Auto-retracting needle injector system
OwnerWilliam L. Schmitzinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hypodermic injection system utilizes disposable medicament ampules having self-contained needles operated by a re-useable actuator to extend the needle from complete enclosure within the ampule out and into the flesh and inject the medicament as it moves, the needle automatically retracting into the disposable ampule after exhausting its contents, completely eliminating any need to handle the exposed needle before or after use. The post-injection needle retraction operation is powered by the reuseable actuator, avoiding the expense of prior devices which incorporate the retraction mechanism in the disposable ampule. The invention is useful to health professionals and also of particular utility to diabetics and others who must regularly self-inject.
Claims10
A medicament injector for use injecting medicament from a disposeable ampule into a patient, withdrawing the ampule needle into the ampule, and ejecting the ampule, said injector being intended for use with an appropriate ampule which has the following characteristics:
- (i) an end and a seal closing said end, and
- (ii) being filled with medicament and disposable after discharge of the medicament, and
- (iii) including a needle-carrying member which carries a needle having:
- (j) a sharp outlet tip adapted to pierce said seal, and
- (jj) an inlet spaced from said outlet tip such that said medicament can flow into said inlet in the needle and out the tip after said tip pierces said seal;
- said injector comprising:
- (a) a housing configured to,
- (i) releasibly receive said appropriate ampule, and
- (ii) discharge same after use, and
- (b) an actuator connected to the housing and having coupling means which is interactive with the needle carrying member of said ampule in response to an external force to advance the needle carrying member from a cocked position in which the needle is within the ampule to an extended position in which the tip of the needle pierces the seal and extends outward from the ampule;
- (c) spring means biasing said actuator toward said cocked position in said housing;
- (d) said coupling means positively coupling with said needle carrying member of said ampule when said needle is in said extended position, and upon removal of the external force, withdrawing the needle carrying member and needle back into the ampule under action of said spring means so that the tip of the needle is within the ampule;
- and,
- (e) said coupling means including means for decoupling from the needle carrying member when the tip of the needle has been withdrawn into the ampule.
An injector system comprising:
- (a) an ampule having:
- (b) an elongated hollow body having a front extremity;
- (c) a pierceable seal closing said front extremity;
- (d) a piston sealingly slidably disposed in said body to the rear of said seal;
- (e) a medicament chamber formed in said body between said piston and said seal;
- and,
- (f) a tubular syringe needle axially slidably supported in said piston and having a forward tissue-piercing tip defining a medicament outlet and an inlet rearwardly spaced from said outlet;
- (g) a needle-carrying member carrying said needle;
- and,
- (h) an actuator having,
- (I) a housing to releasibly receive said ampule;
- (j) a plunger axially slidable in said housing in substantial axial alignment with said ampule and movable from a rearward cocked mode to advance said needle and said plunger in said housing until said needle tip pierces said seal and penetrates the skin of a patient;
- (k) coupling means for positively engaging said needle-carrying means by said plunger;
- and,
- (l) spring means biasing said plunger rearwardly within said housing to withdraw said needle into said ampule body after an injection has been made.
A medical injector system comprising:
- (a) an ampule including:
- (I) a hollow cylindrical body having an open rear end and a sealed forward end which may be pierced by a needle;
- (ii) a piston within said body between said ends which defines and seals a medicament chamber;
- (iii) said piston being movable from a cocked position to a forward position in close proximity to said sealed end;
- (iv) a needle having a side inlet and a connector member attached to the rear end of said needle, and said needle having a forward outlet end embedded in the piston;
- and,
- (v) said needle being moveable axially within the chamber as the piston moves between the cocked position and the forward position;
- and,
- (b) an actuator which removably receives the ampule and defines a rearwardly biased plunger and a spring rearwardly biasing same, said plunger having releasible positive engagement means to couple with said connector member when said plunger moves forwardly under application of an external forwardly-directed force on said plunger, into the open end of the ampule and positively engages the connector member for first advancing the outlet end through the piston and then through the seal at the same time that the inlet moves into communication with the chamber to force medicament from the chamber out the outlet end as a tracked injection when the needle reaches an extended position, piercing the seal and entering the patient, and,
- (c) said plunger, being biased by said spring to move rearwardly, away from said sealed end into the normally retracted, cocked position, and, upon release of the external force, releasing the positive engagement between said plunger and the connector after the needle has been retracted into the ampule, with the forward end lodged in the piston.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.