Adjustable precision transponder injector

• US 5,250,026 A
• Filed: 05/27/1992
• Issued: 10/05/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Digital Angel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Destron/Idi Incorporated
• Inventors: Stewart, Robert C., Ehrlich, Paul, Dixon, Larry J.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US07/889,535
• Time in Patent Office: 496 Days
• Field of Search: 604/57, 604/59-64, 604/117, 604/240, 604/241, 604/243, 606/116, 606/117
• US Class Current: 604/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 37/0069 Devices for implanting pellets, e.g. markers or solid medicaments for introducing of radioactive sources for interstitial radiation therapy, i.e. brachytherapy A61N5/1027

Abstract

An implant injector for animals is adjustable for implant insertion depth. The distance, that the injector needle or cannula, extends past the nose of the injector is adjustable. The insertion depth adjustment is accomplished by moving the nose of the injector relative to the tip of the cannula that extends past the nose. In addition to adjusting the insertion depth, the cannula or needle, may also be rotated to a plurality of positions relative to the injector handle.

A spring loaded plunger, when released by a release button, will push the implant out the end of the cannula as the operator withdraws the cannula from the animal. The release button is designed as a safety trigger to avoid premature activation of the plunger during insertion of the needle.

Needles, or cannulas of various diameters and lengths, may be interchanged in the injector. Also, the spring loaded plunger for expelling the implant may be removed allowing the operator to replace the plunger with a different diameter and length plunger, if desired, to match different size cannulas.

Claims

1. Implant injector for injecting an implant subcutaneously in an animal to a predetermined distance from the injection entry point into the animal, said injector comprising:

a cannula for holding the implant and having a distal end;

a handle for holding said cannula for subcataneous insertion into the animal;

a nose means being adjustably mounted on the front of said handle and said cannula extending through said nose means, said nose means for stopping the subcutaneous insertion of said cannula at a predetermined insertion depth and being adjustably mounted in position on said handle relative to the distal end of the cannula to control the insertion depth;

a plunger inside said handle and extending into said cannula and a spring for loading a force on the plunger for moving the plunger in said cannula;

an operator controlled plunger release mechanism inside said handle for releasing said spring loaded plunger to move through said cannula and expel the implant after insertion of said cannula to the predetermined insertion depth;

said plunger release mechanism having a detent for restraining said plunger against the spring load force on said plunger;

a plunger release button in said release mechanism operated with a motion in the same direction as the insertion motion of said cannula into the animal for releasing said plunger from said detent; and

a safety ring for enabling said plunger release button.

2. The injector of claim 1 and in addition:

the front of said handle having exterior threads; and

said nose means being a hollow tube with interior threads for engagement with the threads on said handle, said tube being threaded onto said handle and being adjustable relative to the handle and thus the cannula by rotation on the threads.

3. The injector of claim 1 and in addition:

the front of said handle having a tubular cavity; and

said nose means being interchangeable hollow tubes, each tube having an outer diameter to force fit in the tubular cavity at the front of said handle whereby hollow tubes of various lengths may be interchanged on the front of the handle to adjust the position of said nose means relative to the distal end of said cannula.

4. The injector of claim 1 and in addition:

said cannula having a base for engagement with said handle and said handle having a front cavity for receiving the base of the cannula whereby cannula of different lengths and diameters may be interchanged on said handle.

5. Apparatus for injecting an implant subcataneously in an animal to a precise distance from an injection entry point in the skin of the animal, said apparatus comprising:

needle means tubular shaped for carrying said implant inside said needle means as the needle means is inserted subcutaneously in the animal by an operator;

means for holding said needle means;

stop means on said holding means for stopping the subcutaneous insertion of said needle means at an insertion depth, said insertion depth being a precise distance from the entry point of said needle means into the animal;

means for adjusting said stop means relative to the needle means to control the insertion depth; and

means for expelling said implant out of said needle means after insertion of the needle means to the insertion depth, said expelling means has a length such that the end of said expelling means reaches the distal end of said needle means;

said expelling means includes means for loading said expelling means against the implant with a load force at least sufficient to slide the implant out of said needle means when the needle is removed from the animal;

release control means for restraining said expelling means against the load force from said loading means and for releasing said expelling means against the implant with said load force, said release control means having a safety release means for enabling said release control means, and said release control means operated with a motion in the same direction as the insertion motion of said needle means into the animal.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 and in addition:

means for indicating the insertion depth.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 and in addition:

said indicating means indicates a nominal insertion depth and adjustments from the nominal insertion depth when the depth is changed by said adjusting means.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 and in addition:

means for engaging said needle means to, and disengaging said needle means from, said holding means; and

said needle means having a cross-sectional width and length associated with the size of the animal being injected, said length having a precise positional relationship to the nominal insertion depth indicated by said indicating means.

9. The apparatus of claim 5 and in addition:

means for engaging said expelling means to, and disengaging said expelling means from, said holding means; and

said expelling means having a length associated with the size of the animal being injected, said length having a precise positional relationship to the nominal insertion depth indicated by said indicating means.

10. The apparatus of claim 5 and in addition:

means for engaging said needle means to, and disengaging said needle means from, said holding means; and

means for rotating to a plurality of predefined angular positions the engagement position of said needle means in said holding means.