Syringe Carrier

A syringe carrier comprising:

• an elongate body arranged to receive a barrel of a syringe, the syringe comprising a neck having a smaller diameter than the barrel, a needle that extends from the neck, and a rigid needle shield configured to be removably arranged on the needle, wherein, when the rigid needle shield is removably arranged on the needle, a portion of the rigid needle shield covers a portion of the neck, leaving a circumferential gap between the barrel and the rigid needle shield, wherein the elongate body has a partially cylindrical shape with an internal diameter substantially corresponding to an outer diameter of the barrel of the syringe, wherein the elongate body includes a collar at a proximal end of the elongate body and a longitudinal slot formed in the elongate body distally of the collar, wherein a portion of the elongate body defining the longitudinal slot is adapted to snap over the barrel of the syringe when the syringe is inserted into the syringe carrier, wherein a distal end of the elongate body includes shoulder sections shaped as a portion of a circle arranged in a transverse plane with respect to a longitudinal axis of the syringe carrier, wherein the shoulder sections are adapted to engage in the circumferential gap between the barrel and the rigid needle shield,
• wherein the syringe carrier is configured to allow loading the syringe with the rigid needle shield removably arranged on the needle by sliding the syringe through the collar in a distal direction, the distal end of the elongate body is configured to radially deflect when the rigid needle shield abuts the shoulder sections as the syringe is slid through the collar in the distal direction, the distal end of the elongate body is configured to return to a non-deflected position and retain the syringe in the syringe carrier when the rigid needle shield bypasses the shoulder sections as the syringe is slid through the collar in the distal direction, and the syringe is prevented from moving axially relative to the syringe carrier when the syringe is disposed in the syringe carrier due to the shoulder sections engaging the circumferential gap between the barrel and the rigid needle shield, and
• wherein the syringe carrier is configured so that a finger flange of the syringe is spaced proximally from the collar of the syringe carrier when the shoulder sections are engaged in the circumferential gap between the barrel and the rigid needle shield.

An autoinjector comprising:

• a housing;
• and
• a syringe carrier configured to be disposed in the housing, the syringe carrier comprising an elongate body arranged to receive a barrel of a syringe, the syringe comprising a neck having a smaller diameter than the barrel, a needle that extends from the neck, and a rigid needle shield configured to be removably arranged on the needle, wherein, when the rigid needle shield is removably arranged on the needle, a portion of the rigid needle shield covers a portion of the neck, leaving a circumferential gap between the barrel and the rigid needle shield, wherein the elongate body has a partially cylindrical shape with an internal diameter substantially corresponding to an outer diameter of the barrel of the syringe, wherein the elongate body includes a collar at a proximal end of the elongate body and a longitudinal slot formed in the elongate body distally of the collar, wherein a portion of the elongate body defining the longitudinal slot is adapted to snap over the barrel of the syringe when the syringe is inserted into the syringe carrier, wherein a distal end of the elongate body includes shoulder sections shaped as a portion of a circle arranged in a transverse plane with respect to a longitudinal axis of the syringe carrier, wherein the shoulder sections are adapted to engage in the circumferential gap between the barrel and the rigid needle shield.

A method of loading a syringe into a syringe carrier, the syringe having a barrel, a neck having a smaller diameter than the barrel, a needle extending from the neck, and a rigid needle shield configured to be removably arranged on the needle, and the syringe carrier comprises an elongate body having a partially cylindrical shape with an internal diameter substantially corresponding to an outer diameter of the barrel, the elongate body comprising a collar at a proximal end of the elongate body and a longitudinal slot formed in the elongate body distally of the collar, a distal end of the elongate body comprising shoulder sections shaped as a portion of a circle arranged in a transverse plane with respect to a longitudinal axis of the syringe carrier, the method comprising:

• sliding the syringe with the rigid needle shield removably arranged on the needle through the collar in a distal direction such that (i) the distal end of the elongate body radially deflects when the rigid needle shield abuts the shoulder sections and then (ii) a portion of the elongate body defining the longitudinal slot snaps over the barrel of the syringe as the elongate body returns to a non-deflected position as the rigid needle shield passes the shoulder sections, wherein the shoulder sections engage a circumferential gap between the barrel and the rigid needle shield to prevent the syringe from moving axially relative to the syringe carrier while the elongate body is in the non-deflected position, and a finger flange of the syringe is spaced proximally from the collar of the syringe carrier when the shoulder sections are engaged in the circumferential gap between the barrel and the rigid needle shield.