Prefilled syringe injector

• US 10,478,560 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2017
• Issued: 11/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Antares Pharma Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Antares Pharma Incorporated
• Inventors: Lesch, Paul R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stiles, Amber R
• Application Number:
  US15/493,494
• Publication Number:
  US 20170216527A1
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/2013 triggering of discharging means by contact of injector with patient body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/206 With automatic needle insertion
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/178 Syringes
• 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 5/28 Syringe ampoules or carpules, i.e. ampoules or carpules provided with a needle
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/30 Syringes for injection by jet action, without needle, e.g. for use with replaceable ampoules or carpules
• 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 5/46 having means for controlling depth of insertion
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/484 Regulating injection pressure

Abstract

A jet injector that includes a prefilled syringe. The syringe includes a fluid chamber that contains a medicament. The syringe also has an injection-assisting needle, and a plunger is movable within the fluid chamber. A housing is configured for allowing insertion of the needle to a penetration depth. An energy source is configured for biasing the plunger to produce an injecting pressure in the medicament in the fluid chamber of between about 80 and 1000 p.s.i. to jet inject the medicament from the fluid chamber through the needle to an injection site.

Claims

1. An injector, comprising:

a prefilled syringe comprising;

a container portion defining a chamber containing a medicament,

a needle disposed at a distal end of the chamber, the needle having an injection tip configured for piercing an insertion location, and defining a fluid pathway in fluid communication with the chamber, and

a plunger movable within the chamber,

a housing that houses the prefilled syringe;

a syringe support supportively mounting the prefilled syringe to the housing; and

an energy source configured for biasing the plunger with a force selected to produce an injecting pressure in the medicament in the chamber during the injection of the medicament to inject the medicament from the chamber through the needle to an injection site,

wherein a penetration depth and injecting pressure are sufficient to substantially prevent backflow of the injected medicament, and

wherein the prefilled syringe is associated with the housing in a fixed position before and during activation of the energy source for firing of the injector.

2. The injector of claim 1, wherein the energy source and prefilled syringe are configured such that the injecting pressure remains at up to about 350 p.s.i. during the injection of the medicament.

3. The injector of claim 2, wherein the energy source is configured to produce the injecting pressure that remains at least at about 90 p.s.i. during the injection of the medicament.

4. The injector of claim 1, wherein the penetration depth is between about 0.5 mm and 5 mm below the surface at the insertion location.

5. The injector of claim 1, wherein the housing is configured for allowing insertion of the needle to subcutaneous depth.

6. The injector of claim 1, wherein the energy source comprises a spring.

7. The injector of claim 6, further comprising a ram that is biased by the spring against the plunger to produce the injection pressure, wherein the ram comprises a bell portion on which the spring is seated, and the bell portion defines a hollow interior configured for receiving the prefilled syringe when the injector is fired, such that the spring surrounds the prefilled syringe.

8. The injector of claim 1, wherein the chamber contains about between 0.02 mL and 4 mL of the medicament.

9. The injector of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a retractable guard that is movable between:

a protecting position in which the needle is disposed within the guard; and

an injecting position in which the tip of the needle is exposed for insertion to the insertion point.

10. The injector of claim 9, further comprising a trigger mechanism operably associated with the energy source for activating the energy source to inject the medicament,

wherein the trigger mechanism is configured for activating the energy source after the retractable guard is retracted from the protecting position.

11. The injector of claim 10, wherein the retractable guard is operably associated with the trigger mechanism to cause the trigger mechanism to activate the energy source when the retractable guard is retracted to the injecting position.

12. The injector of claim 1, wherein the prefilled syringe has a distal portion in which the needle is located, and a proximal portion opposite the distal portion, and

wherein the syringe support axially supports the proximal portion of the pre-filled syringe during the injection of the medicament, such that the distal portion of the prefilled syringe is substantially unsupported in an axial direction.

13. The injector of claim 12, wherein the injecting pressure and penetration depth are sufficient such that the injection site is subcutaneous.

14. The injector of claim 1, wherein the energy source is configured to produce an injecting pressure in the medicament in the chamber that substantially remains below 500 p.s.i. during injection of the medicament.

15. The injector of claim 1, wherein the penetration depth is between about 1 mm and 4 mm.

16. The injector of claim 1, wherein the penetration depth is up to about 3 mm below the surface of at the insertion location.

17. The injector of claim 1, further comprising a syringe cushion associated with the syringe support and prefilled syringe, the syringe cushion comprising a resilient sleeve portion configured to provide shock absorption during firing of the injector.

18. The injector of claim 17, wherein the syringe includes a flange and the syringe cushion supports the flange.

19. The injector of claim 17, wherein the syringe cushion comprises an elastomeric material to compensate for shape irregularities of the pre-filled syringe.