Injection apparatus comprising a needle-protecting device

• US 7,361,160 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2005
• Issued: 04/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TecPharma Licensing AG (Ypsomed Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: TecPharma Licensing AG (Ypsomed Holding AG)
• Inventors: Hommann, Edgar, Scherer, Benjamin
• Primary Examiner(s): Sirmons; Kevin C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hall; Deanna K
• Application Number:
  US11/135,602
• Publication Number:
  US 20050273061A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,065 Days
• Field of Search: 604/198, 604/162, 604/164.08, 604/192, 604/232
• US Class Current: 604/198
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/206 With automatic needle insertion
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/2073 preventing premature release, e.g. by making use of a safety lock
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3247 Means to impede repositioning of protection sleeve from needle covering to needle uncovering position
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/2033 Spring-loaded one-shot injectors with or without automatic needle insertion multishot dosing syringes A61M5/31525, needle insertion only A61M5/3287
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3202 Devices for protection of the needle before use, e.g. caps A61M5/50 takes precedence; for infusion spikes A61M5/1626; protectors for sharps A61B50/3001
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/326 Fully automatic sleeve extension, i.e. in which triggering of the sleeve does not require a deliberate action by the user

Abstract

An injection device including a receptacle for an active substance, which is connected to an injection needle and is accommodated inside a sliding sleeve that can be displaced within a housing by a driving force. A sleeve-shaped needle-protecting device is displacable within the housing by a spring such that the needle-protecting device moves forward and extends past the injection needle in an axial direction when the injection needle is withdrawn from the body tissue. A lock prevents the needle-protecting device from being manually pushed backward, the lock effective between the needle-protective device and the sliding sleeve, and being automatically deactivated when the sliding sleeve is at least approximately back in its retracted position.

Claims

1. A device for injecting an active substance, comprising an injection needle, a housing, a receptacle for the active substance accommodated in a sliding sleeve slidable relative to the housing, a syringe piston displaceable in the receptacle for expelling the active substance, and a needle protecting device displaceable relative to the housing, wherein, during a skin penetration of the injection needle, the needle protecting device remains in a substantially constant position relative to the housing and in the process a spring element is stressed, wherein, after the removal of the injection needle from the skin, the spring element pushes the needle protecting device into an advanced position in which the needle is covered and the needle protecting device is prevented from retracting by a distal end of the sliding sleeve blocking the needle protecting device from axially moving in the direction of the housing;

wherein during the skin penetration, the sliding sleeve is displaced within the housing from a retracted position to an advanced position and the needle protecting device is automatically locked in the advanced position by a locking means operative between the needle protecting device and the sliding sleeve when the needle protecting device and the sliding sleeve are located in their advanced position; and

wherein the locking means comprises at least one flexible tongue arranged on the sliding sleeve and oriented in a generally axial manner, which tongue in its relaxed state forms an axial stop with a region of the needle protecting device.

2. The device according to claim 1, further comprising means for releasing the locking means which means for releasing is operative when the sliding sleeve is located at least approximately in its retracted position.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the means for releasing the locking means comprises a step arranged in the housing and jutting inward, which step in the retracted position of the sliding sleeve presses the flexible tongue radially inward in such a way that part of the sliding sleeve containing the flexible tongue can move into the region of the needle protecting device.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the spring element presses the needle protecting device into its advanced position and is stressed by the sliding sleeve when the latter moves into its advanced position.

5. The device according to claim 1, further comprising carrier projections to cause the needle protecting device to be carried along by the sliding sleeve when the sliding sleeve is guided from its advanced position into its retracted position.

6. The device according to claim 5, further comprising a restoring spring element which acts on the sliding sleeve in the direction of the retracted position of the sliding sleeve.

7. A device for injecting an active substance comprising:

an injection needle;

a housing;

a receptacle for the active substance accommodated substantially in a moveable sleeve which is moveable relative to the housing; and

a needle protector moveable relative to the housing, wherein, during an injection, the needle protector remains in a substantially constant position relative to the housing and in the process a spring element is stressed, and wherein, after the injection, the spring element urges the needle protector into an advanced position in which the needle is covered and the needle protector is prevented from moving from the advanced position by the moveable sleeve;

wherein during an injection, the moveable sleeve is moved within the housing from a retracted position to an advanced position and the needle protector is automatically locked in the advanced position by a lock operative between the needle protector and the moveable sleeve when the needle protector and the moveable sleeve are located in their advanced position; and

wherein the lock comprises at least one flexible tongue on the moveable sleeve, said tongue oriented generally axially and having a relaxed state in which it forms an axial stop cooperative with the needle protector.

8. The device according to claim 7, further comprising a release for the lock, said release operable when the moveable sleeve is located at least approximately in the retracted position.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein the release comprises a step associated with the housing and jutting inward, wherein, when the moveable sleeve is in the retracted position, the step presses the tongue radially inwardly such the moveable sleeve can move relative to the needle protector.

10. The device according to claim 7, wherein the spring element presses the needle protector into its advanced position and is stressed by the moveable sleeve when the moveable sleeve moves into its advanced position.

11. The device according to claim 7, further comprising carriers operably coupling the needle protector and the moveable sleeve and causing the needle protector to be moved by the moveable sleeve when the moveable sleeve moves from its advanced position to its retracted position.

12. The device according to claim 11, further comprising a restoring spring acting on the moveable sleeve in the direction of the retracted position of the moveable sleeve.