Needle assemblies for wet/dry automatic injectors
First Claim
1. An automatic injection device containing a pre-loaded charge of medicament for automatically self-administering the medicament upon actuation thereof, the device comprising:
- a housing;
a medicament chamber disposed in the housing, the medicament chamber including a first compartment containing a first medicament portion, and a second compartment containing a second medicament portion to be mixed with the first medicament portion;
a seal structure between the first compartment and the second compartment, the seal structure being initially in a sealing condition that maintains the first compartment separate from the second compartment, the seal structure being converted to a mixing condition as a result of activation of the device;
a needle assembly that dispenses the medicament charge from the medicament chamber;
a filter positioned between the medicament chamber and the needle assembly; and
an activation assembly disposed in the housing and including a stored energy source, wherein activation of the activation assembly releases the stored energy from the stored energy source, causing the seal structure to be converted from the sealing condition to the mixing condition, and thereby causing or allowing the first and second medicament portions to be mixed and forced through the needle assembly;
wherein the needle assembly comprises a needle and a needle support for mounting the needle to the medicament chamber, the needle support defining a needle assembly chamber having a rearward opening covered by the filter, the needle assembly chamber having an inner surface tapering radially inward as it extends axially forward towards a rearward end of the needle.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An automatic medicament injector having a compartment for a dry medicament component and a compartment for a wet medicament component. The two compartments are separated by a seal structure that converts from a sealing condition to a mixing condition when the device is activated. The seal structure includes a wiper that scrapes the interior walls in the dry component compartment to prevent the dry component from accumulating at the seal/glass interface. A tapered insert funnels the mixed medicament components to an attached needle assembly, but can be removed when the device is filled. A filter is provided between the medicament compartments and the needle assembly. A chamber between the filter and the needle allows for better flow through the filter. An actuation assembly drives the seal structure into the mixing condition and forces the mixed medicament through the needle and into the user.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. An automatic injection device containing a pre-loaded charge of medicament for automatically self-administering the medicament upon actuation thereof, the device comprising:
-
a housing;
a medicament chamber disposed in the housing, the medicament chamber including a first compartment containing a first medicament portion, and a second compartment containing a second medicament portion to be mixed with the first medicament portion;
a seal structure between the first compartment and the second compartment, the seal structure being initially in a sealing condition that maintains the first compartment separate from the second compartment, the seal structure being converted to a mixing condition as a result of activation of the device;
a needle assembly that dispenses the medicament charge from the medicament chamber;
a filter positioned between the medicament chamber and the needle assembly; and
an activation assembly disposed in the housing and including a stored energy source, wherein activation of the activation assembly releases the stored energy from the stored energy source, causing the seal structure to be converted from the sealing condition to the mixing condition, and thereby causing or allowing the first and second medicament portions to be mixed and forced through the needle assembly;
wherein the needle assembly comprises a needle and a needle support for mounting the needle to the medicament chamber, the needle support defining a needle assembly chamber having a rearward opening covered by the filter, the needle assembly chamber having an inner surface tapering radially inward as it extends axially forward towards a rearward end of the needle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. An automatic injection device containing a pre-loaded charge of medicament for automatically administering the medicament upon actuation thereof, the device comprising:
-
a housing;
a chamber disposed in the housing, the chamber including a first compartment containing a first medicament portion, a second compartment containing a second medicament portion to be mixed with the first medicament portion, and an annular groove around a forward end portion of the chamber;
a seal structure between the first compartment and the second compartment, the seal structure initially in a sealed condition that maintains the first compartment separate from the second compartment, the seal structure converting to a mixing condition in response to activation of the device;
a needle assembly that dispenses the medicament charge from the chamber, the needle assembly comprising a needle and a needle support, the needle support having a funnel shape with a narrow forward end and an annular rib sized and configured to snap-fit into the groove around the chamber, the narrow forward end sealingly receiving a rearward end of the needle, the needle support forming a sealed fluid channel from the chamber to the needle; and
an activation assembly disposed in the housing and including a stored energy source, wherein activation of the activation assembly releases the stored energy from the stored energy source causing the seal structure to convert from the sealed condition to the mixing condition, wherein the first and second medicament portions are mixed and forced through the needle assembly. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. An automatic injection device containing a pre-loaded charge of medicament for automatically administering the medicament upon actuation thereof, the device comprising:
-
a housing;
a chamber disposed in the housing, the chamber having;
a first compartment containing a first medicament portion, a second compartment containing a second medicament portion to be mixed with the first medicament portion, a narrowed neck portion at a forward end of the chamber, and an annular flange portion at the forward end of the chamber;
a seal structure between the first compartment and the second compartment, the seal structure initially in a sealed condition that maintains the first compartment separate from the second compartment, the seal structure converting to a mixing condition in response to activation of the device;
a needle assembly that dispenses the medicament charge from the chamber, the needle assembly comprising a needle and a needle support, the needle support comprising;
an annular flange at a rearward end of the support, an annular sealing member that surrounds the annular flange, and a retaining clamp sized and configured to fit over the chamber annular flange portion and snap around the narrowed neck portion to sealingly clamp the annular sealing member against the chamber annular flange portion; and
an activation assembly disposed in the housing and including a stored energy source, wherein activation of the activation assembly releases the stored energy from the stored energy source causing the seal structure to convert from the sealed condition to the mixing condition, wherein the first and second medicament portions are mixed and forced through the needle assembly. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
Specification