Multiple chamber automatic injector
First Claim
1. An automatic injector comprising.Iadd.:
- .Iaddend.a body incorporating at least two chambers containing different ingredients of a medicament, said .Iadd.at least two .Iaddend.chambers . .being.!. .Iadd.including a forward ingredient chamber containing a first ingredient of said medicament and rearward ingredient chamber containing a second ingredient of said medicament, said forward and rearward ingredient chambers being longitudinally disposed .Iaddend.adjacent one another .Iadd.within said body .Iaddend.and .Iadd.kept in a normally sealed relation from one another,.Iaddend.. .separated by a thin impermeable membrane,.!.a needle . .held.!. .Iadd.normally contained .Iaddend.in a sheathed position within . .said body,.!. .Iadd.said forward ingredient chamber, said needle being movable to an unsheathed position projecting from said body and being capable of dispensing said medicament therethrough,.Iaddend..Iadd.a .Iaddend.releasable drive . .means.!. .Iadd.assembly .Iaddend.within said body which when released drives said needle from said sheathed position into . .an.!. .Iadd.said .Iaddend.unsheathed position projecting from said body,.Iadd.a sealing structure for maintaining said forward and rearward chambers in said normally sealed relation from one another, said sealing structure permitting said chambers to intercommunicate to allow the ingredients to mix within said body in response to a predetermined mixing procedure; and
an .Iaddend.expulsion . .means.!. .Iadd.member disposed .Iaddend.within said body for discharging the medicament through said needle. ., and a cutting or piercing means which is movable within said body from a first position in which it is separated from said membrane to a second position where it is forcibly in contact with said membrane so as to cut or pierce said membrane before said drive means is released.!.. . .2. An automatic injector according to claim 1, wherein said chambers for the different ingredients of the medicament are arranged axially in said body of the
11 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An automatic injector is provided having at least two chambers containing different ingredients of a medicament separated by . .an impermeable membrane. A lance is movable independently of a plunger to cut or pierce the membrane before a spring-loaded drive member for the plunger is released to drive a needle out of the body of the injector and discharge the medicament through the needle. A removable safety clip is provided for preventing movement of art actuating cap into an operative position for advancing the lance, and release of the drive member is preventable by a removable safety pin until the injector is to be used..!. .Iadd.a sealing structure. One of the chambers has a needle disposed therein. The sealing structure is conditionable to permit the ingredients to mix in the injector in response to a predetermined actuating procedure before the ingredients are injected.
167 Citations
14 Claims
-
1. An automatic injector comprising.Iadd.:
- .Iaddend.
a body incorporating at least two chambers containing different ingredients of a medicament, said .Iadd.at least two .Iaddend.chambers . .being.!. .Iadd.including a forward ingredient chamber containing a first ingredient of said medicament and rearward ingredient chamber containing a second ingredient of said medicament, said forward and rearward ingredient chambers being longitudinally disposed .Iaddend.adjacent one another .Iadd.within said body .Iaddend.and .Iadd.kept in a normally sealed relation from one another,.Iaddend. . .separated by a thin impermeable membrane,.!. a needle . .held.!. .Iadd.normally contained .Iaddend.in a sheathed position within . .said body,.!. .Iadd.said forward ingredient chamber, said needle being movable to an unsheathed position projecting from said body and being capable of dispensing said medicament therethrough,.Iaddend. .Iadd.a .Iaddend.releasable drive . .means.!. .Iadd.assembly .Iaddend.within said body which when released drives said needle from said sheathed position into . .an.!. .Iadd.said .Iaddend.unsheathed position projecting from said body, .Iadd.a sealing structure for maintaining said forward and rearward chambers in said normally sealed relation from one another, said sealing structure permitting said chambers to intercommunicate to allow the ingredients to mix within said body in response to a predetermined mixing procedure; and an .Iaddend.expulsion . .means.!. .Iadd.member disposed .Iaddend.within said body for discharging the medicament through said needle. ., and a cutting or piercing means which is movable within said body from a first position in which it is separated from said membrane to a second position where it is forcibly in contact with said membrane so as to cut or pierce said membrane before said drive means is released.!.. . .2. An automatic injector according to claim 1, wherein said chambers for the different ingredients of the medicament are arranged axially in said body of the - View Dependent Claims (5, 10)
- .Iaddend.
-
2. injector..!.3. An automatic injector according to claim . .2.!. .Iadd.1.Iaddend., wherein . .a first one of said chambers is arranged to contain said needle in said sheathed position and a second one of said chambers.!. .Iadd.said rearward ingredient chamber .Iaddend.is arranged to contain . .said cutting or piercing means.!. .Iadd.a movable elongated member being manually movable from a first position to a second position and being cooperable with said sealing structure so that said movement from said first position to said second position enables said ingredients to mix within said body before said releasable drive assembly is
-
3. released..Iaddend.4. An automatic injector according to claim 3, wherein the automatic injector has a substantially cylindrical bore within said body . .lined by.!..Iadd., and further comprising .Iaddend.a tubular cartridge . .which defines.!. .Iadd.disposed within said bore said tubular cartridge defining .Iaddend.said .Iadd.longitudinally disposed forward and rearward .Iaddend.adjacent . .axially spaced.!. chambers, and . .said.!.
.Iadd.wherein said sealing structure is in the form of an .Iaddend.impermeable membrane separating said .Iadd.forward and rearward .Iaddend.chambers . .extends.!..Iadd., said impermeable membrane extending .Iaddend.transversely across said cartridge at . .an.!. .Iadd.a longitudinally .Iaddend.intermediate point . .along the length.!. of said
-
4. cartridge. 5. An automatic injector according to claim 4, wherein said tubular cartridge is formed from a chemically inert, impermeable,
-
6. expulsion means for discharging the medicament through the needle.!.. 7. An automatic injector according to claim 6, wherein said releasable drive . .means.!. .Iadd.assembly .Iaddend.comprises a spring-loaded drive member engageable with said plunger .Iadd., a spring, .Iaddend.and .Iadd.a .Iaddend.latching . .means associated with said releasable drive means, said latching means.!. .Iadd.portion .Iaddend.serving for holding . .a.!. .Iadd.said .Iaddend.spring in compression, said drive . .means.!. .Iadd.assembly .Iaddend.being urged by said spring to advance said plunger
-
7. when said latching . .means.!. .Iadd.portion .Iaddend.is released. 8. An automatic injector according to claim 7, wherein said needle carries a disc and said . .lance.!. .Iadd.movable elongated member .Iaddend.is engageable with said disc after said . .lance has cut or pierced said membrane.!. .Iadd.elongated member breaks said sealing structure to permit said ingredients to mix, .Iaddend.said . .lance.!. .Iadd.movable elongated member .Iaddend.being subsequently movable with or by said plunger to force said needle out of said body of the injector into said unsheathed position, said plunger being arranged to continue its movement when said needle is in said unsheathed position to expel said medicament from said
-
8. chambers through said needle. 9. An automatic injector according to claim 8, .Iadd.further .Iaddend.including . .means for.!. .Iadd.a drive pin being manually movable for .Iaddend.advancing said . .lance which is.!. .Iadd.elongated member from said first position to said second position to break said sealing structure, said elongated member being .Iaddend.movable independently of said drive member of said releasable drive . .means.!.
-
9. Iadd.assembly.Iaddend.. 10. An automatic injector according to claim 9, wherein said drive member of said releasable drive . .means.!. .Iadd.assembly .Iaddend.comprises a tubular collet engageable with said plunger, and said . .means.!. .Iadd.drive pin .Iaddend.for advancing said . .lance.!. .Iadd.elongated member is .Iaddend.. .comprises a drive pin.!.
-
11. said drive . .means.!. .Iadd.assembly.Iaddend.. 12. An automatic injector according to claim 11, wherein an end cap is provided on said body, said end cap being movable relative to said body with said second safety element when said first safety element is removed to advance said . .cutting or piercing means.!. .Iadd.elongated member .Iaddend.and said end cap being subsequently movable relative to said body to effect release of said releasable drive . .means.!. .Iadd.assembly .Iaddend.and advance
-
12. said expulsion . .means.!. .Iadd.member.Iaddend.. 13. An automatic injector according to claim 12, wherein a tamper evident . .means.!. .Iadd.member .Iaddend.is provided for indicating removal of said first
-
13. removable safety element. 14. An automatic injector comprising.Iadd.:
- .Iaddend.
a body incorporating at least two chambers, each containing different ingredients of a medicament, such chambers being adjacent to one another . .and separated by a thin impermeable membrane.!., .Iadd.a sealing structure for maintaining said chambers in a normally sealed relation from one another, said sealing structure permitting said chambers to intercommunicate to allow the ingredients to mix within said body in response to a predetermined mixing procedure,.Iaddend. a needle .Iadd.normally .Iaddend.held in a sheathed position within said body, .Iadd.a .Iaddend.releasable drive . .means.!. .Iadd.assembly .Iaddend.within said, body which, when released, drives said needle from said sheathed position into an unsheathed position projecting from said body, .Iadd.said releasable drive assembly including a spring-loaded drive member movable within said body and a latching portion for releasably latching said drive member,.Iaddend. a plunger within said body . .constituting expulsion means.!. for discharging the medicament through said needle, . .cutting or piercing means comprising a lance.!. .Iadd.an elongated member .Iaddend.arranged to extend through, and be slidable relative to, said plunger, said . .releasable drive means comprising a.!. spring-loaded drive member .Iadd.being .Iaddend.engageable with said plunger and .Iadd.capable of moving said plunger forwardly within said body upon release of said .Iaddend.latching . .means.!. .Iadd.portion .Iaddend.associated with said releasable drive . .means.!. .Iadd.assembly,.Iaddend. a spring . .held.!..Iadd.maintained .Iaddend.in compression . .by.!. .Iadd.within said body when .Iaddend.said latching . .means.!. .Iadd.portion is in a latched condition.Iaddend., said drive member being urged by said spring to advance said plunger when said latching . .means.!. .Iadd.portion .Iaddend.is released .Iadd.from said latched condition.Iaddend., and . .means.!. .Iadd.a manually engageable portion .Iaddend.for advancing said . .lance which is.!. .Iadd.elongated member, said elongated member being
- .Iaddend.
-
14. Iaddend.movable independently of said drive member. 15. An automatic injector according to claim 14, wherein said drive member of said releasable drive . .means.!. .Iadd.assembly .Iaddend.comprises a tubular collet engageable with said plunger, and .Iadd.wherein .Iaddend.said . .means for advancing said lance comprises a.!. .Iadd.manually engageable portion is in the form of a .Iaddend.drive pin .Iadd.which is .Iaddend.movable within said collet. .Iadd.16. An automatic injector comprising:
-
a body; a tubular cartridge disposed within said body and incorporating at least two ingredient chambers including a forward ingredient chamber and a rearward ingredient chamber, each of said forward and rearward ingredient chambers containing different ingredients of a medicament; a sealing structure constructed and arranged to maintain said forward and rearward ingredient chambers in normally sealed relation from one another, said sealing structure permitting said forward and rearward chambers to intercommunicate and the ingredients to mix in response to a predetermined manual mixing procedure; a manually movable structure constructed and arranged to be manually engaged and manually moved during said predetermined manual mixing procedure from a first position to a second position so as to eliminate said sealed relation between said forward and rearward chambers and thereby permit said ingredients to mix within said body; a needle normally contained within said forward ingredient chamber and being movable to an extended position projecting outwardly from said body; a plunger disposed within said cartridge and being slidably movable within said cartridge for discharging the medicament through said needle; and a releasable spring assembly being releasable to move said needle from said forward ingredient chamber to said extended position and to move said plunger within said body to discharge the medicament through the needle..Iaddend..Iadd.17. An automatic injector according to claim 16, wherein said body has a rearward end and a forward end, said manually movable structure comprising an elongated member extending through said plunger and a manually engageable portion extending outwardly from said rearward end of said body, and an elongated member extending through said plunger, said manually engageable portion being manually engageable and movable to move said elongated member in sliding relation through said plunger so that said elongated member breaks said sealing structure to permit said ingredients to mix..Iaddend.
-
Specification