Dispersion multichamber auto-injector
First Claim
1. An auto-injector comprising a medicament cartridge assembly, a stressed spring assembly, and means mounting said assemblies together in cooperating relation so as to provide an exterior housing having a needle extending end,said medicament cartridge assembly including a container having one end disposed adjacent the needle extending end of said housing, first piston means mounted in a storage position within said container in spaced relation with the one end thereof for movement therein from the storage position thereof through an operative stroke in a direction toward the one end thereof, a hollow hypodermic needle having a sharpened end and an opposite inlet end portion disposed within said container in a storage position to be moved therefrom by and with said first piston means during the operative stroke thereof, closure means enclosing the sharpened end of said needle and the one end of said container disposed in a position to be penetrated by the sharpened end of said needle when said needle is moved with said first piston means, a first liquid medicament within said container in a storage position between said first piston means and said closure means, second piston means mounted in a storage position within said container in spaced relation with respect to the storage position of said first piston means for movement from the storage position thereof through an operative stroke in a direction toward said closure means, a second liquid medicament in said container disposed in a storage position in motion transmitting relation between said second piston means and said first piston means in sealed relation with respect to said first liquid medicament,the operative relation of said first liquid medicament and said needle between said first piston means and said closure means when in said storage positions within said container being such that when said first piston means is moved through the operative stroke thereof said needle is moved by said first piston means so that (1) during an initial portion of the movement of said needle with said first piston means the sharpened end of said needle penetrates through said closure means beyond the needle extending end of said housing and into the skin of a user without significant passage of said first liquid medicament from the sharpened end of the needle and (2) during the remaining portion of the movement of the needle with the first piston means, the first liquid medicament is moved into the inlet end of the needle and out of the sharpened end thereof and into the tissue of the user as the sharpened end moves inwardly of the skin into a full depth position,said stressed spring assembly including spring means, releasable means for retaining said spring means in a stressed storage position, and releasing means operable in response to a predetermined manual actuating procedure to release said releasable means so that said spring means moves said second piston means through the operative stroke thereof during an initial portion of which said first piston means is moved through the operative stroke thereof,said medicament cartridge assembly including bypass means operable in response to the movement of said first piston means through a final portion of the operative stroke thereof to allow a subsequent remaining portion of the operative stroke of said second piston means to move said second liquid medicament beyond said first piston means through said needle and out of the sharpened end thereof generally after the sharpened end has reached its full depth position.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A medicament container assembly for an autoinjector having a power assembly actuatable to cause a power stroke in cooperating relation with said medicament container assembly. The medicament container assembly comprises a container having a forward end, a hypodermic needle having a sharpened end, and first and second liquid medicaments. A pair of pistons and a closure assembly are provided for (1) sealingly confining the first liquid medicament and the needle in mutually communicating relation in a forward storage position within the container, (2) sealingly confining the second liquid medicament within the container in a separate rearward storage position, and (3) enabling the power stroke to cause (1) an initial movement of the needle into the injection site during which the sharpened end of the needle moves from a position of entry into the skin to a full depth position, (2) a progressive movement of the first medicament outwardly of the sharpened end of the needle as the sharpened end of the needle moves from the position of entry into the skin into the full depth position so as to inject a predetermined dosage of the first liquid medicament within the injection site in a first pattern surrounding the path of movement of the sharpened end of the needle, and (3) a progressive movement of the second medicament outwardly of the sharpened end of the needle generally after the sharpened end of the needle has reached the full depth position thereof to inject a predetermined dosage of the second liquid medicament within the injection site in a second pattern extending from the sharpened end of the needle.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. An auto-injector comprising a medicament cartridge assembly, a stressed spring assembly, and means mounting said assemblies together in cooperating relation so as to provide an exterior housing having a needle extending end,
said medicament cartridge assembly including a container having one end disposed adjacent the needle extending end of said housing, first piston means mounted in a storage position within said container in spaced relation with the one end thereof for movement therein from the storage position thereof through an operative stroke in a direction toward the one end thereof, a hollow hypodermic needle having a sharpened end and an opposite inlet end portion disposed within said container in a storage position to be moved therefrom by and with said first piston means during the operative stroke thereof, closure means enclosing the sharpened end of said needle and the one end of said container disposed in a position to be penetrated by the sharpened end of said needle when said needle is moved with said first piston means, a first liquid medicament within said container in a storage position between said first piston means and said closure means, second piston means mounted in a storage position within said container in spaced relation with respect to the storage position of said first piston means for movement from the storage position thereof through an operative stroke in a direction toward said closure means, a second liquid medicament in said container disposed in a storage position in motion transmitting relation between said second piston means and said first piston means in sealed relation with respect to said first liquid medicament, the operative relation of said first liquid medicament and said needle between said first piston means and said closure means when in said storage positions within said container being such that when said first piston means is moved through the operative stroke thereof said needle is moved by said first piston means so that (1) during an initial portion of the movement of said needle with said first piston means the sharpened end of said needle penetrates through said closure means beyond the needle extending end of said housing and into the skin of a user without significant passage of said first liquid medicament from the sharpened end of the needle and (2) during the remaining portion of the movement of the needle with the first piston means, the first liquid medicament is moved into the inlet end of the needle and out of the sharpened end thereof and into the tissue of the user as the sharpened end moves inwardly of the skin into a full depth position, said stressed spring assembly including spring means, releasable means for retaining said spring means in a stressed storage position, and releasing means operable in response to a predetermined manual actuating procedure to release said releasable means so that said spring means moves said second piston means through the operative stroke thereof during an initial portion of which said first piston means is moved through the operative stroke thereof, said medicament cartridge assembly including bypass means operable in response to the movement of said first piston means through a final portion of the operative stroke thereof to allow a subsequent remaining portion of the operative stroke of said second piston means to move said second liquid medicament beyond said first piston means through said needle and out of the sharpened end thereof generally after the sharpened end has reached its full depth position.
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21. A medicament container assembly for an auto-injector having a power assembly actuatable to cause an elongated element thereof to move through a power stroke in cooperating relation with said medicament container assembly, said medicament container assembly comprising
a container having a forward end, a hypodermic needle having a sharpened end, first and second liquid medicaments, means for (1) sealingly confining said first liquid medicament and said needle in mutually communicating relation in a forward storage position within said container, (2) sealingly confining said second liquid medicament within said container in a rearward storage position separate from said first liquid medicament and said needle and (3) enabling a movement of the elongated element of the power assembly through a power stroke in cooperating relation with said medicament container assembly while the forward end of said container is held in cooperating relation with an injection site of a user to cause (1) an initial movement of said needle into the injection site during which the sharpened end of the needle moves from a position of entry into the skin to a full depth position, (2) a progressive movement of said first medicament outwardly of the sharpened end of said needle as the sharpened end of the needle moves from the position of entry into the skin into said full depth position so as to inject a predetermined dosage of said first liquid medicament within the injection site in a first pattern generally surrounding the path of movement of the sharpened end of said needle from the position of entry to the full depth position and (3) a progressive movement of said second medicament outwardly of the sharpened end of said needle generally after the sharpened end of the needle has reached the full depth position thereof to inject a predetermined dosage of said second liquid medicament within the injection site in a second pattern generally extending from the sharpened end of the needle in surrounding relation to the full depth position of the sharpened end of the needle.
Specification