US 12,214,171 B2
Auto-injector
Simon Francis Brereton, Cambridge (GB); Thomas Kemp, Ashwell (GB); Rosie Burnell, Cambridge (GB); and Matthew Ekman, Cheshire (GB)
Assigned to Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GMBH, Frankfurt am Main (DE)
Filed by Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GMBH, Frankfurt am Main (DE)
Filed on Jun. 27, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/755,814.
Application 18/755,814 is a continuation of application No. 18/487,215, filed on Oct. 16, 2023.
Application 18/487,215 is a continuation of application No. 17/126,962, filed on Dec. 18, 2020, granted, now 11,819,670, issued on Nov. 21, 2023.
Application 17/126,962 is a continuation of application No. 15/897,872, filed on Feb. 15, 2018, granted, now 10,894,132, issued on Jan. 19, 2021.
Application 15/897,872 is a continuation of application No. 13/983,809, granted, now 9,925,344, issued on Mar. 27, 2018, previously published as PCT/EP2012/052647, filed on Feb. 16, 2012.
Claims priority of application No. 11155040 (EP), filed on Feb. 18, 2011.
Prior Publication US 2024/0374838 A1, Nov. 14, 2024
Int. Cl. A61M 5/315 (2006.01); A61M 5/20 (2006.01); A61M 5/32 (2006.01); A61M 5/46 (2006.01)
CPC A61M 5/31501 (2013.01) [A61M 5/20 (2013.01); A61M 5/2033 (2013.01); A61M 5/3157 (2013.01); A61M 5/3158 (2013.01); A61M 5/326 (2013.01); A61M 5/46 (2013.01); A61M 2005/206 (2013.01); A61M 2005/208 (2013.01); A61M 2205/581 (2013.01); A61M 2205/582 (2013.01); A61M 2205/583 (2013.01)] 29 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An auto-injector comprising:
a housing configured to at least partially support a syringe containing a medicament within the housing;
a plunger rod disposed within the housing, the plunger rod comprising (i) a transverse portion extending in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the housing, (ii) a proximally-extending portion extending from the transverse portion, the proximally-extending portion being sized to fit within a diameter of a barrel of the syringe, and (iii) a distally-extending portion extending distally from the transverse portion, wherein a distal portion of the distally-extending portion of the plunger rod comprises a first opening that extends radially inward from an outer surface of the distally-extending portion;
a first sleeve slidably disposed within the housing and configured to releasably engage the distally-extending portion of the plunger rod for releasably holding the plunger rod in a distal position relative to the housing such that when the first sleeve is engaged to the distally-extending portion of the plunger rod, the plunger rod is held in the distal position, and after the distally-extending portion has disengaged from the first sleeve by a radially inward deflection, the plunger rod is released from being held in the distal position by the first sleeve, wherein the first sleeve is configured to engage the first opening of the plunger rod to releasably hold the plunger rod in the distal position relative to the housing;
a compression spring having (i) a proximal end disposed around the distally-extending portion of the plunger rod and engaging a distal side of the transverse portion and (ii) a distal end engaging the first sleeve such that the plunger rod is biased in a proximal direction relative to the housing by the compression spring,
wherein the compression spring is disposed around the plunger rod such that a first distance between an inner surface of the compression spring and the outer surface of the distally-extending portion of the plunger rod is substantially constant along a central portion of the distally-extending portion, the first distance being measured in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the housing; and
a button disposed at a distal end of the housing, the button configured to allow the plunger rod to be released from being held in the distal position relative to the housing such that the plunger rod can move in the proximal direction relative to the housing to dispense the medicament from the syringe when the syringe is disposed in the housing.
 
10. An auto-injector comprising:
a housing configured to at least partially support a syringe containing a medicament within the housing;
a plunger rod disposed within the housing, the plunger rod comprising (i) a transverse portion extending in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the housing, (ii) a proximally-extending portion extending proximally from the transverse portion, the proximally-extending portion being sized to fit within a diameter of barrel of the syringe, and (iii) a distally-extending portion extending distally from the transverse portion, wherein the distally-extending portion of the plunger rod defines a transverse opening that extends inward from an outer surface of the distally-extending portion;
a compression spring having a proximal end disposed around the distally-extending portion of the plunger rod and engaging a distal side of the transverse portion to bias the plunger rod in a proximal direction relative to the housing, the compression spring being disposed around the distally-extending portion of the plunger rod such that a distance between an inner surface of the compression spring and the outer surface of the distally-extending portion of the plunger rod is substantially constant along at least half of an axial length of the distally-extending portion, the distance being measured in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the housing;
a first sleeve disposed within the housing and configured to releasably engage the distally-extending portion of the plunger rod for releasably holding the plunger rod in a first position relative to the housing such that when the first sleeve is engaged to the distally-extending portion of the plunger rod, the plunger rod is held in the first position, and after the distally-extending portion has disengaged from the first sleeve by a radially inward deflection, the plunger rod is released from being held in the first position by the first sleeve; and
a button disposed at a distal end of the housing, the button configured to allow the plunger rod to be released from being held in the first position relative to the housing such that the plunger rod can move in the proximal direction relative to the housing to dispense the medicament from the syringe when the syringe is disposed in the housing.
 
18. An auto-injector comprising:
a housing configured to at least partially support a syringe containing a medicament within the housing;
a plunger rod disposed within the housing, the plunger rod comprising (i) a transverse portion extending in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the housing, (ii) a proximally-extending portion extending from the transverse portion, the proximally-extending portion being sized to fit within a diameter of a barrel of the syringe, and (iii) a distally-extending portion extending distally from the transverse portion, wherein a thickness of a sidewall of the distally-extending portion of the plunger rod is substantially constant throughout a central portion of the distally-extending portion of the plunger rod, wherein the central portion spans at least one third of an overall axial length the distally-extending portion;
a first sleeve slidably disposed within the housing and configured to releasably engage the distally-extending portion of the plunger rod for releasably holding the plunger rod in a distal position relative to the housing such that when the first sleeve is engaged to the distally-extending portion of the plunger rod, the plunger rod is held in the distal position, and after the distally-extending portion has disengaged from the first sleeve by a radially inward deflection, the plunger rod is released from being held in the distal position by the first sleeve;
a compression spring having (i) a proximal end disposed around the distally-extending portion of the plunger rod and engaging a distal side of the transverse portion and (ii) a distal end engaging the first sleeve such that the plunger rod is biased in a proximal direction relative to the housing by the compression spring,
wherein the compression spring is disposed around the plunger rod such that a first distance between an inner surface of the compression spring and an outer surface of the distally-extending portion of the plunger rod is substantially constant along the central portion of the distally-extending portion, the first distance being measured in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the housing; and
a button disposed at a distal end of the housing, the button configured to allow the plunger rod to be released from being held in the distal position relative to the housing such that the plunger rod can move in the proximal direction relative to the housing to dispense the medicament from the syringe when the syringe is disposed in the housing.
 
25. An auto-injector comprising:
a housing configured to at least partially support a syringe containing a medicament within the housing;
a plunger rod disposed within the housing, the plunger rod comprising (i) a transverse portion extending in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the housing, (ii) a proximally-extending portion extending proximally from the transverse portion, the proximally-extending portion being sized to fit within a diameter of barrel of the syringe, and (iii) a distally-extending portion extending distally from the transverse portion, wherein the distally-extending portion defines (i) an axially-extending opening such that a radially-inward portion of a distal side of the transverse portion that is radially inward of the distally-extending portion is viewable from a distal end of the plunger rod, and (ii) a transverse opening that extends inward from an outer surface of the distally-extending portion;
a compression spring having a proximal end disposed around the distally-extending portion of the plunger rod and engaging the distal side of the transverse portion to bias the plunger rod in a proximal direction relative to the housing, the compression spring being disposed around the distally-extending portion of the plunger rod such that a distance between an inner surface of the compression spring and the outer surface of the distally-extending portion of the plunger rod is substantially constant along at least half of an axial length of the distally-extending portion, the distance being measured in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the housing;
a first sleeve disposed within the housing and configured to releasably engage the distally-extending portion of the plunger rod for releasably holding the plunger rod in a first position relative to the housing such that when the first sleeve is engaged to the distally-extending portion of the plunger rod, the plunger rod is held in the first position, and after the distally-extending portion has disengaged from the first sleeve by a radially inward deflection, the plunger rod is released from being held in the first position by the first sleeve; and
a button disposed at a distal end of the housing, the button configured to allow the plunger rod to be released from being held in the first position relative to the housing such that the plunger rod can move in the proximal direction relative to the housing to dispense the medicament from the syringe when the syringe is disposed in the housing.