# US 12,214,180 B2 · Pre-filled syringe safety devices and injectors, systems, and methods of use

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- Number: US 12,214,180 B2
- Document ID: US12214180B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/285,671
- Filed: 2022-04-07
- Published: 2024-03-14
- Granted: 2025-02-04
- Earliest claimed: 2021-04-08
- Assignees: Love Lifesciences LLC
- Applicants: Love Lifesciences LLC
- Inventors: Nicholas Love; Bradley Hopper
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12214180B2

## CPC

- A61M 5/3202: {Devices for protection of the needle before use, e.g. caps (A61M5/50 takes precedence; protectors for sharps A61B50/3001)}
- A61M 5/3245: {Constructional features thereof, e.g. to improve manipulation or functioning}
- A61M 5/3137: {with finger grip means, e.g. for easy manipulation of the syringe rod}
- A61M 5/31571: {Means preventing accidental administration (for automatic syringes A61M5/20)}
- A61M 5/3158: {the component being manually operated or triggered by an axially moving actuator operated by user, e.g. an axially movable injection button}
- A61M 5/3213: {Caps placed axially onto the needle, e.g. equipped with finger protection guards (axially-extensible protective sleeves A61M5/3243)}
- 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 5/3271: {with guiding tracks for controlled sliding of needle protective sleeve from needle exposing to needle covering position}
- A61M 5/3272: {having projections following labyrinth paths}
- A61M 5/3204: {Needle cap removers, i.e. devices to dislodge protection cover from needle or needle hub, e.g. deshielding devices}
- A61M 2005/3247: {Means to impede repositioning of protection sleeve from needle covering to needle uncovering position}
- A61M 2005/3267: {Biased sleeves where the needle is uncovered by insertion of the needle into a patient's body}
- 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

A prefilled syringe safety device and injector for use with a syringe. The prefilled syringe safety device and injector includes a cartridge, a casing, a tube, a biasing member, a ring and a plunger slider. The cartridge supports the syringe therein. The cartridge is supported within the casing. The tube includes a tube distal end. The tube is slidably engaged with the cartridge and can be in an extended state and in a retracted state. When in the retracted state, the needle of the syringe extends beyond the tube distal end and the casing distal opening. The biasing member is engaged with the cartridge and the tube so as to bias the tube in the extended state. The ring includes a protrusion and is engaged with the tube and the biasing member. The protrusion is positioned within the track. The plunger slider engages with the plunger of the syringe.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An injector for use with a syringe having a plunger, a barrel, and a needle, the injector comprising:
a cartridge configured to support the syringe therein;
a casing including a casing distal opening, an inner surface, a sidewall, an internal volume, a slider opening extending through the sidewall, and a track defined on the inner surface, the cartridge supported within the casing;
a tube including a tube distal end, the tube slidably engaged with the cartridge and configured to be in an extended state and in a retracted state, wherein, in the retracted state, the needle of the syringe extends beyond the tube distal end and the casing distal opening;
a biasing member engaged with the cartridge and the tube so as to bias the tube in the extended state;
a ring including a protrusion, the ring engaged with the tube and the biasing member, the protrusion positioned at least partially within the track; and
a plunger slider having a first portion configured to engage with the plunger of the syringe within the internal volume of the casing, the plunger slider having a second portion extending from the first portion through the slider opening and positioned at least partially outside the casing, the second portion being depressible by a user in order to depress the plunger of the syringe,
wherein, when the cartridge supports the syringe therein and when the cartridge is supported within the casing, the barrel of the syringe is in a fixed position relative to the casing and remains in the fixed position before, during, and after depression of the plunger of the syringe.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The injector of claim 1, wherein, in the extended state, the tube extends distally past a tip of the needle.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The injector of claim 1, further comprising the syringe.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The injector of claim 1, wherein the tube is configured to transition from the extended state, to the retracted state, and then to a locked extended state via interaction of the protrusion of the ring with the track.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The injector of claim 1, wherein the tube further includes a plurality of nubs at the distal tube end.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The injector of claim 1, wherein the casing further includes a longitudinal axis, the slider opening including a first section that is transverse to the longitudinal axis and a second section that is parallel to the longitudinal axis.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The injector of claim 1, wherein the casing further includes at least one viewing window defined therethrough.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The injector of claim 1, further comprising the syringe being pre-filled with a dose of a substance.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The injector of claim 1, wherein the inner surface of the casing includes a recess, and the syringe further includes a flange, and wherein, in the fixed position, the recess receives the flange of the syringe therein.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The injector of claim 1, wherein movement of the plunger slider is independent of movement of the tube.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The injector of claim 1, wherein the syringe further includes a flange, and wherein the flange engages with a portion of the casing to facilitate the fixed position of the barrel of the syringe relative to the casing.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The injector of claim 11, wherein the portion of the casing is a recess configured to receive the flange of the syringe.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The injector of claim 1, wherein the cartridge is a separate component from the casing.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The injector of claim 13, wherein the cartridge and the casing include complementary features that align the cartridge within the casing in a non-rotatable orientation.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The injector of claim 14, wherein the complementary features include one or more protrusions on the cartridge and one or more recesses on the casing.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The injector of claim 1, wherein, in the fixed position, the barrel of the syringe is restrained from distal movement relative to the casing.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The injector of claim 1, wherein, in the fixed position, the barrel of the syringe is restrained from distal and proximal movement relative to the casing.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The injector of claim 1, wherein a rate of movement of the plunger slider directly correlates to a rate of injection of a medicament in the syringe.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The injector of claim 1, wherein a distance of movement of the plunger slider directly correlates to a distance of insertion of the plunger within the barrel of the syringe.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

The injector of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the plunger slider releasably couples to an end of the plunger, and wherein the first and second portion so the plunger are unitarily constructed.

### Claim 21 (depends on 1)

The injector of claim 1, wherein movement of the plunger slider and the plunger are fixed.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The injector of claim 21, wherein movement of the plunger slider a first distance causes the plunger to move the first distance.

### Claim 23

An injector for use with a syringe having a plunger, a barrel having a flange, and a needle, the injector comprising:
a cartridge configured to support the syringe therein;
a casing including a casing distal opening, an internal volume, a sidewall, an inner surface, a track defined on the inner surface, and a slider opening extending through the sidewall, the cartridge supported within the casing, wherein, when the cartridge supports the syringe therein, the flange of the syringe engages with a portion of the casing to support the barrel of the syringe is in a fixed position relative to the casing such that movement of the barrel relative to the casing in a distal-proximal direction is prevented;
a tube including a tube distal end, the tube slidably engaged with the cartridge and biased so the tube distal end extends distally past a tip of the needle and distally past the casing distal opening in an extended state of the tube, the tube configured to retract proximally upon overcoming a biasing force such that the needle of the syringe extends beyond the tube distal end and the casing distal opening in a retracted state of the tube, the tube being biased to reextend and lock in the extended state following being in the retracted state; and
a plunger slider having a first portion configured to engage with the plunger of the syringe within the internal volume of the casing, the plunger slider having a second portion extending from the first portion through the slider opening and positioned at least partially outside the casing, the second portion being depressible by a user in order to depress the plunger of the syringe,
wherein the tube is in sliding relation to the cartridge, and wherein a biasing member is operably coupled between the tube and the cartridge, and
wherein the tube is in engagement with the track and the tube is configured to lock in the extended state.

### Claim 24 (depends on 11)

The injector of claim 11, further comprising the syringe filled with a dose of a drug.

### Claim 25 (depends on 23)

The injector of claim 23, further comprising the syringe.

### Claim 26 (depends on 23)

The injector of claim 23, wherein the portion of the casing includes a recess configured to receive the flange of the barrel of the syringe.

### Claim 27 (depends on 23)

The injector of claim 23, wherein the casing includes at least one window defined therein configured to provide a view of the barrel of the syringe.

### Claim 28 (depends on 23)

The injector of claim 23, wherein the tube is configured to lock in the extended state only after the tube has been retracted relative to the casing.

### Claim 29 (depends on 23)

The injector of claim 23, wherein the biasing member comprises a spring configured to provide the biasing force.

### Claim 30 (depends on 29)

The injector of claim 29, wherein the spring provides a rotational bias to a lock ring coupled to the tube, the rotational bias configured to lock the tube in an extended state.

### Claim 31 (depends on 11)

The injector of claim 11, wherein a rate of depression of the plunger slider relative to the casing controls a rate of depression of the plunger into the barrel of the syringe.

### Claim 32 (depends on 31)

The injector of claim 31, wherein the rate of depression of the plunger slider relative to the casing correlates to the rate of depression of the plunger into the barrel of the syringe.

### Claim 33 (depends on 31)

The injector of claim 31, wherein a distance the plunger slider is depressed relative to the casing controls a distance the plunger is depressed into the barrel of the syringe.

### Claim 34 (depends on 33)

The injector of claim 33, wherein the distance the plunger slider is depressed relative to the casing is the same as the distance the plunger is depressed into the barrel of the syringe.

### Claim 35

A method of injecting a substance into an injection site of a patient, the method comprising:
positioning a distal tube of an injector adjacent the injection site of the patient, the injector comprising: a casing having an opening at a distal end thereof, a sidewall, a slider opening extending through the sidewall, an inner surface, and a track defined on the inner surface; a cartridge housed within the casing and supporting a syringe therein, the syringe enclosing the substance therein and including a barrel, a needle, and a plunger; a plunger slider engaged with the plunger of the syringe and extending through the slider opening; the distal tube being slidingly coupled with the cartridge and biased into an extended position such that the distal tube extends over the needle and at least partially outwards from the opening at the distal end of the casing, wherein movement of the plunger slider is independent of movement of the distal tube;
depressing the distal tube against the injection site of the patient thereby causing the distal tube to be in a retracted position wherein the needle protrudes past the distal tube and into the injection site of the patient;
distally advancing the plunger slider relative to the casing so as to depress the plunger within the barrel of the syringe to dispense the substance from the barrel, through the needle, and into the injection site of the patient, wherein the barrel of the syringe is in a fixed position relative to the casing and remains in the fixed position before, during, and after depression of the plunger of the syringe; and
retracting the distal tube from the injection site of the patient thereby causing the distal tube to lock in the extended position.

### Claim 36 (depends on 35)

The method of claim 35, further comprising rotating the plunger slider relative to the casing prior to distally advancing the plunger slider relative to the casing.

### Claim 37 (depends on 36)

The method of claim 36, wherein distally advancing the plunger relative to the casing is restricted until the plunger slider is rotated.

### Claim 38 (depends on 35)

The method of claim 35, wherein the injector further includes a lock ring coupled to the distal tube, the lock ring including a feature that is guided by a corresponding feature on the casing to facilitate the distal tube being locked in the extended position.

### Claim 39 (depends on 38)

The method of claim 38, wherein the feature is a post, and the corresponding feature is the track formed on the inner side of the casing.