US 12,214,172 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. 18/755,897.
Application 18/755,897 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 2024/0350742 A1, Oct. 24, 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)] 30 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An auto-injector for administering a dose of a medicament, comprising:
a tubular chassis;
a drive sub-assembly comprising
a tubular carrier slidably arranged relative to the tubular chassis, the tubular carrier adapted to at least partially contain a syringe with a hollow injection needle arranged in a proximal part of the auto-injector, wherein the auto-injector is configured to allow joint translation between the syringe and the tubular carrier;
a drive spring; and
a plunger comprising a flange for forwarding load of the drive spring to a stopper of the syringe, the plunger comprising a proximal portion extending proximally from the flange and a distal portion extending distally from the flange, the proximal and distal portions being substantially centered about a longitudinal axis of the tubular chassis, an axial length of the proximal portion being larger than an axial length of the distal portion, and a radial distance between the drive spring and the distal portion of the plunger being substantially constant along at least half of an axial length of the distal portion;
a trigger button configured to release the drive spring by allowing the distal portion of the plunger to disengage from the tubular carrier by an inward deflection to advance the plunger and the stopper for at least partially delivering the dose of the medicament;
a control spring acting between a first collar, biased by the control spring in a proximal direction, and a second collar bearing against a distal end of the control spring; and
a cap removably attached to a proximal end of the auto-injector, the auto-injector configured such that a removal of the cap from the auto-injector removes a protective sheath covering a needle of the syringe without causing an axial movement of the syringe,
wherein
the control spring is configured to move the drive sub-assembly in a distal direction for needle retraction,
the first collar is configured to decouple from the tubular carrier and ground a proximal end of the control spring to the tubular chassis,
the second collar is allowed to rotate out of a threaded engagement to allow syringe retraction, and
the second collar is configured to couple to the tubular carrier,
whereby the distal end of the control spring moves the second collar in the distal direction taking the tubular carrier and the syringe with the second collar.
 
11. An auto-injector for administering a medicament, comprising:
a tubular chassis;
a drive sub-assembly comprising
a tubular carrier slidably arranged relative to the tubular chassis, the tubular carrier adapted to at least partially contain a syringe with a hollow injection needle arranged in a proximal part of the auto-injector, wherein the auto-injector is configured to allow joint translation between the syringe and the tubular carrier;
a drive spring; and
a plunger comprising a flange for forwarding load of the drive spring to a stopper of the syringe, the plunger comprising a proximal portion extending proximally from the flange and a distal portion extending distally from the flange, the proximal and-distal portions being substantially centered about a longitudinal axis of the tubular chassis, and an axial length of the proximal portion being larger than an axial length of the distal portion;
a trigger button configured to release the drive spring by allowing the distal portion of the plunger to disengage from the tubular carrier by an inward deflection to advance the plunger and the stopper for at least partially delivering the medicament; and
a control spring configured to bias the tubular carrier in a distal direction,
wherein the auto-injector is configured such that after a resilient arm of a first collar has moved relative to the tubular chassis, the control spring is released and moves the tubular carrier and the syringe in the distal direction relative to the tubular chassis.
 
21. An auto-injector for administering a medicament, comprising:
a tubular chassis;
a tubular carrier slidably arranged relative to the tubular chassis, the tubular carrier adapted to at least partially contain a syringe with a hollow injection needle arranged in a proximal part of the auto-injector, wherein the auto-injector is configured to allow joint translation between the syringe and the tubular carrier;
a drive spring;
a plunger comprising a flange for forwarding load of the drive spring to a stopper of the syringe, the plunger comprising a proximal portion extending proximally from the flange and a distal portion extending distally from the flange, the proximal and distal portions being substantially centered about a longitudinal axis of the tubular chassis, an axial length of the proximal portion being larger than an axial length of the distal portion, and the drive spring being disposed around the distal portion of the plunger; and
a trigger button configured to release the drive spring by allowing the distal portion of the plunger to disengage from the tubular carrier by an inward deflection to advance the plunger and the stopper for at least partially delivering the medicament.
 
29. An auto-injector for administering a dose of a medicament, comprising:
a tubular chassis;
a drive sub-assembly comprising
a tubular carrier slidably arranged relative to the tubular chassis, the tubular carrier adapted to at least partially contain a syringe with a hollow injection needle arranged in a proximal part of the auto-injector, wherein the auto-injector is configured to allow joint translation between the syringe and the tubular carrier;
a drive spring; and
a plunger comprising a flange for forwarding load of the drive spring to a stopper of the syringe, the plunger comprising a proximal portion extending proximally from the flange and a distal portion extending distally from the flange, the proximal and distal portions being substantially centered about a longitudinal axis of the tubular chassis, an axial length of the proximal portion being larger than an axial length of the distal portion, and a radial distance between the drive spring and the distal portion of the plunger being substantially constant along at least half of an axial length of the distal portion; a trigger button configured to release the drive spring by allowing the distal portion of the plunger to disengage from the tubular carrier by an inward deflection to advance the plunger and the stopper for at least partially delivering the dose of the medicament;
a control spring acting between a first collar, biased by the control spring in a proximal direction, and a second collar bearing against a distal end of the control spring;
a cap removably attached to a proximal end of the auto-injector, the auto-injector configured such that a removal of the cap from the auto-injector removes a protective sheath covering the hollow injection needle of the syringe without causing an axial movement of the syringe; and
a syringe retraction control mechanism arranged for coupling the distal end of the control spring to the tubular carrier for needle retraction, wherein
the control spring is configured to move the drive sub-assembly in a distal direction for needle retraction,
the first collar is configured to decouple from the tubular carrier and ground a proximal end of the control spring to the tubular chassis,
the second collar is allowed to rotate out of a threaded engagement by the syringe retraction control mechanism to allow syringe retraction, and
the second collar is configured to couple to the tubular carrier,
whereby the distal end of the control spring moves the second collar in the distal direction taking the tubular carrier and the syringe with the second collar.