# US 11,076,949 B2 · Injector with transmission mechanism, in particular gear train > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,076,949 B2 - Document ID: US11076949B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/445,895 - Filed: 2017-02-28 - Published: 2017-08-31 - Granted: 2021-08-03 - Earliest claimed: 2016-02-29 - Assignees: Medicel Oy - Applicants: Medicel AG - Inventors: Reto Germann; Volker Dockhorn - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11076949B2 ## CPC - A61F 2/167: {with pushable plungers} - A61M 5/31581: {the component being manually operated or triggered by a rotating or pivoting actuator operated by user, e.g. an injection lever or handle} - A61M 5/31586: {the component being manually operated or triggered by a rotating or pivoting actuator operated by user, e.g. an injection lever or handle} - 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} - F16H 19/04: comprising a rack - F16H 31/001: {Mechanisms with freewheeling members} - A61F 2/1667: {with rotatable plungers} - A61M 2205/581: by audible feedback - F16H 2019/046: {Facilitating the engagement or stopping of racks} - A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C) - 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)} - F16H: GEARING ## Abstract An injector for ejecting an intraocular lens into an eye, comprises a longitudinal injector body, in which an injector piston rod can be guided in an axially displaceable manner, an injector nozzle at a front end of the injector body, in the direction of which the injector piston rod can be displaced, a displacement mechanism for pushing the injector piston rod forwards, and an actuating element for the manual actuation of the displacement mechanism. The displacement mechanism includes a transmission mechanism, by means of which the actuating element and the injector piston rod can be placed in an articulated driving connection, and an operating region for the actuation of the actuating element is formed at a longitudinal side of the injector body. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An injector for ejecting an intraocular lens and injecting the intraocular lens into an eye, comprising: an injector body within which an injector piston rod can be guided in an axially displaceable manner; an injector nozzle located at a front end of the injector body and positioned in a direction within which the injector piston rod can be displaced; a displacement mechanism for pushing the injector piston rod in a forward direction toward the injector nozzle; and an actuating element located at an operating region formed at a longitudinal side of the injector body for manual actuation of the displacement mechanism, the displacement mechanism including a transmission mechanism comprising a rack and at least one first pinion, the rack being a part of the injector piston rod and the at least one first pinion being fastened to the actuating element, placing the actuating element and the injector piston rod in an articulated driving connection, so that the rack and the at least one first pinion engage with one another to transmit a manual driving force from the actuating element to the piston rod; a ratchet mechanism comprising a linear rack structure on the injector piston rod; a pawl attached to the injector body, the pawl being positionable between an inactivated pawl position, where the pawl and the linear rack structure are disengaged, and an activated pawl position, where the pawl and the linear rack structure are engaged, such that in the inactivated pawl position, a forward and a backward movement of the piston rod is possible depending on a direction of an operator's movement of the actuating element, and in the activated pawl position a forward movement of the piston rod in the forward direction toward the injector nozzle is possible but a backwards movement of the piston rod in a rearward direction away from the injector nozzle is inhibited by the pawl by engagement with the linear rack structure, whereby, in the activated pawl position, the forward movement of the piston rod in the forward direction toward the injector nozzle results in pushing the intraocular lens out of the injector, while due to inhibition of the backwards movement of the piston rod in a rearward direction away from the injector nozzle retraction of the intraocular lens is prevented. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The injector of claim 1, further comprising a ratchet mechanism activating element. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The injector of claim 1, further comprising a deformable plunger on a tip of the piston rod. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The injector of claim 3, wherein the deformable plunger comprises an elastic or viscoelastic plunger. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The injector of claim 1, wherein a distal end of the nozzle comprises has a cross sectional area less than 3.1416 mm2. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The injector of claim 1, wherein a distal end of the nozzle comprises has a cross sectional area less than 3.0 mm2. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The injector of claim 1, wherein a distal end of the nozzle comprises has a cross sectional area less than 2.8 mm2. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The injector of claim 1, wherein the transmission mechanism comprises a gear train. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The injector of claim 1, wherein the actuating element can be operated by manually pushing or pulling in a longitudinal direction of the injector body. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The injector of claim 1, further comprising a second pinion arranged between the at least one first pinion and the rack whereby teeth of the second pinion engage on the one hand with teeth on the at least one first pinion and on the other hand with teeth of the rack so that a driving force is transmitted by the second pinion from the first at least one pinion to the rack. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The injector of claim 10, wherein the second pinion is operated as a spur gear. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The injector of claim 1, wherein the first pinion is drivable by the actuating element. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The injector of claim 12, wherein the actuating element is fastened as an operating lever to the first pinion. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The injector of claim 1, wherein the first pinion is operated as a spur gear. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The injector of claim 1, wherein the injector body defines at least one opening in the operating region in the injector body, by which the actuating element is accessible for manual actuation. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The injector of claim 15, wherein at least a portion of the actuating element projects through the at least one opening and from the injector body. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The injector of claim 1, wherein the injector is operable with a single hand. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The injector of claim 1, wherein the transmission mechanism is a manually operating transmission mechanism. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The injector of claim 1, wherein the actuating element comprises a rotating actuating element. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The injector of claim 1, wherein the actuating element requires more than one finger stroke to push the interocular lens out of the nozzle.