US 12,478,742 B2
Injection pens for medicine administration
Eric A. Larson, Simi Valley, CA (US); Yuxiang Zhong, Arcadia, CA (US); Ellis Garai, Woodland Hills, CA (US); Jack D. Pryor, Ladera Ranch, CA (US); and Afshin Bazargan, Simi Valley, CA (US)
Assigned to Medtronic MiniMed, Inc., Northridge (CA)
Filed by Medtronic MiniMed, Inc., Northridge, CA (US)
Filed on Jun. 9, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/342,633.
Prior Publication US 2022/0395644 A1, Dec. 15, 2022
Int. Cl. A61M 5/315 (2006.01); A61M 5/24 (2006.01)
CPC A61M 5/31568 (2013.01) [A61M 5/24 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A medicine injection pen, comprising:
a body;
a drive member disposed within the body and configured to move relative to the body upon actuation of the drive member;
a cartridge housing releasably engageable with the body;
a medicine cartridge retained within the cartridge housing and defining an interior volume configured to retain a liquid medicine therein, the medicine cartridge including:
a dispensing opening disposed at a dispensing end of the medicine cartridge;
a piston configured to translate within the interior volume defined by the medicine cartridge, wherein the drive member is configured to move relative to the body upon actuation thereof to translate the piston within the interior volume of the medicine cartridge toward the dispensing end of the medicine cartridge to dispense at least some of the liquid medicine through the dispensing opening of the medicine cartridge; and
an insertion port configured to receive a medicine dispensing element therethrough for dispensing a liquid medicine into the interior volume of the medicine cartridge to replace at least some of the liquid medicine dispensed through the dispensing end, wherein dispensing of the liquid medicine from the medicine dispensing element into the interior volume of the medicine cartridge applies a fluid pressure on the piston to translate the piston within the interior volume of the medicine cartridge away from the dispensing end of the medicine cartridge; and
a needle hub releasably attachable to the dispensing end of the medicine cartridge and including an injection needle for dispensing the liquid medicine from the dispensing opening.