AUTO-INJECTION DEVICE
The present application discloses a device that is designed to inject into a user medicinal or non-medical substance upon activation. The device is light and compact, suitable for wearing or carrying by a user. The device comprises a needle, a syringe, and two sets of springs. The syringe comprises a plunger and a chamber for storing an injection substance. The needle is configured to be coaxial and in communication with the syringe. Each set of springs may comprise one or more springs. The first set of springs is configured to push the needle and the second set of springs is configured to move the plunger. In one exemplary embodiment, the device is enclosed in a sealed case and the device may be made to resemble a watch.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/090,236, titled “AUTO-INJECTION DEVICE” and filed on Nov. 5, 2020, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/607,323, titled “AUTO-INJECTION DEVICE” and filed on Oct. 22, 2019, which is a 371 National Phase of PCT Application No. PCT/US2019/023417, titled “AUTO-INJECTION DEVICE” and filed on Mar. 21, 2019, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/646,518, titled “Wearable Medical Drug Auto-Injector” and filed on Mar. 22, 2018, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein in their entirety.
FIELD OF TECHNOLOGYThe present disclosure relates generally to medical devices, and more specifically to a light and compact auto-injection device suitable for wearing or carrying.
BACKGROUNDAnaphylaxis is a life-threatening medical condition that affects millions of people across all ages. When an individual with this condition contacts or ingests an allergen they are sensitive to, such as nuts, insect venom, shellfish, etc., the individual's throat begins to swell and breathing becomes difficult. If the individual does not receive an adequate dose of proper medication administered in a prescribed way within a preferred time limit, the condition can be fatal. In the case of anaphylaxis, the procedure recommended by doctors is to administer epinephrine intramuscularly into the thigh within a few minutes of the onset of the medical condition.
Anaphylaxis patients are encouraged to carry an epinephrine auto-injection device, e.g. EpiPen, that contains an effective dose of epinephrine and is ready for use by patients themselves. The auto-injection device can be activated by a stabbing motion at the injection site. After activation, the drug is automatically administered. Patients with other potentially life-threatening conditions, e.g., hyperglycemia, can also benefit from carrying or wearing an auto-injection device for emergency use.
Prior art auto-injection devices are bulky and heavy. They are not convenient to be carried around. Nor can they be worn by users as a wearable device. The present application discloses an auto-injection device that is light and compact, suitable for wearing or carrying by users in their daily activities.
SUMMARYAccordingly, it is an objective of the present disclosure to teach an auto-injection device that is light and compact and can be carried as a wearable device.
In some embodiments, an exemplary auto-injection device comprises a syringe, a needle, and two sets of springs. The syringe comprises a plunger and a chamber for storing an injection substance. The needle is connected to and in communication with the syringe. In one embodiment, the needle and the syringe are coaxial. Each set of springs comprises one or more springs. The first set of springs is coupled to the syringe and configured to push the needle. The second set of springs is coupled to the plunger and configured to push the plunger. The auto-injection device may be housed in a casing. In one embodiment, the casing is sealed to prevent contamination. In another embodiment, the needle may be protected by a protective cover to prevent contamination.
In some embodiments, each set of springs comprises a compressed state and a released state. The first set of springs is configured to move the needle outside of the casing when the first set of springs is in the released state. When the first set of springs is released, the second set of springs is released from its compressed state and drives the plunger to inject the substance stored in the chamber into the patient. In some embodiments, the first and second set of springs are released in sequence. The second set of springs is released after the first set of springs is released. In some embodiments, the first and second sets of springs may be released substantially simultaneously.
In some embodiments, the auto-injection device comprises a first activator configured to release the first set of springs. In one embodiment, the syringe of the auto-injection device is configured to compress the first set of springs when resting on one or more cantilevers. The first activator is configured to bend or push the cantilevers and move the syringe off the cantilevers in order to release the first set of springs. Once released from the compressed state, the first set of springs pushes the needle outside the casing.
In some embodiments, the auto-injection comprises a second activator configured to release the second set of springs. When the second set of springs is released from the compressed state, the second set of springs drives the plunger of the syringe to inject the substance stored in the chamber. In one embodiment, the second activator comprises a tube and a pin. The tube is configured with one or more cross-holes in the wall. The pin is inside the tube and is configured to move from an inserted position to a pulled-up position. One or more identical balls are held inside the cross-holes. The size of the balls is larger than the thickness of the wall of the tube. When the pin is in the inserted position, the balls are pushed by the pin to extrude outside the outer-wall of the tube and act as a stopper to hold the second set of springs in the compressed state. When the pin is in the pulled-up position, the one or more balls are configured to move towards the interior of the tube to release the second set of the springs. The released springs in the second set push the plunger to inject a stored substance.
In some embodiments, the auto-injection device comprises a revolving sheath that blocks the needle after injection. The sheath is configured to move from a closed position to an open position. When in the closed position, the revolving sheath rests on the casing. When in the open position, the revolving sheath blocks the needle. In one embodiment, the revolving sheath is attached to the casing via a revolving peg.
In some embodiments, a wearable device comprising a watch-sized case and an auto-injection cartridge is disclosed. The case comprises a frame, a cover and one or more outer-covers. The frame comprises two cantilevers attached to two opposing interior sides of the frame respectively. The auto-injection cartridge is inset onto the cantilevers. When the auto-injection cartridge slides off the cantilevers, the wearable device is activated. In one embodiment of the wearable device, a revolving sheath is attached to the cover to block the needle of the auto-injection cartridge after use.
In some embodiments, a wearable device comprising a telescoping case and an auto-injection device is disclosed. The telescoping case changes shape by extension using a telescoping mechanism. In this embodiment, the case comprises two or more separate components that together enclose the auto-injection device. Attached to the rear section of the device are small snap-fit pieces that move parallel to the body of the device within a confined space. The confined space compresses the snap-fit pieces such that they are in a compressed state before being activated. When the snap-fit pieces exit the confined space, they are allowed to expand. In the expanded state, the snap-fit pieces cannot return to the confined space, so the rear section cannot be pushed back towards the needle tip. After the body of the device has expanded, the set of activation springs remain in a partially compressed state. This ensures that they can push the needle out of the device upon activation.
These and other features of the present disclosure will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings. In the drawings, like reference numerals designate like parts having similar functionality throughout the views. Like parts may be designed differently in different embodiments. Components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure.
Embodiments of the disclosure are described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the disclosure are shown. The various embodiments of the disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art.
In referring to
In the embodiment shown in
In referring to
The first activator 114 (also see
As the syringe 104 moves downward, the second activator 116 (see also
As shown in
The assembled syringe 104 and the first set of springs 108 can then be assembled into the casing 120.
In one embodiment, the revolving sheath 900 is attached to the frame 700 via a revolving peg 118 illustrated in
It is noted that the frame 1410, shown in
When the rear section of the casing 120 reaches the end of its moving path, the snap-fit pieces (1502 in
The auto-injection devices 100 disclosed herein have many applications, medical or non-medical. The size of the chamber 105 in the auto-injection device 100 can be manufactured in accordance with the requirement of each application. In some applications, the size of the chamber 105 can be made fairly standard. In other applications, the size of the chamber 105 may be personalized. As mentioned in the background section, the auto-injection device 100 is useful in anaphylaxis and hyperglycemia emergency situations. The auto-injection device 100 can be useful in opioid overdose emergencies as well. Indeed, in many life-threatening situations, auto-injection devices disclosed herein can save lives by providing timely relief of the symptoms.
Although the disclosure is illustrated and described herein with reference to specific embodiments, the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the details shown. Rather, various modifications may be made in the details within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims and without departing from the disclosure.
Claims
1. An injection device comprising:
- a casing comprising a first end;
- a first activator comprising a forward portion for being pressed against an injection site;
- a syringe comprising a forward end, a needle extending from the forward end along an axis, a plunger, and a chamber for storing an injection substance between the plunger and forward end;
- two first springs laterally spaced from each other on opposing sides of the axis, the two first springs together providing a first spring force that biases the syringe toward the first end of the casing; and
- two second springs laterally spaced from each other on opposing sides of the axis, the two second springs providing a second spring force that biases the plunger towards the forward end of the syringe.
2. The injection device of claim 1, wherein movement by user action of the forward portion of the first activator inwardly relative to the casing translates the first activator toward the syringe thereby releasing the syringe to be moved toward the first end of the casing by the first spring force.
3. The injection device of claim 2, wherein the forward portion of the first activator comprises an opening, aligned with the axis, through which the needle extends when the syringe is released.
4. The injection device of claim 2, further comprising a second activator, wherein, when the syringe is released, forward movement of the syringe towards the first end of the housing causes activation of the second activator and movement of the plunger towards the forward end of the syringe to dispense the injection substance through the needle for injection into the user.
5. The injection device of claim 2, the two second springs begin to move forward along with the syringe when the syringe is released.
6. The injection device of claim 2, further comprising an outer cover configured to receive at least a second end of the casing opposite the first end, wherein the outer cover jams the first activator when the second end of the casing is stowed inside the outer cover, thereby preventing the forward portion of the first activator from translating inwardly such that the syringe is prevented from being released.
7. The injection device of claim 6, wherein the outer cover comprises a forward portion configured to receive the first end of the casing, and a rearward portion configured to receive the second end of the casing.
8. The injection device of claim 6, further comprising a strap connected to the outer cover for wearing of the injection device by a user.
9. The injection device of claim 1, further comprising a cantilever within the casing, wherein:
- the cantilever, when in a first position thereof, supports the syringe against the first spring force; and
- movement by user action of the forward portion of the first activator inwardly relative to the casing translates the first activator, which imparts lateral movement of at least a portion of the cantilever thereby releasing the syringe to be moved towards the first end of the casing by the first spring force.
10. The injection device of claim 9, further comprising an outer cover, the outer cover comprising a flap that prevents the cantilever from releasing the syringe until the casing is taken out of the outer cover to prevent the injection device from being activated accidentally.
11. The injection device of claim 1, wherein the two first springs are offset symmetrically from the axis.
12. The injection device of claim 1, wherein the two second springs are offset symmetrically from the axis.
13. The injection device of claim 1, wherein the two first springs are space further from the axis than the two second springs.
14. The injection device of claim 1, wherein the casing is configured to extend or retract on an end opposite the first end via a telescoping mechanism.
15. The injection device of claim 1, wherein the casing includes a needle cover that can be rotated to shroud the needle once the needle has translated outwardly of the housing.
16. The injection device of claim 1, wherein the casing changes shape by extension using a telescoping mechanism.
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 13, 2021
Publication Date: Mar 31, 2022
Inventors: Daniel Harris OROL (Raleigh, NC), Benjamin Victor BERNSTEIN (Rosemont, PA), Reed Evan GINSBERG (Jericho, NY), Spencer Quinn FOX (Cochranville, PA), Jacob Edward SNIPES (Meadowbrook, PA), Alexander McIver GARCIA (Brooklyn, NY)
Application Number: 17/549,120