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Publication Number
US-7901382-B2
Publication Date
2011-03-08
Expiration Date
Abstract
An automatic needle device including a housing element, at least one resilient element arranged to be located within the housing element, at least one needle bearing element adapted, when actuated, to be displaced by the at least one resilient element with respect to the housing element from a non-penetration position to a penetration position and a needle guard adapted for positioning with respect to the housing element and wherein displacement of the needle guard is operative to actuate displacement of the at least one needle bearing element from the non-penetration position to the penetration position.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to an automatic needle device that includes a housing element, at least one resilient element arranged within the housing element, and at least one needle bearing element. When actuated, the needle bearing element is displaced by the resilient element with respect to the housing element from a non-penetration position to a penetration position. The device further includes a needle guard adapted for positioning with respect to the housing element so that displacement of the needle guard relative to the housing element actuates displacement of the needle bearing element between the two positions.
In the described embodiments, displacement of the needle guard, preferably rearward, actuates the needle displacement. The document describes safety features that prevent inadvertent actuation and needle penetration, including a safety tab, and structural relationships between the housing and the needle guard, including ribs and slots, snap-fit engagement, and relative retention and locking of the needle guard after injection.
The document also describes sealing and guidance relationships between the needle assembly and a septum, including that the needle sealingly and slidably engages the septum at all times. Additional embodiments refine the displacement mechanism using different resilient element arrangements, including compression springs or a unitary resilient element, and a modified embodiment employing an elastic tube coupled in the drive train.
Claims Coverage
The document’s independent claim defines an automatic needle device with two core actuation elements: a resilient element that displaces a needle bearing element between non-penetration and penetration positions, and a needle guard whose relative displacement with the housing actuates that needle displacement. Independent-claim coverage is represented by a single independent claim in the provided set.
Needle displacement driven by resilient element within a housing
An automatic needle device comprising a housing element and at least one resilient element located within the housing element, wherein at least one needle bearing element is adapted, when actuated, to be displaced by the at least one resilient element with respect to said housing element from a non-penetration position to a penetration position.
Needle guard displacement relative to housing actuates needle displacement
A needle guard adapted for positioning with respect to said housing element and wherein displacement of said needle guard relative to said housing element operative to actuate displacement of said at least one needle bearing element from said non-penetration position to said penetration position.
Across the independent claim, inventive coverage centers on the coupling between resilient-element-driven displacement of a needle bearing element between non-penetration and penetration positions and needle guard displacement relative to the housing that actuates that resilient displacement.
Stated Advantages
Prevention of inadvertent actuation of the device and needle penetration.
Locking and enclosure of the needle after delivery.
The needle sealingly and slidably engages the septum at all times.
Documented Applications
No documented applications found
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