Automatic injection device

• US 6,280,421 B1
• Filed: 05/14/1999
• Issued: 08/28/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TecPharma Licensing AG (Ypsomed Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Disetronic Licensing Ag (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Hostettler, Peter, Kirchhofer, Fritz, Steck, Jürg, Jost, Stephan
• Primary Examiner(s): Seidel, Richard K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sirmons, Kevin C.
• Application Number:
  US09/311,435
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• Field of Search: 604/131-135, 604/181, 604/187, 604/208-211, 604/218, 604/232, 604/207
• US Class Current: 604/218
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/206 With automatic needle insertion
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/2086 having piston damping means, e.g. axially or rotationally acting retarders
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3247 Means to impede repositioning of protection sleeve from needle covering to needle uncovering position
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/14 Detection of the presence or absence of a tube, a connector or a container in an apparatus
• 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 5/2066 comprising means for injection of two or more media, e.g. by mixing
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/24 Ampoule syringes, i.e. syringes with needle for use in combination with replaceable ampoules or carpules, e.g. automatic ampoules or carpules A61J1/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/2448 comprising means for injection of two or more media, e.g. by mixing
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3155 by rotational movement of dose setting member, e.g. during setting or filling of a syringe
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31595 Pre-defined multi-dose administration by repeated overcoming of means blocking the free advancing movement of piston rod, e.g. by tearing or de-blocking
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/46 having means for controlling depth of insertion

Abstract

The present invention provides an auto-injection device including a housing, a container from which a product is dispensed by advancing a piston, the container shiftably accommodated by the housing and carrying a needle, and a drive unit including a driven member, wherein the driven member is shiftably accommodated by the housing and, during an auto-injection, is adapted for inserting the needle and advancing the container to a predetermined frontal position in relation to the housing and advancing the piston within the container for dispensing of the product, wherein the driven member remains uncoupled with the piston until the container reaches its frontal position, and upon the container reaching its frontal position, the driven member detaches from the container and couples with the piston for advancing the piston within the container.

Claims

1. An auto-injection device for administering a product, comprising:

a) a housing;

b) a container having an outlet and carrying a needle at said outlet, the container being shiftably accommodated by the housing; and

c) a driven member of a drive unit operably coupled to the housing, the driven member being shiftably accommadated by the housing wherein, during an auto-injection, the driven member advances the container to a predetermined frontal position in relation to the housing, and advances a piston within the container for dispensing of the product, wherein the driven member remains uncoupled with the piston, and coupled with the container until the container reaches the predetermined frontal position, and upon the container reaching the predetermined frontal position, the driven member becomes decoupled from the container and becomes coupled with the piston for advancement of the piston within the container.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a transfer member which is driven by the driven member, the transfer member being adapted to push the container in a forward direction when advancing; and

a coupling which affects the driving motion between the driven member and the transfer member, wherein when the container reaches its predetermined frontal position, and the driven member advances further, the driven member advances the piston while pushing against it within the container.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the coupling between the driven member and the transfer member comprises a first coupling means connected to the driven member and a second coupling means connected to the transfer member, the second coupling means being in engagement with the first coupling means, thus causing the driving motion of the transfer member, the engagement being released by a relative rotation caused by a joint advance movement between the driven member and the transfer member around a rotational axis pointing in a forward direction.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the joint advance movement is converted into the relative rotation by a coulisse guiding formed between the driven member and the housing, and wherein the transfer member and the coulisse guiding secure against rotation and displacement.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein the joint advance movement is converted into the relative rotation by a coulisse guiding formed between the transfer member and the housing, and wherein the driven member and the coulisse guiding secure against rotation and displacement.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the coupling between the driven member and the container comprises a positive locking connection.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the coupling between the driven member and the container comprises a non-positive locking connection of the driven member and a transfer member.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the coupling between the driven member and the container comprises a first coupling means connected to the driven member and a second coupling means connected to the transfer member, the second coupling means being in engagement by means of a third coupling means with the transfer member, thus causing the transfer member to be driven forward, wherein at least one of the coupling means is flexible and yields under the influence of a force exerted at the end of the forward movement of the container, thus causing disengagement.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein said third coupling means is a flexible ring, transmitting a forward pressure of said first coupling means to said second coupling means and being shifted beyond said first coupling means or said second coupling means when a predetermined maximum force acting in the forward direction is exceeded.

10. The device of claim 1, further comprising a damper between a transfer member and the driven member for compensation of a decrease of a drive force effecting the advancement of the driven member.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the container is formed by a multi-chamber ampoule having a rear piston and a frontal piston, and a mixing member containing a mixing tube for advancing the rear piston towards the frontal piston, the mixing tube being a transfer member.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein said transfer member comprises a dosing means, which by interacting with the drive unit allows for the selection of a product dose which is to be administered.

13. The device of claim 1, further comprising a needle safety sleeve shiftably arranged on said housing and being blocked in a frontal position surrounding said needle against rearward shifting relative to said housing when said needle is in an advanced position.

14. The device of claim 13, further comprising a container holder being shiftably accommodated by said housing and being advanced together with said container, effecting a blocking of said needle safety sleeve when said container is in its frontal position.

15. An injection device comprising a housing, a container shiftably accommodated by the housing, the container carrying a needle and accommodating a moveable piston, and a drive unit comprising a driven member shiftably accommodated by the housing wherein, during an injection, the driven member is coupled to the container, and advances the container to a predetermined position in relation to the housing, wherein, upon reaching the predetermined position, the driven member is decoupled from the container and coupled with the piston for moving the piston within the container.

16. An auto-injection device for administering a product, comprising:

a) a housing;

b) a container having an outlet and carrying a needle at said outlet, the container being shiftably accommodated by the housing; and

c) a driven member of a drive unit, the driven member being shiftably accommodated by the housing wherein, during an auto-injection, the driven member advances the container to a predetermined frontal position in relation to the housing and advances a piston within the container for dispensing of the product, wherein

d) the driven member is not coupled with the piston and is coupled with the container until the container reaches the predetermined frontal position, and upon the container reaching the predetermined frontal position, the driven member is decoupled from the container and coupled with the piston from advancing the piston within the container.