Method and apparatus for filling or refilling a needle-less injector
First Claim
1. A coupling device to fill a needle-less injector comprising:
- a contact surface configured to mate non-frangibly with a receiving surface of a needle-less injector;
an orifice disposed upon said contact surface;
a vessel end configured to affix said coupling device to a vessel; and
an unobstructed channel to provide fluid communication between said orifice and said vessel end, wherein said coupling device is asymmetrical across a plane perpendicular to an axis of said unobstructed channel.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Devices and methods are described for filling or refilling a needle-less injector. A coupling device is attached to a vessel, and mated to the dispensing end of a needle-less injector. A volume of fluid may be transferred via the coupling device, from the vessel to the injector. Air may be removed from the injector prior to the injector, vessel, and coupling device being separated from one another. In alternate embodiments, the vessel may include filling equipment capable of filling or refilling multiple needle-less injectors simultaneously, in series, or both. In other embodiments, a coupling device may be used to withdraw a fluid from a storage vial into a vessel for filling a needle-less injector. A storage vial may alternately contain a product, and a fluid may be introduced therein via a coupling device to create a mixture, which may be subsequently withdrawn into a vessel for filling a needle-less injector.
202 Citations
94 Claims
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1. A coupling device to fill a needle-less injector comprising:
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a contact surface configured to mate non-frangibly with a receiving surface of a needle-less injector;
an orifice disposed upon said contact surface;
a vessel end configured to affix said coupling device to a vessel; and
an unobstructed channel to provide fluid communication between said orifice and said vessel end, wherein said coupling device is asymmetrical across a plane perpendicular to an axis of said unobstructed channel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A coupling device to fill a needle-less injector comprising:
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a contact surface configured to mate with a receiving surface of a needle-less injector;
an orifice disposed upon said contact surface;
a vessel end configured to affix said coupling device to a vessel; and
a channel to provide fluid communication between said orifice and said vessel end, wherein said channel further includes a cylindrical segment, wherein said channel further includes a conical segment disposed between said cylindrical segment and said orifice, and wherein said cylindrical segment is configured to matingly receive a Luer syringe. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
a segment of large diameter; and
a segment of small diameter configured between said segment of large diameter and said conical segment.
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25. The coupling device of claim 24, wherein said cylindrical segment further includes a shoulder configured between said segment of large diameter and said segment of small diameter, said shoulder being configured at an angle similar to an angle of a tip of a protruding tube of said Luer syringe.
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26. A coupling device to fill a needle-less injector comprising:
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a contact surface configured to mate with a receiving surface of a needle-less injector;
an orifice disposed upon said contact surface;
a vessel end configured to affix said coupling device to a vessel;
a channel to provide fluid communication between said orifice and said vessel end; and
an injector attachment mechanism to attach said coupling device to said needle-less injector, wherein said injector attachment mechanism is configured to attach said coupling device to a storage vial.
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27. A filling device to fill a needle-less injector comprising:
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a vessel to contain a fluid and including a protruding tube; and
a coupling device including;
a contact surface configured to mate non-frangibly with a receiving surface of a needle-less injector;
an orifice disposed upon said contact surface; and
a channel to provide fluid communication between said orifice and said vessel, said protruding tube residing at least partially within said channel, wherein said filling device is asymmetrical across a plane perpendicular to an axis of said channel. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A filling device to fill a needle-less injector comprising:
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a vessel to contain a fluid and including a protruding tube; and
a coupling device including;
a contact surface configured to mate with a receiving surface of a needle-less injector;
an orifice disposed upon said contact surface; and
a channel to provide fluid communication between said orifice and said vessel, said protruding tube residing at least partially within said channel, wherein said channel further includes a cylindrical segment, wherein said channel further includes a conical segment disposed between said cylindrical segment and said orifice, and wherein said cylindrical segment is configured to matingly receive a Luer syringe. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41)
a segment of large diameter; and
a segment of small diameter configured between said segment of large diameter and said conical segment.
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41. The filling device of claim 40, wherein said cylindrical segment further includes a shoulder configured between said segment of large diameter and said segment of small diameter, said shoulder being configured at an angle similar to an angle of a tip of a protruding tube of said Luer syringe.
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42. A filling device to fill a needle-less injector comprising:
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a vessel to contain a fluid and including a protruding tube; and
a coupling device including;
a contact surface configured to mate with a receiving surface of a needle-less injector;
an orifice disposed upon said contact surface; and
a channel to provide fluid communication between said orifice and said vessel, said protruding tube residing at least partially within said channel, wherein said orifice includes a diameter smaller than a diameter of a dispensing orifice disposed upon said receiving surface.
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43. A filling device to fill a needle-less injector comprising:
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a vessel to contain a fluid and including a protruding tube; and
a coupling device including;
a contact surface configured to mate with a receiving surface of a needle-less injector;
an orifice disposed upon said contact surface;
a channel to provide fluid communication between said orifice and said vessel, said protruding tube residing at least partially within said channel; and
an injector attachment mechanism to attach said filling device to said needle-less injector, wherein said injector attachment mechanism is configured to attach said filling device to a storage vial.
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44. In combination, a needle-less injector and a coupling device configured to fill said needle-less injector, said combination comprising:
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said needle-less injector; and
said coupling device, said coupling device being mated non-frangibly to said needle-less injector, and further including;
a contact surface configured to mate with a receiving surface of said needle-less injector;
an orifice disposed upon said contact surface;
a vessel end configured to affix said coupling device to a vessel; and
an unobstructed channel to provide fluid communication between said orifice and said vessel end. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58)
a segment of large diameter; and
a segment of small diameter configured between said segment of large diameter and said conical segment.
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56. The combination of claim 55, wherein said cylindrical segment further includes a shoulder configured between said segment of large diameter and said segment of small diameter, said shoulder being configured at an angle similar to an angle of a tip of a protruding tube of said Luer syringe.
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57. The combination of claim 44, wherein said orifice includes a diameter smaller than a diameter of a dispensing orifice disposed upon said receiving surface.
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58. The combination of claim 44, wherein said vessel is filling equipment.
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59. In combination, a needle-less injector and a coupling device configured to fill said needle-less injector, said combination comprising:
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said needle-less injector; and
said coupling device, said coupling device being mated to said needle-less injector, and further including;
a contact surface configured to mate with a receiving surface of said needle-less injector;
an orifice disposed upon said contact surface;
a vessel end configured to affix said coupling device to a vessel;
a channel to provide fluid communication between said orifice and said vessel end; and
an injector attachment mechanism to attach said coupling device to said needle-less injector, wherein said channel further includes a cylindrical segment, wherein said channel further includes a conical segment disposed between said cylindrical segment and said orifice, and wherein said cylindrical segment is configured to matingly receive a Luer syringe.
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60. A method of filling a needle-less injector, said method comprising:
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providing a coupling device comprising;
a contact surface configured to mate non-frangibly with a receiving surface of a needle-less injector, an orifice disposed upon said contact surface, a vessel end configured to affix said coupling device to a vessel, and an unobstructed channel to provide fluid communication between said orifice and said vessel end, wherein said coupling device is asymmetrical across a plane perpendicular to an axis of said unobstructed channel;
mating said coupling device at said vessel end to a vessel;
mating said coupling device at said contact surface to a needle-less injector, to provide fluid communication between said needle-less injector and said vessel; and
dispensing a volume of fluid from said vessel to said needle-less injector. - View Dependent Claims (61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86)
mating said coupling device at said second end thereof to a storage vial, to provide fluid communication between said storage vial and said vessel;
withdrawing a volume of fluid from said storage vial to said vessel; and
separating said coupling device from said storage vial.
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77. The method of claim 76, wherein mating said coupling device to said storage vial comprises attaching said coupling device to said storage vial.
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78. The method of claim 77, wherein attaching said coupling device to said storage vial comprises screwing said storage vial and an attachment mechanism configured upon said coupling device together.
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79. The method of claim 76, wherein said vessel is void of fluid prior to withdrawing said volume of said fluid from said storage vial to said vessel.
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80. The method of claim 76, wherein said vessel is at least partially filled with a latent fluid, a lyophilized solid, a non-lyophilized solid, or another product prior to withdrawing said volume of said fluid from said storage vial to said vessel.
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81. The method of claim 76, wherein withdrawing said volume of said fluid from said storage vial to said vessel comprises pulling back on a plunger operably attached to said vessel.
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82. The method of claim 76, wherein prior to withdrawing said volume of fluid from said storage vial to said vessel, said method further includes:
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dispensing a volume of fluid from said vessel to said storage vial; and
mixing said volume of fluid with a product contained in said storage vial to create a mixture.
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83. The method of claim 82, wherein withdrawing said volume of said fluid from said storage vial to said vessel comprises withdrawing a volume of said mixture from said storage vial to said vessel, and dispensing said volume of said fluid from said vessel to said needle-less injector comprises dispensing a volume of said mixture from said vessel to said needle-less injector.
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84. The method of claim 82, wherein mixing said volume of said fluid with said product contained in said storage vial to create said mixture comprises agitating said storage vial.
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85. The method of claim 82, further including shuffling said mixture between said vessel and said storage vial to blend said mixture.
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86. The method of claim 76, further including removing a cap from said storage vial prior to mating said storage vial to said coupling device.
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87. In combination, a storage vial and a coupling device configured to transfer a fluid, a mixture, or both between said storage vial and a vessel, said combination comprising:
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said storage vial; and
said coupling device, said coupling device being mated to said storage vial, and further including;
a contact surface configured to mate with an exterior of said storage vial, and also configured to mate non-frangibly with a receiving surface of a needle-less injector, an orifice disposed upon said contact surface, a vessel end configured to affix said coupling device to a vessel, and an unobstructed channel to provide fluid communication between said orifice and said vessel end, wherein said coupling device is asymmetrical across a plane perpendicular to an axis of said unobstructed channel. - View Dependent Claims (88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94)
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Specification