Disposable automatic injection device
DCFirst Claim
1. An apparatus for delivering a drug, comprising:
- a housing defining a first opening at a proximal end thereof, having a distal end, and having an inner surface defining a chamber;
a puncturable seal secured to the distal end of said housing;
a resilient membrane having a first side and a second side and disposed within said chamber, said resilient membrane and said housing defining a drug reservoir between said first side of said resilient membrane and said inner surface and defining a pressure chamber between said second side of said resilient membrane and said inner surface;
a hollow needle having a distal end and a proximal end secured to said resilient membrane proximate said proximal end of said hollow needle and positioned with said distal end proximate said puncturable seal, having a first opening at said distal end, and a second opening in a side thereof proximate said proximal end; and
a pressure source in communication with said pressure chamber.
5 Assignments
Litigations
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An automatic injection device includes a drug-filled vessel having a flexible membrane over a first opening thereof and a puncturable seal in a wall thereof, a hollow needle attached at a first end to the flexible membrane and having a sharp end positioned proximate the puncturable seal housing. A pressure source such as a combustible propellant provides a compressed gas above the flexible membrane to force the membrane into the drug-filled vessel, forcing the hollow needle through the puncturable seal and the drug contained in the vessel through the hollow needle. After the drug has been substantially evacuated from the vessel, the membrane is allowed to return to its pre-expanded state thus retracting the hollow needle into the vessel. Preferably, the flexible membrane is an elastomeric material having a plurality of concentrically configured corrugations to allow expansion of the membrane into the vessel. The inner surface of the vessel may have a dome-like shape such that expansion of the membrane into the vessel substantially matches the dome-like shape and thus forces substantially the entire amount of the drug from the vessel.
-
Citations
28 Claims
-
1. An apparatus for delivering a drug, comprising:
-
a housing defining a first opening at a proximal end thereof, having a distal end, and having an inner surface defining a chamber; a puncturable seal secured to the distal end of said housing; a resilient membrane having a first side and a second side and disposed within said chamber, said resilient membrane and said housing defining a drug reservoir between said first side of said resilient membrane and said inner surface and defining a pressure chamber between said second side of said resilient membrane and said inner surface; a hollow needle having a distal end and a proximal end secured to said resilient membrane proximate said proximal end of said hollow needle and positioned with said distal end proximate said puncturable seal, having a first opening at said distal end, and a second opening in a side thereof proximate said proximal end; and a pressure source in communication with said pressure chamber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A drug delivery apparatus, comprising:
-
(a) vessel means for containing a drug therein; (b) flexible expulsion means for expelling the drug from the vessel means, said flexible expulsion means is a diaphragm that is concentrically corrugated; (c) forcing means for forcing the flexible expulsion means at least partially into said vessel means; and (d) ejection means in fluid communication with said vessel means for delivering the drug from the vessel means. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
-
-
25. A drug delivery apparatus, comprising:
-
(a) a vessel, containing a drug therein; (b) a diaphragm, having a concentrically corrugated shape, positioned to expel the drug from the vessel; (c) a forcing device that biases the diaphragm at least partially into said vessel; and (d) a hollow needle, coupled to the vessel to allow the drug to be expelled therefrom, having; i) a first opening at a proximal end thereof that is secured to said diaphragm; and ii) a second opening proximate the distal end and positioned within said vessel. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28)
-
Specification