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US 8,647,299 B2Granted
Autoinjector supporting the syringe at the front
AssigneeThe Medical House Limited
InventorKevin Stamp
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An autoinjector comprising a housing in which can be mounted a syringe comprising a barrel for holding a volume of medicament, a needle at one end of the barrel in fluid communication with the medicament and a plunger axially-moveable in the barrel to a forwardmost position, the autoinjector further comprising a syringe support means for supporting the barrel at an axial location at or forward of the forwardmost position of the plunger and having a reaction surface for the syringe, whereby in use said reaction surface (109) provides an axial compressive force on said barrel when a forward axial force is applied to the plunger.
Claims42
An autoinjector configured to accommodate a syringe, comprising:
- a housing, including:
- one or more radially flexible fingers, said one or more radially flexible fingers defining at least one surface of a plurality of surfaces defining a substantially cylindrical cavity within said housing;
- a syringe support at a first end of the substantially cylindrical cavity, wherein said syringe support includes one or more inwardly-directed protrusions forming a reaction surface, wherein said inwardly-directed protrusions are on said one or more radially-flexible fingers, and wherein said one or more inwardly-directed protrusions form an axially-rearward facing cam surface where a sufficient forward axial force on said cam surface causes said one or more radially flexible fingers to flex radially outwardly;
- a syringe, including:
- a barrel for holding a volume of medicament,
- a needle at one end of the barrel in fluid communication with the medicament,
- a plunger axially-moveable in the barrel to a forwardmost position;
- and
- a needle sheath, the needle sheath sealing the forwardmost end of the needle to maintain sterility of the medicament within the barrel whereby, in use, the needle sheath must be removed from the needle immediately prior to actuating the autoinjector;
- wherein said needle sheath substantially covers said needle to protect the needle from mechanical damage;
- and
- wherein the one or more inwardly-directed protrusions support the barrel at an axial location at or forward of the forwardmost position of the plunger.
9 more elements
A method of assembling an autoinjector comprising the steps of:
- providing a first part-assembly comprising a front housing and a closely fitting end cap;
- providing a second part-assembly comprising a rear part of the autoinjector;
- providing a syringe comprising a barrel for holding a volume of medicament, a needle at one end of the barrel, a plunger axially-moveable in the barrel to a forwardmost position, and a needle cover covering the needle;
- providing a syringe support having a reaction surface for the syringe, wherein said syringe support includes one or more inwardly-directed protrusions forming said reaction surface, wherein said inwardly-directed protrusions are on one or more radially-flexible fingers, and wherein said one or more inwardly-directed protrusions further form an axially-rearward facing cam surface where a sufficient forward axial force on said cam surface causes said one or more radially flexible fingers to flex radially outwardly;
- inserting the syringe axially into the rear end of the syringe support so that said needle cover contacts said cam surface and causes said one or more radially flexible fingers to flex radially outwardly to allow said needle cover to pass until said syringe support supports the barrel of the syringe;
- inserting the front end of said syringe and syringe support into said first part-assembly;
- assembling said first part-assembly and second part-assembly together so that said syringe support supports the syringe at an axial location at or forward of the forwardmost position of the plunger, whereby in use said reaction surface provides an axial compressive force on said barrel when a forward axial force is applied to the plunger.
4 more elements
A method of assembling an autoinjector comprising the steps of:
- providing a first part-assembly comprising a syringe support, a front housing and a closely fitting end cap, wherein said syringe support includes one or more inwardly-directed protrusions forming a reaction surface, wherein said inwardly-directed protrusions are on one or more radially-flexible fingers, and wherein said one or more inwardly-directed protrusions further form an axially-rearward facing cam surface where a sufficient forward axial force on said cam surface causes said one or more radially flexible fingers to flex radially outwardly;
- providing a second part-assembly comprising a rear part of the autoinjector;
- providing a syringe comprising a barrel for holding a volume of medicament, a needle at one end of the barrel, a plunger axially-moveable in the barrel to a forwardmost position, and a needle cover covering the needle;
- inserting the syringe axially into the rear end of the first part-assembly so that said needle cover contacts said cam surface and causes said one or more radially flexible fingers to flex radially outwardly to allow said needle cover to pass until said syringe support supports the barrel of the syringe;
- assembling said first part-assembly and said second part-assembly together so that said syringe support supports the syringe at an axial location at or forward of the forwardmost position of the plunger, whereby in use said reaction surface provides an axial compressive force on said barrel when a forward axial force is applied to the plunger.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.