Injection apparatus comprising a needle-protecting device

• US 20050273061A1
• Filed: 05/23/2005
• Published: 12/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TecPharma Licensing AG (Ypsomed Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: TecPharma Licensing AG (Ypsomed Holding AG)
• Inventors: Hommann, Edgar, Scherer, Benjamin
• Granted Patent: US 7,361,160 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/198
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/206 With automatic needle insertion
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/2073 preventing premature release, e.g. by making use of a safety lock
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3247 Means to impede repositioning of protection sleeve from needle covering to needle uncovering position
• 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 5/3202 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 receptacle for an active substance, which is connected to an injection needle and is accommodated inside a sliding sleeve that can be displaced within a housing by means of a driving force. A sleeve-shaped needle-protecting device is displacable within the housing by means of a spring such that said needle-protecting device moves forward and extends past the injection needle in an axial direction when the injection needle is withdrawn from the body tissue. A lock prevents the needle-protecting device from being manually pushed backward, the lock effective between the needle-protective device and the sliding sleeve, and being automatically deactivated when the sliding sleeve is at least approximately back in its retracted position.

Claims

1. A device for injecting an active substance, comprising an injection needle, a housing, a receptacle for the active substance, a syringe piston displaceable in the receptacle for the purpose of expelling the active substance, and a needle protecting device displaceable relative to the housing, wherein, during a skin penetration of the injection needle, the needle protecting device remains in a substantially constant position relative to the housing and in the process a spring element is stressed, wherein, after the removal of the injection needle from the skin, the spring element pushes the needle protecting device into an advanced position in which the needle is covered.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the receptacle is accommodated in a sliding sleeve, which during the skin penetration is displaced within the housing from a retracted position to an advanced position.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the needle protecting device is automatically locked in its advanced position by locking means, which locking means are operative between the needle protecting device and the sliding sleeve when the needle protecting device and the sliding sleeve are located in their advanced position.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein further comprising means for releasing the locking means which means for releasing are operative when the sliding sleeve is located at least approximately in its retracted position.

5. The device according to claim 3, wherein the locking means displays at least one flexible tongue arranged on the sliding sleeve and oriented in a generally axial manner, which tongue in its relaxed state forms an axial stop with a region of the needle protecting device.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the means for releasing the locking display a projection arranged in the housing and jutting inward, which projection in the retracted position of the sliding sleeve presses the flexible tongue radially inward in such a way that part of the sliding sleeve containing the flexible tongue can move into the region of the needle protecting device.

7. The device according to claim 2, wherein the spring element presses the needle protecting device into its advanced position and which is stressed by the sliding sleeve when the latter moves into its advanced position.

8. The device according to claim 2, further comprising carrier means to cause the needle protecting device to be carried along by the sliding sleeve when the sliding sleeve is guided from its advanced position into its retracted position.

9. The device according to claims 8, further comprising a restoring spring element which acts on the sliding sleeve in the direction of the retracted position of the sliding sleeve.

10. An injection device comprising:

a container for an active substance, said container connected to an injection needle and accommodated inside a sliding sleeve that can be displaced within a housing by means of a driving force;

a generally sleeve-shaped needle-protecting device displaceable within the housing by means of a spring such that said needle-protecting device extends past the injection needle in an axial direction when the injection needle is withdrawn from the body tissue; and

a lock that prevents the needle-protecting device from being manually moved to uncover the needle when the lock is engaged, the lock operably effective between the needle-protective device and the sliding sleeve, and being automatically deactivated when the sliding sleeve is at least approximately in a retracted position.