Apparatus for removing and retaining a needle shield

Inventors

Dasbach, Uwe • Kemp, Thomas Mark • Hodgson, Louise • Harrison, Frederick • Sykes, George Edward

Assignees

Sanofi SA

Abstract

An apparatus is arranged to receive and retain a needle shield for a medicament delivery device, the apparatus comprising a body comprising a wall defining a void and an opening in a proximal end of the body, the opening arranged to allow at least a part of the needle shield to be received into, and at least partially fill, the void, and arms extending from the wall into the void, wherein the arms are configured to engage the needle shield when the needle shield is received in the void and prevent the needle shield from being withdrawn from the void through the opening in the proximal end and wherein at least one of the arms has a first angle with respect to the wall and at least one of the arms has a second angle with respect to the wall that is different to the first angle.

Core Innovation

The invention relates to an apparatus arranged to receive and retain a needle shield for a medicament delivery device. The apparatus includes a body with a proximal end, a distal end, and a wall extending longitudinally to define a void, and proximal edges of the wall define an opening in the proximal end that allows at least part of the needle shield to be received and at least partially fill the void.

Retention is provided by two or more resiliently deformable arms adjacent each other and extending from a first end connected to the wall inwardly into the void. Each arm terminates in a second end configured to engage the needle shield when the needle shield is received in the void and prevent withdrawal from the void through the opening in the proximal end.

At least one arm has a first angle with respect to the wall and at least one other arm has a second angle with respect to the wall that is different from the first angle when the needle shield is received in the void. In the described embodiments, the apparatus may be received into and retained within a cap, with openings in the wall engaging cap protrusions and an orientation element at the distal end engaging a projection within the cap.

Claims Coverage

The independent claim is directed to an apparatus that receives and retains a needle shield for a medicament delivery device using a body-defined void and a proximal opening, with two or more resiliently deformable arms that prevent withdrawal and include different arm angles relative to the wall. Additional dependent claim refinements add cap-retention interactions and orientation/alignment features.

Across the independent and identified dependent claim refinements, retention of the needle shield is achieved by a voided body with a proximal opening and multiple resiliently deformable arms that engage the needle shield and prevent withdrawal, with at least two arms having different angles relative to the wall. Additional refinements position the apparatus within a cap and use wall openings engaging cap protrusions and a distal orientation element engaging a cap projection to control retention and orientation.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications