Device for dosing a liquid preparation

• US 5,679,111 A
• Filed: 03/10/1995
• Issued: 10/21/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pharmacia & Upjohn AB (Pharmacia Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Pharmacia & Upjohn AB (Pharmacia Corp.)
• Inventors: de Leeuw, Jan, Hjertman, Birger
• Primary Examiner(s): Rimell, Sam
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yeh, Luke
• Application Number:
  US08/362,433
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: 604/135, 604/207, 604/208
• US Class Current: 604/135
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/20 Automatic syringes, e.g. with automatically actuated piston rod, with automatic needle injection, filling automatically A61M5/142 , A61M5/46 take precedence; hypodermic projectiles F42B12/54
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/24 Ampoule syringes, i.e. syringes with needle for use in combination with replaceable ampoules or carpules, e.g. automatic ampoules or carpules A61J1/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/2448 comprising means for injection of two or more media, e.g. by mixing
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31538 Permanent blocking, e.g. by medical personnel
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31551 including axial movement of dose setting member
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31563 interacting with a displaceable stop member
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31578 based on axial translation, i.e. components directly operatively associated and axially moved with plunger rod

Abstract

An injection device is provided for a continuously variable metering and administering of a liquid preparation and having a holder device for a multi-dose injection cartridge, the rear piston of which may be moved forward by means of a piston rod. The piston rod is provided with releasable locking means having at least one longitudinal groove having a wedge-shaped cross section and at least one locking lug having a cross section adapted to that of the groove, and means for urging the locking lug into said grooves to lock the movement of the piston rod, or to release the locking lug from said groove to free the movement of said piston rod. At its rear end, the piston rod is connected to a spring device for moving the piston rod forward and to a device for determining the stroke of the piston rod when the preparation is administered.

Claims

1. An injection device for continuously variable metering and administering of a liquid injectable preparation, comprising a holder device for a multi-dose injection cartridge which comprises a front fixed wall through which may be arranged a liquid connection for discharging the preparation, and a rear movable wall which may be moved forward by means of a piston rod to expel the preparation from said cartridge, characterized in that the piston rod is provided with releasable locking means consisting of at least one longitudinal groove having a wedge-shaped cross-section and at least one locking lug having a cross-section adapted to that of the groove, and means for urging said locking lug into said groove to lock the longitudinal movement of said piston rod, and to release said locking lug from said groove to free said piston rod, and that the piston rod at its rear end is connected to a spring device for moving said piston rod forward at the administering, and a device for setting the stroke of the piston rod when the preparation is administered.

2. An injection device according to claim 1, characterized in that said locking means consist of at least two longitudinal grooves which are evenly spaced around said piston rod, and a corresponding number of locking lugs, said locking lugs having a conical shape around their outer peripheral parts with the smaller diameter at the rear and being surrounded by a tubular sleeve which rests against the outer conical parts of said locking lugs and which can be moved in the longitudinal direction such that it exerts an inward force on said locking lugs to urge them into said grooves to lock the movement of the piston rod, or release the force on said locking lugs to free the movement of said piston rod.

3. An injection device according to claim 2, characterized in that said tubular sleeve is urged against said locking lugs by means of a spring pressure in the longitudinal direction on said sleeve to urge said locking lugs into said grooves, and that said tubular sleeve by lever means may be displaced in the longitudinal direction against said spring pressure, to release the pressure on said locking lugs to free the movement of the piston rod.

4. An injection device according to claim 1, characterized in that the piston rod at its rear end is connected to a threaded coaxial sleeve which is in engagement with a threaded screw which at its rear end is provided with a stopping device which after the administering rests against the rear end of said holder device, the stroke of said piston rod being determined by the distance which said screw has been advanced into said threaded sleeve.

5. An injection device according to claim 4, characterized in that the holder device for the injection cartridge is provided at its rear end with an internal forward-facing sleeve wherein the threaded coaxial sleeve arranged at the rear end of said piston rod is slidably arranged, and that said sleeve at the rear end of said piston rod is provided with a flange which by abutting the front end of said internal forward-facing sleeve restricts the forward travel of said internal sleeve, and by this also the forward stroke of the piston rod at the administering.

6. An injection device according to claim 1, characterized in that said holder device comprises a front outer sleeve, which surrounds the injection cartridge and the locking means for the piston rod, and a rear outer sleeve, which surrounds the spring device for moving the piston rod forward at the administering and the device for determining the stroke of said piston rod, said front outer sleeve being arranged to be screwed into said rear outer sleeve such that the injection device by this movement is readied for injection by moving the rear internal forward-facing sleeve forwards against the pressure of said spring until the flange on the sleeve at the rear end of the piston rod abuts the front end of said internal forward-facing sleeve.

7. An injection device according to claim 2, characterized in that the piston rod at its rear end is connected to a threaded coaxial sleeve which is in engagement with a threaded screw which at its rear end is provided with a stopping device which after the administering rests against the rear end of said holder device, the stroke of said piston rod being determined by the distance which said screw has been advanced into said threaded sleeve.

8. An injection device according to claim 2, characterized in that said holder device comprises a front outer sleeve, which surrounds the injection cartridge and the locking means for the piston rod, and a rear outer sleeve, which surrounds the spring device for moving the piston forward at the administering and the device for determining the stroke of said piston rod, said front outer sleeve being arranged to be screwed into said rear outer sleeve such that the injection device by this movement is readied for injection by moving the rear internal forward-facing sleeve forwards against the pressure of said spring until the flange on the sleeve at the rear end of the piston rod abuts the front end of said internal forward-facing sleeve.