INSERTER

• US 20100049129A1
• Filed: 12/12/2008
• Published: 02/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nipro Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nipro Corporation
• Inventors: YOKOI, Hiroyuki, Ebara, Yukinori
• Granted Patent: US 7,740,613 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/136
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/1585 Needle inserters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/1587 suitable for being connected to an infusion line after insertion into a patient
• 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

An inserter includes a housing, a plunger holding an indwelling member, a lifter contained in the housing in the state where the lifter is axially movable relative to the plunger, a needle holder contained in the housing and having a projection that can be latched by the plunger and the lifter, an insertion needle held by the needle holder and inserted in a cannula, and a spring provided between the plunger and the lifter and applying a biasing force in the direction of biasing the plunger and the lifter away from each other. The projection of the needle holder is latched by the plunger before the indwelling member reaches the body surface of the user, and latched by the lifter after the indwelling member reaches the body surface of the user.

Claims

1. An inserter for automatically inserting a cannula of an indwelling member of an infusion device into a body of a user, comprising:

a tubular housing;

a first member contained in said housing in a state where said first member is movable in an axial direction and holding said indwelling member;

a second member provided on a side opposite to a body surface of said user with respect to said first member, contained in said housing in a state where said second member is relatively movable in the axial direction relative to said first member, and having a first latch portion that can be latched by said housing;

a third member contained in said housing and having a second latch portion that can be latched by said first member and said second member;

an insertion needle held by said third member and inserted in said cannula; and

a biasing member provided between said first member and said second member and applying a biasing force in a direction of biasing said first member and said second member away from each other, wherein

before said indwelling member reaches the body surface of said user, said first latch portion of said second member is latched by said housing and said second latch portion of said third member is latched by said first member,

a latch release portion is provided that releases latching of said first latch portion of said second member by said housing when said indwelling member reaches the body surface of said user, and

a latch switch portion is provided that releases latching of said second latch portion of said third member by said first member when said indwelling member reaches the body surface of said user and causes said second latch portion of said third member to be latched by said second member.

2. The inserter according to claim 1, wherein

said second member has a flange portion,

said housing has a flange abutting portion abutting on a rim of said flange portion,

said first member has a press portion pressing said flange abutting portion radially outward when said indwelling member reaches the body surface of said user,

said first latch portion includes said flange portion, and

said latch release portion includes said press portion.

3. The inserter according to claim 1, wherein

said third member has a projection that protrudes radially outward and can be latched by said first member, and a taper portion whose diameter gradually decreases from an upper side toward a lower side,

said second member has a taper abutting portion abutting on said taper portion when said indwelling member reaches the body surface of said user to deform said third member such that said projection is moved radially inward,

said second latch portion includes said projection, and

said latch switch portion includes said taper abutting portion.

4. The inserter according to claim 3, wherein

said taper abutting portion of said second member latches said projection of said third member.

5. The inserter according to claim 1, wherein

a lock mechanism is provided that is disposed on a side surface of said housing and locks said first member on said housing against the biasing force of said biasing member, and

said lock mechanism is released by pressing a button protruding from the side surface of said housing.