Automatic injection and retraction syringe

• US 20060178631A1
• Filed: 12/08/2005
• Published: 08/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: West Pharmaceutical Services of Delaware, Inc. (West Pharmaceutical Services Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Pharma-Pen Holdings, Inc.
• Inventors: Crow, Doug Owen, Gillespie, Richard David
• Granted Patent: US 7,674,246 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/139
• 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 2005/2403 Ampoule inserted into the ampoule holder
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3107 for needles
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/31516 reducing dead-space in the syringe barrel after delivery
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/001 Apparatus specially adapted for cleaning or sterilising syringes or needles
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1782 Devices aiding filling of syringes in situ combination of a vial and a syringe for transferring or mixing their contents A61J1/2096, filling of medical containers in general B65B3/003
• 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 5/2459 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 5/3129 Syringe barrels A61M5/3205 and A61M5/50 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31596 comprising means for injection of two or more media, e.g. by mixing
• 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 automatic injection and retraction syringe having a medicine cartridge, an injection assembly, and a retraction assembly is provided. The retraction assembly is selectively securable to the injection assembly to house the medicine cartridge. The retraction assembly includes an end cap, a hypodermic needle, a retraction spring, and an upper seal. The retraction spring is maintained in a partially compressed condition between the needle hub and the end cap. The upper seal is urged against a sealing surface by the retraction spring in the partially compressed condition to form a hermetic seal. In some embodiments, the injection assembly includes an injection spring, a plunger engaged to the injection spring, and a safety element to prevent the plunger from escaping the injection assembly if the injection spring is released from the normally stressed condition before the assemblies are secured to one another.

Claims

1. An injection and retraction syringe, comprising:

a medicine cartridge;

an injection assembly; and

a retraction assembly being selectively securable to said injection assembly to house said medicine cartridge therein, said retraction assembly comprising;

an end cap,

a hypodermic needle having a needle hub,

a retraction spring disposed between said needle hub and said end cap and maintained in a partially compressed condition therebetween, and

an upper seal urged against a facially sealing surface of said retraction assembly by said retraction spring in said partially compressed condition to form a first hermetic seal.

2. The syringe of claim 1, further comprising a lower seal defining a sealed volume between said upper and lower seals, said hypodermic needle being disposed in said sealed volume.

3. The syringe of claim 2, wherein sealed volume is sterile.

4. The syringe of claim 1, wherein said upper seal forms a second hermetic seal with a radial sealing surface of said retraction assembly.

5. The syringe of claim 1, further comprising an o-ring member forming a second hermetic seal between said retraction assembly and said injection assembly when said retraction assembly is secured to said injection assembly.

6. The syringe of claim 1, wherein said injection assembly comprises one or more outwardly depending tabs for receipt in a corresponding number of openings defined in said retraction assembly when said retraction assembly is secured to said injection assembly.

7. An injection and retraction syringe, comprising:

a medicine cartridge;

an injection assembly; and

a retraction assembly being selectively securable to said injection assembly to house said medicine cartridge therein, said retraction assembly comprising;

an end cap,

a spring retainer, and

a retraction spring disposed between said spring retainer and said end cap and maintained in a partially compressed condition therebetween when said spring retainer is urged against a facially sealing surface of said retraction assembly by said retraction spring.

8. An injection and retraction syringe, comprising:

a medicine cartridge;

an injection assembly; and

a retraction assembly being selectively securable to said injection assembly to house said medicine cartridge therein, said injection assembly comprising;

an injection spring selectively releasable from a normally stressed condition,

a plunger drivingly engaged to said injection spring, and

a safety element defined on said plunger, said safety element preventing said plunger from escaping said injection assembly if said injection spring is released from said normally stressed condition before said retraction assembly is secured to said injection assembly.

9. The syringe of claim 8, wherein said safety element is integrally formed to said plunger.

10. The syringe of claim 8, wherein said plunger comprises a stamped metallic locking end for selectively releasing said injection spring from said normally stressed condition and a molded plastic driving end for cooperating with said medicine cartridge.

11. The syringe of claim 8, further comprising a coupling drivingly engaging said plunger to said injection spring and a de-coupler for deforming said coupling to selectively dis-engage said plunger from said injection spring, wherein said safety element comprises a portion of said plunger having with an outer dimension that is larger than an inner dimension of said de-coupler.

12. The syringe of claim 8, wherein said injection assembly further comprises an activation device for selectively releasing said injection spring from said normally stressed condition upon deployment of said activation device.

13. The syringe of claim 12, wherein said injection assembly further comprises an outer shroud, said outer shroud and said injection assembly cooperating to permit deployment of said activation device only after said activation device has been rotated to a predetermined position.

14. The syringe of claim 13, wherein said outer shroud comprises a plurality of longitudinal gripping ribs.

15. The syringe of claim 14, wherein said outer shroud and/or said plurality of longitudinal gripping ribs comprise an elastomeric material.

16. The syringe of claim 8, wherein said retraction assembly comprises:

an end cap,

a hypodermic needle having a needle hub,

a retraction spring maintained in a partially compressed condition between said needle hub and said end cap, and

an upper seal urged against a facially sealing surface of said retraction assembly by said retraction spring in said partially compressed condition to form a first hermetic seal.

17. The syringe of claim 16, further comprising a lower seal defining a sealed volume between said upper and lower seals, said hypodermic needle being disposed within said sealed volume.

18. The syringe of claim 8, wherein said retraction assembly comprises:

an end cap,

a spring retainer, and

a retraction spring disposed between said spring retainer and said end cap and maintained in a partially compressed condition therebetween when said spring retainer is urged against a facially sealing surface of said retraction assembly by said retraction spring.

19. An injection kit comprising:

an injection assembly; and

a retraction assembly, said injection and retraction assemblies being selectively securable to one another.

20. The injection kit of claim 19, further comprising a medicine cartridge for receipt in said injection and retraction assemblies when said assemblies are secured to one another.

21. The injection kit of claim 19, further comprising at least one injection site cleaning swab.

22. The injection kit of claim 19, further comprising an adhesive bandage.

23. The injection kit of claim 19, wherein said retraction assembly comprises:

an end cap,

a hypodermic needle having a needle hub,

a retraction spring maintained in a partially compressed condition between said needle hub and said end cap, and

an upper seal urged against a facially sealing surface of said retraction assembly by said retraction spring in said partially compressed condition to form a first hermetic seal.

24. The injection kit of claim 23, further comprising a lower seal defining a sealed volume between said upper and lower seals, said hypodermic needle being disposed in said sealed volume.

25. The injection kit of claim 24, wherein said sealed volume is sterile.

26. The injection kit of claim 19, wherein said retraction assembly comprises:

an end cap,

a spring retainer, and

a retraction spring disposed between said spring retainer and said end cap and maintained in a partially compressed condition therebetween when said spring retainer is urged against a facially sealing surface of said retraction assembly by said retraction spring.

27. The injection kit of claim 19, further comprising a package containing said injection and retraction assemblies.

28. The injection kit of claim 27, wherein said package is terminally sterilized.

29. The injection kit of claim 19, further comprising an o-ring member forming a second hermetic seal between said retraction assembly and said injection assembly when said retraction assembly is secured to said injection assembly.

30. The injection kit of claim 19, wherein said injection assembly comprises:

an injection spring selectively releasable from a normally stressed condition;

a plunger drivingly engaged to said injection spring; and

a safety element defined on said plunger, said safety element preventing said plunger from escaping said injection assembly if said injection spring is released from said normally stressed condition before said retraction assembly is secured to said injection assembly.