed around the fingers for retaining the fingers engaged in the locking recess.

27. The injector of claim 25, wherein the pressure within the cartridge during injection is about between 50 psi and 3000 psi.

28. A method of injecting a substance into a patient, comprising:

providing an injector with a blocking stopper in a closed position blocking all substance to be injected from a channel; and

activating a trigger mechanism of the injector by a single action of a user to move a driver with an energy source to bias the substance both for moving the blocking member to open the channel and for injecting the substance through the open channel and an injection conduit of the injector into a patient.