US 12,409,274 B2
Auto-injector
Matthew Ekman, Cheshire (GB); Timothy Donald Barrow-Williams, St. Albans (GB); and Yannick Hourmand, Haslingfield (GB)
Assigned to Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GMBH, Frankfurt am Main (DE)
Filed by Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GMBH, Frankfurt am Main (DE)
Filed on Jan. 15, 2025, as Appl. No. 19/021,396.
Application 19/021,396 is a division of application No. 18/680,073, filed on May 31, 2024.
Application 18/680,073 is a continuation of application No. 17/453,601, filed on Nov. 4, 2021.
Application 17/453,601 is a continuation of application No. 16/276,366, filed on Feb. 14, 2019, granted, now 11,197,958, issued on Dec. 14, 2021.
Application 16/276,366 is a continuation of application No. 14/995,964, filed on Jan. 14, 2016, granted, now 10,232,116, issued on Mar. 19, 2019.
Application 14/995,964 is a continuation of application No. 13/579,435, granted, now 9,248,245, issued on Feb. 2, 2016, previously published as PCT/EP2011/052301, filed on Feb. 16, 2011.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/412,086, filed on Nov. 10, 2010.
Claims priority of application No. 10153999 (EP), filed on Feb. 18, 2010.
Prior Publication US 2025/0152820 A1, May 15, 2025
Int. Cl. A61M 5/20 (2006.01); A61M 5/32 (2006.01)
CPC A61M 5/2033 (2013.01) [A61M 5/3202 (2013.01); A61M 5/3232 (2013.01); A61M 2005/206 (2013.01); A61M 2005/2073 (2013.01); A61M 5/3204 (2013.01); A61M 5/326 (2013.01)] 30 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An auto-injector comprising:
a housing;
a retraction sleeve comprising a stop configured to releasably engage a latch such that (i) when the latch is engaged to the stop relative movement between the retraction sleeve and the housing is limited, and (ii) when the latch is disengaged with the stop relative movement between the retraction sleeve and the housing is allowed, wherein a distal end of the retraction sleeve defines a first opening located at a longitudinal axis of the retraction sleeve, the first opening extending longitudinally through the distal end of the retraction sleeve;
a spring configured to engage the retraction sleeve to bias the retraction sleeve in a distal direction relative to the housing;
a syringe holder disposed in the retraction sleeve and configured to (i) axially retain a syringe containing a medicament and (ii) engage a front face of the retraction sleeve to couple distal movement of the retraction sleeve to the syringe holder during needle retraction;
a decoupling member having an outer portion configured to extend through a second opening of the retraction sleeve to (i) engage the latch and (ii) deflect the latch out of engagement with the stop, the auto-injector configured such that relative movement between the stop and the latch is limited until the outer portion of the decoupling member deflects the latch out of engagement with the stop to initiate a delay prior to needle retraction; and
a plunger rod configured to releasably engage the distal end of the retraction sleeve while a distal end of the plunger rod is located within the first opening of the retraction sleeve to hold the plunger rod in a first position prior to needle insertion and medicament delivery,
wherein at least a portion of the auto-injector defines a viewing window for viewing the syringe when the syringe is in the auto-injector.
 
12. An auto-injector comprising:
a housing;
a retraction sleeve comprising a stop configured to releasably engage a latch such that (i) when the latch is engaged to the stop relative movement between the retraction sleeve and the housing is limited, and (ii) when the latch is disengaged with the stop relative movement between the retraction sleeve and the housing is allowed, wherein a distal end of the retraction sleeve defines a first opening located at a longitudinal axis of the retraction sleeve, the first opening extending longitudinally through the distal end of the retraction sleeve;
a spring configured to engage the retraction sleeve to bias the retraction sleeve in a distal direction relative to the housing;
a syringe holder disposed in the retraction sleeve and configured to (i) axially retain a syringe containing a medicament and (ii) engage a front face of the retraction sleeve to couple distal movement of the retraction sleeve to the syringe holder during needle retraction;
a decoupling member having an outer portion configured to extend through a second opening of the retraction sleeve to (i) engage the latch and (ii) deflect the latch out of engagement with the stop to initiate needle retraction, the auto-injector configured such that relative movement between the stop and the latch is limited until the outer portion of the decoupling member deflects the latch out of engagement with the stop; and
a plunger rod configured to releasably engage the distal end of the retraction sleeve while a distal end of the plunger rod is located within the first opening of the retraction sleeve to hold the plunger rod in a first position prior to needle insertion and medicament delivery,
wherein at least a portion of the auto-injector defines a viewing window for viewing the syringe when the syringe is in the auto-injector.
 
21. An auto-injector comprising:
a housing;
a retraction sleeve configured to releasably engage a latch such that (i) when the latch is engaged to the retraction sleeve relative movement between the retraction sleeve and the housing is limited, and (ii) when the latch is disengaged with the retraction sleeve relative movement between the retraction sleeve and the housing is allowed, wherein a distal end of the retraction sleeve defines a first opening located at a longitudinal axis of the retraction sleeve, the first opening extending longitudinally through the distal end of the retraction sleeve;
a spring configured to engage the retraction sleeve to bias the retraction sleeve in a distal direction relative to the housing;
a syringe holder disposed in the retraction sleeve and configured to (i) axially retain a syringe containing a medicament and (ii) engage a front face of the retraction sleeve to couple distal movement of the retraction sleeve to the syringe holder during needle retraction;
a decoupling member having an outer portion configured to extend through a second opening of the retraction sleeve to (i) engage the latch and (ii) deflect the latch out of engagement with the retraction sleeve to initiate needle retraction; and
a plunger rod configured to releasably engage the distal end of the retraction sleeve while a distal end of the plunger rod is located within the first opening of the retraction sleeve to hold the plunger rod in a first position prior to needle insertion and medicament delivery,
wherein at least a portion of the auto-injector defines a viewing window for viewing the syringe when the syringe is in the auto-injector.