Patent Application
20230181829
The present disclosure concerns injection apparatuses for injecting subjects, particularly aquatic species including fish, or feed or companion animals (e.g., poultry, swine, cattle, sheep, goats, ungulates, cats, and dogs) with one or more medicaments.
In the aquaculture industry, aquatic stock (e.g., aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks, algae, aquatic plants, marine animals, and other organisms) often must be administered substances such as medications for a variety of reasons. Producers must treat large numbers of aquatic stock, and treatment can require injecting each aquatic organism with a plurality of medications, generally in liquid form. Such medications can include medicines, vaccines, hormones, food supplements and the like (hereinafter referred to generally as “medicament”). Administering such medicaments typically includes using an administration device, such as a syringe or drenching unit, from which a medicament dose is either manually or automatically administered to the animal. This type of administration generally includes hand actuation or pumping of the device to deliver medicament to the animal.
Treating a large number of aquatic organisms (e.g., via a hand-actuated device) causes operator fatigue, which can result in a number of malfunctions including, for example: (i) accidental self-injection by the operator; (ii) administering the medicament dose when the needle has not yet penetrated the subject's skin or has not yet penetrated to the desired depth; (iii) administering the dose after the needle has been removed from the subject; (iv) administering only a portion of the required dose; (v) inserting the needle into the subject in a non-optimal orientation; and/or (vi) administering a duplicate dose to the same individual, among others.
Additionally, in some cases, it is necessary to administer more than one medicament to a single aquatic organism. In cases where there is no ready composition of the different medicaments, or where it is not possible to combine two or more medicaments together, more than one injection must be performed per subject, which again contributes to operator fatigue.
Accordingly, there is a continuing need for improved injector devices and methods for their use, such as devices for injecting a large number of aquatic species with one or more medicaments.
Described herein are embodiments of an injection apparatus for administering one or more medicaments to a subject, particularly an aquatic species, such as fish or marine animals. The injection apparatus can be used to administer medicament to a large number of subjects in a quick and efficient manner to prevent and/or reduce operator error, operator fatigue, and injection malfunction.
In a representative embodiment, an injection apparatus can comprise a hand-held unit having a head portion and a body portion. The head portion comprises a needle, a support portion, and a movable portion. The movable portion is axially movable relative to the support portion between an extended position and a retracted position in which a distal point of the needle is exposed. The injection apparatus can further comprise a safety cover removably coupled to the movable portion. Certain embodiments of the safety cover comprise a base member and a lockplate pivotably coupled to the base member. The lockplate is pivotable between a locked position in which the safety cover and movable portion are restrained from axial movement relative to the needle and an unlocked position in which the safety cover and movable portion can move axially relative to the needle.
Certain embodiments of the safety cover can further comprise first and second clip members that extend from the base member and are configured such that positioning a subject between the clip members aligns a selected injection site on the subject with the distal point of the needle. The clip members can be movable between an open position and a gripping position in which the clip members are configured to grip the subject.
The safety cover can further comprise a biasing member configured to bias the lockplate into the locked position.
The injection apparatus can further comprise a needle support portion configured to releasably couple the needle to the body portion. For these embodiments, the lockplate comprises a locking member that extends from the lockplate and has a locking surface configured to engage a corresponding locking surface on the needle support portion when the lockplate is in the locked position.
The safety cover can further comprise an annular protrusion having a threaded outer surface configured to couple a correspondingly threaded surface of a connector coupled to the movable portion.
The lockplate can further comprise an aperture extending through a thickness of the lockplate. The aperture can align with the needle such that when the movable portion is in the retracted position at least a portion of the needle extends through the aperture. The injection apparatus can further comprise a removal member disposed within the aperture. The removal member comprises a needle aperture extending through a thickness of the removal member. The needle aperture is sized such that an inner surface of the removal member contacts an outer surface of the needle to remove contaminants from the outer surface of the needle.
The injection apparatus can further comprise at least one control unit remote from the hand-held unit and fluidly coupled to the hand-held unit via one or more connecting tubes. The control unit may comprise a pump. In some embodiments, the control unit is configured to be worn by a user.
The hand-held unit can be configured to be submersible in water.
The movable portion can further comprise a lock mechanism movable between a locked position, wherein the movable portion is restrained from moving into the retracted position, and an unlocked position, wherein the movable portion can move between the extended position and the retracted position. The lock mechanism can be configured for actuation by any convenient method, such as actuated by a trigger coupled to the body portion.
The injection apparatus can be configured to operate in and switch between at least an automatic mode and a manual mode. When the apparatus is in automatic mode, medicament can be administered automatically upon insertion of the needle to a selected depth within a subject. When the apparatus is in manual mode, medicament is administered when an operator actuates a trigger coupled to the body portion.
In another representative embodiment, an injection apparatus can comprise a base station comprising a base plate, an upper member coupled to the base plate, and head portion removably coupled to the upper member. The head portion comprises a needle, a support portion, and a movable portion. The movable portion is axially movable relative to the support portion between an extended position and a retracted position in which a distal point of the needle is exposed. Disclosed embodiments of the apparatus may further comprise a safety cover removably coupled to the upper member. The safety cover comprises a base member and a lockplate pivotably coupled to the base member. The lockplate is pivotable between a locked position, in which the safety cover and movable portion are restrained from axial movement relative to the needle, and an unlocked position, in which the safety cover and movable portion can move axially relative to the needle.
The injection apparatus may comprise at least one control unit remote from the base station and fluidly coupled to the upper member via one or more connecting tubes, the at least one control unit comprising a pump. The upper member can be configured to communicate with the control unit via a communicating cable.
The base station and the safety cover can be submersible in water.
The safety cover can further comprise a biasing member configured to bias the lockplate into the locked position. The injection apparatus can further comprise a needle support portion configured to releasably couple the needle to the body portion. The lockplate may comprise a locking member that extends from the lockplate and has a locking surface configured to engage a corresponding locking surface on the needle support portion when the lockplate is in the locked position.
The present invention also includes a method comprising providing disclosed embodiments of the injection apparatus and using the apparatus to administer medicament to a subject. In a representative embodiment, a method of using an injection apparatus can comprise urging the lockplate against a selected implantation site on a subject thereby pivoting the lockplate from the locked position to the unlocked position, actuating the movable portion to move the movable portion and the safety cover relative to the needle to expose the distal point of the needle, and administering a medicament when the distal point of the needle has reached a selected depth within the subject. The method can further comprise first and second clip members extending from the base member such that a selected injection site on the subject is aligned with the distal point of the needle.
The movable portion can further comprise a lock mechanism movable between a locked position wherein the movable portion is restrained from moving into the retracted position and an unlocked position wherein the movable portion can move between the extended position and the retracted position. Accordingly, the method may further comprise actuating a trigger operatively coupled to the lock mechanism to move the lock mechanism to the unlocked position.
In another representative embodiment, a method can comprise: providing an injection apparatus comprising a head portion having a needle; a support portion; a movable portion axially movable relative to the support portion between an extended position and a retracted position in which a distal point of the needle is exposed; and a safety cover removably coupled to the movable portion, the safety cover comprising a base member and a lockplate pivotably coupled to the base member, the lockplate being pivotable between a locked position in which the safety cover and movable portion are restrained from axial movement relative to the needle and an unlocked position in which the safety cover and movable portion can move axially relative to the needle. The method can further comprise urging the lockplate against a selected injection site on a subject such that the lockplate pivots into the unlocked position. The movable head is actuated to insert the distal point of the needle into the subject. A medicament is administered when a distal point of the needle has reached a selected depth within the subject.
The method can further comprise positioning a selected injection site of a subject between first and second clip members extending from the base member to align the selected injection site with the distal point of the needle. The method can further comprise gripping the subject using the first and second clip members.
The movable portion can further comprise a lock mechanism movable between a locked position wherein the movable portion is restrained from moving into the retracted position and an unlocked position wherein the movable portion can move between the extended position and the retracted position, and the method can further comprise actuating a trigger operatively coupled to the lock mechanism to move the lock mechanism to the unlocked position.
In some embodiments, the head portion is coupled to a body portion to form a hand-held unit configured to be carried by an operator. In other embodiments, the head portion is coupled to a base station comprising a base plate and an upper member coupled to the base plate, the base station configured to be coupled to a surface.
In a representative embodiment, an injection apparatus can comprise a hand-held unit having a head portion and a body portion. The head portion can comprise a base member, a needle fluidly coupled to the base member, a movable portion disposed over the needle and being axially movable relative to the base member between an extended position and a retracted position in which a distal point of the needle is exposed, a safety cover removably coupled to the base member, the safety cover comprising one or more extension members, and an adjustment member removably coupled to the movable portion and configured to adjust a penetration depth of the needle by increasing or decreasing a distance between the movable portion and the base member.
Certain aspects, advantages, and novel features of disclosed embodiments are described herein. Disclosed embodiments of the apparatus, system and method should not be construed as being limiting in any way. Instead, the present disclosure concerns all novel and nonobvious features and aspects of the various disclosed embodiments, alone and in various combinations and sub-combinations with one another. The apparatus, system and method are not limited to any specific aspect or feature or combination thereof, nor do the disclosed embodiments require that any one or more specific advantages be present, or problems be solved.
Although the operations of some of the disclosed embodiments are described in a particular, sequential order for convenient presentation, it should be understood that this manner of description encompasses rearrangement, unless a particular ordering is required by specific language set forth below. For example, operations described sequentially may in some cases be rearranged or performed concurrently. Moreover, for the sake of simplicity, the attached figures may not show the various ways in which the disclosed methods can be used in conjunction with other methods. Additionally, the description sometimes uses terms like “provide” or “achieve” to describe the disclosed methods. These terms are high-level abstractions of the actual operations that are performed. The actual operations that correspond to these terms may vary depending on the particular implementation and are readily understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art.
As used in this application and in the claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include the plural forms unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Additionally, the term “includes” means “comprises.” Further, the term “coupled” generally means physically, mechanically, chemically, magnetically, and/or electrically coupled or linked and does not exclude the presence of intermediate elements between the coupled or associated items absent specific contrary language.
As used herein, the term “proximal” refers to a position, direction, or portion of a device that is closer to the operator and further away from the administration site. As used herein, the term “distal” refers to a position, direction, or portion of a device that is further away from the operator and closer to the administration site. Thus, for example, proximal motion of a device is motion of the device away from the administration site and toward the operator (e.g., away from the subject's body), while distal motion of the device is motion of the device away from the operator and toward the administration site (e.g., into the subject's body). The terms “longitudinal” and “axial” refer to an axis extending in the proximal and distal directions, unless otherwise expressly defined.
In the description, certain terms may be used such as “up,” “down,” “upper,” “lower,” “horizontal,” “vertical,” “left,” “right,” and the like. These terms are used, where applicable, to provide some clarity of description when dealing with relative relationships. But, these terms are not intended to imply absolute relationships, positions, and/or orientations. For example, with respect to an object, an “upper” surface can become a “lower” surface simply by turning the object over. Nevertheless, it is still the same object.
The disclosure of numerical ranges should be understood as referring to each discrete point within the range, inclusive of endpoints, unless otherwise noted. Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing quantities of components, molecular weights, percentages, temperatures, times, and so forth, as used in the specification or claims are to be understood as being modified by the term “about.” Accordingly, unless otherwise implicitly or explicitly indicated, or unless the context is properly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to have a more definitive construction, the numerical parameters set forth are approximations that may depend on the desired properties sought and/or limits of detection under standard test conditions/methods as known to those of ordinary skill in the art. When directly and explicitly distinguishing embodiments from discussed prior art, the embodiment numbers are not approximates unless the word “about” is recited. As used herein, the term “about” means the listed value still produces the functional result associated with the value, and may be within 10% of the listed value. For example, “about 100 degrees” means at least any value between 90-110 degrees, inclusive.
The term “medicament” as used herein refers to any substance that may be administered to a subject. Particular embodiments include, for example and without limitation, antibiotics, vaccines, therapeutics, hormones, food supplements, oils, vitamins, minerals, etc. In some embodiments, the medicaments are in liquid form. In other embodiments, the medicaments may be in powdered form and may be mixed with one or more liquids or solvents to form a suspension or solution within the two or more containers or prior to being disposed therein. Particular exemplary medicaments include, but are not limited to: PAQVAC® STREP INIAE, PAQVAQ® STREP AGALACTIAE, KV3®, ALPHA JECT micro® 1 Noda, ALPHA JECT®, 2000, Alpha ERM Salar, ALPHA JECT micro® 7 IL, ALPHA JECT micro® 6, ICHTIOVAC®VNN, AQUAVAC® Irido V, AQUAVAC® Strep SA, and combinations thereof.
The term “subject” as used herein refers to a human or an animal subject to a treatment, observation, or experiment.
The term “animal” can refer to an aquatic animal, a land animal, an avian, or an amphibian. For example, animals can include but are not limited to: poultry, swine, cattle, sheep, goats, horses, deer, felines, canines, and/or aquatic species including fish. Cattle may be a dairy animals or animals raised for beef. Animals can include animals raised for human consumption or a domesticated animal. Examples of animals that can be injected using the disclosed injection apparatus embodiments include, but are not limited to, ruminant species, such as a sheep, goat, cow, heifer, bull, bullock, calf, ox, deer, bison, buffalo, elk, alpaca, camel or llama; ungulates, such as a horse, donkey, or pig; avians, such as chickens, including laying hens and broilers, turkey, goose, duck, Cornish game hen, quail, partridge, pheasant, guinea-fowl, ostrich, emu, swan, or pigeon; aquatic animals, such as an aquaculture species, such as fish (e.g., salmon, trout, tilapia, sea bream, carp, cod, halibut, snapper, herring, catfish, flounder, hake, smelt, anchovy, lingcod, moi, perch, orange roughy, bass, tuna, mahi, mackerel, eel, barracuda, marlin, Atlantic ocean perch, Nile perch, Arctic char, haddock, hoki, Alaskan Pollock, turbot, freshwater drum, walleye, skate, sturgeon, Dover sole, common sole, wolfish, sablefish, American shad, John Dory, grouper, monkfish, pompano, lake whitefish, tilefish, wahoo, cusk, bowfin, kingklip, opah, mako shark, swordfish, cobia, croaker, or hybrids thereof, and the like), crustaceans (e.g., lobster, shrimp, prawns, crab, krill, crayfish, barnacles, copepods, and the like), or mollusks (e.g., squid, octopus, abalone, conchs, rock snails, whelk, clams, oysters, mussels, cockles, and the like). Additionally, or alternatively, the animal may be a companion animal, such as canines; felines; rabbits; rodents, such as a rat, mouse, hamster, gerbil, guinea pig or chinchilla; birds, such as parrots, canaries, parakeets, finches, cockatoos, macaws, parakeets or cockatiel; reptiles, such as snakes, lizards, tortoises or turtles; fish; crustaceans; and amphibians, such as frogs, toads and newts.
The terms “food supplement,” “dietary supplement,” and “feed additive” as used herein can refer to products intended to supplement the diet of a subject. Food supplements can include, but are not limited to, vitamins, fatty acids, probiotics, minerals, amino acids, enzymes, herbs and botanicals (including plant materials, algae, macroscopic fungi, and combinations thereof), and other substances.
Disclosed herein are embodiments of an injection apparatus useable to administer one or more medicaments to a subject (for example, aquatic species including fish), either simultaneously or sequentially. Though the below embodiments of the injection apparatus are described with respect to their use on aquatic species such as fish, it should be understood that the embodiments disclosed herein can be used on any of a variety of subjects.
The injection apparatus 10 can be a modular apparatus wherein each of the components (e.g., hand-held unit 100, head portion 102 and/or 500, body portion 104, control unit 200, containers 300) is interchangeable and/or replaceable. For example, the injection apparatus 10 can be provided as an assembly or kit and can be packaged together for delivery to the end user. An exemplary kit can include a body portion 104, one or more control units 200, one or more containers 300, flexible tubing 202, and one or more head portions 102 and/or 500. In some embodiments, each provided head portion 102 and/or 500 can be configured particularly for use with a different type of subject (e.g., aquatic species, poultry, swine, etc.). Details of additional head portions for use with poultry, swine, and/or other subjects can be found, at least, in International Application No. PCT/IB2020/053177 and International Publication No. WO 2019/116229, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In other embodiments, each kit can include several head portions 102 such that the head portion 102 can be replaced if it becomes damaged and/or worn.
Replacement or additional components (e.g., additional head portions 102, 500 and/or additional pumps for the control unit 200) can also be provided separately from the kit in order to replace components of the modular injection apparatus 10. Such a modular configuration advantageously allows the injection apparatus 10 to be adapted for a variety of uses, including for use with a variety of subjects. The modular configuration further allows an operator to switch between head portions 102, 500 (and therefore between needle types, e.g., between needles having differing lengths and/or widths, between subdermal or subcutaneous needles, between stationary and movable needles, etc.), and/or replace damaged needles or head portions, for example, in a field or operation setting. Such a configuration allows an operator to mitigate disruption to the injection process caused by a broken needle or a damaged and/or blocked head portion. In some embodiments, the control unit 200 can further comprise a replaceable pump that can be removed and replaced without the use of tools.
As mentioned, the hand-held unit 100 can comprise an interchangeable head portion 102 and/or 500 that can be removably coupled to the body portion 104. As shown in
The head portion (e.g., head portion 102 and/or 500) can comprise a connector 108 (
Referring to
The head portion 102 can comprise a support portion 116 and a movable portion 118. The movable portion 118 can be axially movable relative to the support portion 116 in a telescoping manner, as shown by arrow 120. The movable head 118 can be movable between an extended position (see e.g.,
Urging the movable portion 118 rearwardly (e.g., proximally) relative to the support portion 116 exposes a distal point of the needle 110 and allows the needle to be inserted into the subject's body. In some embodiments, urging the movable portion 118 rearwardly into the retracted position (e.g., by pressing the movable portion 118 against a selected injection location on the subject) triggers the release of a predetermined dose of medicament (e.g., by opening a valve associated with the needle and/or by triggering movement of a pump within the control unit 200). The movable portion 118 can further comprise a lock mechanism configured to, when engaged, prevent the movable portion 118 from moving relative to the support portion 116. The lock mechanism can be operatively coupled to the trigger 103 (
Referring again to
In the illustrated embodiment, as shown in
In some embodiments, the clip members 126 can be flexible members and can be biased inwardly such that they grip a subject that is positioned between them. For example, the clip members 126 can comprise a self-biasing or elastic material (e.g., steel, plastic, rubber, etc.). In such embodiments, the clip members 126 can be configured to bias into the open or gripping position without the use of a separate biasing member. In other embodiments, the clip members 126 can be pivotably coupled to the safety cover 122 and can be movable between an open position and a gripping position. The clip members 126 in such embodiments can comprise a biasing member (e.g., a spring) configured to bias the clip members into the gripping position. In some embodiments, the clip member 126 can be moved between the open position and the gripping position using, for example, the trigger 103.
Referring to
The second end portion 132 of the lockplate 124 can be coupled to a biasing member 140 (e.g., a spring, a compressible sleeve, etc.). The biasing member 140 is configured to bias the lockplate 124 into the locked position. As shown in
The head portion 102 can further comprise a sensor (e.g., an optical sensor) configured to detect when the needle 110 has reached a selected depth within the subject 128. Once the sensor determines that the selected depth has been reached, it can trigger the injection of a predetermined dose of medicament. In some embodiments, the sensor can further determine whether the full dose of medicament has been injected. For example, if the needle 110 is removed from the subject 128 prior to the full dose being administered, the sensor can trigger an alert letting the operator know that the injection has failed. The alert can be any suitable alert, such as an audible, visual, or tactile alert (e.g., a vibration).
The safety cover 122 can be removably coupled to the movable portion 118 via a connector 142. As shown in
Referring to
In other embodiments, the aperture 133 of the lockplate 124 can have any of various shapes (e.g., square, rectangular, ovular, triangular, square-oval, etc.) and the removal member 150 can have a corresponding shape such that it can fit within the aperture 133. Though the needle aperture 152 is shown having a circular shape and disposed in the center of the removal member 150 in the embodiment shown in
Referring to
As shown, the clip members 126 can have a curved, sinusoidal shape including a first curved portion 158 and a second curved portion 160. In other embodiments, the clip members 126 can have any of various other shapes, for example, the elongated U-shape shown in the embodiment of
In still other embodiments, the clip members 126 can be formed such that they can slide relative to one another rather than rotating around a pivot pin 154. For example, each clip member 126 can be slidable toward and away from a longitudinal axis of the hand-held unit 100 (e.g., an axis extending along the length of the needle). The clip members 126 can slide toward one another into a gripping position and/or away from one another into an open position. The clip members 126 can be coupled to a biasing member (e.g., a spring) configured to bias the clip members 126 toward one another into the gripping position. Once a subject 128 is disposed between the clip members 126, the clip members 126 can bias into the gripping position and retain the subject in the selected position for injection.
As mentioned, the head portion 102 can be removably coupled to the hand-held unit 100, which can be coupled to one or more control units 200 and/or one or more medicament containers 300. Each control unit 200 can be configured to deliver a dose of medicament from a respective medicament container 300 to the hand-held unit 100 and into the subject 128. The control unit 200 can comprise at least one pump comprising a dosing chamber fluidly coupled to the one or more containers 300 via a first non-return valve and fluidly coupled to the hand-held unit by a second non-return valve. A dose of medicament can enter the dosing chamber from the medicament container 300 via the first non-return valve, and exit the dosing chamber to the hand-held unit 100 via the second non-return valve. The pump can be configured to push/pull the same or different amount (e.g., dosage) of medicament from each container 300 and deliver those amounts to the hand-held unit 100. In some particular embodiments, the injection apparatus 10 can be designed to deliver a dose of about 0.05 ml to about 3 ml of medicament to each subject, in each injection.
In some embodiments, each control unit can comprise two or more pumps, wherein the number of pumps is identical to the number of containers 300, and wherein each pump is coupled to a discrete container 300. In such configurations, each pump is designed to pull and/or push a predetermined amount of medicament from its respective container 300 and to sequentially deliver the medicament to the hand-held unit 100 and into the subject according to a predefined administration order.
Referring again to
The injection apparatus 10 can further comprise a power source configured to allow the injection apparatus 10 to be suitable for remote locations with limited power supplies. Any suitable power source can be used including, for example and without limitation, a battery pack, a solar panel, a hydrogen fuel cell, etc. Combinations of power sources can also be used, where the power sources can be the same, such as two battery packs, or different, such as a solar panel and a battery pack. In some embodiments, the power source can be rechargeable. In other embodiments, the power source can be disposable (e.g., disposable batteries). The power source can be removably coupled to the control unit 200 and can be configured to provide power to the injection apparatus 10. In other embodiments, the power source can be coupled to the hand-held unit 100, to a container 300, or can be a separate piece that is operatively coupled to the injection apparatus via one or more power cables. In still other embodiments, the hand-held unit 100 can comprise a second power source configured to provide power to the hand-held unit.
The control unit 200 can further comprise one or more cables integral therewith or couplable thereto. In the illustrated embodiment, cable 206 operatively couples the control unit 200 to the hand-held unit 100. The cable 206 is configured to provide power to the hand-held unit 100 and/or to allow for communication between the hand-held unit 100 and the control unit 200. For example, the hand-held unit 100 can send a signal to the control unit 200 when the needle 110 is in position to make an injection.
In some embodiments, the injection apparatus 10 can be configured to inject two or more different medicaments into a subject at the same location, or in two or more different locations using a single needle. In such embodiments, the injection apparatus can, for example, comprise three main subsystems: (1) a hand-held unit 100 comprising a single needle; (2) one or more control units 200 each comprising a pump, one or more non-return valves, and a power source; and (3) two or more containers 300 containing different medicaments. Further details of this configuration can be found, for example, in WO 2018/203203, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. In other embodiments, the injection apparatus 10 can comprise a plurality of needles each fluidly coupled to a respective pump coupled to a respective medicament container.
Though the injection apparatus 10 is described with reference to intramuscular injections (e.g., injections that are perpendicular to the surface of the subject), it should be understood that the head portion 102 and safety cover 122 can be adapted for subcutaneous injection as well (e.g., by modifying the angle of the lockplate 124 and/or removing or modifying the clip members 126). Subcutaneous injections require that the needle penetrate the subject's skin but stop prior to penetration of the subject's muscle such that the medicament is deposited between the skin and the muscle. Such injections require that the needle enter almost parallel to the skin. As used herein, unless stated in absolute terms such as “completely parallel,” or “completely perpendicular” the terms “parallel” and “perpendicular” include the terms “substantially parallel” and “substantially perpendicular.” For example, an object is substantially parallel with respect to a reference object or plane when the object is oriented at an angle of ±20° or less with respect to the reference object or plane, and is substantially perpendicular with respect to a reference object or plane when the object is oriented at an angle of ±20° or less with respect to the reference object or plane.
In some particular embodiments wherein the injection apparatus 10 is being used for subcutaneous injection, the head portion 102 can be removed to expose the needle. In such embodiments, manual injection can be used in lieu of automatic injection. For example, the operator can insert the needle into the subject substantially parallel to the subject's skin (or scale) surface and can actuate the trigger 103 to activate the pump and inject the medicament.
Generally, the medicaments are administered in liquid form. In some embodiments, the containers 300 are provided with a ready-for-use liquid medicament. In other embodiments, the medicament to be administered is administered in a dry form (e.g., as a sprayed powder). In such embodiments the medicament is held within the containers in a dry form. In still other embodiments, the containers 300 are provided with a medicament (e.g., in a dried or powdered form) that needs to be processed or prepared prior to use (e.g. by the addition of water, alcohol, or other solvent or suspension aid thereto). Accordingly, in some embodiments, the containers 300 can be internally divided into two or more compartments for holding one or more powdered medicaments and one or more solvents or suspension aids.
As shown in
As mentioned previously, the control unit 200 can be configured to receive data from and/or transmit data to a remote device. The remote device can be configured to store data from, send data to, and/or remotely control the injection apparatus 10. The remote device can be, for example, a general-purpose computer, a hand-held mobile device (e.g., a cell phone or tablet), and/or any type of accessory therefore (e.g., a “smart watch” etc.). The remote device can include an application, or “app,” configured to control the administration process and/or track information relating to the administration process. In some embodiments, the control unit 200 can transmit real-time information to the remote device which information can be displayed by the app. In some embodiments, multiple control units 200 from multiple injection apparatuses 10 can transmit real-time information to the same remote device.
Further details of the power source, control unit 200, medicament chambers 300, remote device, computing environment, and graphical user interface can be found, for example, in International Application No. PCT/IB2020/053177.
The injection apparatus 10 can be configured to operate in and switch between various injection modes. For example, the injection apparatus 10 can operate in an automatic mode, a manual mode, and/or a semi-automatic mode. An operator can switch between modes by, for example, changing the firmware mode. In some embodiments, the mode can be selected by entering a command on the control unit 200 (e.g., by pressing a ‘mode selection’ button), in other embodiments, the mode can be selected using a remote device including an application or “app” configured to control the administration process.
Operating in automatic mode, an injection apparatus 10 comprising head 102 can be used to administer medicament to a subject in the following exemplary manner. The operator can actuate the trigger 103 to release the lock, allowing the movable portion 118 to move axially relative to the support portion 116. The operator can position a subject 128 between the clip members 126, as shown in
When switching the injection apparatus to manual mode, the operator can select the ‘manual’ firmware mode and can secure the movable portion 118 and the safety cover 122 in the retracted position (e.g., such that the distal point of the needle 110 is exposed from the movable portion 118 and the safety cover 122). When operating in the ‘manual’ mode, the injection apparatus 10 will inject medicament whenever the trigger 103 (
The injection apparatus 10 can also be operated in a ‘semi-automatic’ mode, wherein the injection apparatus 10 will inject medicament only if both the trigger 103 and the lockplate 124 are actuated simultaneously. When operating in semi-automatic mode, the operator can actuate the trigger 103 to inject the medicament. For example, the subject 128 can be disposed between the clip members 126 and urged against the lockplate such that the needle 110 enters the subject at a selected injection site. After the needle is inserted into the subject, the operator can actuate the trigger 103 to inject the medicament into the subject. Such an operation mode advantageously allows the operator to control the timing of the injection and to inject only if the operator determines that the needle is in the selected position.
As shown in
The connecting tubes 202 can be flexible enough to allow the operator to move the hand-held unit 100, long enough to allow the operator to fully extend his/her arm holding the hand-held unit 100, and rigid enough (i.e., non-expandable and non-deformable) to prevent widening of the tube due to pressure caused by medicament passing through the tube. Pressure changes have the potential to deform a tube that lacks sufficient rigidity during an administration of medicament, which can lead to inaccurate dosing of the medicament or a delay between the pump action and the administrating of the medicament to the animal. In some embodiments, the connecting tube 202 can flex in all directions and can withstand twisting. In some embodiments, the connecting tube can elastically return to its original shape after being bent, twisted, extended, or otherwise deformed. Further details of the connecting tubes and wearable configuration can be found, at least, in International Application No. PCT/IB2020/053177.
The injection apparatus 10 can be configured to be submersible in water (e.g., waterproof and/or water resistant) such that at least the hand-held unit 100 can be submerged in an aquatic environment, such as a tank or aquatic pen. In such embodiments, the operator can submerge the hand-held unit 100 in water such that an aquatic subject is disposed between the clip members 126, and can urge the lockplate 124 against the subject to trigger an injection. Such a configuration allows the operator to easily inject a large number of aquatic subjects without having to remove the subjects from the water, which can cause panic, flailing, or potential injury.
Referring to
The upper member 404 can be fluidly coupled to the control unit 200 via a flexible connecting tube 406, similar to tubes 202 described previously, and can be operatively coupled to the control unit 200 via a communication cable 408. The upper member 404 can receive medicament from the medicament containers 300 via the control unit 200 and the connecting tube 406. The upper member 404 can communicate (e.g., receive and/or transmit data, commands, etc.) with the control unit 200 via the communicating cable 408. In other embodiments, the upper member 404 can communicate wirelessly with the control unit 200 and/or a remote unit. As mentioned previously, the control unit 200 can comprise at least one pump comprising a dosing chamber fluidly coupled to the one or more medicament containers 300
The base station apparatus 400 can be configured to operate in the following exemplary manner. The operator can grab a first subject 128, position the subject 128 between the clip members 126, and urge the subject 128 against the lockplate 124 of the safety cover 122, as shown in
In another embodiment, the base station 400 can be configured to be utilized without the lockplate 124 and/or movable portion 118. In such embodiments, the operator can urge the subject against the needle and the sensor (e.g., a mechanical sensor, an optical sensor, an electrical sensor, and/or an inductance sensor) of the base station 400 can detect when the needle has reached a selected depth within the subject 128 and the injection apparatus can automatically inject the medicament.
The base station 400 can further comprise one or more indicators 410 (e.g., LED lights) configured to communicate information about the injection process. For example, the indicators can indicate whether the injection was successful, whether the apparatus 400 is ready for a subsequent injection, whether an error and/or malfunction has occurred, etc. In the embodiment shown in
The base station apparatus 400 can be configured to be submersible in water such that it can be disposed in an aquatic environment, such as a tank or aquatic pen. In such embodiments, the operator can stand in the water and guide the subject 128 through the water such that the subject is positioned between the clip members 126, briefly urge the subject against the lockplate 124 to trigger an injection, and then release the subject 128. Such a configuration allows the operator to easily inject a large number of aquatic subjects without having to remove the subjects from the water, which can cause panic, flailing, or potential injury.
The head portion 500 can generally comprise a support portion/base member 502, a movable portion 504, a safety cover 506, an adjustment member 508, and one or more needles 510 (
Referring to
The head portion 500 can further comprise a support member 530 configured to be disposed within the inner bore 521 of the base member 502. The support member 530 can be movable relative to the base member 502 such that the support member 530 moves when the movable portion 504 is actuated. A biasing member (e.g., a spring or polymeric sleeve) can be disposed within the inner bore 521 of the base member 502 between the base plate 522 and the support member 530 in order to bias the support member 530 (and therefore the movable portion 504) into the extended position.
The support member 530 can comprise a base portion 532, an extension member 534 extending from the base portion 532, and a central lumen or bore 536 extending through the support member 530. The extension member 534 can comprise an external threaded portion 538 configured to mate with an internal threaded portion 540 (
The support member 530 can further comprise a second extension member or rod 528 coupled to a side wall of the base portion 532 and extending in a direction opposite the first extension member 534. The second extension member 528 can be configured to engage a sensor (e.g., a photointerruptor) disposed in the body portion 104 of the hand-held device 100 in order to automatically trigger injection of medicament. For example, when the movable portion 504 is actuated, it moves the support member 530 such that second extension member 528 engages the sensor. Once engaged, the sensor can trigger the injection of a predetermined dose of medicament.
Referring to
The adjustment member 508 can be used to adjust the penetration depth of the needle 510. A user can rotate the adjustment member 508 to increase or decrease the distance between the support member 530 and the movable portion 504. For example, by increasing the distance between an outer shoulder 576 (
The outer surface of the adjustment member 508 can comprise a gripping portion configured to allow a user to more easily grip and manipulate the adjustment member 508. The gripping portion can comprise, for example, a plurality of ridges 580 and channels 582. In other embodiments, the gripping portion can comprise bumps, knurling, or other texture to facilitate gripping by the user.
Referring to
Urging the movable portion 504 rearwardly (e.g., proximally) relative to the base member 502 exposes a distal point of the needle 510 and allows the needle to be inserted into the subject's body. In some embodiments, urging the movable portion 504 rearwardly into the retracted position (e.g., by pressing the movable portion 504 against a selected injection location on the subject) triggers the release of a predetermined dose of medicament (e.g., by opening a valve associated with the needle and/or by triggering movement of a pump within the control unit 200). Further details of movable portions and base members can be found, for example, in International Application No. PCT/IB2020/053177.
As shown in
Referring to
In the embodiment shown in
Each extension member 592 can comprise a lip portion 596 that extends toward a central longitudinal axis of the head 500. A proximal edge 598 (
Referring to
In some particular embodiments, the needle 510 can be an 18 gauge needle. In other embodiments, the needle 510 can be between 20 gauge and 23 gauge.
An injection apparatus comprising head portion 500 can be used in the following exemplary manner. An operator or user can position a subject (e.g., a fish) between the extension members 592 to align the subject with the distal end 594 of the movable portion 504 (and therefore with the distal point of the needle 510). The user can urge the subject against the movable portion 504 such that movable portion 504 moves to the retracted position (see
In view of the many possible embodiments to which the principles of the disclosure may be applied, it should be recognized that the illustrated embodiments are only preferred examples and should not be taken as limiting the scope. Rather, the scope is defined by the following claims. We therefore claim all that comes within the scope and spirit of these claims.
The present application is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/IB2021/057450, filed Aug. 12, 2021, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/066,026, filed on Aug. 14, 2020, both of which applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63066026 | Aug 2020 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/IB2021/057450 | Aug 2021 | US |
| Child | 18107437 | US |
