WO1997031664A1 - Frangible plunger for nozzle assembly - Google Patents

Frangible plunger for nozzle assembly Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO1997031664A1
WO1997031664A1 PCT/US1997/002854 US9702854W WO9731664A1 WO 1997031664 A1 WO1997031664 A1 WO 1997031664A1 US 9702854 W US9702854 W US 9702854W WO 9731664 A1 WO9731664 A1 WO 9731664A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
driving member
plunger
chamber
driving
frangible connection
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US1997/002854
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Peter L. Sadowski
David Schiff
Paul Mulhauser
Walter Stoeckmann
Original Assignee
Medi-Ject Corporation
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from US08/608,799 external-priority patent/US5643211A/en
Application filed by Medi-Ject Corporation filed Critical Medi-Ject Corporation
Priority to AU21360/97A priority Critical patent/AU2136097A/en
Publication of WO1997031664A1 publication Critical patent/WO1997031664A1/en

Links

Classifications

    • AHUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61MDEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
    • A61M5/00Devices for bringing media into the body in a subcutaneous, intra-vascular or intramuscular way; Accessories therefor, e.g. filling or cleaning devices, arm-rests
    • A61M5/50Devices for bringing media into the body in a subcutaneous, intra-vascular or intramuscular way; Accessories therefor, e.g. filling or cleaning devices, arm-rests having means for preventing re-use, or for indicating if defective, used, tampered with or unsterile
    • A61M5/5066Means for preventing re-use by disconnection of piston and piston-rod
    • AHUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61MDEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
    • A61M5/00Devices for bringing media into the body in a subcutaneous, intra-vascular or intramuscular way; Accessories therefor, e.g. filling or cleaning devices, arm-rests
    • A61M5/178Syringes
    • A61M5/30Syringes for injection by jet action, without needle, e.g. for use with replaceable ampoules or carpules
    • AHUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61MDEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
    • A61M5/00Devices for bringing media into the body in a subcutaneous, intra-vascular or intramuscular way; Accessories therefor, e.g. filling or cleaning devices, arm-rests
    • A61M5/178Syringes
    • A61M5/31Details
    • A61M5/315Pistons; Piston-rods; Guiding, blocking or restricting the movement of the rod or piston; Appliances on the rod for facilitating dosing ; Dosing mechanisms
    • A61M5/31511Piston or piston-rod constructions, e.g. connection of piston with piston-rod
    • A61M2005/31516Piston or piston-rod constructions, e.g. connection of piston with piston-rod reducing dead-space in the syringe barrel after delivery
    • AHUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61MDEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
    • A61M5/00Devices for bringing media into the body in a subcutaneous, intra-vascular or intramuscular way; Accessories therefor, e.g. filling or cleaning devices, arm-rests
    • A61M5/50Devices for bringing media into the body in a subcutaneous, intra-vascular or intramuscular way; Accessories therefor, e.g. filling or cleaning devices, arm-rests having means for preventing re-use, or for indicating if defective, used, tampered with or unsterile
    • A61M5/5066Means for preventing re-use by disconnection of piston and piston-rod
    • A61M2005/5073Means for preventing re-use by disconnection of piston and piston-rod by breaking or rupturing the connection parts
    • AHUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61MDEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
    • A61M5/00Devices for bringing media into the body in a subcutaneous, intra-vascular or intramuscular way; Accessories therefor, e.g. filling or cleaning devices, arm-rests
    • A61M5/178Syringes
    • A61M5/31Details
    • A61M5/315Pistons; Piston-rods; Guiding, blocking or restricting the movement of the rod or piston; Appliances on the rod for facilitating dosing ; Dosing mechanisms
    • A61M5/31511Piston or piston-rod constructions, e.g. connection of piston with piston-rod
    • A61M5/31515Connection of piston with piston rod

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a plunger for use in a nozzle assembly made out of two halves separated by a gap therebetween and connected by a frangible bridge.
  • a number of single use needle injectors have been contemplated in this regard, as described in U.S. patent Nos. 5,226,882 to Bates; 5,423,756 to van der Merwe; 5,135,507 to Haber et al; and 5,407,431 to Botich et al.
  • they provide a barrel for holding medication and a plunger/piston assembly slidingly received within the barrel for ejecting medication out of the barrel
  • the Bates and van der Merwe patents disclose a piston (the forefront part that pushes medication) that separates from a plunger (the rod-like portion that pushes the piston) after medication is ejected.
  • Needleless injectors have no needle. They thus completely remove any apprehension or the possibility of being pierced. At least in this regard, the needleless injectors are superior in eliminating accidental disease transmission. Different needleless injector types have been contemplated, as described, for instance, in U.S.
  • These injectors have been contemplated to administer medication as a fine, high velocity jet, delivered under sufficient pressure to enable the jet to pass through the skin tissue without requiring a hypodermic needle.
  • These injectors typically have a nozzle assembly which has a barrel-like nozzle body for holding medication therein.
  • the nozzle member has an orifice through which a jet stream of medication is forced out from the chamber when a plunger/piston is actuated by an energy source, such as a coil spring, gas spring, and gas cartridge.
  • needleless injectors eliminate known problems associated with the needle injector type, nevertheless, as an added safety precaution, it would be desirable to discard the nozzle assembly after each use to prevent its reuse. For example, after a single use the high pressure applied by the energy source may cause the seal between the plunger/piston and the nozzle assembly to partially fail or leak. Thereafter, a subsequent use of the same nozzle may have inadequate pressure transmitted to the medication to ensure proper delivery. Additionally, this high pressure may enlarge the orifice in the nozzle assembly so that subsequent uses of the same assembly would not produce a jet having sufficient velocity to penetrate to a desired depth.
  • the present invention relates to a single use nozzle assembly and a plunger.
  • the nozzle assembly is adapted for use with an injection device comprising a chamber for holding a fluid, a force generating component for generating force to expel fluid out of or to draw fluid into the chamber, and a plunger.
  • the chamber has first and second ends with an orifice at the first end for passage of the fluid.
  • the plunger is slidingly movable within the chamber for expelling fluid out of or drawing fluid into the chamber by moving the plunger relative to the chamber.
  • the plunger includes first and second driving members and a frangible connection therebetween, with the second driving member being spaced apart from the first driving member by a gap.
  • the first and second driving members are retained in spaced relation by the frangible connection.
  • the frangible connection preferably has a smaller cross- sectional area than either of the first and second driving members and is disposed substantially perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the first and second driving members.
  • the first and second driving members can be cylindrical and have D-shaped end portions which face each other and are joined by the frangible connection.
  • the frangible connection can be a rectangular bridge connecting straight sides of the D-shaped portions of the first and second driving members.
  • the plunger may be cylindrical with the first and second driving members meeting to define the frangible connection therebetween.
  • the frangible connection may include at least a portion which extends across the diameter of the plunger.
  • the frangible connection may be disposed substantially perpendicularly to the planes formed by the surfaces of the end portions, or may be spaced radially relative to the longitudinal axis of the plunger.
  • the end portions may be configured and dimensioned to occupy more than half the cross-sectional area of the plunger and are positioned in subjacent relation after the second driving member moves across the gap.
  • the end and base portions of the first and second driving members face each other and are joined by the frangible connection.
  • the frangible connection may then extend from the second driving member to connect the end portions of the first and second driving members.
  • the frangible connection is broken.
  • the second driving member moves across the gap toward the first driving member with the base portion of the second driving member contacting the end portion of the first driving member as the end portion of the second driving member contacts the base portion of the first driving member.
  • the first driving member is then urged toward the end of the chamber.
  • the first driving member has a seal in contact with an inner wall of the chamber to prevent fluid from exiting the chamber around the first driving member and through the open end.
  • the chamber can include means for releasable connection to an injection device.
  • the second driving member may include means for releasably connecting to a force generating component.
  • the connecting means may be an end post which can be grasped to move the second driving member in a direction away from the chamber orifice to either draw fluid into the chamber or to remove the second driving member from the chamber. This movement can also dispel air from the chamber before introduction of the liquid therein.
  • the chamber may include a tapered portion adjacent the orifice and the first driving member may include a tapered member which conforms to the tapered portion of the chamber.
  • the plunger and nozzle assembly may be color coded either together or independently with a specific color corresponding to a predetermined width of the gap.
  • the plunger may be constructed of a material which includes a polymer such as polycarbonate, polypropylene, polystyrene, and acrylic.
  • FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a nozzle assembly according to the present invention
  • Fig. 2 is an elevational view of a frangible plunger according to the present invention, showing the plunger before injection;
  • Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but with the plunger during or after injection;
  • Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 2;
  • Fig. 5A is a cross-sectional view of the present nozzle assembly with the plunger pulled away from the nozzle member;
  • Fig. 5B is a cross-sectional view of the present nozzle assembly before withdrawing medication into the ampule chamber;
  • Fig. 5C is a view of the injector of the present injector after medication has been introduced into the barrel of the injector;
  • Fig. 5D is a view of the injector of the present invention after the frangible member of the piston is broken;
  • Fig. 5E is a view of the injector of the present invention after the piston has pushed the liquid out of the barrel;
  • Fig. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the frangible plunger of the present invention.
  • Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the plunger at area 7-7 as shown in Fig.6;
  • Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the plunger of Fig. 6 installed in the internal chamber of the nozzle assembly prior to loading the chamber with medicament;
  • the nozzle assembly 10 is adapted for use with any conventional injector, including the needleless type disclosed in the aforementioned patents, the disclosure of which are incorporated herein by reference.
  • the orifice is in fluid communication with the bore of an appropriately sized needle.
  • the nozzle assembly 10 has a nozzle member 20 including an orifice 22 of a suitable diameter that would produce a uniform jet stream under a given desired pressure range and depth of injection.
  • this diameter may be about 0.07 - 0.4 mm, and most preferably about 0.165 mm (0.0065 inches).
  • the orifice can be formed of a synthetic gem material, such as a synthetic ruby or sapphire, as disclosed in U.S. patent 4,722,728 to Dixon.
  • the term "orifice” shall mean any type of opening, including a straight, convergent, divergent, convergent-divergent, etc.
  • the orifice 22 may also be used to withdraw a fluid or liquid medication into the chamber 26.
  • a medication filling device such as an adapter (not shown) for filling the internal chamber of a nozzle assembly from a liquid medication supply vial directly through the ejection orifice can be used to fill the chamber with medication, as described in U.S. Patents 4,507,113 to Dunlap; and 4,883,483 and 4,662,878 to Lindmayer, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
  • Other coupling devices can also be used if desired.
  • the nozzle member 20, as shown in Figs. 5A-5E, includes a cylindrical ampule chamber 26 terminating in a right circular cone 28.
  • the chamber includes external ridges 40 for attachment to an injection device.
  • the plunger 50 has a pressure wall contoured to the cone 28 and is received through an open end of the chamber. It is positioned to slide longitudinally within the ampule chamber 26 to expel fluid medication out of the chamber and may also draw fluid medication into the chamber.
  • plunger 50 is frangible and has a first driving member 60 and a second driving member 70. As shown in Fig. 4, these members have a generally cylindrical shape with D-shaped end portions 65, 75. These driving members are connected together in a spaced apart relationship across a predetermined gap G by a frangible connection or bridge 80. Each end portion 65, 75 is spaced relative to an opposed base portion 71, 61, respectively.
  • the preferred frangible bridge 80 is a relatively thin rectangular member connecting the D-shaped end portion of the first driving member 60 to that of the second driving member 70.
  • the frangible bridge 80 has a square cross-section.
  • the frangible bridge 80 may be disposed in a perpendicular position to both straight sides of the D-shaped end portions 65, 75 of the first and second driving members as well as to the longitudinal axis of the first and the second driving members, which are parallel to the longitudinal axis (direction of the sliding movement) of the plunger.
  • the plunger 50, including the frangible bridge 80 is made out of a plastic, such as polycarbonate, polystyrene, polypropylene, or an acrylic polymer and is configured and dimensioned such that frangible bridge 80 can withstand a force "p" for moving or withdrawing the plunger to draw liquid medication into chamber 26 without breaking.
  • the frangible plunger 50 can be used with a prefilled ampule, thereby eliminating the need for moving the plunger longitudinally to draw liquid medication into ampule 26 or to expel excess liquid or bubbles therefrom.
  • the leading end of the first driving member 60 includes a seal 62, such as O-ring or the like, preferably formed around its outer periphery to provide a seal with the inner wall of the chamber 26.
  • the plunger itself can be a seal.
  • Other seals or seal members can be included in the trailing end of the second driving member if desired to provide a better seal to prevent leakage of fluid from the chamber by minimizing the entry of air into the chamber from around the first and second driving members and by preventing air from entering the orifice due to liquid exiting the chamber around the driving members.
  • the nozzle assembly is attached to an injector body by releasably connecting the end post 72 of the second driving member to the ram 90 of the injector, as shown in Fig. 5A, and connecting the bayonet mount 40 to the front of the injector body (not shown) .
  • the connection between the plunger and the ram 90 can be any conventional connection that holds these elements together but enables separation, such as a ball and slot configuration as depicted, or the prongs, as depicted in Figs. 6-10.
  • Fig. 5A shows the plunger fully pushed, before the liquid medication is drawn into the chamber.
  • Fig. 5B shows the plunger fully pushed, before the liquid medication is drawn into the chamber.
  • a partial vacuum is established inside the chamber 26 and liquid medication is drawn into the chamber through the orifice 22.
  • the frangible connection is dimensioned and configured such that pushing or pulling action requiring force "p" normally affiliated with withdrawal and slow ejection of air or medication before injection does not break the bridge.
  • the ram 90 transmits this force P to the second driving member 70 and breaks the frangible bridge 80. This allows the second driving member 70 to close the gap and transmit force to the first driving member 60 to eject medication out of the chamber 26, as shown in Fig. 5D.
  • Fig. 5E shows the position where the injection is completed and all the medication has been ejected.
  • the nozzle assembly 10 can be rotated until the ridges 40 are free of the injection device and it can be removed. Since the first driving member 60 is broken away from the second driving member, which remains connected to the ram 90, the first driving member 60 remains inside the chamber 26. The second driving member 70 is then removed from the ram 90 and discarded along with the nozzle assembly 10. This prevents unwanted re-use of the nozzle assembly 10.
  • ram 90 of the injection device is operatively connected to an energy source and imparts sudden force or impact "P" to the second driving member 70, enough to drive the second member 70 into the first member 60.
  • This action is sufficient to drive the liquid contained in ampule 26 outward through orifice 22 as a peak jet stream pressure, for example, in excess of 5,000 psi out of the orifice 22.
  • This sudden force is capable of breaking the frangible bridge 80 before the injection begins.
  • the force "P" applied to the second driving member is transmitted to the first driving member 60 through the bridge 80.
  • the frictional force in the seal 62 generates enough friction to momentarily prevent the plunger 50 from moving.
  • the plunger 50 starts to move and imparts pressure to the medication in the chamber 26. This creates resistance or back pressure on the first driving member 60.
  • the bridge 80 breaks and the second driving member 70 rams into the first driving member 60.
  • end portion 75 of second driving member 70 rams into base portion 61 of first driving member 60 and base portion 71 of second driving member 70 rams into end portion 65 of first driving member 60.
  • frangible bridge 80 may be broken by an intermediate force larger than the force "p," before the relatively large injection force "P" is applied on ram 90.
  • Such an intermediate force can be generated for example by a pressure exerted on the liquid contained in ampule chamber 26 through orifice 22 or by other triggering mechanism.
  • the gap G plays an important role in creating a preferred pressure spike necessary to pierce through the patient's skin. Changing the gap G will change the initial force imparted on the first driving member 60. The peak pressure thus can be varied with the gap G. It can also vary depending upon the viscosity of the medication, the desired injection penetration depth and other parameters which may affect the initial injection pressure output.
  • frangible plunger 50 or nozzle member 20 or both can be manufactured with different colors, wherein each color denotes a predetermined width of gap G. This color coding scheme will assist the user in choosing a proper nozzle assembly for a specific application.
  • the nozzle assembly 10 can be releasably connected to an injection device using any known structure for attaching and detaching two components together.
  • the present invention preferably contemplates a bayonet-mount, which has diametrically opposed ridges 40. These ridges 40 are first aligned in an opening having a similar cross-sectional configuration provided in an injector so that the ridges can be inserted. Thereafter, the nozzle member 20 is rotated relative to the injector body by a predetermined degree to prevent the nozzle body from detaching in the axial direction.
  • the bayonet-mount enables a quick attachment and detachment of the nozzle assembly. Alternatively, threads can be used to secure the nozzle assembly 10 to the injection device. Other connection means can be used, if desired for a particular application.
  • a second preferred embodiment of plunger 50 is shown in Fig. 6.
  • This plunger 50 exhibits the same features as the plunger shown in Figs. 2 and 3, but includes a differently configured frangible portion 80.
  • the plunger 50 includes a distal end and a proximal end and is preferably cylindrical in shape and sized to fit snugly, but slideably within the internal chamber 26 of the nozzle member 20.
  • the tip 84 of the plunger 50 is located at the distal end and is preferably shaped to substantially match the internal contours 28 of the internal chamber 26 of the nozzle member 20 at its distal end.
  • the plunger 50 preferably includes a seal 86 adjacent the tip 84.
  • the seal 86 helps to prevent any medicament from passing by the seal 86 before or during firing of the injector.
  • the seal 86 is preferably compressed during use in order to provide a tight fit within the internal chamber 26, as shown in Figs. 8-10.
  • plunger 50 has a first driving member 110 and a second driving member 120. As shown, these members have a generally cylindrical shape with specially shaped base 112, 122 and end portions 114, 124. It is preferred to use a modified D-shape wherein portions of the arcuate part of the D 81 have been removed, as shown in Fig. 7.
  • These driving members 110, 120 are connected together in a spaced apart relationship across a predetermined gap G by a frangible connection or bridge 80.
  • the preferred frangible bridge 80 is a relatively thin, overlapping and connecting portion of the first and second driving members 110, 120. It is preferred that the height of the frangible bridge be minimal to provide a localized shear zone.
  • the frangible portion 80 may be disposed adjacent both straight sides of end portions 114, 124 of the first and second driving members 110, 120.
  • a leading or distal edge 111 of frangible portion 80 is preferably shaped as a sharp corner. This sharp corner provides stress concentration for assisting in shearing the frangible portion when an appropriate load is applied to the second driving member 120.
  • a trailing or proximal edge 121 of frangible portion 80 is preferably rounded, defining a radius. This radius is defined to provide a clean two-part break which allows the second driving member 120 to close the gap G between the first 110 and second 120 driving members.
  • recesses 123 are defined at the end of the channels which define the frangible portion 80. These recesses are positioned in the base portions 112, 122, adjacent the frangible portion 80, and are configured and dimensioned to accept flash or waste which may break away from the frangible bridge 80 during shearing. Recesses 123 are provided in order to avoid any interference between any flash and the movement of the first and second driving members 110, 120.
  • Frangible portion 80 is preferably spaced a small distance from longitudinal axis X - X in order to aid in providing a frangible connection which will shear when a sufficient amount of force is applied.
  • the plunger 80, including the frangible bridge is made out of a plastic and is configured and dimensioned such that frangible portion 80 can withstand a force "p" for moving or withdrawing the plunger to draw liquid medication into chamber 26 without breaking.
  • an acrylic polymer such as acrylic resins VS-100-UVT, V920-100-UVT, SG-7, and V052, all of which are produced by AtoHaas N.A., will provide the strength necessary to withstand loading or medication filling procedures, but is also sufficiently brittle to break when the firing force is applied.
  • the present frangible portion 80 is designed to shear when force "P,” which is greater than force "p,” is applied.
  • the frangible plunger 50 can be used with a prefilled chamber 26, thereby eliminating the need for moving the plunger 50 longitudinally to draw liquid medication into chamber 26 or to expel excess liquid or bubbles therefrom.
  • the leading end of the first driving member 110 includes the seal 86, such as an O-ring or the like, preferably formed around its outer periphery to provide a seal with the inner wall of the chamber 26.
  • the plunger 50 itself can be a seal.
  • Other seals or seal members can be included in the trailing end of the second driving member 120 if desired to provide a better seal to prevent leakage of fluid for the chamber by minimizing the entry of air into the chamber from around the first and second driving members 110, 120 and by preventing air from entering the orifice 22 due to liquid exiting the chamber around the driving members.
  • the plunger 50 is pushed into the chamber 26, in the distal direction to purge air from the internal chamber, as shown in Fig. 8. As the plunger 50 is pulled in the proximal direction, a partial vacuum is established inside the chamber and liquid medication is drawn into the chamber 26 through the orifice 22.
  • the frangible connection is dimensioned and configured such that pushing or pulling action requiring force "p" normally affiliated with withdrawal and slow ejection of air or medication before injection does not break the bridge 80.
  • the ram Upon an application of a relatively large injection force "P" on the ram 90, which may be significantly larger than the force "p", the ram transmits this force "P” to the second driving member 120 and breaks the frangible portion 80. This allows the second driving member 120 to close the gap G and transmit force to the first driving member 110 so that the respective base 112, 122 and end 114, 124 portions meet to eject medication out of the chamber 26.
  • Fig. 9 shows the position of the plunger 50 after the injection is completed and all the medication has been ejected. In this position, the frangible connection 80 has been broken so that the first 110 and second 120 driving members are in contact and the plunger 50 is positioned in the distal end of the chamber 26.
  • Fig. 10 shows the position of the plunger 50 after the injection is completed and the nozzle assembly 10 has been rotated or unlocked from the injector.
  • the nozzle assembly has been rotated so that external ridges 40 are free of the injector and can be removed.
  • the piston 90 and second driving member 120 move proximally within the chamber 26 until the piston is released from prongs 82, thereby allowing nozzle assembly 10 to be completely removed from the injector.
  • the first 110 and second 120 driving members remain inside the nozzle member 20 and are easily removed from the injector and the nozzle assembly 10 then may not be reused and must be discarded. This prevents unwanted re-use of the nozzle assembly.
  • connection means other than the prongs 82
  • the second driving member 120 may remain connected to the piston when the nozzle assembly 10 is removed from the injector.
  • the second driving member 120 may be manually removed from piston 90 after the nozzle assembly 10 is removed.
  • the nozzle assembly will be rendered unusable because the first driving member 110 will remain lodged in the distal end of chamber 26.
  • the embodiment shown in Fig. 6 is not dependent upon the connection means 82 and may be used with any type of connection means.
  • piston 90 of the injection device operatively connected to an energy source imparts sudden force or impact "P" to the second driving member 120, enough to drive the second member 120 into the first member 110.
  • This action is sufficient to drive the liquid contained in chamber 26 outward through orifice 22 as a peak jet stream pressure for example in excess of 5,000 psi out of the orifice 22.
  • This sudden force "P” is capable of breaking the frangible bridge 80 before the injection begins.
  • the force "P" applied to the second driving member 120 is transmitted to the first driving member 110 through the bridge 80.
  • the frictional force in the seal 86 generates enough friction to momentarily prevent the plunger 50 from moving.
  • the plunger 50 starts to move and imparts pressure to the medication in the chamber 26. This creates resistance or back pressure on the first driving member 110.
  • the bridge 80 breaks and the second driving member 120 rams into the first driving member 110.
  • frangible bridge 80 may be broken by an intermediate force larger than the force "p," before the relatively large injection force "P" is applied to piston 90. Such an intermediate force can be generated for example by a pressure exerted on the liquid contained in chamber 26 through orifice 22 or by other triggering mechanism.
  • the frangible plunger according to the present invention can also be used with syringes having hypodermic needles where the frangible bridge breaks either before the injection begins or after the completion of the injection.

Abstract

The present invention is directed toward a plunger (50) provided for use in a nozzle assembly (20). The plunger includes a frangible portion (80) and has a first (60) and second driving member (70) connected to the frangible portion. The first and second driving members are spaced apart by a predetermined gap using a frangible bridge (80). When a predetermined force is applied to the second driving member, it breaks the frangible bridge and moves the second driving member across the gap. This causes the second driving member to ram into the first driving member, driving fluid out of the nozzle. Thereafter, as the second driving member is separated from the first driving member, the first driving member remains lodged in the chamber preventing the reuse of the nozzle assembly.

Description

FRANGIBLE PLUNGER FOR NOZZLE ASSEMBLY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a plunger for use in a nozzle assembly made out of two halves separated by a gap therebetween and connected by a frangible bridge.
BACKGROUND
Medical communities have become concerned over the possibility of accidental communication of disease, such as Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) , hepatitis, and other diseases communicable through bodily fluids, through accidental needle sticking and improperly sterilized multiple-use needle injector. One way to curb some of these mishaps is to discard the entire needle injector after a single use.
A number of single use needle injectors have been contemplated in this regard, as described in U.S. patent Nos. 5,226,882 to Bates; 5,423,756 to van der Merwe; 5,135,507 to Haber et al; and 5,407,431 to Botich et al. As with all needle injectors, they provide a barrel for holding medication and a plunger/piston assembly slidingly received within the barrel for ejecting medication out of the barrel The Bates and van der Merwe patents disclose a piston (the forefront part that pushes medication) that separates from a plunger (the rod-like portion that pushes the piston) after medication is ejected. The Haber and Botich patents achieves a similar result by locking the piston to the barrel after the injection stroke is completed to prevent reuse. Needleless injectors have no needle. They thus completely remove any apprehension or the possibility of being pierced. At least in this regard, the needleless injectors are superior in eliminating accidental disease transmission. Different needleless injector types have been contemplated, as described, for instance, in U.S. Patents 5,062,830 issued to Dunlap; 4,790,824 to Morrow et al.; 4,623,332 to Lind ayer et al.; 4,421,508 to Cohen; 4,089,334 to Schwebel et al.; 3,688,765 to Gasaway; 3,115,133 to Morando; 2,816,543 to Venditty et al. ; and 2,754,818 to Scherer. These injectors have been contemplated to administer medication as a fine, high velocity jet, delivered under sufficient pressure to enable the jet to pass through the skin tissue without requiring a hypodermic needle. These injectors typically have a nozzle assembly which has a barrel-like nozzle body for holding medication therein. The nozzle member has an orifice through which a jet stream of medication is forced out from the chamber when a plunger/piston is actuated by an energy source, such as a coil spring, gas spring, and gas cartridge.
Even though needleless injectors eliminate known problems associated with the needle injector type, nevertheless, as an added safety precaution, it would be desirable to discard the nozzle assembly after each use to prevent its reuse. For example, after a single use the high pressure applied by the energy source may cause the seal between the plunger/piston and the nozzle assembly to partially fail or leak. Thereafter, a subsequent use of the same nozzle may have inadequate pressure transmitted to the medication to ensure proper delivery. Additionally, this high pressure may enlarge the orifice in the nozzle assembly so that subsequent uses of the same assembly would not produce a jet having sufficient velocity to penetrate to a desired depth.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a single use nozzle assembly and a plunger. The nozzle assembly is adapted for use with an injection device comprising a chamber for holding a fluid, a force generating component for generating force to expel fluid out of or to draw fluid into the chamber, and a plunger. The chamber has first and second ends with an orifice at the first end for passage of the fluid.
The plunger is slidingly movable within the chamber for expelling fluid out of or drawing fluid into the chamber by moving the plunger relative to the chamber. The plunger includes first and second driving members and a frangible connection therebetween, with the second driving member being spaced apart from the first driving member by a gap. The first and second driving members are retained in spaced relation by the frangible connection. When a force sufficient to break the frangible connection is applied to the second driving member in a direction toward the first driving member, the frangible connection is broken and the second driving member moves across the gap toward the first driving member for urging the first driving member towards the end of the chamber to expel fluid therefrom. Thereafter, when the second driving member is moved away from the first driving member, the first driving member remains in the chamber to prevent reuse of the nozzle assembly.
The frangible connection preferably has a smaller cross- sectional area than either of the first and second driving members and is disposed substantially perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the first and second driving members. Particularly, the first and second driving members can be cylindrical and have D-shaped end portions which face each other and are joined by the frangible connection. The frangible connection can be a rectangular bridge connecting straight sides of the D-shaped portions of the first and second driving members.
Alternatively, the plunger may be cylindrical with the first and second driving members meeting to define the frangible connection therebetween. The frangible connection may include at least a portion which extends across the diameter of the plunger. The frangible connection may be disposed substantially perpendicularly to the planes formed by the surfaces of the end portions, or may be spaced radially relative to the longitudinal axis of the plunger. The end portions may be configured and dimensioned to occupy more than half the cross-sectional area of the plunger and are positioned in subjacent relation after the second driving member moves across the gap. Preferably, the end and base portions of the first and second driving members face each other and are joined by the frangible connection. The frangible connection may then extend from the second driving member to connect the end portions of the first and second driving members. Thus, when a force sufficient to break the frangible connection is applied to the second driving member, the frangible connection is broken. The second driving member moves across the gap toward the first driving member with the base portion of the second driving member contacting the end portion of the first driving member as the end portion of the second driving member contacts the base portion of the first driving member. The first driving member is then urged toward the end of the chamber. Advantageously, the first driving member has a seal in contact with an inner wall of the chamber to prevent fluid from exiting the chamber around the first driving member and through the open end. Also, the chamber can include means for releasable connection to an injection device. If desired, the second driving member may include means for releasably connecting to a force generating component. The connecting means may be an end post which can be grasped to move the second driving member in a direction away from the chamber orifice to either draw fluid into the chamber or to remove the second driving member from the chamber. This movement can also dispel air from the chamber before introduction of the liquid therein. To assist in the movement of fluid, the chamber may include a tapered portion adjacent the orifice and the first driving member may include a tapered member which conforms to the tapered portion of the chamber.
Advantageously, the plunger and nozzle assembly may be color coded either together or independently with a specific color corresponding to a predetermined width of the gap. The plunger may be constructed of a material which includes a polymer such as polycarbonate, polypropylene, polystyrene, and acrylic. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A better understanding of the invention may be obtained from a review of the appended drawing figures, which illustrate preferred embodiments and wherein: Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a nozzle assembly according to the present invention;
Fig. 2 is an elevational view of a frangible plunger according to the present invention, showing the plunger before injection; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but with the plunger during or after injection;
Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 2;
Fig. 5A is a cross-sectional view of the present nozzle assembly with the plunger pulled away from the nozzle member;
Fig. 5B is a cross-sectional view of the present nozzle assembly before withdrawing medication into the ampule chamber;
Fig. 5C is a view of the injector of the present injector after medication has been introduced into the barrel of the injector;
Fig. 5D is a view of the injector of the present invention after the frangible member of the piston is broken;
Fig. 5E is a view of the injector of the present invention after the piston has pushed the liquid out of the barrel;
Fig. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the frangible plunger of the present invention;
Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the plunger at area 7-7 as shown in Fig.6;
Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the plunger of Fig. 6 installed in the internal chamber of the nozzle assembly prior to loading the chamber with medicament;
Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the plunger of Fig. 6 installed in the internal chamber of the nozzle assembly after the injector has been fired; and Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the plunger of Fig. 6 installed in the internal chamber of the nozzle assembly after the injector has been fired, the nozzle assembly has been rotated out of locked position, and the piston of the injector is about to be withdrawn.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The nozzle assembly 10 according to the present invention is adapted for use with any conventional injector, including the needleless type disclosed in the aforementioned patents, the disclosure of which are incorporated herein by reference. When a needle type injector is to be used, the orifice is in fluid communication with the bore of an appropriately sized needle. Referring to the figures, the nozzle assembly 10 has a nozzle member 20 including an orifice 22 of a suitable diameter that would produce a uniform jet stream under a given desired pressure range and depth of injection. Preferably, this diameter may be about 0.07 - 0.4 mm, and most preferably about 0.165 mm (0.0065 inches). If a highly precise jet stream is desired, the orifice can be formed of a synthetic gem material, such as a synthetic ruby or sapphire, as disclosed in U.S. patent 4,722,728 to Dixon. Hereinafter, the term "orifice" shall mean any type of opening, including a straight, convergent, divergent, convergent-divergent, etc. The orifice 22 may also be used to withdraw a fluid or liquid medication into the chamber 26. In this regard, a medication filling device such as an adapter (not shown) for filling the internal chamber of a nozzle assembly from a liquid medication supply vial directly through the ejection orifice can be used to fill the chamber with medication, as described in U.S. Patents 4,507,113 to Dunlap; and 4,883,483 and 4,662,878 to Lindmayer, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Other coupling devices can also be used if desired.
The nozzle member 20, as shown in Figs. 5A-5E, includes a cylindrical ampule chamber 26 terminating in a right circular cone 28. The chamber includes external ridges 40 for attachment to an injection device. The plunger 50 has a pressure wall contoured to the cone 28 and is received through an open end of the chamber. It is positioned to slide longitudinally within the ampule chamber 26 to expel fluid medication out of the chamber and may also draw fluid medication into the chamber.
As better shown in Figs. 2 and 3, plunger 50 is frangible and has a first driving member 60 and a second driving member 70. As shown in Fig. 4, these members have a generally cylindrical shape with D-shaped end portions 65, 75. These driving members are connected together in a spaced apart relationship across a predetermined gap G by a frangible connection or bridge 80. Each end portion 65, 75 is spaced relative to an opposed base portion 71, 61, respectively. The preferred frangible bridge 80 is a relatively thin rectangular member connecting the D-shaped end portion of the first driving member 60 to that of the second driving member 70. Advantageously, the frangible bridge 80 has a square cross-section. The frangible bridge 80 may be disposed in a perpendicular position to both straight sides of the D-shaped end portions 65, 75 of the first and second driving members as well as to the longitudinal axis of the first and the second driving members, which are parallel to the longitudinal axis (direction of the sliding movement) of the plunger. Preferably, the plunger 50, including the frangible bridge 80 is made out of a plastic, such as polycarbonate, polystyrene, polypropylene, or an acrylic polymer and is configured and dimensioned such that frangible bridge 80 can withstand a force "p" for moving or withdrawing the plunger to draw liquid medication into chamber 26 without breaking.
Alternatively, the frangible plunger 50 can be used with a prefilled ampule, thereby eliminating the need for moving the plunger longitudinally to draw liquid medication into ampule 26 or to expel excess liquid or bubbles therefrom. The leading end of the first driving member 60 includes a seal 62, such as O-ring or the like, preferably formed around its outer periphery to provide a seal with the inner wall of the chamber 26. The plunger itself can be a seal. Other seals or seal members can be included in the trailing end of the second driving member if desired to provide a better seal to prevent leakage of fluid from the chamber by minimizing the entry of air into the chamber from around the first and second driving members and by preventing air from entering the orifice due to liquid exiting the chamber around the driving members.
Referring to Figs. 5A-5E, the nozzle assembly is attached to an injector body by releasably connecting the end post 72 of the second driving member to the ram 90 of the injector, as shown in Fig. 5A, and connecting the bayonet mount 40 to the front of the injector body (not shown) . The connection between the plunger and the ram 90 can be any conventional connection that holds these elements together but enables separation, such as a ball and slot configuration as depicted, or the prongs, as depicted in Figs. 6-10.
The plunger is pushed into the chamber, in the direction shown by the arrow in Fig. 5A, to purge air. Fig. 5B shows the plunger fully pushed, before the liquid medication is drawn into the chamber. As the plunger is pulled to the direction shown by the arrow in Fig. 5B, a partial vacuum is established inside the chamber 26 and liquid medication is drawn into the chamber through the orifice 22.
It will be noted that the frangible connection is dimensioned and configured such that pushing or pulling action requiring force "p" normally affiliated with withdrawal and slow ejection of air or medication before injection does not break the bridge. Upon an application of a relatively large injection force "P" on the ram, which may be significantly larger than the force "p", the ram 90 transmits this force P to the second driving member 70 and breaks the frangible bridge 80. This allows the second driving member 70 to close the gap and transmit force to the first driving member 60 to eject medication out of the chamber 26, as shown in Fig. 5D. Finally, Fig. 5E shows the position where the injection is completed and all the medication has been ejected. At this point, the nozzle assembly 10 can be rotated until the ridges 40 are free of the injection device and it can be removed. Since the first driving member 60 is broken away from the second driving member, which remains connected to the ram 90, the first driving member 60 remains inside the chamber 26. The second driving member 70 is then removed from the ram 90 and discarded along with the nozzle assembly 10. This prevents unwanted re-use of the nozzle assembly 10.
In a normal operation of the injector, ram 90 of the injection device is operatively connected to an energy source and imparts sudden force or impact "P" to the second driving member 70, enough to drive the second member 70 into the first member 60. This action is sufficient to drive the liquid contained in ampule 26 outward through orifice 22 as a peak jet stream pressure, for example, in excess of 5,000 psi out of the orifice 22. This sudden force is capable of breaking the frangible bridge 80 before the injection begins. Specifically, the force "P" applied to the second driving member is transmitted to the first driving member 60 through the bridge 80. Initially, the frictional force in the seal 62 generates enough friction to momentarily prevent the plunger 50 from moving. Once this frictional force is overcome, the plunger 50 starts to move and imparts pressure to the medication in the chamber 26. This creates resistance or back pressure on the first driving member 60. When the difference between the resistance force imparted to first driving member 60 by the fluid and the force imparted by the second driving member 70 toward the first driving member 60 reaches a predetermined level, the bridge 80 breaks and the second driving member 70 rams into the first driving member 60. Moreover, as shown in Fig. 3, end portion 75 of second driving member 70 rams into base portion 61 of first driving member 60 and base portion 71 of second driving member 70 rams into end portion 65 of first driving member 60.
Alternatively, frangible bridge 80 may be broken by an intermediate force larger than the force "p," before the relatively large injection force "P" is applied on ram 90. Such an intermediate force can be generated for example by a pressure exerted on the liquid contained in ampule chamber 26 through orifice 22 or by other triggering mechanism. The gap G plays an important role in creating a preferred pressure spike necessary to pierce through the patient's skin. Changing the gap G will change the initial force imparted on the first driving member 60. The peak pressure thus can be varied with the gap G. It can also vary depending upon the viscosity of the medication, the desired injection penetration depth and other parameters which may affect the initial injection pressure output. One of ordinary skill in the art can determine by routine experimentation the optimum gap for any frangible plunger that is to be used with a particular medication. Advantageously, frangible plunger 50 or nozzle member 20 or both can be manufactured with different colors, wherein each color denotes a predetermined width of gap G. This color coding scheme will assist the user in choosing a proper nozzle assembly for a specific application. Once the first and second driving members 60, 70 are separated, the first driving member 60 remains stuck in the chamber 26. The chamber 26 and the plunger 50 thus become unusable. The amount of force to break the gap can be adjusted by changing the dimension of the bridge 80. Additionally, scoring lines or lines of breakage (not shown) can be provided to controllably break the bridge 80. These can also be determined by routine experimentation to optimum performance criteria.
The nozzle assembly 10 can be releasably connected to an injection device using any known structure for attaching and detaching two components together. The present invention preferably contemplates a bayonet-mount, which has diametrically opposed ridges 40. These ridges 40 are first aligned in an opening having a similar cross-sectional configuration provided in an injector so that the ridges can be inserted. Thereafter, the nozzle member 20 is rotated relative to the injector body by a predetermined degree to prevent the nozzle body from detaching in the axial direction. The bayonet-mount enables a quick attachment and detachment of the nozzle assembly. Alternatively, threads can be used to secure the nozzle assembly 10 to the injection device. Other connection means can be used, if desired for a particular application.
A second preferred embodiment of plunger 50 is shown in Fig. 6. This plunger 50 exhibits the same features as the plunger shown in Figs. 2 and 3, but includes a differently configured frangible portion 80. The plunger 50 includes a distal end and a proximal end and is preferably cylindrical in shape and sized to fit snugly, but slideably within the internal chamber 26 of the nozzle member 20. The tip 84 of the plunger 50 is located at the distal end and is preferably shaped to substantially match the internal contours 28 of the internal chamber 26 of the nozzle member 20 at its distal end. The plunger 50 preferably includes a seal 86 adjacent the tip 84. The seal 86 helps to prevent any medicament from passing by the seal 86 before or during firing of the injector. The seal 86 is preferably compressed during use in order to provide a tight fit within the internal chamber 26, as shown in Figs. 8-10.
As shown in Fig. 6, plunger 50 has a first driving member 110 and a second driving member 120. As shown, these members have a generally cylindrical shape with specially shaped base 112, 122 and end portions 114, 124. It is preferred to use a modified D-shape wherein portions of the arcuate part of the D 81 have been removed, as shown in Fig. 7. These driving members 110, 120 are connected together in a spaced apart relationship across a predetermined gap G by a frangible connection or bridge 80. As shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the preferred frangible bridge 80 is a relatively thin, overlapping and connecting portion of the first and second driving members 110, 120. It is preferred that the height of the frangible bridge be minimal to provide a localized shear zone. The frangible portion 80 may be disposed adjacent both straight sides of end portions 114, 124 of the first and second driving members 110, 120. A leading or distal edge 111 of frangible portion 80 is preferably shaped as a sharp corner. This sharp corner provides stress concentration for assisting in shearing the frangible portion when an appropriate load is applied to the second driving member 120. A trailing or proximal edge 121 of frangible portion 80 is preferably rounded, defining a radius. This radius is defined to provide a clean two-part break which allows the second driving member 120 to close the gap G between the first 110 and second 120 driving members.
Further, recesses 123 are defined at the end of the channels which define the frangible portion 80. These recesses are positioned in the base portions 112, 122, adjacent the frangible portion 80, and are configured and dimensioned to accept flash or waste which may break away from the frangible bridge 80 during shearing. Recesses 123 are provided in order to avoid any interference between any flash and the movement of the first and second driving members 110, 120.
Frangible portion 80 is preferably spaced a small distance from longitudinal axis X - X in order to aid in providing a frangible connection which will shear when a sufficient amount of force is applied. Preferably, the plunger 80, including the frangible bridge is made out of a plastic and is configured and dimensioned such that frangible portion 80 can withstand a force "p" for moving or withdrawing the plunger to draw liquid medication into chamber 26 without breaking. Typically, an acrylic polymer, such as acrylic resins VS-100-UVT, V920-100-UVT, SG-7, and V052, all of which are produced by AtoHaas N.A., will provide the strength necessary to withstand loading or medication filling procedures, but is also sufficiently brittle to break when the firing force is applied. The present frangible portion 80 is designed to shear when force "P," which is greater than force "p," is applied. Alternatively, the frangible plunger 50 can be used with a prefilled chamber 26, thereby eliminating the need for moving the plunger 50 longitudinally to draw liquid medication into chamber 26 or to expel excess liquid or bubbles therefrom. The leading end of the first driving member 110 includes the seal 86, such as an O-ring or the like, preferably formed around its outer periphery to provide a seal with the inner wall of the chamber 26. The plunger 50 itself can be a seal. Other seals or seal members can be included in the trailing end of the second driving member 120 if desired to provide a better seal to prevent leakage of fluid for the chamber by minimizing the entry of air into the chamber from around the first and second driving members 110, 120 and by preventing air from entering the orifice 22 due to liquid exiting the chamber around the driving members.
As part of the filling operation, the plunger 50 is pushed into the chamber 26, in the distal direction to purge air from the internal chamber, as shown in Fig. 8. As the plunger 50 is pulled in the proximal direction, a partial vacuum is established inside the chamber and liquid medication is drawn into the chamber 26 through the orifice 22.
It will be noted that the frangible connection is dimensioned and configured such that pushing or pulling action requiring force "p" normally affiliated with withdrawal and slow ejection of air or medication before injection does not break the bridge 80. Upon an application of a relatively large injection force "P" on the ram 90, which may be significantly larger than the force "p", the ram transmits this force "P" to the second driving member 120 and breaks the frangible portion 80. This allows the second driving member 120 to close the gap G and transmit force to the first driving member 110 so that the respective base 112, 122 and end 114, 124 portions meet to eject medication out of the chamber 26. Specifically, the end portion 114 of the second driving member 120 contacts the base portion 112 of the first driving member 110 while the base portion 122 of the second driving member 120 contacts the end portion 124 of the first driving member 110 for urging the first driving member 110 towards the chamber orifice 22 to expel fluid therefrom. Fig. 9 shows the position of the plunger 50 after the injection is completed and all the medication has been ejected. In this position, the frangible connection 80 has been broken so that the first 110 and second 120 driving members are in contact and the plunger 50 is positioned in the distal end of the chamber 26.
Finally, Fig. 10 shows the position of the plunger 50 after the injection is completed and the nozzle assembly 10 has been rotated or unlocked from the injector. The nozzle assembly has been rotated so that external ridges 40 are free of the injector and can be removed. At this point, as the nozzle assembly 10 is withdrawn or pulled back from the injector, the piston 90 and second driving member 120 move proximally within the chamber 26 until the piston is released from prongs 82, thereby allowing nozzle assembly 10 to be completely removed from the injector. Thus, the first 110 and second 120 driving members remain inside the nozzle member 20 and are easily removed from the injector and the nozzle assembly 10 then may not be reused and must be discarded. This prevents unwanted re-use of the nozzle assembly.
If a different connection means, other than the prongs 82, is employed to connect the second driving member 120 to the piston 90, the second driving member 120 may remain connected to the piston when the nozzle assembly 10 is removed from the injector. In this case, which is the same as that presented for the first embodiment of Fig. 1, the second driving member 120 may be manually removed from piston 90 after the nozzle assembly 10 is removed. The nozzle assembly will be rendered unusable because the first driving member 110 will remain lodged in the distal end of chamber 26. Thus, the embodiment shown in Fig. 6 is not dependent upon the connection means 82 and may be used with any type of connection means.
In a normal operation of the injector, piston 90 of the injection device operatively connected to an energy source imparts sudden force or impact "P" to the second driving member 120, enough to drive the second member 120 into the first member 110. This action is sufficient to drive the liquid contained in chamber 26 outward through orifice 22 as a peak jet stream pressure for example in excess of 5,000 psi out of the orifice 22. This sudden force "P" is capable of breaking the frangible bridge 80 before the injection begins. Specifically, the force "P" applied to the second driving member 120 is transmitted to the first driving member 110 through the bridge 80. Initially, the frictional force in the seal 86 generates enough friction to momentarily prevent the plunger 50 from moving. Once this frictional force is overcome, the plunger 50 starts to move and imparts pressure to the medication in the chamber 26. This creates resistance or back pressure on the first driving member 110. When the difference between the resistance force imparted to first driving member 110 by the fluid and the force imparted by the second driving member 120 toward the first driving member 110 reaches a predetermined level, the bridge 80 breaks and the second driving member 120 rams into the first driving member 110. Alternatively, frangible bridge 80 may be broken by an intermediate force larger than the force "p," before the relatively large injection force "P" is applied to piston 90. Such an intermediate force can be generated for example by a pressure exerted on the liquid contained in chamber 26 through orifice 22 or by other triggering mechanism. It will be understood that the frangible plunger according to the present invention can also be used with syringes having hypodermic needles where the frangible bridge breaks either before the injection begins or after the completion of the injection.
Further, it should be understood that variations and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains. Accordingly, all expedient modifications readily attainable by one versed in the art from the disclosure set forth herein that are within the scope and spirit of the present invention are to be included as further embodiments of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is accordingly to be defined as set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

THE CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:
1. A plunger slidingly movable within a fluid chamber for expelling fluid out of or drawing fluid into the chamber by movement of the plunger relative to the chamber, the plunger comprising first and second driving members which include respective end and base portions retained in spaced relation by a frangible connection therebetween, with the second driving member being spaced apart from the first driving member by a gap, such that when a force sufficient to break the frangible connection is applied to the second driving member in a direction toward the first driving member, the frangible connection is broken and the second driving member moves across said gap toward the first driving member for urging the first driving member towards an end of the chamber to expel fluid therefrom, and when the second driving member is thereafter moved away from the first driving member, the first driving member remains in the chamber.
2. The plunger according to claim 1, further comprising means for releasable connection to a force generating component.
3. The plunger according to claim 2, wherein the connection means is an end post which can be grasped to move the second driving member in a direction away from the chamber orifice to either draw fluid into the chamber or to remove the second driving member from the chamber.
4. The plunger according to claim 1, wherein the frangible connection has a smaller cross-sectional area than either of the first and second driving members.
5. The plunger according to claim 1, wherein the first driving member has a seal in contact with an inner wall of the chamber to prevent fluid from exiting the chamber around the first driving member and through the open end.
6. The plunger according to claim 1, wherein the frangible connection is disposed substantially perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the first and second driving members.
7. The plunger according to claim 1, wherein the first and second driving members are cylindrical and have D-shaped end portions which face each other and are joined by the frangible connection.
8. The plunger according to claim 7, wherein the frangible connection is a rectangular bridge connecting straight sides of the D-shaped portions of the first and second driving members.
9. The plunger according to claim 1, wherein the plunger is cylindrical and the first and second driving members meet to define the frangible connection therebetween, said frangible connection having at least a portion which extends across the diameter of the plunger.
10. The plunger according to claim 1, wherein the frangible connection is disposed substantially perpendicularly to the planes formed by the surfaces of the end portions of the first and second driving members.
11. The plunger according to claim 1, wherein the frangible connection is spaced radially relative to the longitudinal axis.
12. The plunger according to claim 1, wherein the chamber includes a tapered portion adjacent the orifice and the first driving member includes a tapered member which conforms to the tapered portion of the chamber.
13. The plunger according to claim 1, wherein the end and base portions of the first and second driving members face each other and are joined by the frangible connection.
14. The plunger according to claim 13, wherein the frangible connection extends from the second driving member to connect the end portions of the first and second driving members, such that when a force sufficient to break the frangible connection is applied to the second driving member, the frangible connection is broken and the second driving member moves across the gap toward the first driving member with the base portion of the second driving member contacting the end portion of the first driving member as the end portion of the second driving member contacts the base portion of the first driving member for urging the first driving member towards the end of the chamber.
15. The plunger according to claim 1, wherein each of the end portions is configured and dimensioned to occupy more than half the cross-sectional area of the plunger, wherein the first and second end portions are positioned in subjacent relation after the second member moves across the gap.
16. The plunger according to claim 1, wherein the plunger is color coded with a specific color corresponding to a predetermined width of said gap.
17. The plunger according to claim 1, wherein the plunger is constructed of a material which includes a polymer selected from the group consisting of polycarbonate, polypropylene, polystyrene, and acrylic.
18. A single use nozzle assembly adapted for use with an injection device comprising: a chamber for holding a fluid and having a first and second end with an orifice at the first end for fluid passage; a force generating component for generating a force to expel fluid out of or to draw fluid into the chamber; and the plunger of claim 1.
19. The single use nozzle assembly of claim 18, wherein the chamber includes means for releasably connecting the chamber to an injection device.
20. The single use nozzle assembly of claim 18, wherein the nozzle assembly is color coded with a specific color corresponding to a predetermined width of said gap.
PCT/US1997/002854 1996-02-29 1997-02-24 Frangible plunger for nozzle assembly WO1997031664A1 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AU21360/97A AU2136097A (en) 1996-02-29 1997-02-24 Frangible plunger for nozzle assembly

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US08/608,799 1996-02-29
US08/608,799 US5643211A (en) 1996-02-29 1996-02-29 Nozzle assembly having a frangible plunger
US08/773,660 US5921967A (en) 1996-02-29 1996-12-24 Plunger for nozzle assembly
US08/773,660 1996-12-24

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO1997031664A1 true WO1997031664A1 (en) 1997-09-04

Family

ID=27085866

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/US1997/002854 WO1997031664A1 (en) 1996-02-29 1997-02-24 Frangible plunger for nozzle assembly

Country Status (3)

Country Link
US (1) US5921967A (en)
AU (1) AU2136097A (en)
WO (1) WO1997031664A1 (en)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1024848A1 (en) * 1997-10-23 2000-08-09 Bristol-Myers Squibb Company Preloadable syringe for automated dispensing device

Families Citing this family (20)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6264629B1 (en) * 1998-11-18 2001-07-24 Bioject, Inc. Single-use needle-less hypodermic jet injection apparatus and method
WO2000040284A1 (en) * 1999-01-08 2000-07-13 Schoettli Theodor Injecting syringe
JP4200758B2 (en) * 2002-12-26 2008-12-24 株式会社日立ハイテクノロジーズ Panel resin coating method, display panel manufacturing method, and resin coating apparatus
US7390314B2 (en) * 2003-03-05 2008-06-24 Medtronic Minimed, Inc. Lead screw driven reservoir with integral plunger nut and method of using the same
KR100574609B1 (en) * 2003-11-28 2006-05-02 방지환 Portable medicine liquid jet spraying and injecting device
US7717874B2 (en) * 2004-05-28 2010-05-18 Bioject, Inc. Needle-free injection system
US9463012B2 (en) 2004-10-26 2016-10-11 P Tech, Llc Apparatus for guiding and positioning an implant
US20060178644A1 (en) * 2004-12-03 2006-08-10 Reynolds David L Pharmaceutical cartridge assembly and method of filling same
US20070055200A1 (en) * 2005-08-10 2007-03-08 Gilbert Scott J Needle-free jet injection drug delivery device
US7547293B2 (en) 2006-10-06 2009-06-16 Bioject, Inc. Triggering mechanism for needle-free injector
WO2008103997A2 (en) 2007-02-23 2008-08-28 Bioject Inc. Needle-free injection devices and drug delivery systems therefor
ES2398325T3 (en) * 2007-08-13 2013-03-15 Mallinckrodt Llc Drive ram for medical injectors
US8617099B2 (en) * 2007-11-26 2013-12-31 Bioject Inc. Injection device plunger auto-disable
US20090137949A1 (en) * 2007-11-26 2009-05-28 Bioject Inc. Needle-free injection device with nozzle auto-disable
US9108007B2 (en) * 2009-06-01 2015-08-18 Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland Gmbh Spindle and bearing combination and drug delivery device
JP5362451B2 (en) 2009-06-11 2013-12-11 オーエスジー株式会社 Machining head replaceable rotary tool, holder, and machining head
US8997717B2 (en) * 2010-03-25 2015-04-07 Denso International America, Inc. Integrated fuel injector orientation and retention device
US10076377B2 (en) 2013-01-05 2018-09-18 P Tech, Llc Fixation systems and methods
WO2020054715A1 (en) * 2018-09-13 2020-03-19 株式会社サーキュラス Injection system, syringe, and gasket
SE543747C2 (en) * 2019-11-06 2021-07-13 Krui Ab Plunger rod and syringe adapted for compression failure

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4863427A (en) * 1987-03-19 1989-09-05 Pietro Cocchi Syringe for injections, especially intravenous made to be used only once, without any possibilityof re-aspiration
US4950240A (en) * 1988-10-04 1990-08-21 Greenwood Eugene C Hypodermic syringe for single use
US5181912A (en) * 1991-12-05 1993-01-26 Roy Hammett Non-reusable syringe
US5352203A (en) * 1994-03-31 1994-10-04 Vallelunga Anthony J Aspirating non-reuseable syringe

Family Cites Families (177)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2704543A (en) * 1955-03-22 Hypo jet injector
US3123070A (en) * 1964-03-03 Multidose jet injector
US2322244A (en) * 1940-03-18 1943-06-22 Marshall L Lockhart Hypodermic injector
US2390246A (en) * 1940-10-18 1945-12-04 Marvin L Folkman Syringe
US2322245A (en) * 1943-05-20 1943-06-22 Marshall L Lockhart Ypodermic injector and method of use thereof
US2380534A (en) * 1941-04-26 1945-07-31 Marshall L Lockhart Hypodermic injector
US2413303A (en) * 1944-01-17 1946-12-31 Marvin L Folkman Syringe
US2459875A (en) * 1944-09-11 1949-01-25 Marvin L Folkman Syringe and ampoule
US2398544A (en) * 1945-01-06 1946-04-16 Marshall L Lockhart Hypodermic injector
US2800903A (en) * 1947-07-30 1957-07-30 Becton Dickinson Co Injection apparatus
US2605763A (en) * 1948-01-31 1952-08-05 Becton Dickinson Co Injection device
US2547099A (en) * 1948-03-11 1951-04-03 Becton Dickinson Co Injection device and ampoule
US2704542A (en) * 1949-02-21 1955-03-22 Scherer Corp R P Jet therapy method
US2688968A (en) * 1949-05-14 1954-09-14 Scherer Corp R P Hypo jet ampoule
US2902994A (en) * 1949-05-21 1959-09-08 Scherer Corp R P Hypo jet injector
US2699166A (en) * 1949-07-29 1955-01-11 Becton Dickinson Co Hypodermic injection unit
US2798485A (en) * 1949-09-01 1957-07-09 Jr George N Hein Ampule
US2737946A (en) * 1949-09-01 1956-03-13 Jr George N Hein Hypodermic injection apparatus
US2653602A (en) * 1950-06-17 1953-09-29 Becton Dickinson Co Injection device
US2754818A (en) * 1950-06-24 1956-07-17 Scherer Corp R P Hypo jet injector
US2671347A (en) * 1950-06-24 1954-03-09 Scherer Corp R P Latch structure
US2681653A (en) * 1950-09-06 1954-06-22 Becton Dickinson Co Hypodermic injection orifice structure and method of making same
US2722931A (en) * 1951-01-17 1955-11-08 Becton Dickinson Co Injection device
US2670121A (en) * 1951-01-31 1954-02-23 Scherer Corp R P Flexible follower for metal ampoules
US2764977A (en) * 1951-05-24 1956-10-02 Becton Dickinson Co Hypodermic injection mechanism
US2635602A (en) * 1951-11-21 1953-04-21 Jr George N Hein Hypodermic injection apparatus
US2821193A (en) * 1952-07-22 1958-01-28 Geoffrey W Walker Multiple injection inoculator instrument
US2789839A (en) * 1952-08-27 1957-04-23 Bissell Carpet Sweeper Co Spring detent engaging means for carpet sweeper sectional handle
US2717597A (en) * 1952-12-04 1955-09-13 Jr George N Hein Injection apparatus
GB766431A (en) * 1953-02-11 1957-01-23 Nat Res Dev Improvements relating to hypodermic injection apparatus
FR1067076A (en) * 1953-12-16 1954-06-11 Hygiene Scient Hygiscient Lab Improvements to needleless parenteral injection devices
US2820655A (en) * 1953-12-18 1958-01-21 Collins Radio Co Tenacious fastener
US2798486A (en) * 1953-12-21 1957-07-09 Jr George N Hein Injection assembly
US2714887A (en) * 1954-04-26 1955-08-09 Scherer Corp R P Intradermal injector
US2816544A (en) * 1954-07-12 1957-12-17 Scherer Corp R P Hypodermic injector
US2816543A (en) * 1954-07-12 1957-12-17 Scherer Corp R P Hypodermic injector
US2821981A (en) * 1954-07-21 1958-02-04 Geoffrey W Walker Multi-shot inoculant injector instrument with adjustable ejection pressure control
US2825332A (en) * 1954-08-20 1958-03-04 Howard Johnson Electrostatics Hypodermic syringe with magnetically actuated piston and needle
US2762369A (en) * 1954-09-07 1956-09-11 Scherer Corp R P Hypodermic injector with adjustable impact plunger
US2762370A (en) * 1954-09-07 1956-09-11 Scherer Corp R P Hypodermic injector
US3147967A (en) * 1956-06-27 1964-09-08 Bougeard Arthur Pneumatic shock absorber
NL106573C (en) * 1957-05-31
US2928390A (en) * 1957-07-15 1960-03-15 Scherer Corp R P Multi-dose hypodermic injector
US3057349A (en) * 1959-12-14 1962-10-09 Ismach Aaron Multi-dose jet injection device
GB964585A (en) * 1960-03-23
GB995605A (en) * 1960-08-04 1965-06-23 Amalgamated Dental Co Ltd Improvements relating to hypodermic injection apparatus
DE1287743B (en) * 1960-08-15 1969-01-23
FR1072399A (en) * 1961-01-07 1954-09-13 Intra-dermal injector
US3138157A (en) * 1961-05-12 1964-06-23 Z & W Mfg Corp Inoculant injector instrument
US3167071A (en) * 1961-07-17 1965-01-26 Scherer Corp R P Apparatus for administering intradermal injections
US3115133A (en) * 1962-05-15 1963-12-24 Morando Emilio Donald Needleless prefilled disposable hypodermic injector
NL296017A (en) * 1962-08-03 1900-01-01
BE643768A (en) * 1963-02-18
US3140713A (en) * 1963-03-25 1964-07-14 Ismach Aaron Intradermal nozzle for jet injection devices
US3202151A (en) * 1963-04-08 1965-08-24 Scherer Corp R P Multidose jet injector
US3330276A (en) * 1963-10-07 1967-07-11 Scherer Corp R P Hypodermic jet injector
US3245703A (en) * 1963-10-28 1966-04-12 Robert S Manly Quick detachable pipe coupling
US3335722A (en) * 1963-11-01 1967-08-15 Olin Mathieson Hypodermic device
US3308818A (en) * 1964-07-24 1967-03-14 Eugene V Rutkowski Injection cartridge
US3330277A (en) * 1964-08-17 1967-07-11 Scherer Corp R P Multidose hypodermic injector
US3292622A (en) * 1964-09-21 1966-12-20 Oscar H Banker Power operated inoculator
US3406684A (en) * 1964-09-28 1968-10-22 Yuryo Kikakuhin Kenkyusho Kk Jet type, medical injection instrument
US3399759A (en) * 1964-11-19 1968-09-03 Express Injector Company Ltd Protecting holders
US3425413A (en) * 1965-04-30 1969-02-04 Amalgamated Dental Co Ltd Multi-dosage jet injector
US3353537A (en) * 1965-08-11 1967-11-21 George W Knox Automatic multi-dosage inoculating instrument
US3424154A (en) * 1965-11-08 1969-01-28 Charles W Kinsley Injection system
US3461867A (en) * 1966-03-14 1969-08-19 Mizzy Inc Needleless injector
US3526225A (en) * 1967-03-31 1970-09-01 Tokyo Sokuhan Kk Jet-type hypodermic injection device
US3527212A (en) * 1967-09-13 1970-09-08 Wesley D Clark Disposable needleless hypodermic injector
US3521633A (en) * 1967-11-13 1970-07-28 Scherer Corp R P Brake device for hypodermic jet injector
US3490451A (en) * 1967-11-13 1970-01-20 Scherer Corp R P Hypodermic jet injector nozzle
US3476110A (en) * 1967-11-13 1969-11-04 Scherer Corp R P Crank for loading hypodermic jet injector
US3518990A (en) * 1968-05-02 1970-07-07 Oscar H Banker Gun type inoculator
US3507276A (en) * 1968-08-28 1970-04-21 Murray B Burgess Jet injector
US3561443A (en) * 1968-09-06 1971-02-09 Oscar H Banker Inoculator gun with delayed action
US3557784A (en) * 1968-12-24 1971-01-26 Walter A Shields Syringe
US3625208A (en) * 1969-05-19 1971-12-07 Mediquip Corp Apparatus for pressure-administering medicaments
US3688765A (en) * 1969-10-03 1972-09-05 Jack S Gasaway Hypodermic injection device
US3659587A (en) * 1970-06-30 1972-05-02 Affiliated Hospital Prod Valved connector arrangement
US3838689A (en) * 1970-11-04 1974-10-01 M Cohen Disposable syringe with slit valve
US3714943A (en) * 1970-12-01 1973-02-06 H Yanof Medicament injectors
US3805783A (en) * 1971-02-12 1974-04-23 A Ismach Hand powered hypodermic jet injector gun
US3788315A (en) * 1971-04-20 1974-01-29 S Laurens Disposable cutaneous transjector
US3783895A (en) * 1971-05-04 1974-01-08 Sherwood Medical Ind Inc Universal parenteral fluid administration connector
US3768472A (en) * 1972-02-07 1973-10-30 M Hodosh Fluid dispensing gun
US3779371A (en) * 1972-03-13 1973-12-18 W Rovinski Package of separated materials to be mixed
DE2254153A1 (en) 1972-11-04 1974-05-09 Werner Dipl Ing Kullmann Automatic universally applicable hypodermic syringe - for veterinary treat-ment of animals or for drugging them at long range
US3782380A (en) * 1973-01-04 1974-01-01 Gaast H V D Medicament injecting device
US3827601A (en) * 1973-03-23 1974-08-06 J Magrath Hand powered liquid dispenser of the metering type
CA1025601A (en) * 1973-05-14 1978-02-07 David Dardick Open chamber gas powered tool and gas generating charge therefor
US3908651A (en) * 1974-05-17 1975-09-30 Daystrol Scient Inc Medicament injection device
US3938520A (en) * 1974-06-10 1976-02-17 Abbott Laboratories Transfer unit having a dual channel transfer member
US3945383A (en) * 1974-08-08 1976-03-23 Smithkline Corporation Unit dose ampul for jet injector
US3945379A (en) * 1974-08-08 1976-03-23 Smithkline Corporation Injection device
JPS51130094A (en) * 1975-05-08 1976-11-12 Asahi Chemical Ind Twoostage pressure injector
US4141675A (en) * 1975-12-22 1979-02-27 Physics International Company Gas-actuated fuel pump wherein the pump piston is driven by a spring
US4089334A (en) * 1976-10-07 1978-05-16 Schwebel Paul R Pyrotechnically powered needleless injector
DE2817102C2 (en) * 1978-04-19 1985-01-24 Dr. Eduard Fresenius, Chemisch-pharmazeutische Industrie KG, 6380 Bad Homburg Connector for plastic cannulas or venous catheters
US4328802A (en) * 1980-05-14 1982-05-11 Survival Technology, Inc. Wet dry syringe package
GB2084704B (en) 1980-10-01 1983-06-29 Theobald David Reginald Air rifle
JPS57103947A (en) 1980-12-18 1982-06-28 Kuroda Precision Ind Ltd Pneumatic shock absorber
US4421508A (en) * 1981-02-24 1983-12-20 Cohen Edgar C Vacuum-compression injector
US4436519A (en) 1981-05-28 1984-03-13 Argon Medical Corp. Removable hemostasis valve
US4447225A (en) * 1982-03-22 1984-05-08 Taff Barry E Multidose jet injector
CA1178503A (en) 1982-05-27 1984-11-27 Health-Mor Personal Care Corporation Needleless hypodermic injector
US4507113A (en) 1982-11-22 1985-03-26 Derata Corporation Hypodermic jet injector
US4505709A (en) 1983-02-22 1985-03-19 Froning Edward C Liquid transfer device
US4518385A (en) 1983-06-13 1985-05-21 Preci-Tech Ltd. Disposable syringe for needleless injector
HU186718B (en) 1983-06-29 1985-09-30 Radelkis Electrokemiai Automatic needleless syringe operable by cardox cylinder suitable for personal giving injection e.g. insulin
US4561856A (en) 1983-08-18 1985-12-31 Cochran Ulrich D Infusion pump
DE3444817A1 (en) 1984-01-20 1985-07-25 Rasmussen Gmbh, 6457 Maintal CONNECTOR
US4619651A (en) 1984-04-16 1986-10-28 Kopfer Rudolph J Anti-aerosoling drug reconstitution device
US4588403A (en) 1984-06-01 1986-05-13 American Hospital Supply Corporation Vented syringe adapter assembly
US4596556A (en) 1985-03-25 1986-06-24 Bioject, Inc. Hypodermic injection apparatus
GB2173287B (en) 1985-04-01 1988-08-10 Utec Bv Air weapon air compression system
US4675020A (en) 1985-10-09 1987-06-23 Kendall Mcgaw Laboratories, Inc. Connector
US4662878A (en) 1985-11-13 1987-05-05 Patents Unlimited Ltd. Medicine vial adaptor for needleless injector
US4680027A (en) 1985-12-12 1987-07-14 Injet Medical Products, Inc. Needleless hypodermic injection device
EP0250022A3 (en) 1986-06-17 1988-06-22 SICIM SpA Portable endermic injector
US4744786A (en) 1986-06-17 1988-05-17 Cordis Corporation Infusion pump
US4875605A (en) 1986-12-17 1989-10-24 Microvol Limited Pressurized metering dispenser
US4722728A (en) 1987-01-23 1988-02-02 Patents Unlimited, Ltd. Needleless hypodermic injector
USD304616S (en) 1987-04-30 1989-11-14 Derata Corporation Medicament injector
US4940460A (en) 1987-06-19 1990-07-10 Bioject, Inc. Patient-fillable and non-invasive hypodermic injection device assembly
US4790824A (en) 1987-06-19 1988-12-13 Bioject, Inc. Non-invasive hypodermic injection device
US4941880A (en) 1987-06-19 1990-07-17 Bioject, Inc. Pre-filled ampule and non-invasive hypodermic injection device assembly
US4768568A (en) 1987-07-07 1988-09-06 Survival Technology, Inc. Hazardous material vial apparatus providing expansible sealed and filter vented chambers
GB8722915D0 (en) 1987-09-30 1987-11-04 Braithwaite P W Syringes
US5073165A (en) 1988-02-05 1991-12-17 Marpam International, Inc. Hypodermic jet injector and cartridge therefor
US4874367A (en) 1988-02-05 1989-10-17 Marpam International, Inc. Hypodermic jet injector and cartridge therefor
US4913699A (en) 1988-03-14 1990-04-03 Parsons James S Disposable needleless injection system
EP0333967B1 (en) 1988-03-25 1992-11-25 DEMATEX DEVELOPMENT & TRADING INC. c/o QUIJANO AND ASSOCIATES Tube, stopper and compression ring for blood sampling systems
US4869720A (en) 1988-05-05 1989-09-26 E-Z-Em, Inc. Hypodermic syringe assembly
DE8806642U1 (en) 1988-05-20 1988-09-08 Stabilus Gmbh, 5400 Koblenz, De
DE3818811A1 (en) 1988-06-03 1989-12-14 Stabilus Gmbh GAS SPRING WITH SEVERAL PRESSURE SPACES
US5024656A (en) 1988-08-30 1991-06-18 Injet Medical Products, Inc. Gas-pressure-regulated needleless injection system
US5224932A (en) 1988-09-27 1993-07-06 Venivee, Inc. System for intravenous administration of a plurality of medicaments and/or nutrients
JPH02212768A (en) 1989-02-13 1990-08-23 Terumo Corp Blood sampling tube
US5052725A (en) 1989-03-13 1991-10-01 Colder Products Company Two piece molded female coupling
US5188599A (en) 1989-07-11 1993-02-23 Med-Design, Inc. Retractable needle system
US5407431A (en) 1989-07-11 1995-04-18 Med-Design Inc. Intravenous catheter insertion device with retractable needle
DE3923513A1 (en) 1989-07-15 1991-01-24 Stabilus Gmbh METHOD AND DEVICE FOR INLETING PRESSURE GAS IN THE CONTAINER TUBE OF A PNEUMATIC SPRING OR THE LIKE
CA1325149C (en) 1989-08-31 1993-12-14 Gavin Mcgregor Variable intensity remote controlled needleless injector
AU6550990A (en) 1989-11-09 1991-05-16 Bioject, Inc. Needleless hypodermic injection device
US5312335A (en) 1989-11-09 1994-05-17 Bioject Inc. Needleless hypodermic injection device
US5064413A (en) 1989-11-09 1991-11-12 Bioject, Inc. Needleless hypodermic injection device
US5031266A (en) 1989-12-21 1991-07-16 Whirlpool Corporation Vacuum cleaner wand seal
US4989905A (en) 1990-02-05 1991-02-05 Lamson & Sessions Co. Fitting for corrugated tubing
US5062830A (en) 1990-04-04 1991-11-05 Derata Corporation Dry disposable nozzle assembly for medical jet injector
US5135507A (en) 1990-05-10 1992-08-04 Habley Medical Technology Corporation One-piece syringe
GB9012829D0 (en) 1990-06-08 1990-08-01 Bernard D J C Reduced diameter dummy piston
GB9017007D0 (en) 1990-08-02 1990-09-19 Bernard Derek J C Improvements to pre-charged pneumatic airguns
GB9020749D0 (en) 1990-09-24 1990-11-07 Bates William T D Improved single-use syringe
CA2032830C (en) 1990-12-20 1994-07-26 Robert Graham Straghan Coupling
GB9103291D0 (en) 1991-02-15 1991-04-03 Waverley Pharma Ltd Transfer adaptor
DE4110303A1 (en) 1991-03-28 1992-10-01 Pfeiffer Erich Gmbh & Co Kg DISCHARGE DEVICE FOR MEDIA
US5085332B1 (en) 1991-04-11 1994-04-05 Gettig Technologies Inc Closure assembly
US5423756A (en) 1991-04-13 1995-06-13 Van Der Merwe; Marius Syringe
IL98036A0 (en) 1991-05-02 1992-06-21 Yoav Cohen Plastic stand pipe support for load-bearing adjustable piston
US5190523A (en) 1991-08-16 1993-03-02 Idee International R & D Inc. Disposable syringe and injector
GB9118204D0 (en) 1991-08-23 1991-10-09 Weston Terence E Needle-less injector
DE4129271C1 (en) 1991-09-03 1992-09-17 Fresenius Ag, 6380 Bad Homburg, De
US5356380A (en) 1991-10-23 1994-10-18 Baxter International Inc. Drug delivery system
JP2772188B2 (en) 1992-01-23 1998-07-02 武蔵エンジニアリング株式会社 Liquid dispenser syringe plunger
US5209362A (en) 1992-01-24 1993-05-11 Lutzker Robert S Can resealer
US5165560A (en) 1992-03-26 1992-11-24 Genesis Industries, Inc. Nonrotating hermetically sealed closure for bottle containing liquid
US5312577A (en) 1992-05-08 1994-05-17 Bioject Inc. Method for manufacturing an ampule
JP2931715B2 (en) 1992-05-12 1999-08-09 三菱電機株式会社 Resin sealing method, resin sealing device, and gas spring
US5279576A (en) 1992-05-26 1994-01-18 George Loo Medication vial adapter
US5383851A (en) 1992-07-24 1995-01-24 Bioject Inc. Needleless hypodermic injection device
USD349958S (en) 1992-07-24 1994-08-23 Bioject Inc. Needleless injector
US5304128A (en) 1992-09-22 1994-04-19 Habley Medical Technology Corporation Gas powered self contained syringe
US5569189A (en) 1992-09-28 1996-10-29 Equidyne Systems, Inc. hypodermic jet injector
WO1994007554A1 (en) 1992-09-28 1994-04-14 Equidyne Systems, Incorporated Hypodermic jet injector
US5334144A (en) 1992-10-30 1994-08-02 Becton, Dickinson And Company Single use disposable needleless injector
US5292308A (en) 1993-05-04 1994-03-08 Ryan Dana W Three piece intravenous line connector
US5599302A (en) 1995-01-09 1997-02-04 Medi-Ject Corporation Medical injection system and method, gas spring thereof and launching device using gas spring

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4863427A (en) * 1987-03-19 1989-09-05 Pietro Cocchi Syringe for injections, especially intravenous made to be used only once, without any possibilityof re-aspiration
US4950240A (en) * 1988-10-04 1990-08-21 Greenwood Eugene C Hypodermic syringe for single use
US5181912A (en) * 1991-12-05 1993-01-26 Roy Hammett Non-reusable syringe
US5352203A (en) * 1994-03-31 1994-10-04 Vallelunga Anthony J Aspirating non-reuseable syringe

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1024848A1 (en) * 1997-10-23 2000-08-09 Bristol-Myers Squibb Company Preloadable syringe for automated dispensing device
EP1024848A4 (en) * 1997-10-23 2001-01-03 Bristol Myers Squibb Co Preloadable syringe for automated dispensing device

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
US5921967A (en) 1999-07-13
AU2136097A (en) 1997-09-16

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US5643211A (en) Nozzle assembly having a frangible plunger
WO1997031664A1 (en) Frangible plunger for nozzle assembly
US5697917A (en) Nozzle assembly with adjustable plunger travel gap
ES2231904T3 (en) A PUMP AND A FLUID CHAMBER FOR A SET OF NOZZLES.
US6530903B2 (en) Safety syringe
JP2781719B2 (en) Disposable needleless syringe
EP0902694B1 (en) Pre-filled retractable needle injection ampoules
US5997512A (en) Retractable dental syringe
JP5060155B2 (en) Intradermal syringe
US5722953A (en) Nozzle assembly for injection device
US6123684A (en) Loading mechanism for medical injector assembly
EP1237598B1 (en) Medical injector and medicament loading system for use therewith
US6681810B2 (en) Filling device for a needleless injector cartridge
US5782802A (en) Multiple use needle-less hypodermic injection device for individual users
US6447475B1 (en) Gas power sources for a needle-less injector and needle-less injectors incorporating the same
DE60109546T2 (en) Hypodermic syringe with selectively retractable needle
US5000738A (en) Protective syringe with frangible barrel
WO1997031665A1 (en) Nozzle assembly with adjustable plunger travel gap
US20030093030A1 (en) Disposable needle-free injection apparatus and method
JPH10512165A (en) Medical infusion system with gas spring
US5634909A (en) Auto-retracting needle injector system
JPH0649073B2 (en) Hypodermic syringe
US5800388A (en) Plunger/ram assembly adapted for a fluid injector
US4878899A (en) Disposable syringe for one-time use
HUT63960A (en) Injection instrument with device securing originality

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
AK Designated states

Kind code of ref document: A1

Designated state(s): AL AM AU AZ BA BB BG BR BY CA CN CU CZ EE GE HU IL IS JP KG KP KR KZ LC LK LR LT LV MD MG MK MN MX NO NZ PL RO RU SG SI SK TJ TM TR TT UA UZ VN YU AM AZ BY KG KZ MD RU TJ TM

AL Designated countries for regional patents

Kind code of ref document: A1

Designated state(s): KE LS MW SD SZ UG AT BE CH DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LU MC NL PT SE BF BJ CF CG CI CM GA GN ML MR NE SN TD TG

CFP Corrected version of a pamphlet front page

Free format text: REVISED ABSTRACT RECEIVED BY THE INTERNATIONAL BUREAU AFTER COMPLETION OF THE TECHNICAL PREPARATIONS FOR INTERNATIONAL PUBLICATION

DFPE Request for preliminary examination filed prior to expiration of 19th month from priority date (pct application filed before 20040101)
121 Ep: the epo has been informed by wipo that ep was designated in this application
NENP Non-entry into the national phase

Ref country code: JP

Ref document number: 97531048

Format of ref document f/p: F

NENP Non-entry into the national phase

Ref country code: CA

122 Ep: pct application non-entry in european phase