Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61M—DEVICES 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
  • A61M5/00—Devices for bringing media into the body in a subcutaneous, intra-vascular or intramuscular way; Accessories therefor, e.g. filling or cleaning devices, arm-rests
  • A61M5/178—Syringes
  • A61M5/31—Details
  • A61M5/32—Needles; Details of needles pertaining to their connection with syringe or hub; Accessories for bringing the needle into, or holding the needle on, the body; Devices for protection of needles
  • A61M5/3287—Accessories for bringing the needle into the body; Automatic needle insertion

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a manually operable needle injection-facilitating device intended for use as an aid in the injection of fluid medication by means of a hypodermic syringe or medication pen.
• the invention is particularly useful to patients who are frequently required to self- administer medication such as insulin in the case of diabetes.
• the major difficulty that exists in the self-handling of a hypodermic syringe or medication pen by a person other than a trained professional is the accurate insertion and penetration of the needle into the skin of the patient. This problem is particularly compounded for individuals- who are visually impaired, have an aversion to needles and injections, or lack fine motor control in attempting to administer their own medication.
• injector assist devices for facilitating hypodermic injections for in-home use, such as for insulin injections, are known for operation with conventional hypodermic syringes while simultaneously controlling the depth of penetration of the hypodermic needle.
• these injector assist devices have a number of disadvantages that make them inconvenient and less desirable to use.
• One disadvantage associated with some present injector assist devices is that, by virtue of the number of components from which the devices are comprised, they are complicated with respect to assembly of the device. For example, in the case of U.S. Patent No.
• an object of the invention is to provide an injector assist device comprised of a minimal number of component parts, which can be quickly and easily incorporated with either a conventional hypodermic syringe or a medication pen, is easy to handle and manipulate, and can reliably and safely facilitate administration of a medicament dosage, particularly by an individual who is visually impaired or lacks fine motor control.
• Another object of the invention is to provide an improved needle injection-facilitating device which by function and structural design can accommodate a conventional hypodermic syringe or medication pen and which greatly simplifies and safely facilitates the self-injection procedure for in-home use application.
• a needle injection-facilitating device to aid in the positioning, guiding and stabilization of a hypodermic syringe or medication pen for subcutaneous injection, comprising in combination:
• an inner hollow cylindrical sleeve disposed within the outer sleeve and capable of sliding movement therein, between a retracted position and an operating position, said inner sleeve being adapted to receive a syringe or medication pen;
• biasing means disposed between the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve which upwardly biases the inner sleeve to said retracted position in which a hypodermic needle received within said inner sleeve is shielded from view by the base of said outer portion;
• the invention affords a needle injection-facilitating device designed for use with a hypodermic syringe or medication pen.
• the device comprises an outer hollow longitudinal cylindrical sleeve of larger diameter with an inverted frusto-conical base that allows a 90° angle of insertion of a hypodermic needle subcutaneously into a patient.
• the frusto- conical base is beveled to allow a 45" angle of insertion.
• the frusto-conical base also assists in guiding and stabilizing the movement of the hypodermic syringe, or medication pen, at a particular location by an individual who is visually impaired or lacks fine motor control. Furthermore, because the base of the outer sleeve shields the hypodermic needle from view prior to and during injection, the psychological barrier of needle insertion will be alleviated for the user who may experience anxiety at the sight of an exposed needle.
• An inner hollow cylindrical sleeve of smaller diameter is slidably disposed within the outer sleeve and can hold various size adaptors to customize the device for use with a given type or size of syringe.
• Located at the distal end of the inner sleeve is a retaining collar with an aperture sized to receive the hub of a hypodermic needle and through which the needle projects. In a retracted position, the retaining collar rests inside a retaining groove circumscribed within the inner wall of the outer sleeve.
• a velcro patch may be attached on the outside face of the distal end of the inner sleeve and has a diameter and inner hole sized to match the dimensions of the retaining collar and its aperture, respectively.
• biasing means such as of spring means, which advantageously comprises springs disposed inside a pair or plurality of grooves set within the inner wall of the outer sleeve.
• the springs are compressed when an axial force is applied to the syringe prior to and during insertion of the hypodermic needle.
• a single helical coil spring encircles the upper portion of the inner sleeve and seats on the peripheral edge at the extreme proximal end of the outer sleeve.
• An adjustable retaining ring located at the proximal end of the inner sleeve secures the spring to the device. Adjustment of the retaining ring will determine the tension of the spring and to a lesser degree, the extent of needle projection beyond the inner sleeve.
• the depth of penetration of the hypodermic needle is determined by the exterior face of the inner sleeve coming in contact with the skin surface of the user. This automatically accommodates non-flat, e.g. concave or convex body surfaces, where the point of injection is non-planar with the periphery of the frusto-conical base.
• the needle is extracted by the force of expansion of the spring following release of the axial force to the syringe.
• Another embodiment of the device simply comprises a fixed outer component which is a hollow longitudinal cylindrical sleeve with an inverted frusto-conical base that allows a 90° placement on the skin surface.
• the fixed sleeve can be easily adapted for use with commercial type hypodermic syringes by insertion of various size adaptors.
• an aperture Located at the distal end of the fixed sleeve is an aperture sized to receive the hub of a hypodermic needle and through which the needle projects.
• the fixed sleeve it is initially positioned at the preferred injection site of the user utilizing the inverted frusto-conical base as a guide.
• the fixed sleeve is not assembled with the barrel of a syringe prior to its placement on the surface of the skin.
• the syringe is then inserted through the sleeve during the injection procedure.
• the frusto-conical base of the fixed sleeve serves to guide, position and stabilize the movement of the syringe by a visually or manually impaired individual while ensuring the proper angle and depth of entry of the needle, thereby reducing the possibility of a bent syringe needle.
• Figures la and lb are cross-sectional views of a needle injection-facilitating device in combination with a hypodermic syringe in a retracted and an operating position, respectively, following placement at a targeted injection site;
• Figures 2a and 2b are cross-sectional views of a needle injection-facilitating device of Figure 1 in a normal retracted position and a compressed position, respectively, without attachment to a hypodermic syringe or medication pen;
• Figures 3a to 3e show plan and cross-sectional views of components which comprise the needle injection-facilitating device of Figure 2 ;
• Figures 4a and 4b show cross-sectional views of a second embodiment of a needle injection-facilitating device in combination with a hypodermic syringe in a retracted and an operating. position, respectively, following placement at a targeted injection site;
• Figure 5 is a side view, partly in cross-section, of a needle injection-facilitating device according to a third embodiment of this invention.
• Figures 6a to 6c show a cross-sectional view of a needle injection-facilitating device according to a fourth embodiment of this invention.
• a first embodiment of a needle injection-facilitating device 1 comprises an outer component 2 which is a hollow, longitudinal cylindrical sleeve portion 2a surmounting an inverted frusto-conical base 4 the periphery 5 of which is normal to the surface of the skin upon placement of the needle injection-facilitating device 1 thereon.
• An inner component 3 is a hollow cylindrical sleeve dimensioned to receive the distal end of the barrel of a hypodermic syringe 6, or medication pen 7, and to be slidably disposed within the outer component 2.
• the inner component 3 can also hold various size adaptors 8 to customize the device for use with a particular type or size of syringe.
• a retaining collar 9 Located at the distal end of the inner sleeve 3 is a retaining collar 9 with an aperture 10 sized to receive the hub 11 of a hypodermic syringe 6 and through which a needle 12 of such syringe projects.
• the retaining collar 9 rests inside a retaining groove 13 circumscribed within the inner wall 14 of the outer sleeve 2.
• a velcro patch 15, fixed on the outside face of the distal end of the inner sleeve 3, has a diameter and inner hole sized to match the dimensions of the retaining collar 9 and its aperture 10, respectively.
• the two components 2 and 3 are coaxially aligned relative to one another and the inner component 3 slides along a common longitudinal axis in a telescopic arrangement.
• each spring 16 is secured by means of a pair of pins 18 and 19. The upper portion of each spring 16 is held in place by a pin 18 which is inserted through pin-holes 20 located at the proximal end of the outer sleeve 2 and within the pair of grooves 17.
• each spring 16 is held in place by a pin 19 inserted through pin-holes 21 located within the wall of the inner sleeve 3 midway along its axis.
• a downward axial force is applied, the pair of pins 18 slide within the grooves 17 formed in the inner wall 14 of the outer sleeve 2 thereby compressing the springs 16.
• release of the axial force on the syringe 6 permits the expansive force of the springs 16 to drive the inner sleeve 3 back to its original retracted position while, simultaneously extracting the hypodermic needle 12 from the injection site.
• the inner sleeve 3 which encloses the barrel of the syringe 6 is biased in a retracted position relative to the outer sleeve 2 such that the retaining collar 9 of the inner sleeve 3 sits inside the retaining groove 13 of the outer sleeve 2.
• the hypodermic needle 12 is shielded from view when the needle injection-facilitating device 1 is placed on the skin surface at the targeted injection site.
• the pair of springs 16 housed in the grooves 17 of the inner wall 14 of the outer sleeve 2 are in a relaxed conformation.
• an alcohol swab 22 may be attached to the velcro patch 15 located at the distal face of the inner sleeve 3.
• the needle injection-facilitating device 1 is assembled with the hypodermic syringe 6, or medication pen 7, it is placed on the skin surface at the desired injection site.
• the large surface area circumscribed by the periphery 5 of the inverted frusto-conical base 4 helps to stabilize the orientation of the syringe 6 so that the direction of the needle 12 is maintained in a position perpendicular to the surface of the skin.
• FIG. 4a and 4b A second embodiment of the injection needle-facilitating device 1 is illustrated in Figures 4a and 4b in which the periphery 5a of the inverted frusto-conical base 4 is beveled to allow a 45" insertion of the hypodermic needle 12 relative to placement of the device on the skin surface.
• the end face 9a of the inner sleeve 3 is also offset or beveled to permit flat contact thereof with a skin surface.
• Figures 4a and 4b provide an illustration of the device 1 in both a resting and injection position, respectively. The method of operation of the device 1 in this particular embodiment is essentially the same as that described above for Figures la and lb.
• the injection needle-facilitating device 1 of the embodiment shown in Figure 5 incorporates a single helical coil spring 22 which encircles the proximal portion of the inner sleeve 3 while resting on the peripheral edge at the extreme proximal end of the outer sleeve 2.
• the retaining ring 23 has a set of screw threads to match those extending around the exterior of the inner sleeve 3 at the proximal end thereof. Adjustment of the retaining ring 23 will vary the tension of the spring 22 and, to a lesser degree, the extent of needle 12 projection beyond the distal end of the inner sleeve 3.
• the helical spring 22 is in a relaxed conformation when the device 1 is in a resting condition.
• the inner sleeve 3 is biased in retracted a position relative to the outer sleeve 2. In this position, the hypodermic needle 12 is shielded from view.
• Figures 6a to 6c illustrate another embodiment of the injection needle-facilitating device 1 which comprises a fixed outer component which is a hollow longitudinal cylindrical sleeve 24a opening into an inverted frusto- conical base 25 that allows a 90° placement on the skin surface.
• the frusto-conical base 25 serves to guide, position and stabilize the movement of a syringe by a visually or manually impaired individual while ensuring a proper angle of insertion and reducing the possibility of a bent syringe needle.
• the inner dimensions of the fixed sleeve 24 enable it to be coupled to a medication pen 7. However, the sleeve 24 can be easily adapted for use with other commercial-type hypodermic syringes by attachment with various size adaptors.
• Located at the distal end of the fixed sleeve 24 is an aperture 26 sized to receive the hub 11 of a hypodermic syringe 6 and through which the needle 12 projects.
• injection needle-facilitating devices may be fabricated from either metal or heat-resistant plastic.
• the needle injection-facilitating device permits improved administration of injections, including self-administration, particularly in individuals having impaired vision or poor manual dexterity or coordination.

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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Family Applications (1)

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Cited By (23)

Citations (7)

• 1999
  • 1999-09-17 AU AU56141/99A patent/AU5614199A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1999-09-17 WO PCT/CA1999/000840 patent/WO2000061209A1/en active Application Filing

Patent Citations (7)

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