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US 4,781,683 AGranted
Single-use, self-annulling injection syringe
AssigneeThe Johns Hopkins University
InventorsJohn J. Wozniak, Kam Leong
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A single-use, self-annulling syringe is disclosed that is rendered inoperative after a single use without requiring any deliberate action on the part of a user. The injection device uses a hydrophilic expansion plug positioned in the outlet flow channel of the syringe, which expands a short time after being exposed to a drug containing water, thereby rendering the syringe inoperative.
Claims16
A single use injection device, comprising:
- a variable volume chamber adapted to receive a drug containing water;
- an injection needle having an internal lumen, said injection needle connected to said variable volume chamber forming a flow channel between said variable volume chamber and said internal lumen of said injection needle;
- and
- a hydrophilic expansion means composed essentially of a hydrogel, positioned within said flow channel, for expanding and blocking said flow channel after being exposed to said drug containing water, thereby preventing reuse of the injection device, wherein said hydrophilic expansion means comprises a delay means for providing a preset time window greater than thirty seconds from the time of exposure of said hydrophilic expansion means to said drug containing water for injection of the drug before the hydrophilic expansion means blocks said flow channel.
1 more element
A single-use injection device comprising:
- a hollow syringe barrel integrally coupled at one end to a narrowed portion having an internal flow channel;
- a plunger reciprocally mounted within said hollow syringe barrel;
- an injection needle having an internal lumen and fixedly mounted into said internal channel;
- and,
- a hydrophilic expansion means, composed essentially of a hydrogel and positioned within said internal channel, for expanding and blocking said internal channel after being exposed to a drug containing water, thereby preventing reuse of the injection device, wherein said hydrophilic expansion means comprises a delay means for providing a preset time window greater than thirty seconds from the time of exposure of said hydrophilic expansion means to said drug containing water for injection of the drug before the hydrophilic expansion means blocks said internal channel.
2 more elements
A single-use injection needle apparatus adapted to couple to the tip portion of a hypodermic syringe, comprising:
- a coupling member adapted to couple to the tip portion of a hypodermic needle, said coupling member having an interior flow channel;
- a needle having an internal lumen fixedly mounted to one end of said coupling member so that said internal lumen is in fluid communication with said interior flow channel;
- and
- a hydrophilic expansion means composed essentially of a hydrogel, positioned within said interior flow channel, for expanding and blocking said flow channel after being exposed to a drug containing water, thereby preventing reuse of the injection needle apparatus, wherein said hydrophilic expansion means comprises a delay means for providing a preset time window greater than thirty seconds from the time of exposure of said hydrophilic expansion means to said drug containing water for injection of the drug before the hydrophilic expansion means blocks said flow channel.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.