US 12,337,147 B2
Auto-injector
Yannick Hourmand, Haslingfield (GB); Timothy Donald Barrow-Williams, Herts (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 Mar. 29, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/622,233.
Application 18/622,233 is a continuation of application No. 18/498,416, filed on Oct. 31, 2023.
Application 18/498,416 is a continuation of application No. 16/909,107, filed on Jun. 23, 2020, granted, now 11,833,331, issued on Dec. 5, 2023.
Application 16/909,107 is a continuation of application No. 15/669,571, filed on Aug. 4, 2017, granted, now 10,729,853, issued on Aug. 4, 2020.
Application 15/669,571 is a continuation of application No. 13/993,528, granted, now 9,724,472, issued on Aug. 8, 2017, previously published as PCT/EP2011/073502, filed on Dec. 21, 2011.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/432,255, filed on Jan. 13, 2011.
Claims priority of application No. 10196067 (EP), filed on Dec. 21, 2010.
Prior Publication US 2024/0238521 A1, Jul. 18, 2024
Int. Cl. A61M 5/20 (2006.01); A61M 5/50 (2006.01); A61M 5/32 (2006.01)
CPC A61M 5/2033 (2013.01) [A61M 5/50 (2013.01); A61M 2005/206 (2013.01); A61M 2005/208 (2013.01); A61M 5/326 (2013.01)] 29 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An auto-injector comprising:
a cylindrical housing containing a syringe that contains a medicament, the syringe comprising a stopper slidably disposed within a body of the syringe;
a plunger rod configured to engage the stopper for dispensing the medicament from the syringe;
a compression drive spring configured to bias the plunger rod in a proximal direction to dispense the medicament from the syringe, the compression drive spring surrounding a distal portion of the plunger rod;
a needle shroud comprising a proximal end portion terminating in an annular flange and two arms extending distally from the proximal end portion, the needle shroud being slidable (i) in a distal direction relative to the cylindrical housing from an advanced position to a retracted position and (ii) in the proximal direction relative to the cylindrical housing from the retracted position to a locked position, wherein a proximal end of the needle shroud proximally extends beyond a proximal end of an injection needle of the syringe when the needle shroud is in the advanced position, the proximal end of the injection needle proximally extends beyond the proximal end of the needle shroud when the needle shroud is in the retracted position, and the proximal end of the needle shroud proximally extends beyond the proximal end of the injection needle when the needle shroud is in the locked position, wherein the proximal end of the needle shroud proximally extends further beyond the proximal end of the injection needle when the needle shroud is in the locked position compared to the advanced position;
a needle shroud spring configured to bias the needle shroud in the proximal direction relative the cylindrical housing;
an annular collar arranged within the cylindrical housing, the annular collar being configured to engage the needle shroud in a manner such that a distal translation of the needle shroud causes the annular collar to move relative to the cylindrical housing;
a sleeve comprising diametrically-opposite deflectable portions extending axially on the sleeve and being integrally formed on the sleeve, each deflectable portion of the diametrically-opposite deflectable portions having an angled surface that is configured to be releasably coupled to the plunger rod, the auto-injector having a first state in which the angled surface of each deflectable portion is held in engagement with a surface of the plunger rod to prevent the plunger rod from moving proximally relative to the sleeve under a force of the compression drive spring, and the auto-injector having a second state in which the angled surface of each deflectable portion has outwardly deflected out of engagement with the surface of the plunger rod to allow the plunger rod to move proximally relative to the sleeve under the force of the compression drive spring to dispense the medicament; and
a syringe retainer disposed within the cylindrical housing, the syringe retainer defining a cavity in which the syringe is disposed, the syringe retainer comprising an inwardly angled protrusion that is located at a proximal end of the syringe retainer and that is engaged with a proximal end of the body of the syringe, a distal portion of the syringe retainer comprising an outward protrusion extending outward from an outer surface of the syringe retainer.