Internal needle inserter

• US 20060142698A1
• Filed: 11/04/2005
• Published: 06/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Novo Nordisk A/S
• Original Assignee: Novo Nordisk A/S
• Inventors: Ethelfeld, Erik Winkel
• Granted Patent: US 7,981,085 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/157
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6848 Needles
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14252 with needle insertion means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/1581 Right-angle needle-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/2407 from the rear
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14248 of the skin patch type
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/158 Needles for infusions; Accessories therefor, e.g. for inserting infusion needles, or for holding them on the body

Abstract

A device comprises a housing having a mounting surface adapted for application to the skin of a subject, a needle with a pointed end portion adapted to penetrate the skin the subject, the needle having a first position in which the distal end portion is retracted within the housing, and a second position in which the distal end portion projects relative to the mounting surface. The device further comprises actuatable driving means actuatable to cause activation as well as release of the driving means, thereby moving the needle from the first position to the second position. By this arrangement the needle device can be supplied to the user in a non-energized state, the energizing taking place when the device is actuated by the user which means that energy will be stored only for a period from a few seconds to a few hours or days.

Claims

1. A medical device (100, 400) comprising:

a housing (110, 120) having a mounting surface (121) adapted for application to the skin of a subject,

a transcutaneous device with a distal pointed end portion (151, 451, 461) adapted to penetrate the skin of the subject,

the transcutaneous device having a first position in which the distal end portion is retracted within the housing, and a second position in which the distal end portion projects relative to the mounting surface,

actuatable driving means (137, 454, 464) disposed within the housing and adapted to move the transcutaneous device from the first position to the second position when the driving means is actuated,

wherein the driving means is actuatable from a first state through an intermediate state to a second state,

whereby actuation of the driving means from the first to the intermediate state causes activation of the driving means, and actuation of the driving means from the intermediate to the second state causes release of the activated driving means thereby moving the transcutaneous device from the first position to the second position.

2. A medical device as defined in any claim 1, further comprising actuation means (130, 430) moveable, relative to the housing, from a first position through an intermediate position to a second position,

whereby movement of the actuation means from the first to the intermediate position causes activation of the driving means, and movement of the actuation means from the intermediate to the second position causes release of the activated driving means thereby moving the transcutaneous device from the first position to the second position, the actuation means preferably being moveable substantially in parallel with the mounting surface.

3. A medical device as defined in claim 1, wherein the driving means comprises spring means (137, 454, 464) adapted for releasably storing energy and which is activated respectively released when the driving means is actuated from the first state through the intermediate state to the second state.

4. A medical device as defined in claim 3,

wherein the transcutaneous device comprises or is associated with an engagement portion (257),

wherein the spring means (237) comprises a drive portion adapted to engage the engagement portion when the spring means is released, and

wherein activation of the spring means causes an activation movement of the drive portion corresponding to the movement by which energy is releasably stored in the spring means, and a displacement movement, different from the activation movement, in which the drive portion and the engagement portion are moved relative to each other.

5. A medical device as defined in claim 4, wherein the drive portion corresponding to the first state, and with respect to the mounting surface, is arranged below and beside the engagement portion, and wherein the drive portion corresponding to the intermediate state is arranged in an upper position above the engagement portion, release of the spring means causing downwards movement of the drive portion to engage the engagement portion and thereby move the transcutaneous device from the first position to the second position.

6. A medical device as defined in claim 3, wherein the spring means is coupled to the actuation means, the displacement movement of the drive portion substantially corresponding to the movement of the actuation means from the first to the intermediate position.

7. A medical device as defined in claim 6, further comprising ramp means (147) adapted to engage the spring means, whereby movement of the actuation means from the first to the intermediate position causes the ramp means to move the drive portion to its upper position, and movement of the actuation means from the intermediate position to the second position causes the ramp means to disengage and thereby release the spring means.

8. A medical device as defined in claim 7, wherein the spring means comprises a spring member (137) having a proximal end mounted to the actuation means and a distal deflectable end portion comprising the drive portion, the distal end portion engaging the ramp means.

9. A medical device as defined in claim 7, wherein the spring member is in the form of a leaf spring (137) or a string (237).

10. A medical device as defined in any of the previous claims, wherein the transcutaneous device comprises a carrier means (153, 154, 353, 363, 453, 463), the carrier means being coupled to the housing for controlled movement of the transcutaneous device between the first and second positions.

11. A medical device as defined in claim 10, wherein the carrier means (153, 154,) is pivotally connected to the housing.

12. A medical device as defined in any of the previous claims, wherein the transcutaneous device is a hollow infusion needle comprising a proximal end (152) and the distal pointed end portion (151).

13. A medical device as defined in claim 1, wherein the transcutaneous device is a cannula (351, 451) in combination with a pointed insertion needle (361, 461) accommodated at least partially within the cannula, the cannula having a distal opening,

the cannula and insertion needle being arranged to be simultaneously moved by the driving means from their respective first position to their respective second position when the driving means is actuated,

wherein the insertion needle is arranged to be moveable away from the distal opening when the cannula and the insertion needle have been moved to their second position.

14. A medical device as defined in claim 13, wherein the cannula comprises a needle-penetratable septum (352, 452) through which the insertion needle is arranged when the cannula and the insertion needle is moved from their respective first position to their respective second position.

15. A medical device as defined in claim 12, further comprising:

a reservoir (160) adapted to contain a liquid drug and comprising in a situation of use an outlet (161) in fluid communication with the infusion needle, and

expelling means for expelling a drug out of the reservoir and through the skin of the subject via the hollow needle.

16. A medical device as defined in claim 15 when dependent upon claim 2, wherein the reservoir is connected to the actuation means, whereby movement of the actuation means between the first and the second position causes the reservoir to be arranged in fluid communication with the infusion needle.

17. A medical device as defined in claim 15, wherein movement of the actuation means between the first and the second position causes actuation of the expelling means.

18. A medical device as defined in claim 1, wherein the transcutaneous device is a longitudinal sensor device in combination with a pointed insertion needle arranged to support a distal portion of the sensor device,

the sensor device and insertion needle being arranged to be simultaneously moved by the driving means from their respective first position to their respective second position when the driving means is actuated,

wherein the insertion needle is arranged to be moveable away from the distal portion when the sensor device and the insertion needle have been moved to their second position.

19. A medical device as defined in claim 16, comprising spring means for automatically withdrawing the insertion needle when the combined transcutaneous device has been advanced to the second position.

20. A medical device as defined in claim 1, wherein the driving means in the second state exerts a force on at least a portion of the transcutaneous device thereby biasing it towards the second position.

21. A medical device as defined in claim 1, wherein the distal end portion extends generally perpendicular to the mounting surface.

22. A medical device as defined in claim 1, wherein the mounting surface comprises an aperture formed therein, the distal end portion of the transcutaneous device being moved through the aperture when the transcutaneous device is moved from the first to the second position.

23. A medical device as defined in claim 1, wherein the mounting surface comprises adhesive means (121) for adhering the medical device to the skin of the subject.