US 12,337,148 B2
Auto-injector
Yannick Hourmand, Haslingfield (GB); Timothy Donald Barrow-Williams, Herts (GB); and Matthew Ekman, Cheshire (GB)
Assigned to Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GMBH
Filed by Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GMBH, Frankfurt am Main (DE)
Filed on Jan. 16, 2025, as Appl. No. 19/025,292.
Application 19/025,292 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 2025/0152828 A1, May 15, 2025
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. A method comprising:
moving a release element of an auto-injector relative to a housing of the auto-injector to release a distal end of a plunger rod of the auto-injector from holding the plunger rod in a first position against a proximally-directed biasing force of a compression spring applied to an enlarged shoulder of the plunger rod, a distal portion of the plunger rod extending distally from the enlarged shoulder to the distal end of the plunger rod, and a proximal portion of the plunger rod extending proximally from the enlarged shoulder to a proximal end of the plunger rod, the proximal portion of the plunger rod being centered about a longitudinal axis of the housing;
after releasing the plunger rod from being held in the first position, proximally moving the plunger rod and a decoupling member relative to the housing by the proximally-directed biasing force of the compression spring to (i) extend a needle of a syringe from a proximal end of the auto-injector by proximally moving the syringe and a syringe retainer retaining the syringe within the auto-injector, then (ii) expel a medicament from the syringe through the needle by pushing a stopper of the syringe in a proximal direction by an engagement between the proximal end of the plunger rod and the stopper, and then (iii) circumferentially cover the needle after the medicament has been expelled from the syringe, wherein the syringe retainer remains stationary within the housing until the plunger rod is released from being held in the first position; and
after expelling the medicament from the syringe, rotating an annular rotatable collar relative to the housing to increase an amount of time between expelling the medicament from the syringe and circumferentially covering the needle.