Automatic applicator for liquid pharmaceutical preparations, particularly for insulin

Abstract

An automatic applicator for liquid pharmaceutical preparations, particularly for multiple injection application of set doses of a medicine from an exchangeable container is provided. The automatic applicator includes a body housing connected to a housing of an exchangeable container with a medicine having a plunger, the said plunger being displaced only linearly by an integrated driving unit, suitable for immobilizing, driving, leading linearly and blocking rotation of the plunger, driven via a double action clutch, by a tensioning spring situated in the body housing, the spring tensioned by a rotary hand-dose-setting ring via the double action clutch, wherein the driving unit is activated by a trigger unit and a dose is indicated by an indicating arrangement. The automatic applicator further includes at least one block key placed in an upper part of a ratchet barrel, collaborating with at least one key placed in an internal part of the body housing.

Claims

1. An automatic applicator for liquid pharmaceutical preparations comprising a housing (1) that comprises an open rear end, the housing (1) having a plunger (12), suitable for expelling the medicine, the plunger (12) comprising closed endings and being linearly displaceable by a driving unit, driven via a double action clutch, by a driving spring (15), which is a twisted non-compression spring, situated in the housing (1), the driving spring (15) being twistable by a rotary hand-dose-setting ring (3) via the double action clutch, wherein the driving unit is activated by pressing a trigger unit (13) and a dose is indicated via an inspection window (1.1) by an indicating arrangement, wherein the double action clutch comprises a coupling sleeve (6) that is connected to the rotary hand-dose setting ring (3) and coupled with a ratchet barrel (5), said ratchet barrel (5) comprises at least one ratchet arm and is connected to the twisted non-compression driving spring (15), said driving spring (15) being connected to a spring block (4), said spring block (4) being connected to the housing (1) and secured against rotation; wherein the coupling sleeve (6) extends above the housing (1) and comprises a longitudinal and substantially cylindrical portion with an internal space adapted to cover directly at least one half of the length of the plunger (12); wherein when the coupling sleeve (6) is rotated by turning the rotary hand-dose-setting ring (3) clockwise for increasing the dose, said rotary hand-dose-setting ring (3) is substantially axially immovable and the ratchet barrel (5) is rotated together with the coupling sleeve (6); wherein the ratchet barrel (5) is separated from the hand-dose-setting rind (3) and mounted within the housing (1) such that it is secured against elongating above the housing (1).

2. The automatic applicator according to claim 1, wherein the driving unit is released by pressing the trigger unit (13) in the direction of a needle.

3. The automatic applicator according to claim 1, wherein the driving spring (15) is a helical torsion spring.

4. The automatic applicator according to claim 1, wherein the plunger (12) comprises at least one longitudinal groove enabling linear displacement of the plunger (12) in a plunger block guide (11) by means of at least one key.

5. The automatic applicator according to claim 4, wherein the longitudinal groove has a form of a teeth-free recess (12.2) which extends more than half of the length of the plunger (12).

Description

DRAWINGS

(1) In order that the disclosure may be well understood, there will now be described various forms thereof, given by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 presents the longitudinal section of the automatic applicator, without an exchangeable container and its casing;

(3) FIG. 2 presents the cross-section B-B of the ratchet mechanism of the automatic applicator with the pawls meshed with the toothed ring of the nut;

(4) FIG. 3 presents the cross-section C-C of the automatic applicator from the FIG. 1, in the place, in which the trigger mechanism meshes with the toothed ring of the nut;

(5) FIG. 4 presents the cross-section 0-0 of the automatic applicator from the FIG. 1, showing the system blocking the rotation of the scale, which defines the working range of the automatic applicator;

(6) FIG. 5 presents pictorially the cross-section E-E of the automatic applicator from the FIG. 1, showing the positioning of the elements of the arrangement blocking the plunger against rotation;

(7) FIG. 6 presents the front axonometric view of the automatic applicator from the FIG. 1, with parts of the housings removed, showing the advantageous mutual positioning of the elements of the internal mechanisms of the automatic applicator; and

(8) FIG. 7 presents the exploded front axonometric view of the automatic applicator from the FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(9) The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses.

(10) As shown in the FIGS. 1, 6 and 7, an automatic applicator for liquid pharmaceutical preparations, particularly for insulin, more particularly for multiple injection application of set doses of a medicine from an exchangeable container, comprises the body housing 1, connected to the housing 2 of the exchangeable container with a medicine (not shown in the drawings). The insulin is expelled by the plunger 12, linearly displaced by means of the driving unit, suitable for immobilizing, driving, leading linearly and blocking rotation of the plunger 12, driven via a double clutch unit by the tensioning spring 15, wherein the driving tensioning spring 15 is a twisted spring situated in the body housing 1, tensioned by the rotary hand-dose-setting ring 3 also via a double clutch unit, wherein the driving unit is activated by the trigger unit 13 and the displaceable indicating cylinder 14 is situated on the tensioning spring holder and a scale 5.7 with the scale visible in the inspection window 1.1 deposited on the ratchet barrel 5.

(11) The automatic applicator for liquid pharmaceutical preparations, particularly for insulin, more particularly for multiple injection application of set doses of a medicine from an exchangeable container, operates as follows.

(12) In order to replace the insulin container you should unscrew the container housing 2, which is connected to the body housing 1 (FIG. 1) by turning it anticlockwise. After unscrewing the container housing 2, the plunger block guide 11 and the seat element 9 become automatically disengaged owing to the action of the disengaging spring 10 by means of moving the plunger block guide 11 coaxially in the direction of plunger 12. This enables hand backing of the plunger 12 by using the force in the axial direction to push it into the housing 1. The plunger ending 12.1 is independently rotated on the plunger 12. The coupling between the plunger 12 and the nut 7 is by a quick thread, so while being pushed into the housing 1 the plunger 12 screws itself into the nut 7. The plunger should be pushed until it almost completely hides in the housing 1, which allows a new container with insulin to be inserted.

(13) The nut 7 is coupled to the plunger 12 by a thread having pitch enabling application of the appropriate dose of insulin. Further, the nut 7 is bearingly mounted in the seat element 9, advantageously by means of a ball bearing 8.

(14) Then you should remove the needle (not shown) mounted on the container housing 2 by turning it anti-clockwise, remove the empty container by withdrawing it from the housing 2 and install a new container.

(15) To install a new container you should insert it into the container housing 2, which you should place in the body housing 1 by turning it clockwise. Next you should fix a new needle and cover it with the protecting cap.

(16) The dose-setting is carried out by turning the rotary hand-dose-setting ring 3 (FIG. 1) clockwise. The currently set dose can be seen on the cylindrical part of the ratchet barrel 5 by means of the inspection window 1.1 situated in the housing 1, which together with the scale 5.7 deposited linearly on a under the block keys 5.6 comprises the indicating arrangement. The cylinder of the ratchet barrel 5 is scaled by every four units and the turning of the rotary hand-dose setting ring 3 is accompanied by a characteristic clicking at every two units, corresponding to 0.02 ml of insulin. The dose-setting can be realized up to two units, wherein the scale 5.7 visible through the inspection window 1.1, stops at any value or between the given dose values, which is easy to check as two consecutive doses are then seen in inspection window 1.1, and a red line indicator shows the position between them.

(17) The rotary hand-dose-setting ring 3 is rigidly connected to the coupling sleeve 6. When a dose is to be increased, the coupling sleeve 6 (FIG. 2) is rotated clockwise (looking in the direction of the needle) wherein the resilient arm of the pawl 5.3 is displaced on the slide edges 7.5 of the ratchet tooth ring 7.1 of the stationary driving nut 7, from one blocking edge of the ratchet tooth ring 7.1 to the neighbour edge(s) depending on the angle of rotation. The ratchet barrel 5 is driven by the coupling sleeve 6 by means of the steering recess 6.1 made in the inner wall of the coupling sleeve 6 meshed with the key 5.4 situated in the inner wall of the ratchet barrel 5. Therefore, when the coupling sleeve 6 is rotated, the ratchet barrel 5 is rotated together with it. During the rotation in the clockwise direction, the resilient arm of the pawl 5.3 is displaced radially, alternatively inside and outside.

(18) The ratchet barrel 5 is rigidly connected to the spring 15, which in turn is connected to spring block 4. The spring block 4 is rigidly connected to the housing 1 and secured against rotation.

(19) During the dose setting the nut 7 is immobilized by the trigger unit 13 by means of the rectangular grooves 7.7 (FIG. 3) situated on the circumference of the nut 7, collaborating with the key 13.1 of the trigger unit 13.

(20) The operational range of the automatic applicator is defined by two block keys 5.6 (FIG. 4) placed directly on the circumferential surface of the ratchet barrel 5, collaborating with two keys 1.3 on the internal part of the cylindrical surface of the cylindrical housing 1 placed above the inspection window 1.1. The keys are situated on the opposite sides and simultaneously slightly displaced axially. Such arrangement enables realizing one incomplete rotation of the dose setting elements.

(21) After setting the dose you can actuate the dosing of insulin by pressing the trigger unit 13 in the direction of the needle. The trigger unit 13 should be pressed throughout the whole time of the insulin application. The range of the trigger displacement is defined by the displacement of the key 13.1 in the corresponding groove 1.2 in the body housing 1. After pressing the trigger unit 13 the nut 7 is released by the disengagement of the ring with the rectangular grooves 7.7 and the key 13.1 of the trigger unit 13. The mechanism starts rotating, driven by the force from the tensioning spring 15. The nut 7 causes the unscrewing of the plunger 12 on the thread 12.1 of the plunger 12, The rotation of the plunger is blocked by the key 11.1 of the plunger block guide 11 and the recess 12.2 made in the plunger 12 (FIG. 5). The plunger 12 acts directly on the piston of the insulin container, placed in the container housing 2. It causes the injection of insulin from the needle mounted on the container housing 2. This action is accompanied by the reverse movement of the whole mechanism to its initial position, i.e. the tensioning spring 15 unwinds, and the ratchet barrel 5 with the scale 5.7 returns to the position 0.

(22) After completing the dose-setting you can release the trigger unit 13. The trigger unit 13 will then automatically return to its initial position urged by the spring 14, which is placed directly under the trigger unit 13, and will again block the nut 7.

(23) The double action clutch, best seen in the FIG. 2, which presents the cross-section B-B of the ratchet mechanism of the automatic applicator with the pawls meshed with the toothed ring of the nut, comprises the coupling sleeve 6 radially coupled with the body of the ratchet barrel 5 and coupled with the pawls 5, 3 having hooks separately meshed with the gear ring 7.5 of the driving nut 7.

(24) The coupling sleeve 6 is rigidly connected to the rotary hand-dose-setting ring 3 and the body of the ratchet barrel 5 is rigidly connected to the tensioning spring 15 holder, in the form of a protective sleeve, which enables transfer of the rotation of the rotary hand-dose-setting ring 3 to the tensioning spring 15 holder.

(25) The tensioning spring 15 (FIG. 1 and FIG. 6) is mounted, form the side of the needle, in the tensioning spring 15 holder, in the form of a protective sleeve rigidly connected to the body of the ratchet barrel 5.

(26) The integrated driving unit (FIG. 5), suitable for immobilizing, driving, leading linearly and blocking rotation of the plunger 12 comprises a plunger block guide 11 and a driving nut 7. The construction of the integrated driving unit enables hand backing of the plunger 12 by pushing it into the driving nut 7 in such way that it minimally protrudes from the housing, allows a new container, ego with insulin, to be inserted.

(27) The nut 7 (as mentioned above) is coupled to the plunger 12 by a thread having pitch enabling application of the appropriate dose of insulin. Additionally, the plunger 12 comprises at least one longitudinal groove enabling linear displacement of the plunger 12 in the plunger block guide 11 by means of at least one key.

(28) The trigger unit (FIG. 3) constitutes the trigger 13 with the key 13.1 slidingly displaced in the groove 1.2 situated in the housing 1 in order to block the ring with the rectangular grooves 7.7 of the driving nut 7.

(29) It should be noted that the disclosure is not limited to the embodiment described and illustrated as examples. A large variety of modifications have been described and more are part of the knowledge of the person skilled in the art. These and further modifications as well as any replacement by technical equivalents may be added to the description and figures, without leaving the scope of the protection of the disclosure and of the present patent.