VARIABLE DOSAGE AMPOULE APPLICATOR

• US 3,729,003 A
• Filed: 02/11/1971
• Issued: 04/24/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alfred A. Hurschman
• Original Assignee: Alfred A. Hurschman
• Inventors: Hurschman, Alfred A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaudet, Richard A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): McGowan, J. C.
• Application Number:
  US05/114,423
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• Field of Search: 128/218D,218DA,218F,218R,216,173H,215,218P
• US Class Current: 604/138
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/206 With automatic needle insertion
• 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 5/31551 including axial movement of dose setting member
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31591 Single dose, i.e. individually set dose administered only once from the same medicament reservoir, e.g. including single stroke limiting means

Abstract

A variable dosage ampoule applicator having an external adjustment to vary the amount of medicament expressed from a medicament-containing ampoule contained within the applicator. The applicator has a hollow body with an ampoule mounting sleeve adjustably threaded to one end of the body. The ampoule is removably inserted within the sleeve and includes a cylindrical sidewall closed at one end by a slidable plunger and at the other end by a pierceable diaphragm. A hollow needle disposed within the medicament chamber is fixed to the plunger with its pointed end directed toward the pierceable diaphragm. The applicator includes a force-applying head to depress the ampoule plunger. The force-applying head has a fixed preselected stroke between a retracted position and an extended position. By adjusting the ampoule mounting sleeve, and therefore the ampoule, relative to the stroke of the force-applying head, the degree of depression of the ampoule plunger may be varied to thereby vary the volume of medicament injected into the patient by actuation of the force-applying head from its retracted position to its extended position.

Claims

1. A variable dosage ampoule applicator comprising a hollow body and means for mounting thereon a medicament-containing hypodermic ampoule having a depressible plunger and medicament-injecting means adapted to inject a volume of medicament into a patient as a direct function of the degree of depression of said plunger, said applicator also comprising force-applying means including an axially movable force-applying head slidably mounted on a normally stationary shank, said force-applying head being mounted for movement in the direction of said plunger for depressing the plunger and having a pre-selected stroke between a first retracted position and a second extended position relative to said hollow body and means for driving said force-applying means, said shank having stop means adjacent one end thereof for establishing said second position, and means for adjusting the position of said ampoule axially of said hollow body relative to both said first and second positions of said force-applying means and relative to said stop means to thereby vary the degree of depression of said plunger and the volume of medicament injected by movement of said force-applying means to its second position, and means for adjusting the position of said stop means relative to said body to thereby adjustably establish the stroke of said force-applying head.

2. A variable dosage ampoule applicator according to claim 1, wherein said means for adjusting the position of said stop means includes a threaded connection between said body and said stop means.

3. An ampoule and variable dosage ampoule applicator including a hollow cylindrical body, a mounting sleeve threaded onto one end of said body and being axially adjustable relative to said body, an ampoule mounted within said mounting sleeve for adjusting movement therewith;

said ampoule having a cylindrical sidewall for a medicament chamber, a diaphragm closing said chamber at one end of said sidewall, a plunger Initially slidably mounted in the other end of said sidewall for closing the other end of said chamber and having a hollow needle attached thereto so that a pointed end of said needle is directed toward said diaphragm, and a medicament contained within said ampoule;

force-applying means including an axially movable force-applying head slidably mounted on a normally stationary shank which is, in turn, mounted on said cylindrical body, said force-applying head having a stroke in axial alignment with said plunger, spring means biasing said force-applying head axially toward said plunger, releasable latch means retaining said force-applying head in a first retracted position, said shank having stop means limiting the stroke of said force-applying head in a second extended position, said second extended position being axially beyond the initial position of said plunger and toward said diaphragm, whereby upon release of said latch means said force-applying head will push said plunger toward said diaphragm so that said needle will pierce said diaphragm and whereby said second extended position may be varied relative to said cylindrical sidewall by axially pre-adjusting the position of the threaded sleeve relative to said cylindrical body to thereby vary the amount of medicament expressed by said plunger through said hollow needle, and means for adjusting the position of said stop means relative to said body to thereby adjustably establish the stroke of said force-applying head.

4. The variable dosage ampoule applicator according to claim 3, wherein said means for adjusting the position of said stop means includes a threaded connection between said body and said shank.

5. The variable dosage ampoule applicator according to claim 4 wherein the stop means includes a screw having an enlarged head for abutting coaction with said force-applying head at the end of its stroke and the means for adjusting the position of said stop means includes a threaded shank of said screw threadedly engaged in a rod.