This is a National Phase Application in the United States of International Patent Application No. PCT/EP2005/012247 filed Nov. 15, 2005, which claims priority on European Patent Application No. 04028413.5, filed Dec. 1, 2004. The entire disclosures of the above patent applications are hereby incorporated by reference.
The present invention concerns an injection device and, in particular, a device for the intramuscular or subcutaneous injection of an active pharmaceutical principal in the solid or semi-solid state usually called an implant. More generally, the invention applies to the injection of a solid body for a human or animal, such as for example electronic chips used for the identification of a living being.
An injection device of the aforementioned type is already known from European Patent No. EP 0 783 342 in the name of the DELAB company. This type of injection device includes a main body in two parts to which a hollow needle is fixed via a holding part. A rod is capable of sliding coaxially inside the needle and is stopped against an implant introduced into said needle. A secondary body is arranged coaxially inside the main body and surrounds the needle, such that the latter does not project prior to the injection. The secondary body includes one or several slots at different places on the length thereof, which join the two parts of the secondary body via radially extending connecting elements. The rod has a raised portion that is used as means for stopping the movement of said rod. The rod is connected to a piston, which, at the base thereof, includes a longitudinal hole. A guide element is secured to the piston and is arranged inside the main body so as to guide said piston and the rod.
One drawback of the injection device described above is that it includes a large number of parts. It is thus expensive to manufacture and difficult to assemble. Moreover, the relative movements of the constituent elements of the injection device in relation to each other are complex, which increases the risk of malfunction. Another drawback can be seen in the fact that the configuration of the injection device before and after injection is not the same, which makes this device particularly bulky and thus difficult to store.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks in addition to others by providing an injection device which includes, in particular, a limited number of parts and which is thus less expensive to manufacture and easier to assemble.
The present invention therefore concerns a device for injecting an implant into live tissue, characterized in that it includes a hollow main body to which there is fixed a hollow needle, into which the implant is introduced, a secondary body arranged coaxially inside the main body and surrounding the needle and a piston rod capable of sliding coaxially inside said hollow needle, the injection device being arranged such that, when it is pressed against the tissue, said main body slides along the secondary body from a proximal position to a distal position so that the needle penetrates said tissue, the piston rod moving concomitantly and such that said piston rod remains fixed and maintains the implant at the required depth in the tissue until the needle is removed therefrom when the main body is returned from the distal position to the proximal position.
Owing to these features, the present invention provides a device for injecting an implant including a limited number of parts, and is thus less expensive to manufacture and simpler to assemble. Moreover, the configuration of the injection device is the same before and after use, the main body moving away from the proximal position towards a distal position, then returning to the initial proximal position, such that the space requirement of the injection device is limited, which facilitates packaging and storage of such devices.
According to a complementary feature of the invention, the piston rod is driven by the main body when the latter moves from its proximal position to its distal position, said piston rod being uncoupled from said main body when the latter returns from its distal position to its proximal position.
Owing to this other feature, the relative movements of the constituent parts of the injection device in relation to each other are simplified, which avoids the risk of the device malfunctioning.
According to yet another feature of the invention, the injection device includes a mechanism that avoids its locking prior to use and that allows it to be locked after use.
Thus, prior to use, it is not possible to lock the injection device inadvertently, whereas after use, the secondary body is irreversibly locked on the main body, which makes any subsequent use of the injection device according to the invention impossible. Moreover, any risk of accidental injury that could contaminate the practitioner is prevented.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will appear more clearly from the following detailed description of the injection device according to the invention, this example being given purely by way of non limiting illustration, in conjunction with the annexed drawing, in which:
The present invention proceeds from the general inventive idea that consists in providing a device for injecting a solid or semi-solid body for therapeutic or non-therapeutic purposes, which comprises a small number of parts, making assembly thereof easier and operation thereof more reliable. The present invention also concerns an injection device of this type that can be irreversibly locked after injection making any subsequent use of such device impossible and preventing any risk of accidental injury that could cause contamination.
Hereafter, the “proximal” end means the end via which the user grasps the injection device, and the “distal” end means the end of the injection device located on the side of the needle bevel.
A first embodiment of the injection device according to the invention will be described in relation to
Designated as a whole by the general reference numeral 1, the injection device shown in cross-section in
Preferably, hollow needle 4 has at the distal end thereof a bevel 8 whose geometry is adapted to the anticipated application of injection device 1 and, in particular, to the method of administration. At the proximal end thereof, hollow needle 4 is fixedly mounted in a holding part 10. A through aperture 12 is made in holding part 10 for mounting needle 4. This through aperture 12 has a first part of diameter D1 equal to or slightly greater than the external diameter of needle 4 so that the proximal end of the latter can engage in holding part 10. The first part of diameter D1 of through aperture 12 is followed by a second part of diameter D2 smaller than the external diameter of needle 4 so that said needle can be maintained in holding part 10 by friction. This immobilisation of needle 4 could be reinforced by bonding or other means. Finally, the second part of diameter D2 of through aperture 12 is followed by a third cone-shaped part which expands in the direction of the proximal end of injection device 1 according to the invention and allows piston rod 36 to be inserted and properly guided.
According to a first variant (not shown) of the holding part 10, the latter is integral with the hollow main body 2. According to a second variant shown in the drawing, holding part 10 is used as a joining part to bottom 14 and top 16 tubular parts which form the hollow main body 2 and into which said holding part 10 is driven. In the example shown in the drawing, holding part 10 is a part of general cylindrical shape. It goes without saying that if main body 2 had, for example, to have a flat section to facilitate handling of injection device 1 and provide the practitioner with an indication as to the proper positioning of device 1 prior to injection, holding part 10 could depart from a cylindrical shape.
Holding part 10 includes an external lateral wall 18, which delimits an inner volume into which through aperture 12 extends coaxially. Through aperture 12 is embodied by a tube portion, which is connected to external wall 18 by at least one and preferably two diametrically opposite radial ribs 22 (see also
Advantageously, the proximal end of main body 2 is provided with a finger rest part 24 integral with said main body 2 or taking the form of an added part.
The hollow main body 2 is able to slide along a secondary body 26, which is also hollow, arranged coaxially inside said main body 2 and surrounding needle 4.
This secondary body 26 takes the general form of a tube 28 provided with two rectilinear slots 28 to a height h above the distal end of said tube 28, which determines the depth of penetration of needle 4. The proximal end of tube 28 will advantageously be fitted with means facilitating the grasping of injection device 1 such as a button 32. This button 32 could be integral with secondary body 26 or take the form of an added part. Finally, on the inner face of tube 28, secondary body 26 has blocking means 34, for example in the form of two raised portions whose role will be explained hereafter.
Injection device 1 according to the invention includes, finally, a piston rod 36 able to slide inside hollow needle 4 and which is used for holding implant 6 at the correct depth in the tissue. This piston rod 36 includes a head 38, which cooperates with blocking means 34 provided on secondary body 26 for uncoupling it from main body 2 as will be described in detail hereafter.
We will now examine the operating principle of injection device 1 with more particular reference to
It will be noted first of all that main body 2 can only move between a proximal position and a distal position respectively controlled by a top stop member 40 and a bottom stop member 42 arranged on secondary body 26. In the example shown in the drawing (see in particular
Likewise, piston rod 36 can only move between a proximal position and a distal position respectively controlled by a top stop member 44 and a bottom stop member 46 arranged on main body 2. In the example shown in the drawing, top stop member 44 is formed by means 48, which irreversibly block secondary body 26 onto main body 2 after injection. These means 48, which will be described in detail hereafter, can be integral with finger rest 24 if injection device 1 includes this element. The top face of holding part 10 of needle 4 forms bottom stop member 46.
In
It is at this stage that the actual back-injection operation of implant 6 occurs (
The injection operation is finished when main body 2 has returned to the proximal end position (
We will now examine the blocking and locking of injection device 1 according to the invention respectively before and after use, in conjunction with
As can be seen upon examining
At the start of the injection operation, main body 2 is slid along secondary body 26 to drive needle 4 into skin 50. Main body 2 thus drives therewith piston rod 36 such that end 62 of said rod 36 is released from clips 66, which return to their rest position. At the end of the injection operation, main body 2 is returned to the proximal position thereof by sliding along secondary body 26, piston rod 36 being uncoupled from said main body 2 as described above. Since clips 66 are no longer obstructed by end 62 of piston rod 36, they can cover the distance 5 (see
According to a preferred embodiment, finger rest part 24 is opaque and head 38 of piston rod 36 is coloured, for example, red. Prior to use of injection device 1, head 38 will thus not be visible, which provides the practitioner with an indication as to the unused state of said device 1. In parallel, the main body 2 could be transparent or opaque and include a window through which head 38 of piston rod 36 would be visible after use, which would indicate to the practitioner that injection device 1 has been discharged.
Various variants of piston rod 36 are illustrated in
According to a second variant illustrated in
Finally, the piston rod 36 illustrated in
Advantageously, the implant injection devices according to the invention are marketed prefilled. In other words, they already contain the implant to be administered to the patient. In the above description, implant 6 is front loaded, i.e. via the distal end of hollow needle 4, on the side of bevel 8 thereof, because of the presence of clips 66 on the longitudinal axis of symmetry of injection device 1. When the tip of needle 4 is bevelled, front loading carries a risk of the operator being pricked in the case of manual loading, contamination of needle 4, and damage to implant 6 or bevel 8. This is why back loading (proximal end) will be preferred when possible. One embodiment that satisfies these requirements is illustrated in
As can be seen upon examining
Button 32 can be bonded onto secondary body 26. According to a preferred variant, button 32 is irreversibly secured to secondary body 26 by a lock mechanism using ratchets 86.
Owing to this embodiment, wherein the means for locking secondary body 26 onto main body 2 are remote from the centre of injection device 1, one could envisage back loading the device. Button 32 therefore has a through aperture 88 through which implant 6 and piston rod 36 can be successively engaged (
However, once introduced, piston rod 36 must not be able to be removed effortlessly from injection device 1. This can be achieved by giving head 38 of piston rod 36 and the proximal end of main body 2 a geometry preventing such removal. According to a first embodiment (see
As can be seen upon examining
According to a preferred embodiment, finger rest part 24 is opaque and includes a window through which head 38 of piston rod 36 will appear, indicating to the practitioner that the injection device 1 is loaded. Indeed, since piston rod 36 is free in needle 4 and only abutting against implant 6, the head 38 thereof will only appear in the display window made in secondary body 26 if said implant 6 is present in said needle 4. After injection, head 38 of piston rod 36 will appear in a second window made in the opaque main body 2 to indicate to the practitioner that injection device 1 has been used and is thus empty. One could also arrange a window extending from the position occupied by head 38 of piston rod 36 when injection device 1 is loaded to the position said head 38 occupies when said injection device 1 is empty. Consequently, it would be possible to visualise the progression of the back-injection operation.
According to a variant of the invention, means 64 for irreversibly locking secondary body 26 onto main body 2 after injection of implant 6 could be combined with, or replaced by a cam path type system 98. This cam path 98 is devised such that, while allowing main body 2 to move from the proximal position to the distal position and back, it prevents the inadvertent locking of secondary body 26 onto main body 2 prior to injection while still allowing locking after injection device 1 according to the invention has been used. If the cam path type locking system 98 is used in combination with the locking means 64 described above, it reinforces, from a mechanical point of view, the definitive immobilisation of secondary body 26 on main body 2 after injection, making any reuse of injection device 1 or simply access to needle 4 practically impossible, without destroying injection device 1.
In the example shown in the drawing (see
Cam path 98, which elastic tongue 100 can leave only when injection device 1 is used normally, in other words without being forced, is devised such that, when said injection device 1 is in the start position prior to injection, elastic tongue 100 is in a rest position, wedged in a housing 102 (see
When main body 2 starts to slide along secondary body 26, elastic tongue 100 exits housing 102 via ramp 106 and starts to move along camp path 98 (see
When main body 2 reaches its end distal position and needle 4 has completely penetrated the patient's skin 50, tongue 100 reaches the end of path 98 at a point 112 called the point of return where it expands abruptly and passes to the other side of said cam path 98 (see
When main body 2 returns from its distal position to its proximal position, which coincides with the gradual withdrawal of needle 4 from the patient's skin 50, elastic tongue 100 travels, in the opposite direction, a parallel path to that which it took during the phase of penetration of needle 4 into tissue 50 (see
Tongue 100 continues its travel until the moment when main body 2 has returned to its proximal start position in which secondary body 26 can lock onto said main body 2 if locking means 64 have been provided for such purpose. At the same moment, elastic tongue 100 reaches a housing 116 in which it is blocked in the rest position (see
Advantageously, injection device 1 according to the invention can, with certain adaptations, be automated by the addition of a helical spring 118 as illustrated in
According to this embodiment, injection device 1′ includes a hollow main body 2′ to which there is permanently fixed, to the distal part 120 thereof, a hollow needle 4′ into which an implant 6′ is introduced for injection.
The hollow main body 2′ is able to slide along a secondary body 26′, which is also hollow, arranged coaxially inside said main body 2′ and surrounding needle 4′ at least until bevel 8′ thereof.
Injection device 1′ includes finally a piston rod 36′ able to slide inside hollow needle 4′ and which is used for maintaining implant 6 at the correct depth in tissue 50. This piston rod 36′ includes a head 38′ fitted with blocking means 122 for cooperating with a corresponding blocking member 124 provided at the proximal end of secondary body 26′.
Piston rod 36′ can only move between a proximal position and a distal position respectively controlled by a top stop member 44′ and a bottom stop member 46′ arranged on main body 2′. In the example shown in the drawing, top stop member 44′ is formed by the closed proximal end of main body 2′ against which piston rod 36′ abuts via the head 38′ thereof. Bottom stop member 46′ is arranged at a location on the length of said main body 2′, on the inner lateral surface thereof.
Likewise, secondary body 26′ can only move between a proximal position and a distal position respectively controlled by a top stop member 126 and a bottom stop member 128. In the example shown in the drawing, top stop member 126 is formed by the closed proximal end of secondary body 2′ and bottom stop member 128 is formed by means 130 for irreversibly locking secondary body 26′ onto main body 2′.
The operation of injection device 1′ according to the invention is as follows. In
When needle 4′ is completely driven into tissue 50 (see
In
In
A simplified variant of injection device 1 according to the invention is shown with reference to
Designated as a whole by the general reference numeral 1″, the injection device comprises a hollow main body 2″ to which there is permanently fixed a hollow needle 4″ into which an implant 6″ is introduced for injection. Preferably, hollow needle 4″ has at the distal end thereof a bevel 8 whose geometry is adapted to the application envisaged for injection device 1″ and, in particular, to the method of administration. At the proximal end thereof, hollow needle 4″ is fixedly mounted in a holding part 10″. According to a first variant, holding part 10″ is integral with hollow main body 2″. According to a second variant shown in the drawing, holding part 10″ is used as a joining part to bottom 14″ and top 16″ tubular parts which form hollow main body 2″ and into which said holding part 10″ is driven. A through aperture 12″ is made in holding part 10″ for mounting hollow needle 4″. This through aperture 12″ has a first part of diameter D″, equal to or slightly greater than the external diameter of needle 4″ for engaging the proximal end thereof in holding part 10″. The first part of diameter D″1 of through aperture 12″ is followed by a second part of diameter D″2 smaller than the external diameter of needle 4″ for holding the latter in holding part 10″ by friction. Finally, the second part of diameter D″2 of through aperture 12″ is followed by a cone-shaped third part which flares out in the direction of the proximal end of injection device 1″ according to the invention.
Holding part 10″ comprises an external lateral wall 18″, which delimits an inner volume into which through aperture 12″ extends axially. Through aperture 12″ is embodied by a tube section 20″ which is connected to the external wall 18″ at least one and preferably two diametrically opposite radial ribs 22″.
Advantageously, the proximal end of main body 2″ is fitted with a finger rest part 24″ integral with said main body 2″ or taking the form of an added part.
The main body 2″ is able to slide along a secondary body 26″, which is also hollow, arranged coaxially inside said main body 2″ and partially surrounding needle 4″. This secondary body 26″ takes the general form of a tube 28″ provided with two diametrically opposite rectilinear slots 30″ which extend from the proximal end of tube 29″ to a height h above the distal end of said tube 28″. The proximal end of tube 28″ will advantageously be fitted with means facilitating the gripping of injection device 1″ such as a button 32″. This button 32″ could be integral with secondary body 26″ or made in the form of an added part.
Injection device 1″ according to the invention includes finally a piston rod 36″ capable of sliding inside hollow needle 4″ and used for holding implant 6 at the correct depth in tissue 50. This piston rod 36″ is secured to secondary body 26″ by being driven or bonded via the proximal end thereof in a blind hole 146 made in button 32″.
The operating principle of injection device 1″ described above is as follows. In
In
When the needle starts to penetrate the skin (not shown), main body 2 slides along secondary body 26, driving therewith ring 149 via an additional slot 154 provided on the inner lateral surface thereof (
When the needle is completely driven into the skin and main body 2 has reached the end distal position, the back injection operation can start (
It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments that have just been described, and that various simple alterations and variants can be envisaged by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the claims annexed to this Patent Application.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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04028413 | Dec 2004 | EP | regional |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/EP2005/012247 | 11/15/2005 | WO | 00 | 4/10/2009 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2006/058613 | 6/8/2006 | WO | A |
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