Aid for subcutaneous tissue injection and process of effecting the injection with the aid

A device for facilitating a subcutaneous injection into a patient comprising:

• a. one or more skin penetration plates that both have a sufficiently small skin contacting area and encompass a sufficient area of skin within their perimeter to allow the plates to penetrate without piercing into the skin a distance, measured from the unperturbed surface of the skin, greater than the thickness of the skin;
• b. a central portion centered above the encompassed area of skin, wherein the central portion has a downward projection that is short enough to avoid preventing the arm or arms from penetrating the skin a thickness greater than the thickness of the skin;
• c. an injection needle affixed to the central portion, facing toward the skin penetration plate or plates and of sufficient length to penetrate through the skin and into the subcutaneous tissue when this plate or these plates penetrate without piercing into the skin;
• and
• d. support arms connecting the skin penetration plate or plates to the central portion,
• wherein the vertical distance between said skin penetration plate and the exposed upper end of the injection needle is between about 3 mm and 11 mm, and the vertical distance between the said skin penetration plate and the lower end of the injection needle is at least about 1 mm in order for the injection needle to penetrate with piercing through the skin into the subcutaneous tissue without penetrating into any muscle tissue.

A process for administering a subcutaneous injection to a human patient comprising:

• a. obtaining a peripheral frame having
• i. two or more arms having penetration ends or a continuous arm having a penetration end adapted to contact skin of the patient at points distant enough from each other to allow the arms or arm to penetrate without piercing into the skin a distance, measured from the unperturbed surface of the skin, greater than the thickness of the skin;
• ii. a central portion which joins the arms or continuous arm at a vertical height above said penetration ends or end greater than the intended penetration distance of the arms or arm, wherein the central portion has a downward projection that is short enough to avoid preventing the arm or arms from penetrating the skin a thickness greater than the thickness of the skin;
• and
• iii. an aperture in the central portion adapted to hold an injection needle facing in the same direction as said penetration ends or end,;
• b. affixing an injection needle in the aperture, the needle being of sufficient length and held an appropriate vertical distance from these ends to penetrate with piercing through the skin and into the subcutaneous tissue when these ends penetrate or this end penetrates without piercing into the skin;
• and
• c. pressing the peripheral frame against the skin of a patient such that the injection needle penetrates with piercing through the skin into the subcutaneous tissue without penetrating into any muscle tissue,
• wherein the vertical distance between one of said penetration ends and the exposed upper end of the injection needle is between about 3 mm and 11 mm, and the vertical distance between the said penetration end and the lower end of the injection needle is at least about 1 mm in order for the injection needle to penetrate with piercing through the skin into the subcutaneous tissue without penetrating into any muscle tissue.