Needle and method for delivery of fluids
First Claim
1. A method for the delivery of a liquid into or through the skin of a subject, comprising:
- (A) providing a needle comprising a tubular sidewall and a sharpened end for penetrating the skin of the subject, said tubular sidewall having a longitudinal axis, a bore extending along said longitudinal axis, an exterior surface and at least one aperture in the form of a cut in said sidewall extending transversely to said longitudinal axis and in communication with said bore, said aperture having an inlet at said bore and an outlet at said exterior surface, said outlet being substantially larger than said inlet and shaped to be resistant to clogging;
(B) causing said needle to penetrate at least into the skin of the subject; and
(C) introducing the liquid into said bore and out through said at least one aperture, whereupon the liquid passes through said at least one aperture and out of said outlet for absorption into an area in the skin or beneath the skin contiguous said at least one aperture to facilitate the transfer of the liquid to the area.
9 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A needle (10) for the delivery of a liquid to a subject comprises a shaft (11) having an internal surface defining a longitudinally extending internal bore open at one end (15) to receive a liquid supply, the other end (16) being sharpened for penetration of the skin of the subject. A plurality of apertures (18) are provided, each in the form of a cut extending across the external surface of the side of the shaft (11) at a sufficient depth to establish communication with the bore. The external aperture area is approximately three times greater than the internal aperture area, thereby ensuring that the liquid is delivered to a large surface area of tissue to improve absorption and eliminate fluctuations in the delivery rate. The needle (10) can be mass-produced by aligning a batch of shafts alongside one another and running a grinder across the surfaces of the shafts to create the apertures (18) in the entire batch of needles simultaneously.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A method for the delivery of a liquid into or through the skin of a subject, comprising:
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(A) providing a needle comprising a tubular sidewall and a sharpened end for penetrating the skin of the subject, said tubular sidewall having a longitudinal axis, a bore extending along said longitudinal axis, an exterior surface and at least one aperture in the form of a cut in said sidewall extending transversely to said longitudinal axis and in communication with said bore, said aperture having an inlet at said bore and an outlet at said exterior surface, said outlet being substantially larger than said inlet and shaped to be resistant to clogging;
(B) causing said needle to penetrate at least into the skin of the subject; and
(C) introducing the liquid into said bore and out through said at least one aperture, whereupon the liquid passes through said at least one aperture and out of said outlet for absorption into an area in the skin or beneath the skin contiguous said at least one aperture to facilitate the transfer of the liquid to the area. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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- 7. A needle for delivery of a liquid into or through the skin of a subject, said needle comprising a tubular sidewall and a sharpened end for penetrating the skin of the subject to enable said needle to be located in the skin or beneath the skin, said tubular sidewall having a longitudinal axis, a bore extending along said longitudinal axis, an exterior surface and at least one aperture in the form of a cut in said sidewall extending transversely to said longitudinal axis and in communication with said bore, said aperture having an inlet at said bore and an outlet at said exterior surface, said outlet being substantially larger than said inlet and shaped to be resistant to clogging to facilitate the delivery of the liquid to an area in the skin or beneath the skin contiguous said at least one aperture.
- 17. A needle for the delivery of a liquid to internal tissue of a subject, said needle comprising a tubular sidewall and a sharpened end for penetrating the skin of the subject to enable said needle to be located in the skin or beneath the skin, said sidewall having a longitudinal axis, a bore extending along said longitudinal axis, an exterior surface and at least one aperture in the form of a cut in said tubular sidewall extending transversely to said longitudinal axis and in communication with said central bore, said aperture having an inlet at said central bore and an outlet at said exterior surface, said outlet being substantially larger than said inlet so that the liquid passes through said at least one aperture and out of said outlet to engage a relatively large area in the skin or beneath the skin contiguous said at least one aperture to facilitate the transfer of the liquid to that area at a flow rate that is resistant to variations and/or fluctuations.
Specification