AUTOMATIC INJECTION DEVICE FOR ADMINISTERING A FIXED DOSE

• US 20110196339A1
• Filed: 02/10/2011
• Published: 08/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ypsomed AG (Ypsomed Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: TecPharma Licensing AG (Ypsomed Holding AG)
• Inventors: Vogt, Patrick, Moser, Ulrich, Tschirren, Markus, Hirschel, Jürg
• Granted Patent: US 10,376,641 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/506
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/2013 triggering of discharging means by contact of injector with patient body
• 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 5/326 Fully automatic sleeve extension, i.e. in which triggering of the sleeve does not require a deliberate action by the user
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

An injection device for administering a substance, including a housing, a plunger rod which can be moved relative to the housing, at least one retaining element associated with the rod to hold the rod relative to the housing, and a displaceable locking sleeve which can be displaced relative to the housing from one position in which the sleeve holds the at least one retaining element in a retaining position to a second position in which the at least one retaining element is released.

Claims

1. An injection device for administering a substance, comprising a housing, a plunger rod which can be moved relative to the housing, at least one retaining element associated with the rod to hold the rod relative to the housing, and a sleeve which can be displaced relative to the housing from one position in which the sleeve holds the at least one retaining element in a retaining position to a second position in which the at least one retaining element is released.

2. The injection device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sleeve has a recess for receiving the at least one retaining element in the second position.

3. An injection device for administering a substance, comprising a housing, a plunger rod displaceable in the housing, on which at least one retaining element is provided for retaining the plunger rod relative to the housing, and a displaceable lock comprising a protective sleeve, which is able to slide inside the housing and holds the at least one retaining element in a retained position relative to the housing in a first position and which releases the at least one retaining element in a second position.

4. The injection device as claimed in claim 3, in which the at least one retaining element is resilient and outwardly biased in a radial direction and comprises least one retaining region.

5. The injection device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the housing comprises at least one abutment edge against which the at least one retaining element can be supported to prevent it from sliding in a distal direction in a first position and to prevent it from sliding in a proximal direction in a second position offset in the distal direction.

6. The injection device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the protective sleeve is mounted in the injection device or in the housing so that it is prevented from rotating.

7. The injection device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the protective sleeve is axially offset from a retaining region which holds the at least one retaining element in position, and has a recess to release the at least one retaining element after the protective sleeve has moved.

8. The injection device as claimed in claim 7, further comprising an injection spring which is supported against the housing or against an element connected to the housing and which pushes the plunger rod in the distal direction.

9. The injection device as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a protective sleeve spring which is supported against the housing of the injection device or an element connected to it and which pushes the protective sleeve in the distal direction.

10. The injection device as claimed in claim 9, further comprising an ampoule with a stopper which can be pushed into the ampoule, wherein the ampoule is either mounted in the housing in a sliding arrangement or is mounted in the protective sleeve in a sliding arrangement.

11. An injection device comprising two sub-units, one of said sub-units comprising a housing of the injection device and a protective sleeve in the housing, the sleeve able to slide relative to the housing, and

the other sub-unit comprising a plunger rod, an injection spring and an injection spring support element.

12. The injection device according to claim 11, wherein the plunger rod may be moved into and guided by the injection spring support element, so that the injection spring can be tensed between the plunger rod and injection spring support element as the two sub-units are assembled.

13. The injection device according to claim 12, wherein when the injection device is being assembled, an ampoule may be positioned between the sub-units and the sub-units are moved toward each other whereby the plunger rod is urged against the ampoule or against a stopper in the ampoule causing the injection spring to be tensed.

14. A method of performing an injection with an injection device, comprising the steps of:

placing a distal end of the injection device on an injection surface,

pushing a distal element into the injection device, thereby

releasing a lock associated with a plunger rod of the injection device.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the rod is biased by a spring.

16. A method of assembling an injection device from two sub-units, wherein an injection spring associated with one of the sub-units is tensed when the sub-units are assembled.

17. The method as claimed claim 16, wherein one sub-unit comprises a housing and the other sub-unit comprises a plunger rod, the injection spring and an injection spring support element, wherein the injection spring is tensed between the plunger rod and the injection spring support element as the sub-units are assembled.