US 12,005,240 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 Jan. 16, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/413,900.
Application 18/413,900 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 2024/0148979 A1, May 9, 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 5/3157 (2013.01) [A61M 5/20 (2013.01); A61M 5/2033 (2013.01); A61M 5/326 (2013.01); A61M 5/46 (2013.01); A61M 2005/206 (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 comprising:
a housing;
a sleeve slidably disposed within the housing and biased in a proximal direction relative to the housing, the sleeve slidable in a distal direction relative to the housing when the sleeve is pressed against an injection site;
a syringe carrier disposed within the housing, the syringe carrier configured to support a syringe within the housing;
a plunger rod comprising a proximal thrust surface with a cylindrical body extending distally from the proximal thrust surface, the cylindrical body defining an opening that extends through a sidewall of the cylindrical body, the plunger rod configured to displace a stopper of the syringe to dispense a medicament from the syringe when the syringe is disposed in the syringe carrier;
a compression drive spring disposed in a distal portion of the housing and having a proximal end engaged to the proximal thrust surface of the plunger rod to bias the plunger rod in the proximal direction relative to the housing;
a first part disposed within the distal portion of the housing and comprising a proximally-extending resilient arm having an enlarged proximal portion releasably held in contact with the opening of the plunger rod to limit proximal movement of the plunger rod relative to first part;
a second part disposed within the distal portion of the housing and comprising an axially-extending member with a protrusion located at a proximal end of the axially-extending member, the protrusion releasably coupled to the plunger rod;
a third part coupled to a distal end of the housing by an engagement between an outward protrusion of the third part and an opening defined by a sidewall of the housing; and
a second compression spring disposed within the distal portion of the housing and having a distal end engaged to the second part to bias the second part in the distal direction toward the third part,
wherein the auto-injector is configured such that upon a predetermined amount of proximal movement of the plunger rod relative to the second part, the second part moves in the distal direction relative to the plunger rod by the second compression spring and impacts the third part to produce an audible indication or a tactile indication.
 
14. An auto-injector comprising:
a housing;
a sleeve slidably disposed within the housing and biased in a proximal direction relative to the housing, the sleeve slidable in a distal direction relative to the housing when the sleeve is pressed against an injection site;
a syringe carrier disposed within the housing, the syringe carrier configured to support a syringe within the housing;
a plunger rod comprising a proximal thrust surface with a cylindrical body extending distally from the proximal thrust surface, the cylindrical body defining an opening that extends through a sidewall of the cylindrical body, the plunger rod configured to displace a stopper of the syringe to dispense a medicament from the syringe when the syringe is disposed in the syringe carrier;
a compression drive spring disposed in a distal portion of the housing and having a proximal end engaged to the proximal thrust surface of the plunger rod to bias the plunger rod in the proximal direction relative to the housing;
a first part disposed within the distal portion of the housing and comprising a proximally-extending resilient arm having an enlarged proximal portion releasably held in contact with the opening of the plunger rod to limit proximal movement of the plunger rod relative to first part;
a second part disposed within the distal portion of the housing and comprising an axially-extending member with a protrusion located at a proximal end of the axially-extending member, the protrusion releasably coupled to the plunger rod;
a second compression spring disposed within the distal portion of the housing and having a distal end engaged to the second part to bias the second part in the distal direction; and
a cylindrical sleeve disposed within the distal portion of the housing and having a cylindrical surface releasably engaged to the enlarged proximal portion of the proximally-extending resilient arm to limit the enlarged proximal portion of the proximally-extending resilient arm from deflecting out of engagement with the opening of the plunger rod,
wherein the auto-injector is configured such that upon a predetermined amount of proximal movement of the plunger rod relative to the second part, the second part moves in the distal direction relative to the plunger rod by the second compression spring causing an audible indication or a tactile indication to be produced.
 
21. An auto-injector comprising:
a housing;
a sleeve slidably disposed within the housing and biased in a proximal direction relative to the housing, the sleeve slidable in a distal direction relative to the housing when the sleeve is pressed against an injection site;
a syringe carrier disposed within the housing, the syringe carrier configured to support a syringe within the housing;
a plunger rod comprising a proximal thrust surface with a cylindrical body extending distally from the proximal thrust surface, the cylindrical body defining an opening that extends through a sidewall of the cylindrical body, the plunger rod configured to displace a stopper of the syringe to dispense a medicament from the syringe when the syringe is disposed in the syringe carrier;
a compression drive spring disposed in a distal portion of the housing and having a proximal end that is engaged with the proximal thrust surface of the plunger rod to bias the plunger rod in the proximal direction relative to the housing;
a first part disposed within the distal portion of the housing and comprising a proximally-extending resilient arm having an enlarged proximal portion releasably held in contact with the opening of the plunger rod to limit proximal movement of the plunger rod relative to the housing;
a second part disposed within the distal portion of the housing and comprising an axially-extending member with a protrusion located at a proximal end of the axially-extending member, the protrusion releasably coupled to the plunger rod; and
a second compression spring disposed within the distal portion of the housing biasing the second part in the distal direction relative to the housing,
wherein the auto-injector is configured such that upon a predetermined amount of proximal movement of the plunger rod relative to the second part, the second part moves in the distal direction relative to the plunger rod by the second compression spring and causes an audible indication or a tactile indication to be produced.
 
27. A method comprising:
releasing an enlarged portion of a proximally-extending resilient arm of a first part of an auto-injector out of engagement with an opening defined by a cylindrical body of a plunger rod of the auto-injector causing the plunger rod to move in a proximal direction relative to the first part by a biasing force of a compression drive spring to displace a stopper of a syringe of the auto-injector in the proximal direction towards a needle of the syringe to dispense a medicament of the syringe through the needle, a proximal portion of the syringe engaged with an inward protrusion of a tubular carrier disposed within a housing of the auto-injector to limit proximal movement of the syringe relative to the tubular carrier; and
upon moving the plunger rod by a predetermined amount in the proximal direction relative to a second part of the auto-injector, releasing a releasable coupling between the second part and the plunger rod causing the second part to move in a distal direction by a biasing force of a second compression spring and impact a third part of the auto-injector to produce an audible indication or a tactile indication, an outward protrusion of the third part being attached to a distal end of the housing such that the third part defines a distal end of the auto-injector.