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Recyclable medication dispensing device

  • US 6,221,046 B1
  • Filed: 07/09/1996
  • Issued: 04/24/2001
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/07/1995
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A medication injection pen having a distal end and a proximal end, said pen comprising:

  • a housing defining an interior space;

    a cartridge mounted within said housing interior space near said distal end and including a piston, an exit and an injectable medication between said piston and said exit;

    a threaded drive stem mounted within said housing interior in axial alignment with said cartridge, said drive stem axially moveable through said cartridge for driving said piston and ejecting said medication from said cartridge;

    a rotatable threaded nut threadingly disposed on said drive stem;

    a dosage setting dial mechanism rotatably and axially shiftably mounted to said housing proximally of said cartridge, said dial mechanism having a dose-setting axial position and an end-of-injection axial position, said dial mechanism having a surface rotatably engaged with said nut when said dial mechanism is in said dose-setting axial position whereby rotation of said dial mechanism relative to said housing causes said nut to rotate relative to said drive stem to thereby set a dose, said dial mechanism having a second surface axially engaged with said nut during injection to thereby drive said drive stem distally, a distal limit of travel of said axially engaged dial mechanism and said nut relative to said housing defining said end-of-injection position for said dial mechanism and said nut;

    said housing including at least one lock element engageable with a mating lock element on said nut when said nut is in said end-of-injection axial position, whereby rotation of said nut is inhibited in said end-of-injection position, rotation of said dial mechanism in said dose setting position transmitting sufficient torque to said nut to disengage said lock elements, wherein said at least one lock element comprises at least one rib disposed on an inner surface of said housing and said mating lock element comprises at least one prong which rotationally engages said at least one rib when said dial mechanism is in said end-of-injection axial position to thereby inhibit inadvertent rotation of said nut, rotation of said dial in said dose-setting position providing sufficient torque to force said at least one prong out of engagement with said at least one rib to thereby allow said nut to rotate about and axially translate along said drive stem.

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