Injection device (bayonet cap removal)

Abstract

An injection device 110 is described having a housing 112 and a housing closure means 130. The injection device 110 houses a syringe 114 having a needle 118 which is sealed by a boot 117. The housing closure means 130 is arranged so that the boot 117 can be connected to the housing closure means 130 simply, but cannot be removed from the housing closure means 130. The housing 112 and housing closure means 130 are arranged so that upon rotation of the housing closure means 130, the housing closure means 130 member first rotates relative to the housing and then moves away from the housing. The injection device is simple to use and manufacture.

Claims

1. An injection device comprising: a housing adapted to receive a syringe having a needle and a boot that covers its needle, the housing having a longitudinal axis and including a first guide; and a housing closure member including means for attaching the closure member to the housing comprising a second guide, wherein the first and second guides are attached to each other; wherein the first guide and the second guide detach from each other so as to detach the housing closure member from the housing and are arranged so that rotation of the housing closure member relative to the housing causes the housing closure member first to move relative to the housing solely through rotation in a direction tangential to the longitudinal axis of the housing and then to move away from the housing in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the housing, wherein the housing closure member further comprises means for connecting to the boot of the syringe so that removal of the housing closure member from the housing causes removal of the boot from the syringe, wherein the means for connecting comprises a plurality of splines moulded from the same material as the housing closure member, wherein, upon connecting the boot of the syringe to the housing closure member and rotating the housing closure member, the splines rotate the boot of the syringe relative to the needle, wherein one of the first guide and the second guide comprises a slot and the other of the first guide and the second guide comprises a protrusion for communicating with the slot, wherein the slot has a first section which runs in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and a second section which turns away from the first section towards the direction of the longitudinal axis.

2. An injection device according to claim 1, wherein the protrusion is molded from the same material as the housing closure member.

3. An injection device according to claim 1, wherein one of the housing and the housing closure member has a second slot and the other of the housing and the housing closure member has a second protrusion for communicating with the second slot.

4. An injection device according to claim 1 further comprising an external grip feature with which a user can grip the housing closure member.

5. An injection device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of splines are arranged around an internal diameter of a cylinder mounted on the housing closure member.

6. An injection according to claim 5, wherein the splines are counted on the cylinder such that an angle formed between each spline and a radius of the cylinder is less than 90 degrees.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an injection device according to the present invention with the housing closure member removed;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a plan view of the injection device of FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a side view of the injection device of FIG. 1;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a plan view of the injection device of FIGS. 1 to 3, with the housing closure member in place;

(6) FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the injection device of FIG. 4;

(7) FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of a housing closure member for use in an injection device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

(8) FIG. 7 shows the housing closure member of FIG. 7 when engaged with a syringe boot of a syringe used with an injection device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

(9) FIG. 8 shows a side view of a syringe used in the injection device according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

(10) FIG. 9 shows a side view of the syringe of FIG. 8 with a syringe boot engaged with the syringe.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(11) FIGS. 1 to 5 and 9 show an injection device 110 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The injection device 110 has an injection device housing 112.

(12) The injection device 110 has a longitudinal axis 101.

(13) The housing 112 contains a hypodermic syringe 114 of conventional type, including a syringe body 116 defining a reservoir and terminating at one end in a hypodermic needle 118. The syringe 114 has a hermetically sealed cover or boot 117 that covers the hypodermic needle 118 and maintains the sterility of the syringe contents. The boot 117 is generally formed of a soft rubber or plastics material. The boot 117 comprises a plurality of flat faces 165 formed on its outer surface about its circumference.

(14) Whilst the syringe illustrated is of hypodermic type, this need not necessarily be so. Transcutaneous or ballistic dermal and subcutaneous syringes may also be used with the injection device of the present invention.

(15) The injection device is further provided with a cap 130. As is best seen from FIGS. 1 to 3 and 6, the cap is retained on the housing 112 by a slot 113 on the housing 112, and a corresponding indentation 131 on the inside of the cap 130.

(16) In a first section 190a, the slot 113 is formed around the housing 112 tangential about the longitudinal axis 101 of the housing 112. In a second section 190b, the slot 113 is formed with two opposing camming surfaces 150a and 150b which are curved in such a way that the slot is directed away from the its tangential direction about the longitudinal axis to a direction along the longitudinal axis 101 of the housing 112.

(17) As can be seen from FIGS. 6 and 7, the interior of the cap 130 is provided with a plurality of splines 160. These splines 160 are arranged around an internal diameter of a cylinder 161 mounted inside the cap 130. The splines 160 are mounted on the cylinder such that the angle formed between each spline and a radius R of the cylinder 161 is less than 90 degrees. The splines 160 are dimensioned so that they flex resiliently in a direction along the radius R of the cylinder.

(18) The exterior of the cap 130 is provided with a pair of grip formations 170. These grip formations 170 provide an element through which a user can grip the cap 130.

(19) As can be seen from FIG. 6, the interior of the cap 130 may be provided with a support surface 180 which supports the end of the boot 117.

(20) During manufacture of the injection device 110, the syringe 114 and boot 117 are inserted into the housing 112 as a single piece. The cap 130 is placed onto the housing such that the boot 117 is forced into the space in the cylinder 161 between the splines 160 which flex to allow insertion of the cap 130 onto the boot 117. As a result of the flexing of the splines 160, the cap 130 grips the boot 117 firmly because each spline is forced against one of the flat surfaces 165 of the boot 117. Consequently a very form grip is produced on the boot 117.

(21) When the injection device 110 is to be used, the user holds the housing 112 with one hand, and grips the cap 130 with the other hand using the grip formations 170. The user then rotates the cap 130. In rotating the cap 130, the projection 131 of the cap 130 moves in the slot 113 of the housing 112, thereby rotating the boot 117 relative to the syringe 116. This rotational movement breaks the frangible connection between the boot 117 and the syringe 114 before any axial movement of the boot 117 relative to the syringe 116 takes place. This is because the slot is formed, in its first section 190a, circumferentially on the housing 112 solely in a direction which is tangential to the longitudinal axis 101 of the housing 112. After the frangible connection has broken, the boot 117 is free to move axially. On further rotation, the projection 131 reaches the camming surfaces 150a and 150b of the slot 113 in its second section 190b, thereby allowing the cap 130 and attached boot 117 to move in a direction along the longitudinal axis 101 of the housing 112, thereby removing the boot 117 from the syringe.

(22) The boot 117 is held stationary within the cap 130 by the splines 160 being forced against and gripping the flat surfaces 165 of the boot 117.

(23) The support surface 180 helps to prevent the boot 117 from being pulled away from the syringe 114 at an angle, by maintaining the axial alignment of the boot 117 within the cap 130.

(24) The present invention provides a simple and effective way of solving the problems of the prior art devices.

(25) In particular, when used with the type of syringe in which the boot must be twisted to break a frangible joint before it can be pulled off, the present invention prevents pulling the cap of the injection device off without first twisting. This way, the boot is not pulled out of the cap of the injection device, does not remain on the syringe and does not cause the syringe components to separate.

(26) It will of course be understood that the present invention has been described above purely by way of example and modifications of detail can be made within the scope of the invention.