Apparatus for mounting a pen needle assembly
Inventors
ZENG, Xi • HUANG, Huasheng • Hu, Wei • Wang, Fei • FAN, Tingting
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-11602600-B2
Publication Date
2023-03-14
Expiration Date
Abstract
A storage device (30) for storing a pen needle assembly (10) includes a housing (30) having first wells (44) with a dimension for receiving the pen needle assembly and second wells (46) for receiving an inner shield (24) of the pen needle assembly. The second wells (46) have a diameter less than a diameter of the first wells (44). An ejector (40) in the housing (34) can be actuated to eject the used needle hub (16) and outer covers (22) from the first well (44) and the inner shield (24) from the second well (46) for disposal. A method of coupling a pen needle delivery device to a needle hub positions a needle hub assembly (18) in the first well (44) and inserts the coupling end of the delivery device (10) into the first well (44) and is coupled to the needle hub. The needle hub is pulled from the outer cover (22). The inner shield (24) is inserted into the second well (46) to remove the inner shield from the needle hub.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to a device for receiving at least one pen needle assembly for a pen needle delivery device. Each pen needle assembly includes an outer cover, a needle hub having a cannula, and an inner shield. The device includes a housing having a top wall with at least one first well for receiving and retaining the outer cover, and at least one second well having a diameter less than the first well and a dimension for receiving and retaining the inner shield, thereby separating the inner shield from the needle hub.
The device further includes an ejector operatively coupled to the housing for simultaneously ejecting the outer cover from the first well and for ejecting the inner shield from the second well. In a storage device embodiment, the housing includes a plurality of first wells for receiving a plurality of pen needle assemblies and a plurality of second wells having a diameter less than the first wells for receiving and retaining the inner shields. A movable ejector simultaneously ejects the outer cover and a used needle hub from the first wells and ejects the inner shields from the second wells.
The invention also provides a coupling and uncoupling method in which a pen needle assembly is inserted into a first well and coupled to a coupling end of the needle hub, after which the pen needle delivery device and needle hub are removed from the first wells. An inner shield is then inserted into a second well spaced from the first wells, where the inner shield is gripped by the second well and the needle hub is separated from the inner shield for use in delivering a substance. The used needle hub is positioned in the outer cover retained in the first wells and uncoupled from the pen needle delivery device, followed by simultaneously ejecting the outer cover and used pen needle from the first wells and ejecting the inner shield from the second wells.
Claims Coverage
The independent claims are directed to a receiving/ejecting device, a storage device for multiple assemblies, and a coupling and uncoupling method. Across the claims, the inventive features are the first wells and second wells arranged to retain the outer cover, needle hub, and inner shield in separate locations, and an ejector that simultaneously ejects the separated components.
First and second well arrangement for retaining outer cover and inner shield
A housing having a top wall with at least one first well for receiving and retaining the outer cover of the at least one pen needle assembly, and at least one second well having a diameter less than said at least one first well and a dimension for receiving and retaining the inner shield for separating the inner shield from the needle hub; and an ejector operatively coupled to said housing for simultaneously ejecting the outer cover from the at least one first well and for ejecting the inner shield from the at least one second well.
Movable ejector for simultaneously ejecting outer cover/used needle hub and inner shield
A storage device comprising a housing having a top wall with a plurality of first wells with a dimension for receiving and retaining the plurality of pen needle assemblies, and a plurality of second wells having a diameter less than said plurality of first wells and a dimension for receiving and retaining the inner shield; and a movable ejector for ejecting the outer cover and a used needle hub simultaneously from each of the plurality of first wells and for ejecting the inner shield from each of the plurality of second wells.
Coupling and uncoupling using spaced first and second wells followed by simultaneous ejection
A method of coupling and uncoupling a needle hub with respect to a pen needle delivery device, comprising providing a device having a housing with plurality of first wells with a dimension for receiving an outer cover and needle hub of a pen needle assembly, and a plurality of second wells having a dimension for receiving an inner shield of the pen needle assembly; inserting the pen needle assembly into one of said plurality of first wells and coupling to a coupling end of the needle hub; removing said pen needle delivery device and needle hub from each of the plurality of first wells; inserting an inner shield coupled to the needle hub into a second well of said device, where said second well is spaced from each of said plurality of first wells, where said inner shield is gripped by said second well, and separating said needle hub from said inner shield for use in delivering the substance to the patient; positioning a resulting used needle hub in said outer cover retained in each of the plurality of first wells and uncoupling said needle hub from said pen needle delivery device; and simultaneously ejecting the outer cover and used pen needle from the plurality of first wells and ejecting the inner shield from the plurality of second wells.
The claims center on the combination of separate first and second wells for retaining and separating the outer cover, used needle hub, and inner shield, together with coordinated ejection from the respective wells. The method claim additionally ties this spatial separation to coupling and uncoupling with a pen needle delivery device.
Stated Advantages
Enables separation of the inner shield from the needle hub for use in delivering the substance to the patient.
Simultaneously ejects the outer cover and used pen needle from the first wells and ejects the inner shield from the second wells.
Documented Applications
Receiving and retaining pen needle assemblies for a pen needle delivery device, including storing a plurality of pen needle assemblies.
A coupling and uncoupling method for delivering a substance to a patient using a pen needle delivery device.
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