Single-use injector of low cost

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9656027-B2
Application number	US-201114117846-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 18, 2011
Priority date	May 18, 2011
Publication date	May 23, 2017
Grant date	May 23, 2017

Abstract

An injection device ( 100, 200 ), including a safety shield ( 104, 204 ) and a housing ( 108, 208 ). The safety shield ( 104, 204 ) has a first end and a surface disposed at a second end thereof for contacting a patient's skin, and a shield tab ( 164 , - 240 ) extending therefrom. The housing ( 108, 208 ) is slidably disposed with respect to the safety shield ( 104, 204 ) and includes a guide groove ( 172, 252 ) for engaging the shield tab ( 164, 240 ) to guide movement of the housing ( 108, 208 ) relative to the safety shield ( 104, 204 ). The guide groove ( 172, 252 ) has first ( 184, 256 ) and second ( 188, 260 ) axial portions and a substantially helical portion ( 192, 264 ) connecting the first and second axial portions ( 184,188, 256, 260 ). The device ( 100, 200 ) also includes a medicament container ( 120, 220 ) connected with the housing ( 108, 208 ) and having a needle ( 124, 224 ) affixed thereto in communication with a medicament disposed within the medicament container ( 120, 220 ). The medicament container ( 120, 220 ) is displaceable relative to the safety shield ( 104, 204 ) from an initial position to an injection position, to a withdrawn position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An injection device, comprising:
a safety shield having a first end and a surface disposed at a second end thereof for-contacting a patient's skin, the safety shield having a shield tab extending therefrom;
a housing slidably disposed with respect to the safety shield, the housing including a guide groove for engaging the shield tab to guide movement of the housing relative to the safety shield, the guide groove having first and second axial portions and a substantially helical portion connecting the first and second axial portions;
a medicament container connected with the housing and having a needle affixed thereto in communication with a medicament disposed within the medicament container, wherein the medicament container is displaceable relative to the safety shield from an initial position to an injection position, to a withdrawn position;
a biasing member biasing the medicament container away from the safety shield; and
an injector member slidably disposed relative to the medicament container, for expelling the medicament from the medicament container;
wherein:
the medicament container is fixedly connected with the housing;
the housing includes an inner wall and an outer wall;
the biasing member is disposed between the inner and outer walls;
the medicament container is disposed radially inward of the inner wall;
one of the injector member and the inner wall has a radial protrusion and the remaining one of the injector member and the inner wall has a pair of grooves for selectively retaining the radial protrusion and preventing proximal translation of the injector member therepast; and
a first one of the pair of grooves corresponds to an initial state and the remaining one of the pair of grooves correspond to an injected state.

2. The injection device according to claim 1 , wherein the safety shield includes a depth stop for limiting penetration of the needle into a patient's skin.

3. The injection device according to claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a cantilevered upper flexible arm disposed on the first axial portion of the guide groove and a cantilevered lower flexible arm disposed on the second axial portion of the guide groove, and
wherein subsequent to the shield tab passing respective free ends thereof, the flexible arms prevent reverse displacement of the shield tab along the corresponding axial portions of the guide groove.

4. The injection device according to claim 3 , wherein the upper flexible arm comprises a ramp at the free end thereof;
wherein as the shield tab passes the ramp, the shield tab radially displaces the free end of the upper flexible arm; and
wherein subsequent to the shield tab passing the ramp, the free end snaps back to form a portion of the helical portion of the guiding groove.

5. The injection device according to claim 3 , wherein the lower flexible arm comprises a ramp at a free end thereof;
wherein as the biasing member completes the displacement of the medicament container to the withdrawn position, the shield tab travels in the second axial portion of the guiding groove and passes the ramp, radially displacing the free end of the lower flexible arm; and
wherein after the shield tab passes the ramp, the free end of the lower flexible arm snaps back to prevent displacement of the housing relative to the safety shield.

6. The injection device according to claim 3 ,
wherein the medicament container is slidably connected with the housing and the safety shield;
wherein the injector member comprises a plunger and a stopper disposed at a first end of the plunger, and the housing contacts a second end of the plunger opposite to the first end; and
wherein displacement of the housing relative to the medicament container and the safety shield expels the medicament from the medicament container.

7. The injection device according to claim 6 , wherein at the end of the stroke of the housing to expel medicament from the medicament container,
the shield tab disposed on the shield engages the substantially helical portion of the guide groove; and
upon release of the housing, the biasing member displaces the medicament container and the housing away from the safety shield, rotating the housing due to the engagement of the shield tab in the substantially helical portion.

8. The injection device according to claim 6 , wherein the upper flexible arm comprises a locking protrusion selectively preventing displacement of the housing and the plunger relative to the medicament container;
wherein one of the upper flexible arm and the safety shield comprises an unlocking ramp and the remaining one of the upper flexible arm and the safety shield comprises a radial protrusion; and
wherein upon displacement of the medicament container from the initial position to the injection position in which the needle extends beyond the safety shield, the unlocking ramp contacts the radial protrusion to radially displace a free end of the upper flexible arm, to permit movement of the housing relative to the medicament container.

9. The injection device according to claim 1 , wherein upon the needle reaching a predetermined injection depth, the shield tab engages the substantially helical portion of the guide groove; and
upon subsequent release of the injector member, as the biasing member displaces the housing and the medicament container, away from the safety shield, the housing rotates due to the engagement of the shield tab in the substantially helical portion of the guide groove.

10. The injection device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the medicament container comprises a flexible blister;
the injector member comprises an injector button having an internal slot axially aligned with the flexible blister; and
as the injector button is depressed, the walls of the internal slot compress the flexible blister to expel the medicament from the medicament container.

11. An injection device, comprising:
a safety shield having a first end and a surface disposed at a second end thereof for contacting a patient's skin;
a medicament container slidably connected to the safety shield, the medicament container including a needle affixed thereto in communication with a medicament disposed within the medicament container, wherein the medicament container is displaceable relative to the safety shield from an initial position to an injection position, to a withdrawn position; an injector member comprising a plunger and a stopper disposed at a first end of the plunger;
a biasing member biasing the medicament container away from the safety shield; and
a housing slidably disposed with respect to both the safety shield and the medicament container, wherein the housing includes a cantilevered upper locking arm selectively preventing displacement of the housing and the plunger relative to the medicament container;
wherein one of the upper locking arm and the safety shield comprises a ramp and the remaining one of the upper locking arm and the safety shield comprises a corresponding radial protrusion;
wherein upon displacement of the medicament container from the initial position to the injection position in which the needle extends beyond the safety shield, the ramp contacts the radial protrusion to radially displace a free end of the upper locking arm, to permit movement of the housing relative to the medicament container;
wherein the housing contacts a second end of the plunger opposite to the first end; and
wherein subsequent to the displacement of the medicament container from the initial position to the injection position, displacement of the housing relative to the medicament container and the safety shield expels the medicament from

Assignees

• Quinn Michael
• Becton Dickinson Co

Inventors

• Quinn Michael

Classifications

• A61M5/326 Primary

  Fully automatic sleeve extension, i.e. in which triggering of the sleeve does not require a deliberate action by the user · CPC title

• A61M5/283

  by telescoping of ampoules or carpules with the syringe body · CPC title

• A61M5/3272

  having projections following labyrinth paths · CPC title

• A61M5/3287

  Accessories for bringing the needle into the body; Automatic needle insertion (A61M5/20, A61M5/31525 take precedence) · CPC title

• A61M5/178 Primary

  Syringes · CPC title