Internal needle inserter

• US 7,981,085 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2005
• Issued: 07/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Novo Nordisk A/S
• Original Assignee: Novo Nordisk A/S
• Inventors: Ethelfeld, Erik Winkel
• Primary Examiner(s): Stigell; Theodore J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anderson; Michael J
• Application Number:
  US11/266,905
• Publication Number:
  US 20060142698A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,083 Days
• Field of Search: 604/157, 604134-139, 604/187, 604/19, 604/21, 604/27, 604/36, 604/48, 604/93.01
• US Class Current: 604/157
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6848 Needles
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14252 with needle insertion means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/1581 Right-angle needle-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/2407 from the rear
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14248 of the skin patch type
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/158 Needles for infusions; Accessories therefor, e.g. for inserting infusion needles, or for holding them on the body

Abstract

A device comprises a housing having a mounting surface adapted for application to the skin of a subject, a needle with a pointed end portion adapted to penetrate the skin the subject, the needle having a first position in which the distal end portion is retracted within the housing, and a second position in which the distal end portion projects relative to the mounting surface. The device further comprises actuatable driving means actuatable to cause activation as well as release of the driving means, thereby moving the needle from the first position to the second position. By this arrangement the needle device can be supplied to the user in a non-energized state, the energizing taking place when the device is actuated by the user which means that energy will be stored only for a period from a few seconds to a few hours or days.

Claims

1. A medical device comprising:

a housing having a mounting surface adapted for application to the skin of a subject,

a transcutaneous device with a distal pointed end portion adapted to penetrate the skin of the subject,

the transcutaneous device having a first position in which the distal end portion is retracted within the housing, and a second position in which the distal end portion projects relative to the mounting surface,

a user actuatable driver disposed within the housing and the driver adapted to move the transcutaneous device from the first position to the second position when the driver is actuated,

wherein the driver, with the transcutaneous device arranged in the first position, is actuatable from a first state through an intermediate state to a second state,

whereby actuation of the driver from the first state to the intermediate state causes activation of the driver, and actuation of the driver from the intermediate state to the second state causes release of the activated driver thereby moving the transcutaneous device from the first position to the second position.

2. A medical device according to claim 1, wherein the driver comprises a spring means.

3. A method of operating a medical device, the method comprising:

providing a housing having a mounting surface adapted for application to the skin of a subject,

providing a transcutaneous device with a distal pointed end portion adapted to penetrate the skin of the subject, the transcutaneous device having a first position in which the distal end portion is retracted within the housing, and a second position in which the distal end portion projects relative to the mounting surface,

providing a user actuatable driver disposed within the housing and adapted to move the transcutaneous device from the first position to the second position when the driver is actuated,

actuating the driver when the transcutaneous device is arranged in the first position, by moving the driver from a first state through an intermediate state to a second state,

whereby actuation of the driver from the first state to the intermediate state causes activation of the driver, and

actuation of the driver from the intermediate state to the second state causes release of the activated driver thereby moving the transcutaneous device from the first position to the second position.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the method further comprises the medical device driver having a spring means.