Syringe unit for a reusable injection device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025161588-A1
Application number	US-202519033033-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 21, 2025
Priority date	Jul 22, 2022
Publication date	May 22, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A disposable syringe unit for an injection device adapted for releasable attachment to a reusable drive unit of the injection device includes a prefilled syringe with a reservoir and an injection needle, a syringe holder for holding the prefilled syringe, a cover member guided by guiding means thereby movable along the longitudinal axis relative to the syringe holder between a covering position in which the injection needle is covered and a retracted position in which the injection needle protrudes from the cover member, and a cap releasably attached to a distal end of the cover member or the syringe holder. Apart from the prefilled syringe, the syringe unit includes in total not more than three separate parts.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A disposable syringe unit for an injection device adapted for releasable attachment to a reusable drive unit of the injection device, the syringe unit comprising:
a prefilled syringe comprising a reservoir and an injection needle permanently connected to the reservoir and covered by a needle shield prior to use; a syringe holder configured for holding the prefilled syringe, the syringe holder comprising guiding means and defining a longitudinal axis; a cover member guided by the guiding means and movable along the longitudinal axis relative to the syringe holder between a covering position in which the injection needle is covered and a retracted position in which the injection needle protrudes from the cover member; and a cap releasably attached to a distal end of the cover member or the syringe holder, wherein apart from the prefilled syringe, the syringe unit comprises in total not more than three separate parts.

2 . The disposable syringe unit according to claim 1 , wherein the syringe holder, the cover sleeve and the cap are injection-molded thermoplastic plastics parts.

3 . The disposable syringe unit according to claim 1 , wherein the syringe is non-movably arranged within the syringe holder after assembly.

4 . The disposable syringe unit according to claim 1 , wherein the syringe comprises a cylindrical barrel made of glass and an injection needle made of steel inseparably connected to the barrel.

5 . The disposable syringe unit according to claim 1 , wherein the syringe unit, other than the prefilled syringe, is devoid of metallic parts.

6 . The disposable syringe unit according to claim 1 , wherein the syringe holder comprises a radially protruding flexible arm configured with a free end portion, wherein the cover member comprises a stop surface, and wherein the free end portion is adapted to engage the stop surface to hold the cover member in the covering position.

7 . The disposable syringe unit according to claim 6 , wherein the flexible arm is integrally formed by the syringe holder.

8 . The disposable syringe unit according to claim 6 , wherein the end portion engages the stop surface in a non-deflected position of the arm and the end portion is disengaged from the stop surface in a deflected state of the arm thereby allowing the cover member to be moved out of the covering position.

9 . The disposable syringe unit according to claim 1 , wherein the cover member comprises a machine-readable code attached to a surface of the cover member, the code comprising syringe unit-specific identification information.

10 . The disposable syringe unit according to claim 1 , wherein the cover member is a sleeve, and wherein the syringe holder is concentrically arranged inside the sleeve.

11 . The disposable syringe unit according to claim 10 , wherein the sleeve comprises a first radial opening, and wherein a radially protruding flexible arm configured with a free end portion of the syringe holder is accessible from an exterior through the first opening.

12 . The disposable syringe unit according to claim 11 , wherein the syringe holder comprises a radially extending protrusion for holding the syringe unit by the reusable unit, and wherein the sleeve comprises a second radial opening and the protrusion is accessible from the exterior through the second opening.

13 . The disposable syringe unit according to claim 10 , wherein the guiding means of the syringe holder comprises a longitudinal groove or a longitudinal spline on an exterior surface, and wherein the sleeve comprises the other of the longitudinal groove or the longitudinal spline on an interior surface.

14 . A disposable syringe unit for an injection device adapted for releasable attachment to a reusable drive unit of the injection device, the syringe unit comprising:
a prefilled syringe comprising a reservoir and an injection needle permanently connected to the reservoir; a syringe holder configured for holding the prefilled syringe and comprising a radially protruding flexible arm with a free end portion; a cover member movable relative to the syringe holder along a longitudinal axis of the disposable syringe unit between a covering position in which the injection needle is covered and a retracted position in which the injection needle protrudes from the cover member; and a cap releasably attached to a distal end of the cover member or the syringe holder, wherein the cover member comprises a stop surface and the free end portion is adapted to engage the stop surface to hold the cover member in the covering position, and wherein apart from the prefilled syringe, the syringe unit comprises in total not more than three separate parts.

15 . An injection device comprising a disposable syringe unit and a reusable drive unit comprising a plunger rod and a drive for moving the plunger rod in a dispensing direction to dispense a drug from the syringe, wherein the syringe unit is releasably attachable to the drive unit, and wherein the syringe unit comprises:
a prefilled syringe comprising a reservoir and an injection needle permanently connected to the reservoir and covered by a needle shield prior to use; a syringe holder configured for holding the prefilled syringe, wherein the syringe is non-movably arranged within the syringe holder after assembly; a cover member movable relative to the syringe holder along a longitudinal axis of the syringe unit between a covering position in which the injection needle is covered and a retracted position in which the injection needle protrudes from the cover member; and a cap releasably attached to a distal end of the cover member or the syringe holder, wherein apart from the prefilled syringe, the syringe unit comprises in total not more than three separate parts.

16 . The injection device according to claim 15 , wherein the injection device is a semi-reusable autoinjector, and wherein the drive unit comprises an electric motor.

Assignees

• Ypsomed Ag

Inventors

• Scheurer Simon
• Hostettler Patrick

Classifications

• A61M2005/244

  by flexible clip · CPC title

• A61M2005/2403

  Ampoule inserted into the ampoule holder · CPC title

• A61M5/3257

  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 title

• A61M5/3275 Primary

  being connected to the needle hub or syringe by radially deflectable members, e.g. longitudinal slats, cords or bands · CPC title

• A61M5/24 Primary

  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 title