REMOVAL OF NEEDLE SHIELDS FROM SYRINGES AND AUTOMATIC INJECTION DEVICES

• US 20120238961A1
• Filed: 01/24/2012
• Published: 09/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Abbott Biotechnology Limited (Abbott Laboratories), Elcam Medical Agricultural Cooperative Association Ltd
• Original Assignee: Elcam Medical Agricultural Cooperative Association Ltd
• Inventors: Julian, Joseph F., Carmel, Ehud, Keenan, Guy, Li, Chuan, Anderson, Philip D., Laurusonis, Linas P., Raday, Lior, Marli, Lior, Daily, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,708,968 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/192
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/581 by audible feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2207/00 Methods of manufacture, assembly or production
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/20 Automatic syringes, e.g. with automatically actuated piston rod, with automatic needle injection, filling automatically A61M5/142 , A61M5/46 take precedence; hypodermic projectiles F42B12/54
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/32 Needles; Details of needles pertaining to their connection with syringe or hub infusion needles A61M5/158; Accessories for bringing the needle into, or holding the needle on, the body A61M5/42, A61M5/46 take precedence; guide needles for catheters A61M25/065; Devices for protection of needles apparatus specially adapted for cleaning or sterilising needles A61M5/001
• 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 5/3204 Needle cap remover, i.e. devices to dislodge protection cover from needle or needle hub, e.g. deshielding devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/321 Means for protection against accidental injuries by used needles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53 Means to assemble or disassemble

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments provide a needle shield remover that reliably engages with a distal cap of an automatic injection device and with one or more needle shields coupled to a syringe of the device. When a user removes the distal cap, the needle shield remover reliably removes the needle shields (e.g., a soft needle shield and a rigid needle shield) from the syringe, thereby exposing the injection needle for performing an injection. In an exemplary assembly method, a needle shield remover is engaged to a needle shield coupled to a syringe, prior to insertion of the syringe and needle shield remover assembly into a housing of the device. This exemplary assembly method allows visual inspection, outside the housing of the device, to ensure that the needle shield remover is correctly and reliably engaged to the needle shield before the syringe and needle shield remover assembly is inserted into the housing.

Claims

1. An apparatus for removing a needle shield from a syringe, comprising:

a tubular member for enclosing the needle shield coupled to the syringe;

one or more cap engagement mechanisms provided at a distal end of the tubular member and configured for engagement with a distal cap provided for covering a distal end of the syringe; and

one or more shield engagement mechanisms provided at a proximal end of the tubular member and configured for engagement with the needle shield;

wherein, when the apparatus is pulled away from the syringe, the one or more shield engagement mechanisms exert force against the needle shield to remove the needle shield from the syringe.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the distal cap comprises an aperture and a flanged portion provided in the aperture, and wherein the one or more cap engagement mechanisms are configured to fit within the aperture in the distal cap and wherein the flanged portion of the distal cap is accommodated in a gap under the one or more cap engagement mechanisms.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tubular member comprises two apertures, and wherein two shield engagement mechanisms are provided in the apertures.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tubular member comprises three apertures, and wherein three shield engagement mechanisms are provided in the apertures.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more shield engagement mechanisms are configured for engagement with a gap between the needle shield and the syringe.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the needle shield comprises a soft inner portion and a rigid outer portion.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured for engagement with the needle shield coupled to the syringe before the syringe is inserted into a housing of an automatic injection device.

8. An automatic injection device, comprising:

a syringe;

a needle shield coupled to a distal end of the syringe;

a distal cap for covering the needle shield; and

a needle shield remover disposed between the needle shield and the distal cap, the needle shield comprising;

a tubular member for enclosing the needle shield coupled to the syringe,

one or more cap engagement mechanisms provided at a distal end of the tubular member and engaged with the distal cap, and

one or more shield engagement mechanisms provided at a proximal end of the tubular member and engaged with the needle shield;

wherein, when the needle shield remover is pulled away from the syringe, the one or more shield engagement mechanisms exert force against the needle shield to remove the needle shield from the syringe.

9. The automatic injection device of claim 8, wherein the distal cap comprises an aperture and a flanged portion provided in the aperture, and wherein the one or more cap engagement mechanisms are configured to fit within the aperture in the distal cap and wherein the flanged portion of the distal cap is accommodated in a gap under the one or more cap engagement mechanisms.

10. The automatic injection device of claim 8, wherein the tubular member comprises two apertures, and wherein two shield engagement mechanisms are provided in the apertures.

11. The automatic injection device of claim 8, wherein the tubular member comprises three apertures, and wherein three shield engagement mechanisms are provided in the apertures.

12. The automatic injection device of claim 8, wherein the one or more shield engagement mechanisms are for engagement with a gap between the needle shield and the syringe.

13. The automatic injection device of claim 8, wherein the needle shield comprises a soft inner portion and a rigid outer portion.

14. The automatic injection device of claim 8, wherein the needle shield remover is configured for engagement with the needle shield coupled to the syringe before the syringe is inserted into a housing of the automatic injection device.

15. A method for assembling an automatic injection device, comprising:

coupling a needle shield to a distal end of a syringe;

engaging one or more shield engagement mechanisms of a needle shield remover to the needle shield; and

inserting an assembly comprising the syringe, the needle shield and the needle shield remover into a housing of the automatic injection device.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

coupling a distal cap to a distal end of the housing of the automatic injection device; and

engaging one or more cap engagement mechanisms of the needle shield remover to the distal cap.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

when the needle shield remover is pulled away from the syringe, exerting force against the needle shield using the shield engagement mechanisms of the needle shield remover to remove the needle shield from the syringe.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the distal cap comprises an aperture and a flanged portion provided in the aperture, and wherein the one or more cap engagement mechanisms are configured to fit within the aperture in the distal cap and wherein the flanged portion of the distal cap is accommodated in a gap under the one or more cap engagement mechanisms.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the needle shield remover comprises a tubular member, and wherein the one or more shield engagement mechanisms are provided at a proximal end of the tubular member and the one or more cap engagement mechanisms are provided at a distal end of the tubular member.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the tubular member comprises two apertures, and wherein two shield engagement mechanisms are provided in the apertures.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the tubular member comprises three apertures, and wherein three shield engagement mechanisms are provided in the apertures.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more shield engagement mechanisms are configured for engagement with a gap between the needle shield and the syringe.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein the needle shield comprises a soft inner portion and a rigid outer portion.