AUTOINJECTION DEVICES

• US 20110144584A1
• Filed: 08/13/2009
• Published: 06/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Owen Mumford
• Original Assignee: Owen Mumford
• Inventors: Wozencroft, Robert, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,932,266 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/110
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/2013 triggering of discharging means by contact of injector with patient body
• 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 2005/2414 from the side
• 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 5/24 Ampoule syringes, i.e. syringes with needle for use in combination with replaceable ampoules or carpules, e.g. automatic ampoules or carpules A61J1/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3257 Semi-automatic sleeve extension, i.e. in which triggering of the sleeve extension requires a deliberate action by the user, e.g. manual release of spring-biased extension means
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/425 Protruding skin to facilitate piercing, e.g. vacuum cylinders, vein immobilising means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/46 having means for controlling depth of insertion
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/50 having means for preventing re-use, or for indicating if defective, used, tampered with or unsterile retractable needles or needle protectors with means for preventing re-use A61M5/321

Abstract

An autoinjection device includes a main body 12 in the front end of which is slideably mounted a drawer or front body portion 14. The drawer can be opened to remove or insert a syringe. Closing the drawer whilst pressing a multifunction button 22 primes the drive mechanism 54, 58 by latching it against trigger latch 66. Pressing the button 22 again whilst urging the front end causes the drawer to release the trigger latch 66. After the injection the drawer shrouds the used needle and can be released only by pressing the button 22.

Claims

1. An autoinjection device comprising:

a housing including a main body portion and a front body portion moveable longitudinally between a closed position and an open position allowing access to enable in use a syringe to be loaded into said housing, the syringe having a body, a plunger and a needle at a forward end of the body;

a drive member and a drive bias means disposed in said housing, the drive member being moveable against said drive bias means to a primed position and operable in use when released from said primed position to urge the syringe forwardly to an injection position, and to expel a dose therefrom;

trigger means for releasably retaining said drive member in its primed position;

the device being operable to move said drive member to its primed position as the main body and the front housing portion are moved to their closed position.

2. An autoinjection device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said front housing portion and said drive member is moveable between an inactive configuration in which closing movement of the front housing portion does not cause engagement with said drive member and an active configuration in which closing movement of said front housing portion applies directly or indirectly a rearward force to said drive member to move it to said primed position.

3. An autoinjection device according to claim 2, wherein the front housing portion includes a drive face adapted to be moved to cooperate with a drive face on the drive member.

4. An autoinjection device according to claim 3, wherein an externally operable actuating member is disposed on the main body portion and actuable to urge the drive faces into lateral engagement against a bias.

5. An autoinjection device according to claim 1, wherein said front housing portion is operable to apply directly or indirectly a force to release said trigger means on movement of the front housing portion rearwardly from said closed position.

6. An autoinjection device according to claim 5, wherein at least one of said front housing portion and said trigger means is moveable between an inactive configuration in which rearward movement of said front housing does not cause engagement with said trigger means, and an active configuration, wherein, on rearward movement from said closed position, said front housing portion releases said trigger means.

7. An autoinjection device according to claim 6, including an externally operable actuating member disposed on the main body portion and operable to urge the front housing portion and the trigger means to their active configuration.

8. An autoinjection device according to claim 4, further comprising an externally operable actuating member disposed on the main body portion and operable to urge the front housing portion and the trigger means to their active configuration;

wherein a common if externally operable actuating member is provided for activating the priming stroke and enabling the front housing portion to release the trigger means.

9. An autoinjection device according to claim 5, including releasable safety latch means for preventing rearward movement of said front housing portion to release said trigger means until after said safety latch has been released.

10. An autoinjection device according to claim 5, including lock out latch means for latching the forward housing portion against retracting means when it returns to a forward position on completion of an injection.

11. An autoinjection device according to claim 9, wherein a common releasable latching means is provided for preventing rearward movement of the forward housing portion prior to an injection to prevent inadvertent firing, and to prevent retraction movement of the forward housing portion after the injection to shroud the needle.

12. An autoinjection device according to claim 4, wherein a common releasable latching means is provided for preventing rearward movement of the forward housing portion prior to an injection to prevent inadvertent firing, and to prevent retraction movement of the forward housing portion after the injection to shroud the needle;

and

wherein said actuating member and said latching means are defined by a common member.

13. An injection device according to claim 1, wherein the housing has an associated injection site contacting element having two lobes spaced to either side of the longitudinal axis of the needle and adapted in use, when the contact element is pressed against the user'"'"'s flesh, to compress the flesh at spaced locations to either side of the injection axis and thereby to cause a bulge at the injection site.

14. An injection device according to claim 13, wherein said injection site contact element has only two lobes.

15. An injection device according to claim 12, in which the contact element has a profile comprising a central concave region with two convex regions to either side thereof to define said lobes.

16. An injection device according to claim 13, wherein said lobes are adapted to move towards each other as pressure is applied to said device, thereby to exert a pinching action to enhance said bulging effect.

26. An injection device according to claim 1, wherein the drive member is longitudinally slideably mounted within said housing, with said drive spring bias comprising at least one spring.

27. An injection device according to claim 26, wherein said drive spring bias comprises two co-acting springs.

28. An injection device according to claim 27, wherein said drive springs each comprise a constant force spring.

29. An injection device according to claim 1, wherein said housing includes at its forward end thereof an interchangeable nose element, the contact nose element being interchangeable to adjust the penetration depth of the injection.

17. An autoinjection device comprising:

a housing having a main body portion, containing a drive mechanism, and

a front body portion moveable longitudinally between a closed position and an open position allowing access to enable a syringe to be loaded therein for an autoinjection cycle, wherein closing of said housing is operable to energise the drive mechanism for the autoinjection cycle, and rearward movement beyond the closed position releases said drive mechanism.

18. An autoinjection device according to claim 17, including an externally operable actuating member, operable to affect at least one of the following functions:

to engage and/or disengage a load path between the forward body portion and a prime mover in the drive mechanism,

to engage and/or disengage a load path between the forward body portion and a trigger for the drive mechanism,

to prevent and/or allow rearward movement of the forward body portion prior to release of said trigger,

to prevent and/or allow rearward movement of the forward drive portion from a shrouding position after completion of said injection operation.

19. An injection device comprising:

a housing including a main body portion and a front body portion relatively moveable longitudinally;

the housing being openable to provide access to allow a syringe to be loaded into the housing in use, the syringe having a body, a plunger and a needle at its forward end;

a drive member disposed within the housing and moveable against a drive spring bias to a primed position and operable in use when released from said primed position to urge the syringe forwardly within the housing to an injection position in which the syringe needle projects from the front end of the housing and to expel a dose therefrom;

a trigger for latching said drive member in its primed position;

said front body portion further being moveable against a housing spring bias rearwardly from a closed position to a fire position in which it unlatches said firing latch to free said drive member for forward movement under the influence of said drive spring bias;

wherein as said housing is moved away from the injection site following an injection, said housing spring bias urges said front body portion forwardly back towards its closed position to shroud said needle;

a releasable safety latch preventing rearward movement of said front body portion from its closed position until release of the safety latch, and

a latch for latching said forward body portion in its extended, shrouding, position.

20. An injection device according to claim 19, wherein said front body portion is movable longitudinally relative to said main body portion from said closed position to an open position providing access for said syringe.

21. An injection device according to claim 19, wherein the front housing portion includes a drive face adapted to be moved to cooperate with the drive member to move the drive member to its primed position as the housing is moved from its open position to its closed position.

22. An injection device according to claim 21, including an activating member is disposed on the main body portion for urging the drive face on the front body portion laterally into engagement with the drive member.

23. An injection device as claimed in claim 22, wherein said actuating member also is operable to unlatch said safety latch whereby, at different phases of operation of the device, said actuating member is operable

to urge said drive face on the forward drive portion into engagement with the drive member

to release said forward body portion to allow it to move from said closed position to its firing position, and

to lock out the forward drive portion on completion of an injection.

24. An injection device according to claim 19, wherein said front body portion includes a unitary element slideably mounted for telescopic movement relating to said main body portion.

25. An injection device according to claim 24, wherein said unitary front body portion includes a shroud region for said needle, a latch surface for cooperating with said releasable safety latch, and a drive face resiliently moveable into engagement with said drive member.

30. An injection device comprising:

a housing;

said housing being adapted in use to receive a syringe having a needle at its forward end;

a drive member moveable against a spring bias to a primed position and releasable in use to urge said syringe to a forward position and to expel a dose;

a trigger for latching said drive member in its primed position;

an actuating member having a shroud portion at a forward region thereof and moveable between a forward position and a rearward position;

actuating member bias means biasing said actuating member towards its forward position;

said actuating member being adapted in use when moved to its rearward position to release said firing latch to free said drive member for movement;

the actuating member thereafter being movable forward under the influence of said actuating member bias means to return to its forward position with said shrouding region in use shrouding the needle when the needle is at its forward position, and

releasable latch means for locking said shroud member against movement from its forward position.

31. An injection device comprising a needle through which a dose is delivered and, adjacent said needle, a skin contact surface, said skin contacting surface comprising two lobes spaced to either side of the longitudinal axis of the needle and, adapted in use, when the contact element is pressed against the skin, to compress the flesh space locations to cause a bulge at the injection site.

32. An injection device according to claim 31, wherein said lobes are adapted to move towards each other as pressure is applied to said device, thereby to exert a pinching action to enhance said bulging effect.

33. An autoinjection device comprising a housing for receiving a syringe, and having a drive mechanism releasable to urge the syringe forwardly to an injection position and to expel a dose therefrom, said drive mechanism comprising a drive member mounted for sliding movement within said housing and acted upon by two constant force spring arrangements.