Reusable pharmaceutical dispenser with full stroke indicator
First Claim
1. A fluid dispenser comprising:
- a housing;
at least first and second variable volume containers mounted to the housing and including first and second exits and first and second movable elements by which the contents of the first and second containers can be forced through said first and second exits as the first and second movable elements are moved within said first and second containers respectively;
a common exit fluidly coupled to the first and second exits;
first and second drive stems drivingly coupled to the first and second movable elements, the first and second drive stems including axially extending drive surfaces; and
a drive assembly, movable from a retracted position to a post-injection position for driving the first and second drive stems so to drive the first and second movable elements within said first and second containers in a cyclic manner, the drive assembly including;
first and second drivers, including one-way drive elements, drivingly coupled to the first and second drive stems along the drive surfaces by the one-way drive elements; and
first and second stroke adjusters for adjusting the relative distances the first and second drivers and the first and second drive stems associated therewith travel during each cycle of the driver so the amounts and proportions of the contents of the first and second containers forced through the first and second exists during each of one or more cycles of the drive assembly can be selected by the user while said amounts and proportions remain the same unless said relative distances are changed.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A pharmaceutical dispenser includes a housing (4), containing two pharmaceutical cartridges (32,34), slidably mounted to a sliding body (100). A replaceable needle manifold assembly (10) is mounted to the housing and fluidly couples the cartridges with a hypodermic needle at a common exit. The sliding body is part of a reciprocating drive assembly used to drive a pair of drive stems (88) against the pistons (96, 98) of the cartridges, thus forcing predetermined amounts of the pharmaceuticals out the needle. The movement of the sliding body between retracted and post-injection positions remains constant. However, the amounts and proportions of the pharmaceuticals injected during the delivery stroke is chosen by the user using stroke adjusters (182) carried by the sliding body. A bistable status flag (186) is mounted to the sliding body to indicate when the sliding body is in the post-injection and the retracted positions. The dosage adjustments are made when the sliding body is in the post-injection position. If a dose selected is more than is available, the sliding body is prevented from moving to the retracted position so that the status flag is not tripped.
258 Citations
43 Claims
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1. A fluid dispenser comprising:
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a housing; at least first and second variable volume containers mounted to the housing and including first and second exits and first and second movable elements by which the contents of the first and second containers can be forced through said first and second exits as the first and second movable elements are moved within said first and second containers respectively; a common exit fluidly coupled to the first and second exits; first and second drive stems drivingly coupled to the first and second movable elements, the first and second drive stems including axially extending drive surfaces; and a drive assembly, movable from a retracted position to a post-injection position for driving the first and second drive stems so to drive the first and second movable elements within said first and second containers in a cyclic manner, the drive assembly including; first and second drivers, including one-way drive elements, drivingly coupled to the first and second drive stems along the drive surfaces by the one-way drive elements; and first and second stroke adjusters for adjusting the relative distances the first and second drivers and the first and second drive stems associated therewith travel during each cycle of the driver so the amounts and proportions of the contents of the first and second containers forced through the first and second exists during each of one or more cycles of the drive assembly can be selected by the user while said amounts and proportions remain the same unless said relative distances are changed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A fluid dispenser comprising:
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a housing; at least a first variable volume container mounted to the housing and including a first exit and a first movable element by which the contents of the first container can be forced through said first exit as the first movable element is moved within said first variable volume container; a drive stem drivingly coupled to the first movable element, the drive stem including an axially extending drive surface; a drive assembly, movable between a post-injection position and a retracted position, for driving the drive stem so as to drive the first movable element within said first variable volume container in at least a first cycle, the drive assembly including; a driver, including a one-way drive element, drivingly coupled to the drive stem along the drive surfaces by the one-way drive element; and a stroke adjuster for adjusting the relative distance the driver and stem associated therewith travel during a cycle of the driver. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A fluid dispenser comprising:
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a housing; first and second pharmaceutical-containing cartridges mounted within the housing, the cartridges each including a movable piston, an exit end and a fluid between the piston and the exit end; a common exit fluidly coupling the exit ends of the cartridges; and a reciprocating drive assembly comprising; first and second drive stems adapted to engage the pistons of the first and second cartridges to drive the contents of the cartridges through the exit ends and to the common exit; a sliding body slidably mounted to the housing for movement in delivery and return directions between post-injection and retracted positions said positions defining an injection stroke length; first and second reciprocating drivers, coupled to the sliding body, including one-way drive elements coupled to the first and second drive stems, the one-way drive elements and the first and second drive stems configured so that the first and second reciprocating drivers move the first and second drive stems only towards the first and second cartridges during the movement of the sliding body; and means for separately adjusting the distances the first and second reciprocating drivers move the first and second drive stems towards the first and second cartridges during the movement of the sliding body in the delivery direction so the amounts and proportions of the contents of the first and second cartridges forced through the first and second exit ends and to the common exit during each of one or more cycles of the reciprocating drive assembly can be selected by the user while said amounts and proportions remain the same unless said separately adjusting means are changed.
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41. A fluid dispenser comprising:
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a housing; first and second pharmaceutical-containing cartridges mounted within the housing, the cartridges each including a movable piston, an exit end and a fluid between the piston and the exit end; a common exit fluidly coupling the exit ends of the cartridges; and a reciprocating drive assembly comprising; first and second drive stems adapted to engage the pistons of the first and second cartridges to drive the contents of the cartridges through the exit ends to common exit; a sliding body slidably mounted to the housing for movement in delivery and return directions between post-injection and retracted positions, said positions defining an injection stroke length; first and second reciprocating drivers, coupled to the sliding body, including one-way drive elements coupled to the first and second drive stems, the one-way drive elements and the first and second drive stems configured so that the first and second reciprocating drivers move the first and second drive stems only towards the first and second cartridges during the movement of the sliding body; and a user-adjustable coupler for coupling said reciprocating drivers in any of a plurality of positions with respect to said sliding body, said coupler including coupling means for permitting movement of said sliding body a first distance without corresponding movement of said first reciprocating driver and for forcing corresponding movement of said first reciprocating driver when said sliding body is moved beyond said first distance, while said first reciprocating driver is coupled in a first position, and said coupler including means for permitting movement of said sliding body a second distance, different from said first distance, without corresponding movement of said second reciprocating driver and for forcing corresponding movement of said second reciprocating driver when said sliding body is moved beyond said second distance while said second reciprocating driver is coupled in a second position.
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42. A pharmaceutical dispenser comprising:
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a housing; first and second variable volume containers mounted to the housing and including first and second exits and first and second movable elements by which the contents of the first and second containers can be forced through said first and second exits as the first and second movable elements are moved from first and second staring positions towards first and second ending positions; a manifold having an interior, a common exit fluidly coupled to the interior and the first and second exits, and a resilient wall partially bounding said interior, said interior wall being deflectable to an extended position by an elevated fluid pressure within said interior which tends to expel the fluid through said common exit to reduce the amount of the fluid therein; first and second drive stems drivingly coupled to the first and second movable elements; and a reciprocating drive assembly for reciprocatingly drivingly the first and second drive stems so as to drive the first and second movable elements from the first and second starting positions towards the first and second ending positions by amounts which are user-selectable and independent. - View Dependent Claims (43)
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Specification