# US 10,864,324 B2 · Autoinjector system

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- Number: US 10,864,324 B2
- Document ID: US10864324B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/167,068
- Filed: 2016-05-27
- Published: 2016-09-22
- Granted: 2020-12-15
- Earliest claimed: 2008-05-20
- Assignees: Avant Medical Corp.
- Applicants: Avant Medical Corp.
- Inventors: John B. Slate; Michael W. Burk; Richard J. Koerner; Corey M. Magers; Andrew C. Barnes
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10864324B2

## CPC

- A61M 5/20: Automatic syringes, e.g. with automatically actuated piston rod, with automatic needle injection, filling automatically (A61M5/142 takes precedence)
- A61M 5/3134: {characterised by constructional features of the distal end, i.e. end closest to the tip of the needle cannula}
- A61M 5/3202: {Devices for protection of the needle before use, e.g. caps (A61M5/50 takes precedence; protectors for sharps A61B50/3001)}
- A61M 5/206: {with automatic needle insertion}
- A61M 5/3204: {Needle cap removers, i.e. devices to dislodge protection cover from needle or needle hub, e.g. deshielding devices}
- A61M 5/326: {Fully automatic sleeve extension, i.e. in which triggering of the sleeve does not require a deliberate action by the user}
- A61M 2005/2026: {Semi-automatic, e.g. user activated piston is assisted by additional source of energy}
- A61M 2005/208: {Release is possible only when device is pushed against the skin, e.g. using a trigger which is blocked or inactive when the device is not pushed against the skin}
- A61M 2005/3142: {Modular constructions, e.g. supplied in separate pieces to be assembled by end-user}
- A61M 2005/31588: {electrically driven}
- A61M 2205/13: with means for the detection of operative contact with patient, e.g. lip sensor
- A61M 2205/3365: Rotational speed
- A61M 2205/50: with microprocessors or computers
- A61M 2205/581: by audible feedback
- A61M 2205/583: by visual feedback
- A61M 2205/6045: having complementary physical shapes for indexing or registration purposes
- A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)}

## Abstract

An autoinjector system for injecting a fluid medicament into a patient includes a re-usable autoinjector, and a disposable cassette loaded with a hypodermic syringe pre-filled with a fluid medicament. The autoinjector includes a first motor for injecting a needle of the hypodermic syringe into the patient and a second motor for expelling the fluid medicament from the syringe.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A medicament delivery system, comprising:
an injector; and
a housing disposed in the injector;
a syringe including a needle, a fluid chamber in fluid communication with the needle and adapted to contain a fluid medicament, and a stopper disposed in the fluid chamber for expelling the medicament through the needle, at least a portion of the syringe disposed in the housing,
the syringe movable between a proximal position where the fluid chamber is entirely disposed inside of the injector and the needle is concealed within the injector, and a distal position where the fluid chamber is entirely disposed inside of the injector and at least a part of the needle is extended out of the injector;
at least one motor operably coupled to move the syringe from the proximal position to the distal position and to move the stopper to expel the medicament out of the needle; and
a pair of retaining elements disposed adjacent to the housing and spaced from one another, each retaining element movable in a radial direction opposite the other retaining element between a first position and a second position radially offset from the first position,
wherein, when each retaining element is in the first position, the syringe does not move relative to the housing, and wherein when the at least one motor drives the syringe relative to the housing from the proximal position to the distal position the syringe drives each retaining element to the second position, and
wherein the housing is fixed relative to the injector in a longitudinal direction of the injector while the syringe moves between the proximal position and the distal position.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one motor includes a single motor operably coupled to move the syringe from the proximal position to the distal position or move the stopper to expel the medicament out of the needle.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one motor includes a first motor operably coupled to move the syringe from the proximal position to the distal position, and a second motor operably coupled to move the stopper to expel the medicament out of the needle.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising a sensor located on a distal end of the injector for determining when the system is in physical contact with a patient.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The system of claim 4, wherein the sensor comprises a capacitance sensor.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising a medicament stored in the fluid chamber of the syringe.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, wherein the medicament has a viscosity in a range of approximately 1 centipoise to approximately 320 centipoise.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising a speed selector switch configured to allow a user to select a speed at which the at least one motor expels the medicament out of the syringe.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the syringe is removably mounted in the housing.

### Claim 10

A method of operating a medicament delivery system including an injector, a housing disposed in the injector, and a syringe pre-filled with a medicament, at least a portion of the syringe being disposed within the housing, the syringe including a needle, a fluid chamber in communication with the needle and adapted to contain a fluid medicament, and a stopper disposed in the fluid chamber for expelling the medicament through the needle, the method comprising:
with a drive mechanism comprising at least one motor operably coupled to move the syringe, advancing the syringe relative to the housing from a proximal position where the fluid chamber is entirely disposed inside of the housing and the needle of the syringe is concealed within the housing to a distal position where the fluid chamber is entirely disposed inside of the housing and at least a part of the needle of the syringe extends out of the housing;
movement of the syringe from the proximal position to the distal position driving each of a pair of retaining elements disposed adjacent to the housing and spaced from one another to move in opposite radial directions from each other between a first position to a second position radially offset from the first position, wherein when each retaining element is in the first position the syringe does not move relative to the housing and wherein the housing is fixed relative to the injector in a longitudinal direction of the injector while the syringe moves between the proximal position and the distal position; and
with the drive mechanism, advancing a stopper of the syringe through a barrel of the syringe to expel the medicament out of the needle while each retaining element is in the second position.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising, with the drive mechanism, withdrawing the syringe from the distal position to the proximal position.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the drive mechanism comprises a first motor and a second motor, and wherein the syringe is advanced and withdrawn with the first motor, and the stopper is advanced with the second motor.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the drive mechanism comprises a single motor, and the syringe is advanced and withdrawn, and the stopper advanced with the single motor.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising sensing physical contact between the medicament delivery system and the patient with a sensor located on a distal end of the injector.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, further comprising sensing physical contact between the medicament delivery system and a patient with a capacitance sensor located on a distal end of the injector.

### Claim 16 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising, with a speed selector switch, receiving an input from a user, and wherein advancing the stopper through the syringe includes advancing the stopper in accordance with the input received by the speed selector switch.