Device for protection of the needle for a syringe and injection device comprising a syringe and said protection device

• US 8,845,595 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2007
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tech Group Europe Limited (West Pharmaceutical Services Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Tech Group Europe Limited (West Pharmaceutical Services Incorporated)
• Inventors: Pessin, Olivier
• Primary Examiner(s): Berdichevsky, Aarti B
• Assistant Examiner(s): OSINSKI, BRADLEY JAMES
• Application Number:
  US11/861,567
• Publication Number:
  US 20080021409A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,561 Days
• Field of Search: 604/198, 604/192, 604/193, 604/195, 604/197
• US Class Current: 604/198
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3247 Means to impede repositioning of protection sleeve from needle covering to needle uncovering position
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3257 Semi-automatic sleeve extension, i.e. in which triggering of the sleeve extension requires a deliberate action by the user, e.g. manual release of spring-biased extension means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3272 having projections following labyrinth paths

Abstract

The needle protection device comprises: a protector support (20), defining an introduction duct for a syringe body, a needle protector (22) which may be displaced relative to the protector support (20), between a retracted position and a deployed position, a compression spring (24), applied between the protector support (20) and the needle protector (22) and initial retaining means (38, 40, 54) for the needle protector (22) against the force of the compressed spring (24), said means (38, 40, 54) being released by displacement of the needle protector (22) in a release direction with relation to the protector support (20). The device further comprises mechanical locking means (56) for the needle protector (22) with relation to the protector support (20) in the release direction in the absence of a syringe body in the protector support duct and said mechanical locking means (56) may be deactivated by engaging a syringe body in the duct on the protector support (20).

Claims

1. A needle protection device comprising:

a protector support (20) delimiting a syringe barrel (4);

a needle protector (22) able to move with respect to the protector support (20) between a retracted position and a deployed position;

a compression spring (24) pressing between the protector support (20) and the needle protector (22);

at least one stud (54)of the needle protector (22) retained within at least one opposing slot (38, 40) in the protector support (20), configured for initially restraining the needle protector (22) against the action of the compressed spring (24) in the retracted position, and wherein said needle protector (22) is releasable by moving the needle protector (22) with respect to the protector support (20) in a release direction;

at least one hook (56) secured to the needle protector (22) or the protector support (20) and engageable with the other of the needle protector (22) and the protector support (20) for immobilizing movement of the needle protector (22) with respect to the protector support (20) in the release direction when no syringe barrel (4) is present in the passage of the protector support; and

said at least one hook (56) is deformable by engaging a syringe barrel (4) in the passage of the protector support (20) for deactivating the immobilization of the needle protector (22).

2. The needle protection device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one hook (56) includes an actuating face (56B), and is deformable between an immobilizing position in abutment against a portion of the needle protector (22) or the protector support (20) when no syringe (1) is present in the passage of the protector support (20) and a mobilizing position away from the portion of the needle protector (22) or the protector support (20) when a syringe (1) is present in the passage of the protector support (20), wherein the actuating face (56B) is actuated by the syringe barrel (4) as it is engaged in the passage of the protector support (20) to move the at least one hook (56) from its immobilizing position to its mobilizing position.

3. The needle protection device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the at least one hook (56) is secured to the needle protector (22).

4. The needle protection device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the at least one hook (56) includes a protrusion projecting into the passage of the protector support (20) when the syringe barrel (4) is not present in the passage of the protector support (20).

5. The needle protection device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the actuating face (56B) has a cam surface and the protector support (20) comprises at least one ramp (57) able to collaborate with the cam surface (56B) to cause the at least one hook (56) to become effaced on the outside of the protector support (20).

6. The needle protection device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the protector support (20) comprises a distal surface (44B) able to collaborate with the at least one hook (56) to keep the needle protector (22) in the deployed position.

7. The needle protection device of claim 1, wherein the at least one stud of the needle protector (22) remains in the opposing slot in the retracted position upon deactivation of the immobilization of the needle protector (22), and wherein subsequent manual movement of the needle protector (22) with respect to the protector support (20) in the release direction by a user is required to release the needle protector (22) from the retracted position to the deployed position.

8. An injection device comprising, a syringe (1) which comprises a needle (6), a tubular barrel (4), a distal end of the tubular barrel (4) having the needle (6) fixed thereto, and an injection piston (8) slidably mounted in the tubular barrel (4) the syringe (1) being positioned in the protector support (20) of the needle protection device (2) of claim 1.

9. A needle protection device comprising:

a protector support (20) defining a passage for receiving a syringe barrel (4);

a needle protector (22) moveable with respect to the protector support (20) between a retracted position and a deployed position;

a compression spring (24) pressing between the protector support (20) and the needle protector (22);

at least one stud (54) of the needle protector (22) retained within at least one opposing slot (38, 40) in the protector support (20), configured for restraining the needle protector (22) against the action of the compressed spring (24) when the needle protector (22) is in the retracted position, thereby preventing the needle protector (22) from moving from the retracted position to the deployed position, and wherein said needle protector (22) is releasable by moving the needle protector (22) with respect to the protector support (20) in an upward release direction opposite the action of the compressed spring (24); and

at least one hook (56) of the needle protector (22) configured to;

immobilize the needle protector (22) in the upward release direction when the needle protector (22) is in the retracted position and no syringe barrel (4) is present in the passage of the protector support (20), said at least one hook (56) being deformable by engaging a syringe barrel (4) advanced into the passage of the protector support (20) to deactivate the immobilization of the needle protector (22), and

prevent return of the needle protector (22) to the retracted position when the needle protector (22) is in the deployed position.