OPERATIONAL INSTRUMENT FOR FLUID INJECTOR USING MULTI-MICRONEEDLE DEVICE

• US 20150112269A1
• Filed: 12/29/2014
• Published: 04/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toppan Printing Co., Ltd. (TOPPAN Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Toppan Printing Co., Ltd. (TOPPAN Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: SUMIDA, Tomoya, IKEDA, Yumiko, KONO, Masaki
• Granted Patent: US 10,589,076 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/173
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14252 with needle insertion means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2037/0023 Drug applicators using microneedles
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2037/003 having a lumen
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2037/0061 Methods for using microneedles
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 37/0015 by using microneedles
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/425 Protruding skin to facilitate piercing, e.g. vacuum cylinders, vein immobilising means

Abstract

An operation tool for a fluid injector includes an outer cylinder having a housing extending from a first open end to a second open end, and a selective transfer mechanism provided on the outer cylinder. The selective transfer mechanism moves the fluid injector from an initial position to a first protrusion position and then to a second protrusion position in the housing of the outer cylinder. When the fluid injector is at the initial position, the multi-microneedle device has microneedles retracted from the first open end and positioned inside the housing, when the fluid injector is at the first protrusion position, the microneedles are protruded out to a first distance from the first open end, and when the fluid injector is at the second protrusion position, the microneedles are protruded out to a second distance from the first open end. The second distance is shorter than the first distance.

Claims

1. An operation tool for a fluid injector having a multi-microneedle device, comprising:

an outer cylinder having a first open end, a second open end, and a housing extending from the first open end to the second open end, the housing being formed such that a fluid injector having a multi-microneedle device is movable in the housing along a longitudinal axis of the fluid injector; and

a selective transfer mechanism provided on the outer cylinder and configured to move the fluid injector from an initial position to a first protrusion position and then to a second protrusion position in the housing of the outer cylinder,

wherein the selective transfer mechanism is configured such that, when the fluid injector is at the initial position, the multi-microneedle device has a plurality of microneedles retracted from the first open end of the outer cylinder and positioned inside the housing, when the fluid injector is at the first protrusion position, the microneedles are protruded out to a first distance from the first open end, and when the fluid injector is at the second protrusion position to discharge fluid through the microneedles of the multi-microneedle device, the microneedles are protruded out to a second distance from the first open end, the second distance being shorter than the first distance.

2. The operation tool according to claim 1, wherein the selective transfer mechanism is configured to move the fluid injector such that a skin contact surface of a main body of the multi-microneedle device is moved, and the selective transfer mechanism is configured such that, when the fluid injector is at the initial position, the skin contact surface and the microneedles are retracted from the first open end of the outer cylinder and positioned inside the housing, when the fluid injector is at the first protrusion position, the skin contact surface and the microneedles are protruded out to the first distance from the first open end, and when the fluid injector is at the second protrusion position, the skin contact surface and the microneedles are protruded out to the second distance from the first open end.

3. The operation tool according to claim 2, wherein the selective transfer mechanism includes:

an operation member provided movable relative to an outer periphery surface of the outer cylinder; and

a follow mechanism configured to follow operation of the operation member and move the fluid injector from the initial position to the first protrusion position and then to the second protrusion position in the housing, following the operation of the operation member.

4. The operation tool according to claim 3, wherein the operation member is extended in a longitudinal direction of the outer cylinder in the outer periphery surface of the outer cylinder, the operation member is rotatable with a first end portion fixed as a rotational center and movable between a protruded position and a drawn position such that the operation member at the protruded position has a second end portion protruded from the outer periphery surface of the outer cylinder, and that the operation member at the drawn position has the second end portion located closer to the outer periphery surface than the second end portion of the operation member at the protruded position,

the selective transfer mechanism is configured such that when the fluid injector is at the initial position in the housing, the operation member is at the protruded position, and

the follow mechanism is configured such that when the operation member is moved from the protruded position to the drawn position, the fluid injector is moved from the initial position to the first protrusion position, and when the operational member is returned from the drawn position to the protrusion position, the follow mechanism moves the fluid injector from the first protrusion position to the second protrusion position and holds the fluid injector at the second protrusion position.

5. The operation tool according to claim 1, wherein the selective transfer mechanism has a forcing unit configured to apply a force to the fluid injector toward the initial position in the housing, and

the selective transfer mechanism is configured such that the fluid injector is moved from the initial position to the first protrusion position against the force of the forcing unit, moved from the first protrusion position to the second protrusion position by the force of the forcing unit, and is held at the second protrusion position against the force of the forcing unit.

6. The operation tool according to claim 1, wherein the selective transfer mechanism is configured to return the fluid injector to the initial position after the second protrusion position.

7. The operation tool according to claim 6, wherein the selective transfer mechanism includes:

an operation member provided movable relative to an outer periphery surface of the outer cylinder; and

a follow mechanism configured to follow operation of the operation member and move the fluid injector from the initial position to the first protrusion position and then to the second protrusion position in the housing, following the operation of the operation member.

8. The operation tool according to claim 7, wherein the operation member is extended in a longitudinal direction of the outer cylinder in the outer periphery surface of the outer cylinder, the operation member is rotatable with a first end portion fixed as a rotational center and movable between a protruded position and a drawn position such that the operation member at the protruded position has a second end portion protruded from the outer periphery surface of the outer cylinder, and that the operation member at the drawn position has the second end portion located closer to the outer periphery surface than the second end portion of the operation member at the protruded position,

the selective transfer mechanism is configured such that when the fluid injector is at the initial position in the housing, the operation member is at the protruded position, and

the follow mechanism is configured such that when the operation member is moved from the protruded position to the drawn position, the fluid injector is moved from the initial position to the first protrusion position, and when the operational member is returned from the drawn position to the protrusion position, the follow mechanism moves the fluid injector from the first protrusion position to the second protrusion position and holds the fluid injector at the second protrusion position.

9. The operation tool according to claim 6, wherein the selective transfer mechanism has a forcing unit configured to apply a force to the fluid injector toward the initial position in the housing, and

the selective transfer mechanism is configured such that the fluid injector is moved from the initial position to the first protrusion position against the force of the forcing unit, moved from the first protrusion position to the second protrusion position by the force of the forcing unit, and is held at the second protrusion position against the force of the forcing unit.

10. The operation tool according to claim 1, wherein the fluid injector is housed detachably relative to the housing of the outer cylinder.

11. The operation tool according to claim 10, wherein an outer periphery wall of the outer cylinder has a detachable portion such that when the detachable portion is detached from the rest of the outer periphery wall, the fluid injector is attached to or detached from the housing of the outer cylinder.

12. The operation tool according to claim 11, wherein the fluid injector includes a cylinder for holding a fluid and has a confirmation structure which allows confirmation of an amount of the fluid held in the cylinder from an outside, and the detachable portion of the outer periphery wall of the outer cylinder has a structure which allows observation of the confirmation structure when the detachable portion is attached to the rest of the outer periphery wall of the outer cylinder.

13. The operation tool according to claim 6, wherein the fluid injector is detachably housed in the housing of the outer cylinder.

14. The operation tool according to claim 13, wherein the outer periphery wall of the outer cylinder has a detachable portion such that when the detachable portion is detached from the rest of the outer periphery wall, the fluid injector is attached to or detached from the housing of the outer cylinder.

15. The operation tool according to claim 14, wherein the fluid injector includes a cylinder for holding a fluid and has a confirmation structure which allows confirmation of an amount of the fluid held in the cylinder from an outside, and the detachable portion of the outer periphery wall of the outer cylinder has a structure which allows observation of the confirmation structure when the detachable portion is attached to the rest of the outer periphery wall of the outer cylinder.

16. The operation tool according to claim 1, wherein the selective transfer mechanism includes:

a forcing unit interposed between the outer cylinder and the fluid injector and configured to apply a force on the fluid injector toward the initial position;

a first stopper positioned at a first position on an outer periphery wall of the outer cylinder such that the first stopper is selectively pulled in or out from the housing, the first position being located at a distance away from the first open end and toward the second open end;

a second stopper positioned at a second position on the outer periphery wall of the outer cylinder such that the second stopper is selectively pulled in or out from the housing, the second position being located at a distance away from the first position and toward the second open end; and

an engagement portion provided on an outer periphery wall of the fluid injector and projecting toward the outer periphery wall of the outer cylinder,

wherein the selective transfer mechanism is configured such that when the first and second stoppers are pulled in, the engagement portion is at an initial position and does not engage the first and second stoppers, when the fluid injector is moved to the first protrusion position against the force of the forcing unit, the first stopper is pulled out, and the engagement portion engages the first stopper, which holds the fluid injector at the first protrusion position against the force of the forcing unit, and when the fluid injector is moved to the first protrusion position against the force of the forcing unit, the first stopper is pulled in and the second stopper is pulled out, and the engagement portion engages the second stopper, which holds the fluid injector at the second protrusion position against the force of the forcing unit.

17. The operation tool according to claim 1, further comprising:

a fluid injector selective drive unit configured to selectively drive the fluid injector to discharge the fluid held in the fluid injector through the multi-microneedle device.