Automatic injection device

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an automatic injection device for automatically injecting a fluid in an injector to a target injection site. The syringe includes a barrel, a needle disposed at a first end of the barrel, and a movable element movable within the barrel, the movable element being drivable toward the first end of the barrel to inject fluid within the barrel into an injection site. The automatic injection device comprises an injector loading mechanism used for loading and fixing an injector; the injector driving mechanism comprises a first motor and a first actuating assembly, and the first actuating assembly can be driven by the first motor to enable the injector loading mechanism to move in the first translation direction towards the injection part so as to insert a needle of an injector fixed to the injector loading mechanism into the injection part; and a dose control mechanism comprising a second motor and a second actuation assembly capable of moving the movable element of the syringe towards the first end of the barrel under the drive of the second motor to expel a predetermined dose of fluid from the barrel of the syringe and inject it into the injection site.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to the technical field of medical devices. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a reusable electromechanical automatic injection device. Background Art

[0002] Some diseases make it necessary to inject drugs or products regularly (e.g., on a daily basis). To simplify treatment, there are already some automatic injection devices (also known as "self-injectors") that can load and drive syringes such as pre-filled syringes to allow patients to perform injections themselves.

[0003] In addition, in order to best follow the drug treatment regimen and optimize medical compliance, many injectable drugs require strict control of injection parameters, including dose volume, injection duration and speed, injection frequency, etc. Automatic injection devices also have advantages in the standardization of the injection procedure.

[0004] As is well known, for self-injection drug procedures, there are three key steps: 1) inserting the needle; 2) dispensing the drug; 3) retracting or withdrawing the needle. Currently, most of the automatic injection devices available on the market are mechanical or electric, and their automatic injection functions mainly focus on the drug dispensing procedure, with little solution for automatic needle insertion and / or automatic needle retraction.

[0005] In some prior arts, a tension spring is used for needle insertion and / or retraction. This requires the user to reload the tension spring after each trigger, increasing the complexity of the procedure and the risk of failure.

[0006] In some other prior arts, each syringe needs to use a disposable cartridge with a pre-loaded spring to achieve needle insertion of the syringe, which is expensive for both manufacturers and users and is not very environmentally friendly.

[0007] In some other prior arts, a separate motor and gearbox are used to control the movement of the syringe and its needle. However, due to the complex or inefficient mechanical structure of the motor drive mechanisms in these prior arts, the movement is relatively slow compared to manual insertion and retraction of the needle. The slower insertion and retraction may cause increased pain during injection for the patient, which is undesirable.

[0008] Therefore, there is a need to improve the existing automatic injection devices.

[0009] Note that the subject matter claimed herein is not limited to the fields described above, not limited to solving any of the disadvantages mentioned above, and not limited to embodiments that are only used or operated in environments such as those described above. Instead, this background is provided only to illustrate an exemplary technical field in which some of the embodiments described herein may be practiced. Summary of the Invention

[0010] One object of the present disclosure is to overcome one or more problems existing in prior art automatic injection devices and to achieve other additional advantages.

[0011] The present disclosure provides an automatic injection device for automatically injecting a fluid in a syringe into a target injection site. The syringe includes a barrel for containing the fluid, a needle provided at a first end of the barrel, and a movable element capable of moving within the barrel, the movable element being drivable towards the first end of the barrel to inject the fluid within the barrel into the target injection site via the needle. The automatic injection device includes: a syringe loading mechanism for loading and fixing the syringe; a syringe driving mechanism including a first motor and a first actuation assembly, the first actuation assembly being capable of moving the syringe loading mechanism in a first translation direction towards the target injection site under the drive of the first motor to insert the needle of the syringe fixed to the syringe loading mechanism into the target injection site; a dose control mechanism including a second motor and a second actuation assembly, the second actuation assembly being capable of moving the movable element of the syringe towards the first end of the barrel under the drive of the second motor so as to discharge a predetermined dose of fluid from the barrel of the syringe and inject it into the target injection site.

[0012] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the automatic injection device further includes a housing, and the syringe loading mechanism is located within the housing and includes: a base having a body extending along a longitudinal direction, wherein the longitudinal direction is parallel to the first translation direction; a syringe holder for loading and fixing the syringe, wherein the syringe holder includes a recess for receiving the syringe and a fixing element for fixing the barrel of the syringe, and wherein the syringe holder is capable of moving relative to the base between a first position and a second position along the longitudinal direction, in the first position, the syringe holder extends out of the housing to facilitate loading and fixing the syringe, and in the second position, the syringe holder retracts into the housing; a coupling mechanism configured to releasably couple the syringe holder to the base when the syringe holder is in the second position.

[0013] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a second end of the barrel of the syringe, which is opposite to the first end, includes a radially outwardly extending flange, and a fixing element of the syringe holder is configured as a notch, and the notch is adapted to receive and position the flange to prevent the barrel of the syringe from moving along the longitudinal direction.

[0014] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the coupling mechanism is configured as a push-type elastic self-locking mechanism, and the push-type elastic self-locking mechanism includes at least one first engaging element provided on the syringe holder and at least one second engaging element provided on the body of the base. When the push-type elastic self-locking mechanism is first subjected to a pushing force, the first engaging element and the second engaging element are coupled to each other, and when the push-type elastic self-locking mechanism is subjected to a second pushing force, the first engaging element and the second engaging element are decoupled.

[0015] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a first actuation assembly of the syringe drive mechanism includes a cylindrical first actuation element that can rotate under the drive of the first motor and a first mating structure is provided on an outer peripheral surface of the first actuation element. The syringe loading mechanism includes a mating member for mating with the first actuation element. The mating member includes a cylindrical inner cavity for receiving the first actuation element and a second mating structure provided on an inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical inner cavity. When the first actuation element rotates in the cylindrical inner cavity of the mating member, the first mating structure and the second mating structure cooperate with each other so that the first actuation element can at least drive the syringe loading mechanism to move along the first translation direction to insert the needle into the target injection site.

[0016] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first actuation element can rotate in a first rotation direction. When the first actuation element rotates in the first rotation direction in the cylindrical inner cavity of the mating member, the first mating structure and the second mating structure cooperate with each other so that the first actuation element drives the syringe loading mechanism to move along the first translation direction to insert the needle into the target injection site. The first actuation element can also rotate in a second rotation direction opposite to the first rotation direction. When the first actuation element rotates in the second rotation direction in the cylindrical inner cavity of the mating member, the first mating structure and the second mating structure cooperate with each other so that the first actuation element drives the syringe loading mechanism to move along a second translation direction opposite to the first translation direction to withdraw the needle from the target injection site.

[0017] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first actuating element is driven by the first motor to rotate in both the first rotation direction and the second rotation direction.

[0018] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the syringe driving mechanism includes a torsion spring. The first actuating element is driven by the first motor to rotate in the first rotation direction, and the rotation of the first actuating element in the second rotation direction is driven by the torsion spring. When the first motor drives the first actuating element to rotate in the first rotation direction, the torsion spring is torsionally loaded to store elastic potential energy.

[0019] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first mating structure is configured as at least one slot spirally extending from the first end to the second end of the outer peripheral surface of the first actuating element, and the second mating structure is configured as at least one protrusion. The at least one protrusion can be received in the at least one slot and can reciprocally slide along the at least one slot to selectively drive the syringe loading mechanism to move in one of the first translation direction and the second translation direction.

[0020] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first mating structure is configured as four slots provided on the outer peripheral surface of the first actuating element. Each slot spirally extends from the first end to the second end of the first actuating element. The four slots are evenly distributed on the outer peripheral surface of the first actuating element such that each slot extends 90° along the outer peripheral surface of the first actuating element, and the four slots are connected end to end such that two adjacent slots are mirror images of each other. The second mating structure is configured as at least one protrusion. The at least one protrusion can sequentially slide along two adjacent slots of the four slots to drive the syringe loading mechanism to alternately move in the first translation direction and the second translation direction opposite to the first translation direction.

[0021] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one protrusion is configured as two protrusions spaced 180° apart from each other. The two protrusions are respectively received in two slots spaced 180° apart from each other among the four slots, and each protrusion can sequentially slide along two corresponding adjacent slots of the four slots to drive the syringe loading mechanism to alternately move in the first translation direction and the second translation direction.

[0022] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the first actuating element rotates from 0° to 90° in the first rotation direction, the at least one protrusion slides within the first slot among the four slots to drive the syringe loading mechanism to move along the first translation direction, and when the first actuating element continues to rotate from 90° to 180° in the first rotation direction, the at least one protrusion slides within the second slot adjacent to the first slot among the four slots to drive the syringe loading mechanism to move along the second translation direction; and wherein, when the first actuating element rotates from 180° to 90° in the second rotation direction opposite to the first rotation direction, the at least one protrusion slides reversely within the second slot among the four slots to drive the syringe loading mechanism to move along the first translation direction, and when the first actuating element continues to rotate from 90° to 0° in the second rotation direction, the at least one protrusion slides reversely within the first slot among the four slots to drive the syringe loading mechanism to move along the second translation direction.

[0023] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the syringe driving mechanism includes a torsion spring, the rotation of the first actuating element in the first rotation direction is driven by the first motor, and the rotation of the first actuating element in the second rotation direction is driven by the torsion spring, wherein when the first motor drives the first actuating element to rotate in the first rotation direction, the torsion spring is torsionally loaded to store elastic potential energy.

[0024] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the syringe driving mechanism further includes a locking mechanism. When the locking mechanism is locked, the first actuating element cannot rotate, and when the locking mechanism is unlocked, the first actuating element can rotate.

[0025] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the locking mechanism includes: a control element, the control element is fixedly connected to the first actuating element at a distance from each other via a shaft element extending in the axial direction, wherein the control element includes at least one through hole extending in the axial direction and at least one key pin disposed in a first portion of the at least one through hole, the key pin being spring-loaded such that a first end of the key pin protrudes from the corresponding through hole in a locked state of the locking mechanism; a locking element, the locking element is disposed between the first actuating element and the control element and includes at least one locking rod extending in the axial direction, wherein the locking element is movable along the axial direction such that in the locked state of the locking mechanism, the at least one locking rod is inserted into a second portion of the at least one through hole of the control element; at least one elastic element, the at least one elastic element presses the locking element to push the at least one locking rod of the locking element into the second portion of the at least one through hole of the control element; an unlocking element, the unlocking element is configured to press a first end of the key pin back into the corresponding through hole such that a second end of the key pin opposite to the first end can push the at least one locking rod of the locking element out of the corresponding through hole, thereby unlocking the locking mechanism.

[0026] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the control element includes two through holes spaced 180° from each other and two key pins respectively disposed in the first portions of the two through holes, and the locking element includes two locking rods spaced 180° from each other, and each locking rod can be inserted into a second portion of a corresponding through hole respectively.

[0027] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the control element includes four through holes spaced 90° from each other and two key pins respectively disposed in the first portions of two through holes spaced 180° from each other among the four through holes, and the locking element includes four locking rods spaced 90° from each other, and each locking rod can be inserted into a second portion of a corresponding through hole respectively.

[0028] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the unlocking element is connected to the first motor and can rotate under the drive of the first motor, and the control element further includes at least one pushing portion adapted to cooperate with the unlocking element. After the unlocking element unlocks the locking mechanism, the unlocking element can further rotate the control element via the at least one pushing portion and thus rotate the first actuating element.

[0029] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the control element includes two pushing parts adapted to cooperate with the unlocking element. The two pushing parts are configured in the form of bosses and are spaced 180° from each other. The unlocking element includes two parts adapted to simultaneously abut against and push the two pushing parts.

[0030] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the second actuation assembly of the dose control mechanism includes a screw and a second actuation element sleeved on the screw. The second actuation element includes a pushing part adapted to push a movable element of the syringe. Wherein, the screw can be rotated in any one of a first rotation direction and a second rotation direction opposite to the first rotation direction under the drive of the second motor. When the screw rotates in the first rotation direction, the second actuation element translates on the screw towards the first end of the barrel to cause the movable element of the syringe to translate towards the first end of the barrel via the pushing part.

[0031] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the movable element of the syringe includes a plunger rod, and the pushing part of the second actuation element is adapted to push an end of the plunger rod.

[0032] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the syringe includes a shielding cap for shielding the needle, and the auto-injection device includes a capturing element for the shielding cap. The capturing element can be sleeved on the outer periphery of the shielding cap and can remove the shielding cap from the syringe to expose the needle.

[0033] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the capturing element includes two or more elastic fingers distributed along the circumference. The free end of each elastic finger includes a hook portion extending radially inwards. When the capturing element is sleeved on the outer periphery of the shielding cap, the hook portion hooks the outer end face of the shielding cap to be able to remove the shielding cap from the syringe.

[0034] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the housing includes an opening for the syringe holder to extend out. At least a part of the capturing element can be inserted into the opening, and wherein, the coupling mechanism is configured as a push-type elastic self-locking mechanism and can be coupled and disconnected by pressing the capturing element.

[0035] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the auto-injection device includes a control unit for controlling at least one of starting, stopping, running duration, rotation direction, rotation speed, rotation angle, and rotation frequency of the first motor and the second motor.

[0036] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the automatic injection device further includes a power supply element for supplying power to the first motor and the second motor.

[0037] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the housing of the automatic injection device includes at least one of the following items: a contact sensor for detecting whether the automatic injection device is in contact with the target injection site; an indicator light for indicating the operating state of the automatic injection device; a power interface for supplying external power to the first motor, the second motor, and the control unit, or charging the power supply element when the power supply element is a rechargeable battery; a user interface including at least one of a display screen and a button, enabling a user to set the operating parameters of the automatic injection device or input a user instruction.

[0038] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first motor is a servo motor or a stepper motor, and the second motor is a servo motor or a stepper motor.

[0039] It should be noted that aspects of the present disclosure described for one embodiment can be incorporated into other different embodiments, although not specifically described for those other different embodiments. In other words, all embodiments and / or features of any embodiment can be combined in any manner and / or combination as long as they do not conflict with each other. Description of the Drawings

[0040] To easily understand the above and other features and advantages of the present disclosure, the present disclosure will be described more specifically with reference to specific embodiments of the present disclosure shown in the drawings. These drawings only depict typical embodiments of the present disclosure and are therefore not considered to limit the scope of the present disclosure, where:

[0041] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the automatic injection device according to the present disclosure;

[0042] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the syringe loading mechanism of the automatic injection device according to the present disclosure and a capture element for a needle shield cap;

[0043] Figure 3 is a structural schematic diagram of the syringe loading mechanism of the automatic injection device according to the present disclosure;

[0044] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the loading step of loading a syringe onto the syringe loading mechanism;

[0045] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the syringe driving mechanism of the automatic injection device according to the present disclosure;

[0046] Figure 6Yes Figure 5 Schematic diagram when the syringe drive mechanism of Figure 5 is in the locked state;

[0047] Figure 7 Yes Figure 5 Schematic diagram when the syringe drive mechanism of Figure 5 is in the unlocked state;

[0048] Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the dose control mechanism of the auto-injector device according to the present disclosure;

[0049] Figure 9 Schematic diagram of the injection step of performing injection using the dose control mechanism of the auto-injector device according to the present disclosure;

[0050] Figure 10a And Figure 10b Schematic structural diagrams of the auto-injector device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure shown from different perspectives respectively;

[0051] Figure 11a Yes Figure 10a And Figure 10b Exploded view of the auto-injector device shown in Figure 10a and Figure 10b ;

[0052] Figure 11b Shows Figure 10a And Figure 10b Internal structure of the auto-injector device shown in Figure 10a and Figure 10b ;

[0053] Figure 12 Schematic structural diagram of the syringe loading mechanism of the auto-injector device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0054] Figures 13a to 13c Are respectively schematic structural diagrams of the base of the syringe loading mechanism of Figure 12 Shown from different perspectives;

[0055] Figure 14 Yes Figure 12 Schematic structural diagram of the syringe holder of the syringe loading mechanism shown in Figure 12 ;

[0056] Figure 15 Schematic structural diagram of the second engaging element of the coupling mechanism of the syringe loading mechanism according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0057] Figure 16 Schematic structural diagram when the first engaging element and the second engaging element of the coupling mechanism of the syringe loading mechanism according to an embodiment of the present disclosure are coupled to each other;

[0058] Figure 17 Schematic structural diagram of the syringe;

[0059] Figure 18 is Figure 17 a schematic structural diagram when the syringe shown is loaded on a syringe loading mechanism;

[0060] Figure 19a shows a schematic structural diagram of a syringe driving mechanism of an auto-injection device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0061] Figure 19b is Figure 19a a disassembled view of the syringe driving mechanism shown;

[0062] Figure 20 is Figure 19a of the syringe driving mechanism and Figure 12 a schematic structural diagram when the syringe loading mechanism is assembled together;

[0063] Figure 21 is Figure 19a a schematic structural diagram of a driving element of the syringe driving mechanism;

[0064] Figure 22a and Figure 22b are schematic structural diagrams of a locking element of the syringe driving mechanism shown from different angles; Figure 19a ;

[0065] Figure 22c is for Figure 22a and Figure 22b a schematic structural diagram of an elastic element of the locking element;

[0066] Figure 23a and Figure 23b are schematic structural diagrams of a control element of the syringe driving mechanism shown from different angles; Figure 19a ;

[0067] Figure 23c is Figure 23a of the control element and Figure 21 a schematic structural diagram when the driving elements are connected to each other;

[0068] Figure 24 is Figure 19a a schematic structural diagram of a spring-loaded key pin of the syringe driving mechanism;

[0069] Figure 25 is Figure 24 when the key pin is placed into Figure 23a a through hole of the control element;

[0070] Figure 26 is Figure 19a a schematic structural diagram of an unlocking element and a motor of the syringe driving mechanism;

[0071] Figure 27 is a schematic structural diagram of a dose control mechanism of an auto - injection device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0072] Figure 28 is Figure 27 a schematic structural diagram of the dose control mechanism when cooperating with a syringe;

[0073] Figure 29 is Figure 27 the dose control mechanism of Figure 12 a schematic positional diagram of the syringe loading mechanism;

[0074] Figure 30a and Figure 30b are schematic structural diagrams of a capture element according to an embodiment of the present disclosure shown from different angles respectively;

[0075] Figure 30c is Figure 30a a schematic structural diagram of the capture element of

[0076] Figure 31 is a schematic time - series diagram of the coordinated control of a first motor of a syringe drive mechanism and a second motor of a dose control mechanism by a control unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0077] It should be understood that in all the drawings, the same reference numerals denote the same elements. In the drawings, for clarity, the dimensions of some features may be changed and not drawn to scale. Detailed Description of the Invention

[0078] The present disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which several embodiments of the present disclosure are shown. However, it should be understood that the present disclosure can be presented in many different ways and is not limited to the embodiments described below; in fact, the embodiments described below are intended to make the disclosure of the present disclosure more complete and fully explain the protection scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art. It should also be understood that the embodiments disclosed herein can be combined in various ways to provide more additional embodiments.

[0079] It should be understood that the terms used in the specification are only for describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. All terms used in the specification (including technical terms and scientific terms) have the meanings commonly understood by those skilled in the art unless otherwise defined. For the sake of brevity and / or clarity, well - known functions or structures may not be described in detail.

[0080] As used in the specification, the singular forms “a,” “the,” and “said” include the plural unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” and “includes” as used in the specification mean that the claimed features are present, but do not preclude the presence of one or more other features. The phrase “and / or” as used in the specification includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed items.

[0081] In the specification, when an element is referred to as being “on,” “attached” to, “connected” to, “coupled” to, or “in contact” with another element, etc., that element can be directly on, attached to, connected to, coupled to, or in contact with the other element, or intervening elements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly” on, “directly attached” to, “directly connected” to, “directly coupled” to, or “directly in contact” with another element, no intervening elements will be present.

[0082] In the specification, the terms “first,” “second,” or “third” are used for convenience only and are not intended to be limiting. Any technical features denoted by “first,” “second,” or “third” are interchangeable.

[0083] In the specification, spatial relationship terms such as “above,” “below,” “front,” “rear,” “top,” “bottom,” etc. may describe the relationship of one feature to another in the drawings. It should be understood that the spatial relationship terms include different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation shown in the drawings. For example, when the device in the drawing is inverted, a feature originally described as “below” other features may then be described as “above” the other features. The device may also be oriented in other ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the relative spatial relationships will be interpreted accordingly.

[0084] In the specification, the term “automatically” is used to indicate that at least some operations of the syringe (such as insertion of the syringe needle into the injection site, withdrawal of the syringe needle from the injection site, injection of the fluid in the syringe into the injection site, or at least some of the like operations) are performed by an automatic injection device according to the present disclosure without manual implementation by the user.

[0085] Referring Figure 1 and Figures 10a to 11b , there is shown an automatic injection device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, which can be used to automatically inject a fluid (such as a liquid drug, or other fluid) in a syringe 200 into an injection site of a target (such as a living patient, such as a human or an animal, or other inanimate injection object).

[0086] The automatic injection device 100 according to the present disclosure can be an electromechanical automatic injection device and can be reused, which will be described in detail below. The syringe 200 can be a pre-fillable syringe or a pre-filled syringe. As Figure 2 and Figure 17 more clearly shown, the syringe 200 can include a barrel 210 for containing fluid, a needle 220 disposed at a first end of the barrel 210, and a movable element 230 capable of moving within the barrel 210. A second end of the barrel 210 opposite to the first end can include a radially outwardly extending flange 2101. The movable element 230 can be at least driven towards the first end of the barrel 210 to discharge the fluid within the barrel 210 through the needle 220 and inject it into the target injection site. For a pre-fillable syringe, the movable element 230 can also be pulled towards the second end of the barrel 210 opposite to the first end to suck the fluid into the barrel of the syringe. The movable element 230 can include a stopper 2301 and a plunger rod 2302. A first end of the plunger rod 2302 can be fixedly connected to the stopper 2301, and a second end of the plunger rod 2302 can be provided with a flange 2303 radially outwardly extending from the body of the plunger rod 2302. The plunger rod 2302 can be pushed or pulled by means of the flange 2303 to discharge the fluid within the barrel 210 or suck the fluid into the barrel 210. In some pre-filled syringes 200, the movable element 230 can include only the stopper 2301 without including the plunger rod 2302. The fluid within the barrel 210 can be discharged by directly pushing the stopper 2301 by means of other driving elements. The syringe 200 can also include a shielding cap 240 for shielding the needle 220 to avoid needle stick injury to the user.

[0087] The automatic injection device 100 can include a syringe loading mechanism 110, a syringe driving mechanism 120, and a dose control mechanism 130. The syringe loading mechanism 110 is configured to load and fix the syringe 200. The syringe driving mechanism 120 is configured to at least drive the syringe loading mechanism 110 to move in a first translation direction towards the target injection site to insert the needle 220 of the syringe 200 fixed on the syringe loading mechanism 110 into the target injection site. In some cases, the syringe driving mechanism can also be configured to drive the syringe loading mechanism 110 to move in a second translation direction away from the target injection site to pull out the needle 220 of the syringe 200 from the target injection site after the injection is completed, wherein the second translation direction is opposite to the first translation direction. The dose control mechanism 130 is configured to move the movable element 230 of the syringe 200 towards the first end of the barrel 220 to discharge a predetermined dose of fluid from the barrel 210 of the syringe 200 and inject it into the target injection site.

[0088] In some embodiments, the auto-injection device 100 may further include a control unit 140 to at least control the operations of the syringe driving mechanism 120 and the dose control mechanism 130. The auto-injection device 100 may also include a housing 150. Some or all of the syringe loading mechanism 110, the syringe driving mechanism 120, the dose control mechanism 130, and the control unit 140 may be accommodated within the housing 150. The syringe loading mechanism 110, the syringe driving mechanism 120, the dose control mechanism 130, the control unit 140, and the housing 150 will be described in detail one by one below.

[0089] First, referring to Figure 3 and Figures 12 to 16 , there is shown a syringe loading mechanism 110 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, the syringe loading mechanism 110 may be accommodated within the housing 150 and may include a base 111, a syringe holder 112 for loading and fixing a syringe 200, and a coupling mechanism 113. The base 111 may have a body 1111 extending along a longitudinal direction L, where the longitudinal direction L is parallel to the first translation direction mentioned above. The syringe holder 112 may include a recess 1121 for accommodating the syringe 200 and be movable relative to the base 111 along the longitudinal direction L between a first position and a second position. In the first position, the syringe holder 112 may protrude from the housing 150 to facilitate loading and fixing the syringe 200. In the second position, the syringe holder 112 may retract into the housing 150. To facilitate the stable movement of the syringe holder 112 relative to the base 111 along the longitudinal direction L, the syringe holder 112 may include two guide rails 1122 located on both sides of the recess 1121, and the body 1111 of the base 111 may include two guide grooves 1112 for receiving the two guide rails 1122. In other embodiments, the body 1111 of the base 111 may include two guide rails, and the syringe holder 112 may include two guide grooves located on both sides of the recess 1121 and for receiving the two guide rails of the base 111.

[0090] In some embodiments, the syringe holder 112 may further include a fixing element 1123 for fixing the barrel 210 of the syringe 200. In Figure 14 the illustrated embodiment, the fixing element 1123 is configured as a notch. The notch may be configured to receive and position a flange 2101 of the barrel 210 of the syringe 200 (as shown in Figure 18 ) to prevent the barrel 210 of the syringe 200 from moving along the longitudinal direction L. In other embodiments, the fixing element 1123 may have other different configurations. For example, the fixing element 1123 may include one or more of a hoop element, a belt element, a snap element, a stop element, or other similar fastening elements.

[0091] The coupling mechanism 113 can be configured to releasably couple the syringe holder 112 to the base 111 when the syringe holder 112 is in the second position relative to the base 111. When the syringe holder 112 is coupled to the base 111, the syringe holder 112 together with the barrel 201 of the syringe 200 fixed thereto cannot move relative to the base 111 in the longitudinal direction L. For ease of operation, the coupling mechanism 113 can be configured as a push-type elastic self-locking mechanism. As Figure 3 and Figures 14 to 16 shown, the push-type elastic self-locking mechanism can include at least one first engaging element 1131 provided on the syringe holder 112 and at least one second engaging element 1132 provided on the body 1111 of the base 111. Wherein, when the push-type elastic self-locking mechanism is first subjected to a pushing force, the first engaging element 1131 and the second engaging element 1132 can be coupled to each other, and when the push-type elastic self-locking mechanism is subjected to a second pushing force, the first engaging element 1131 and the second engaging element 1132 can be decoupled, and so on. In Figures 14 to 16In the illustrated embodiment, each first engaging element 1131 may include a mushroom-shaped head 1133, and each second engaging element 1132 may include a pair of jaws 1134 for clamping the head 1133 of the first engaging element 1131. The pair of jaws 1134 may be brought close to each other to clamp the head 1133 of the first engaging element 1131, thereby coupling the syringe holder 112 to the base 111; and the pair of jaws 1134 may be moved away from each other to release the head 1133 of the first engaging element 1131, thereby disconnecting the syringe holder 112 from the base 111. The movement of the pair of jaws 1134 towards and away from each other may be controlled by a push-type elastic assembly (not shown in the figure) disposed within each second engaging element 1132. The push-type elastic assembly may be configured to bring the pair of jaws 1134 close to each other to clamp the head of the first engaging element 1131 when the first engaging element 1131 first pushes the second engaging element 1132, and to move the pair of jaws 1134 away from each other to release the head of the first engaging element 1131 when the first engaging element 1131 secondarily pushes the second engaging element 1132. The specific structure of the push-type elastic assembly may be well-known (for example, it may be similar to the push-type elastic assembly used in the mechanism for placing a memory card or a SIM card in a mobile phone), and will not be described in detail herein. By configuring the coupling mechanism 113 as a push-type elastic self-locking mechanism, the coupling and disconnection of the syringe holder 112 and the base 111 can be easily achieved. In some embodiments, the coupling mechanism 113 may further include an elastic element (not shown in the figure) disposed between the syringe holder 112 and the base 111, and the elastic element may be configured to push the syringe holder 112 out of the housing 150 in the longitudinal direction L when the syringe holder 112 and the base 111 are disconnected.

[0092] In other embodiments according to the present disclosure, when the syringe loading mechanism 110 is configured to be directly exposed from the housing 150 (for example, the housing 150 includes an opening for exposing the syringe loading mechanism 110), the syringe 200 may be directly loaded and fixed onto the syringe holder 112 without moving the syringe holder 112 of the syringe loading mechanism 110. In this case, the syringe loading mechanism 110 may include only the syringe holder 112, or the syringe holder 112 of the syringe loading mechanism 110 and the base 111 may be fixedly connected to each other or integrally formed.

[0093] Next, with reference to Figures 5 to 7 and Figures 19a to 26 , the syringe driving mechanism 120 of the auto-injection device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0094] The syringe driving mechanism 120 may include a first motor 121 and a first actuation assembly 122. In some embodiments, the first motor 121 may be a servo motor or a stepper motor. The first actuation assembly 122 is capable of driving the syringe loading mechanism 110 to move in a first translation direction toward the target injection site under the drive of the first motor 121, so as to insert the needle 220 of the syringe 200 fixed on the syringe loading mechanism 110 into the target injection site. With such a syringe driving mechanism 120, at least the automatic insertion of the needle 220 of the syringe 200 into the target injection site can be achieved, thereby simplifying the manual operation process and reducing the operation difficulty of the user. In other embodiments, the first actuation assembly 122 is also capable of driving the syringe loading mechanism 110 to move in a second translation direction away from the target injection site (this can be achieved by the drive of the first motor 121 or by other components, which will be described in detail below), so as to pull out the needle 220 of the syringe 200 from the target injection site after the injection is completed. With such a syringe driving mechanism 120, the automatic insertion and automatic withdrawal of the needle 220 of the syringe 200 can be achieved simultaneously, thereby further simplifying the manual operation process and further reducing the operation difficulty of the user.

[0095] In some embodiments, the first actuation assembly 122 of the syringe driving mechanism 120 may be configured to move the syringe loading mechanism 110 by the rotation of a rotating element included in the first actuation assembly 122. In these embodiments, the first actuation assembly 122 of the syringe driving mechanism 120 may include a generally cylindrical first actuation element 1221 (as Figures 19a to 21 shown). The first actuation element 1221 can be driven by the first motor 121 to rotate in a first rotation direction (for example, one of clockwise and counterclockwise) and an opposite second rotation direction (for example, the other of clockwise and counterclockwise). The syringe driving mechanism 120 is configured to drive the syringe loading mechanism 110 to move in a first translation direction toward the target injection site and in a second translation direction away from the target injection site by the rotation of the first actuation element 1221. Correspondingly, the syringe loading mechanism 110 may include a mating component 1113 for mating with the first actuation element 1221. In the case of having a base 111, the mating component 1113 may be fixedly connected to the body 1111 of the base 111 and hang below the body 1111 of the base 111. In the case of not having a base 111, the mating component 1113 may be directly fixedly connected to the syringe holder 112 and hang below the syringe holder 112. The mating component 1113 may include a cylindrical inner cavity 1114 for receiving the first actuation element 1221 (as Figures 13a to 13c shown).

[0096] On the outer peripheral surface of the generally cylindrical first actuating element 1221 of the first actuating assembly 122 of the syringe driving mechanism 120, a first mating structure 1222 may be provided. Correspondingly, on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical inner cavity 1114 of the mating element 1113 of the syringe loading mechanism 110, a second mating structure 1115 that cooperates with the first mating structure 1222 may be provided. When the first actuating element 1121 rotates in the cylindrical inner cavity 1114 of the mating member 1113, the first mating structure 1222 and the second mating structure 1115 may cooperate with each other, so that the first actuating element 1221 can drive the syringe loading mechanism 110 to move in a first translation direction to insert the needle 120 into the target injection site. In some cases, when the first actuating element 1221 rotates in the cylindrical inner cavity 1114 of the mating member 1113, the first mating structure 1222 and the second mating structure 1115 may also cooperate with each other, so that the first actuating element 1221 can drive the syringe loading mechanism 110 to move in a second translation direction to withdraw the needle 120 from the target injection site.

[0097] The first mating structure 1222 on the outer peripheral surface of the first actuating element 1221 of the syringe driving mechanism 120 may be configured as at least one slot that spirally extends from the first end of the first actuating element 1221 to the second end of the first actuating element 1221 along the outer peripheral surface. Correspondingly, the second mating structure 1115 on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical inner cavity of the mating member 1113 of the syringe loading mechanism 110 may be configured as at least one protrusion that can be received in the at least one slot and can slide along the at least one slot to selectively drive the syringe loading mechanism 120 to move in one of the first translation direction and the second translation direction.

[0098] In some embodiments, the at least one protrusion can reciprocally slide (i.e., slide in opposite directions) in the at least one slot, so that when the at least one protrusion slides in the at least one slot in a first direction, the syringe loading mechanism 120 is driven along the first translation direction, and when the at least one protrusion slides in the at least one slot in a second direction opposite to the first direction, the syringe loading mechanism 120 is driven along the second translation direction. This can be achieved by changing the rotation direction of the first actuating element 1221.

[0099] However, in Figures 19a to 21 the illustrated embodiment, the situation is different. In Figures 19a to 21In the illustrated embodiment, the first mating structure 1222 on the outer peripheral surface of the first actuating element 1221 of the syringe driving mechanism 120 is configured as four slots provided on the outer peripheral surface. Each slot spirally extends from the first end of the first actuating element 1221 to the second end of the first actuating element 1221 along the outer peripheral surface of the first actuating element 1221. The four slots are evenly distributed on the outer peripheral surface of the first actuating element 1221 such that each slot extends 90° along the outer peripheral surface of the first actuating element 1221, and the four slots are connected end to end such that two adjacent slots are mirror images of each other. At least one protrusion on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical inner cavity of the mating component 1113 of the syringe loading mechanism 110 can slide sequentially along two adjacent slots of the four slots to drive the syringe loading mechanism 110 to move alternately along a first translation direction and a second translation direction opposite to the first translation direction. In this process, the rotation direction of the first actuating element 1221 does not need to be changed every time.

[0100] Specifically, in Figures 19a to 21In the illustrated embodiment, when the first actuating element 1221 rotates from 0° to 90° in the first rotation direction, the at least one protrusion can slide within the first slot among the four slots to drive the syringe loading mechanism 110 to move along the first translation direction; thereafter, when the first actuating element 1221 continues to rotate from 90° to 180° in the first rotation direction, the at least one protrusion enters the second slot adjacent to the first slot among the four slots and slides within the second slot among the four slots. Since the second slot and the first slot are mirror images of each other, this sliding will drive the syringe loading mechanism 110 to move along the second translation direction. In other words, during the process in which the first actuating element 1221 rotates 180° in the first rotation direction, the syringe loading mechanism 110 completes a conversion of the movement direction, such that the needle 220 of the syringe 200 can complete a full cycle of inserting into the target injection site and withdrawing from the target injection site. Thereafter, when the first actuating element 1221 rotates from 180° to 90° in the second rotation direction opposite to the first rotation direction, the at least one protrusion can slide reversely within the second slot among the four slots to drive the syringe loading mechanism 110 to move along the first translation direction, and when the first actuating element 1221 continues to rotate from 90° to 0° in the second rotation direction, the at least one protrusion can return to the first slot among the four slots and slide reversely within the first slot among the four slots to drive the syringe loading mechanism 110 to move along the second translation direction. During the process in which the first actuating element 1221 rotates 180° in the second rotation direction, the syringe loading mechanism 110 completes another conversion of the movement direction, such that the needle 220 of the syringe 200 completes another full cycle of inserting into the target injection site and withdrawing from the target injection site.

[0101] In Figures 13a to 13c In the illustrated embodiment, the second mating structure 1115 on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical inner cavity of the mating member 1113 of the syringe loading mechanism 110 is configured as two protrusions spaced 180° apart from each other, and the two protrusions are respectively received in two slots spaced 180° apart among the four slots (for example, respectively received in the first slot and the third slot, or respectively received in the second slot and the fourth slot). Each protrusion can slide sequentially along the corresponding two adjacent slots among the four slots (for example, the first protrusion can slide sequentially along the first slot and the second slot, while the second protrusion can slide sequentially along the third slot and the fourth slot) to drive the syringe loading mechanism 110 to move alternately along the first translation direction and the second translation direction. The movement process of the two protrusions is the same as the movement process described previously for the at least one protrusion, and will not be elaborated here.

[0102] In some embodiments, the rotation of the first actuating element 1121 in the first rotation direction and the rotation in the second rotation direction opposite to the first rotation direction can both be driven by the first motor 121, and only by changing the rotation direction of the first motor 121. However, in some embodiments, the first motor 121 is only used to drive the rotation of the first actuating element 1121 in the first rotation direction, while the rotation of the first actuating element 1121 in the second rotation direction is driven by a torsion spring. As Figure 19a and Figure 19b shown, in these embodiments, the first actuating assembly 122 of the syringe driving mechanism 120 may include a torsion spring 1223. One end of the torsion spring 1223 may be fixedly connected to the housing 150, and the other end may be fixedly connected to other rotating elements (such as, the first actuating element 1221 or the control element 124 mentioned later), such that when the first motor 121 drives the first actuating element 1221 to rotate in the first rotation direction, the torsion spring 1223 is torsionally loaded to store elastic potential energy, and when needed, the torsion spring 1223 can release its stored elastic potential energy to drive the first actuating element 1221 to rotate in the second rotation direction opposite to the first rotation direction.

[0103] In Figure 19a and Figure 19b the shown embodiments, the elastic potential energy stored in the torsion spring 1223 can be gradually released. For example, the torsion spring 1223 can first release a part of its elastic potential energy to cause the first actuating element 1221 to rotate from 180° to 90° in the second rotation direction, so that the needle 220 of the syringe 200 is inserted into the target injection site; after that, after the injection is completed, the torsion spring 1223 can release the remaining elastic potential energy of it to cause the first actuating element 1221 to rotate from 90° to 0° in the second rotation direction, so that the needle 220 of the syringe 200 is withdrawn from the target injection site. In this embodiment, both inserting the needle 220 of the syringe 200 into the target injection site and withdrawing the needle 22 of the syringe 200 from the target injection site are instantaneously completed by the torsion spring 1223 that has stored energy, which can greatly reduce the pain suffered by the patient during the insertion and withdrawal of the needle 22.

[0104] In other embodiments, the torsion spring 1223 can also release all of its elastic potential energy at once. For example, when the first motor 121 drives the first actuating element 1221 to rotate in the first rotation direction, the needle 220 of the syringe 200 is inserted into the target injection site and the torsion spring 1223 stores elastic potential energy; after the injection is completed, the torsion spring 1223 can release all of its elastic potential energy at once to cause the first actuating element 1221 to rotate in the second rotation direction, thereby withdrawing the needle 220 of the syringe 200 from the target injection site.

[0105] In some embodiments, the first mating structure 1222 on the outer peripheral surface of the first actuating element 1221 of the syringe driving mechanism 120 and the second mating structure 1115 on the inner peripheral surface of the mating member 1113 of the syringe loading mechanism 110 may have configurations other than slots and protrusions. For example, the first mating structure 1222 may be configured as a first threaded structure, and the second mating structure 1115 may be configured as a second threaded structure that meshes with the first threaded structure. Other forms of the first mating structure and the second mating structure can also be conceived.

[0106] Continuing to refer to Figures 5 to 7 and Figures 19a to 26 , in some embodiments, the syringe driving mechanism 120 may further include a locking mechanism 123. When the locking mechanism 123 is locked, the first actuating element 1221 cannot rotate, and when the locking mechanism 123 is unlocked, the first actuating element 1221 can rotate. The locking mechanism 123 can have various suitable configurations. In Figures 19a to 26 the illustrated embodiment, the locking mechanism 123 may include a control element 124, a locking element 125, at least one elastic element 126, and an unlocking element 127.

[0107] The control element 124 may be fixedly connected to the first actuating element 1221 at a distance from each other via a shaft element 1241 extending in the axial direction. The control element 124 may include at least one through hole 1242 extending in the axial direction and at least one key pin 1243 disposed in a first portion of the at least one through hole. The key pin 1243 is spring-loaded such that a first end 1244 of the key pin 1243 protrudes from the corresponding through hole 1242 in the locked state of the locking mechanism 123.

[0108] The locking element 125 may be disposed between the first actuating element 1221 and the control element 124 and include at least one locking rod 1251 extending in the axial direction. The locking element 125 is capable of moving in the axial direction such that in the locked state of the locking mechanism 123, the at least one locking rod 1251 is inserted into a second portion of the at least one through hole 1242 of the control element 124. The at least one locking rod 1251 of the locking element 125 can be pushed into the second portion of the at least one through hole 1242 of the control element 124 by pushing the locking element 125 with the at least one elastic element 126 (such as Figure 19b and Figure 22c the four elastic elements 126 shown). As Figure 19b and Figure 22cAs shown, each elastic element 126 can be configured as an axially extensible and compressible spring. The first end of each elastic element 126 can abut against a support element (such as a support element in the housing 150), while the other end thereof can abut against the locking element 125 and push the locking element 125 towards the control element 124.

[0109] The unlocking element 127 can be configured to press the first end 1244 of the key pin 1243 back into the corresponding through hole 1242, so that the second end of the key pin 1243 opposite to the first end 1244 can push out the at least one locking rod 1251 of the locking element 125 from the corresponding through hole 1242, thereby unlocking the locking mechanism 123.

[0110] In some embodiments, the control element 124 can include two through holes 1242 spaced 180° apart from each other and two key pins 1243 respectively disposed in the first portions of the two through holes 1242. Correspondingly, the locking element 125 can include two locking rods 1251 spaced 180° apart from each other, and each locking rod 1251 can be inserted into the second portion of a corresponding through hole 1242 respectively. In other embodiments, as Figures 23a to 25 shown, the control element 124 can include four through holes 1242 spaced 90° apart from each other and two key pins 1243 respectively disposed in the first portions of two through holes spaced 180° apart from each other among the four through holes. Correspondingly, as Figures 22a to 22c shown, the locking element 125 can include four locking rods 1251 spaced 90° apart from each other, and each locking rod 1251 can be inserted into the second portion of a corresponding through hole 1242 respectively. Such a configuration combined with four slots provided on the outer peripheral surface of the first actuating element 1221 allows the first actuating element 1221 to rotate 90° to insert the needle 220 of the syringe 200 into the target injection site or withdraw it from the target injection site, thereby significantly increasing the speed of needle insertion and needle withdrawal and thus reducing the pain of the user or improving the user experience.

[0111] In some embodiments, as Figure 26As shown, the unlocking element 127 can be connected to the first motor 121 and is capable of rotating under the drive of the first motor 121. When the unlocking element 127 rotates to the position of the key pin 1243, the unlocking element 127 can press the key pin 1243 back into the corresponding through hole 1242. To facilitate the unlocking element 127 pressing the key pin 1243, the first end 1244 of the key pin 1243 can have a surface that tapers along the direction from the second end to the first end (e.g., a wedge-shaped or mushroom-shaped surface). In some embodiments, the unlocking element 127 is also configured to push the control element 124 and thus push the first actuating element 1221 to rotate. For this purpose, the control element 124 can further include at least one pushing portion 1245 adapted to cooperate with the unlocking element 127. After the unlocking element 127 unlocks the locking mechanism 123, the unlocking element 127 can rotate the control element 127 via the at least one pushing portion 1245 and thus rotate the first actuating element 1221. In Figures 23a to 25 the illustrated embodiment, the control element 124 includes two pushing portions 1245 adapted to cooperate with the unlocking element 127. The two pushing portions 1245 are configured in the form of bosses and are spaced 180° apart from each other. The unlocking element 127 can include two portions adapted to simultaneously abut against and push the two pushing portions 1245. As Figure 26 shown, the unlocking element 127 can be configured to be elongated, and it can include two elongated portions that are symmetric with respect to the axis 1211 of the first motor 121, and each elongated portion can respectively abut against one pushing portion 1245.

[0112] In the above embodiments referred to Figures 5 to 7 and Figures 19a to 26 described, the first actuating assembly 122 of the syringe drive mechanism 120 moves the syringe loading mechanism 110 through the rotation of a rotating element (e.g., the first actuating element 1221) included therein. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The first actuating assembly 122 of the syringe drive mechanism 120 can also move the syringe loading mechanism 110 through a translation element. For example, the first actuating assembly 122 can include a screw and a translation element disposed on the screw, and the translation element can be fixedly connected to a mating component of the syringe loading mechanism 110. When the screw of the first actuating assembly 122 rotates, the translation element can move axially along the screw and thus move the syringe loading mechanism 110 via the mating component.

[0113] In an embodiment according to the present disclosure, as Figures 19a to 19b shown, the entire working process of the syringe drive mechanism 120 can include the following steps:

[0114] 1. Steps for the torsion spring 1223 to store energy: After being loaded into the syringe 200, the first motor 121 simultaneously drives the torsion spring 1223 and the first actuating element 1221 to rotate from 0° to 90° in the first rotation direction, thereby pre-tightening the torsion spring 1223 by 90°. During this process, the at least one protrusion slides within the first slot among the four slots to drive the syringe loading mechanism 110 to move along the first translation direction; thereafter, the first motor 121 continues to drive the torsion spring 1223 and the first actuating element 1221 to rotate from 90° to 180° in the first rotation direction, thereby pre-tightening the torsion spring 1223 by 180°. During this process, the at least one protrusion slides within the second slot adjacent to the first slot among the four slots to drive the syringe loading mechanism 110 to move along the second translation direction opposite to the first translation direction. Thus, the energy storage of the torsion spring 1223 is achieved. In the steps of the torsion spring 1223 storing energy, the syringe driving mechanism 120 idles without inserting the needle of the syringe 200 into the target injection site or pulling out the needle of the syringe 200 from the target injection site;

[0115] 2. Steps for the torsion spring 1223 to release the stored energy (elastic potential energy) in two steps to respectively achieve needle insertion and needle withdrawal:

[0116] After the torsion spring 1223 stores energy, the first motor 121 rotates the unlocking element 127 by 90° in the second rotation direction opposite to the first rotation direction, such that the unlocking element 127 reaches the first end 1244 of the key pin 1243 and presses the first end 1244 into the through hole 1242, thereby separating the locking element 125 from the control element 124 and thus triggering the first unlocking of the control element 124 and the locking element 125;

[0117] After the first unlocking, the torsion spring 1223 uses the stored energy to drive the control element 124, and further drives the first actuating element 1221 to rotate from 180° to 90° in the second rotation direction, such that the at least one protrusion slides reversely within the second slot among the four slots to drive the syringe loading mechanism 110 to move along the first translation direction, thereby inserting the needle 220 of the syringe 200 into the target injection site; when the torsion spring 1223 rotates to 90°, the four locking rods 1251 of the locking element 125 are inserted into the four through holes 1242 of the control element 124 again, such that the locking element 125 and the control element 124 are locked again. At this time, the drug can be injected using the second motor 131 of the dose control mechanism 130 (to be described below);

[0118] After the injection is completed, the unlocking element 127 is rotated again by the first motor 121, so that the unlocking element 127 reaches the first end 1244 of the key pin 1243 again and presses the first end 1244 into the through hole 1242, thereby separating the locking element 125 from the control element 124 and thus triggering the second unlocking of the control element 124 and the locking element 125;

[0119] After the second unlocking, the torsion spring 1223 uses the energy it has stored to continue driving the control element 124, and further drives the first actuating element 1221 to continue rotating from 90° to 0° along the second rotation direction, so that the at least one protrusion slides reversely in the first slot among the four slots, so as to drive the syringe loading mechanism 110 to move along the second translation direction, thereby pulling out the needle 220 of the syringe 200 from the target injection site.

[0120] Next, with reference to Figure 8 and Figures 27 to 29 , the dose control mechanism 130 of the automatic injection device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. The dose control mechanism 130 may include a second motor 131 and a second actuating assembly 132. The second motor 131 may be a servo motor or a stepper motor. The second actuating assembly 132 can move the movable element 230 of the syringe 200 towards the first end of the barrel 210 of the syringe 200 under the drive of the second motor 131, so as to discharge a predetermined dose of fluid from the barrel of the syringe and inject it into the target injection site.

[0121] The second actuating assembly 132 of the dose control mechanism 130 may include a screw 1321 and a second actuating element 1322 sleeved on the screw 1321. The second actuating element 1322 may include a pressing portion 1323 adapted to press the movable element 230 of the syringe 200. The screw 1321 can rotate in either the first rotation direction or the second rotation direction opposite to the first rotation direction under the drive of the second motor 131. When the screw 1321 rotates in the first rotation direction, the second actuating element 1322 can translate on the screw towards the first end of the barrel 210 of the syringe, so as to translate the movable element 230 of the syringe 200 towards the first end of the barrel 210 via the pressing portion 1323. When the screw 1322 rotates in the second rotation direction, the second actuating element 1322 can translate on the screw away from the first end of the barrel 210 of the syringe to return to its initial position.

[0122] When the movable element 230 of the syringe 200 includes a plunger rod 2302, the pressing portion 1323 of the second actuating element 1322 may be configured as a flat element hanging from the screw 1322. This flat element can press the end of the plunger rod 2302 (such as Figure 28as shown), to move the plunger rod. In some embodiments, the movable element 230 of the syringe 200 may not include the plunger rod 2302. In this case, the pressing portion 1323 of the second actuating element 1322 may be configured to directly press the stopper 2301 to move the stopper. For example, the pressing portion 1323 of the second actuating element 1322 may include a first branch and a second branch in an "L" shape, and a branch of the pressing portion 1323 parallel to the screw 1322 may directly extend into the barrel 210 of the syringe 200 to move the stopper 2301.

[0123] Referring to Figures 30a to 30c , in some embodiments, the auto-injection device 100 may include a capturing element 160 for the shielding cap 240 of the syringe 200. The capturing element 160 can be sleeved on the outer periphery of the shielding cap 240 and can remove the shielding cap 240 from the syringe 200 to expose the needle 220. To this end, the capturing element 160 may include two or more elastic fingers 161 distributed along the circumference. The free end of each elastic finger 161 may include a hook portion 162 extending radially inward. When the capturing element 160 is sleeved on the outer periphery of the shielding cap 240, the hook portion 162 of the capturing element 160 can hook the outer end face of the shielding cap 240. In this way, when the capturing element 160 is removed from the syringe 200, the shielding cap 240 can also be removed from the syringe 200 at the same time. In some embodiments, the housing 150 includes an opening 151 for the syringe holder 112 to extend out. At least a part of the capturing element 160 can be inserted into the opening 151 (as Figure 10a shown). When the coupling mechanism 113 of the syringe loading mechanism 110 is configured as a push-type elastic self-locking mechanism, the push-type elastic self-locking mechanism can be coupled and disconnected by pressing the capturing element 160.

[0124] Providing the capturing element 160 can make the operation of the auto-injection device 100 according to the present disclosure easier. For example, as Figure 4 shown, when loading the syringe 200 onto the syringe loading mechanism 110, the capturing element 160 can first be sleeved on the outer periphery of the shielding cap 240 of the syringe 200, and then the syringe 200 equipped with the capturing element 160 can be loaded onto the syringe holder 112 of the syringe loading mechanism 110. After that, the syringe holder 112 can be pushed into the housing 150 and the syringe holder 112 can be coupled to the base 111 by pushing the capturing element 160. For another example, as Figure 9As shown, when performing an injection, the shield cap 240 of the syringe 200 can first be removed from the syringe 200 by pulling the capture element 160, thereby exposing the needle 220. After the shield cap 240 is removed from the syringe 200, the shield cap 240 can be held in the capture element 160. The capture element 160 and the shield cap 240 it holds can be placed upright in a plane to help prevent the shield cap 240 from rolling elsewhere. Then, the needle 220 of the syringe 200 is inserted into the target injection site by the syringe drive mechanism 120 and the fluid in the barrel 210 of the syringe 200 is injected into the target injection site by the dose control mechanism 110. After the injection is completed and the needle 220 is withdrawn from the target injection site, in order to remove the used syringe 200 from the housing 150 of the auto-injection device 100, the capture element 160 holding the shield cap 240 can be reinstalled onto the needle 220 of the syringe 200, and then the syringe holder 112 is disconnected from the base 111 by pushing the capture element 160 and the syringe holder 112 is ejected from the housing 150. After that, the used syringe 200 can be removed from the capture element 160 and discarded into a recycling container.

[0125] In short, the capture element 160 can help the user easily load the syringe 200 into the syringe loading mechanism 110 of the auto-injection device 100 before the injection and easily remove the used syringe 200 after the injection. Additionally, with the aid of the capture element 160, the shield cap 240 of the needle 220 can be easily removed before the injection and the shield cap 240 can be safely positioned during the injection; after the injection, the shield cap 240 can be easily reinstalled onto the used syringe 200 to minimize needle stick injuries.

[0126] Return Figure 1, as described above, the automatic injection device 100 according to the present disclosure may include a control unit 140. The control unit 140 may control at least the first motor 121 of the syringe driving mechanism 120 and the second motor 131 of the dose control mechanism 130. For example, the control unit 140 may control at least one of the start, stop, running duration, rotation direction, rotation speed, rotation angle, and rotation frequency of the first motor 121 and the second motor 131 to implement more precise control over the first motor 121 and the second motor 131. The control unit 140 may receive user instructions to perform the control. In some cases, the housing 150 of the automatic injection device 100 may include a user interface 155. The user interface 155 may include at least one of a display screen and a button, enabling the user to set the operation parameters of the automatic injection device 100 or input user instructions. In some cases, the operation parameters of the automatic injection device 100 may be set or user instructions may be input through a mobile phone APP, and the control unit 140 receives a control signal from the mobile phone APP to implement the control.

[0127] Figure 31It is a schematic time - series diagram for the coordinated control of the first motor 121 of the syringe driving mechanism 120 and the second motor 131 of the dose control mechanism 130 by the control unit 140 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, the control unit 140 can perform the following controls: 1) In step 1401, the control unit 140 can control the first motor 121 to rotate from 0° to 180° in the first rotation direction to accumulate the energy of the torsion spring 1223; 2) In step 1402, the control unit 140 can hold the first motor 121 at the 180° position and hold the torsion spring 1223 with accumulated energy until the control unit 140 receives an instruction to prepare to insert the needle 220 of the syringe 200 into the target injection site; 3) In step 1403, the control unit 140 can control the first motor 121 to rotate from 180° to 90° in the second rotation direction opposite to the first rotation direction. At this time, the locking element 125 and the control element 124 are unlocked for the first time, so that the torsion spring 1223 uses its accumulated energy to instantaneously insert the needle 220 of the syringe 200 into the target injection site; 4) After the needle 220 of the syringe 200 is inserted into the target injection site, in step 1404, the control unit 140 can hold the first motor 121 at the 90° position and simultaneously control the second motor 131 of the dose control mechanism 130 to rotate to perform an injection; 5) When the injection is completed, in step 1405, the control unit 140 can control the first motor 121 to rotate from 90° to 0° in the second rotation direction while holding the second motor 131 of the dose control mechanism 130 at the position where it just completed the injection. At this time, the locking element 125 and the control element 124 are unlocked for the second time, so that the torsion spring 1223 uses its accumulated energy to instantaneously pull out the needle 220 of the syringe 200 from the target injection site; and 6) After the needle 220 of the syringe 200 is pulled out from the target injection site, in step 1406, the control unit 140 can control the second motor 131 of the dose control mechanism 130 to rotate in the reverse direction to its initial position. In each of the above steps, the control unit 140 can control at least one of the start, stop, operation duration, rotation direction, rotation speed, rotation angle, and rotation frequency of the first motor 121 and the second motor 131 according to the actual situation or user settings to implement more precise control of the first motor 121 and the second motor 131.

[0128] In some embodiments, the auto-injection device 100 further includes a power supply element 170 for supplying power to the first motor 121 and the second motor 131. The power supply element 170 can be a disposable battery or a rechargeable battery. When the power supply element 170 is a rechargeable battery, the housing 150 of the auto-injection device 100 can be provided with a power interface 152 to charge the power supply element 170. In some embodiments, the auto-injection device 100 may also not include a separate power supply element. In the case where the auto-injection device 100 does not include a power supply element, external power can be provided to the first motor 121, the second motor 131, the control unit 140, and other components through different types of power interfaces 152.

[0129] In some embodiments, the housing 150 of the auto-injection device 100 can include a contact sensor 153 for detecting whether the auto-injection device 100 is in contact with the target injection site. The control unit 140 can receive a signal from the contact sensor 153 and determine whether to perform subsequent operations. In some embodiments, the housing 150 of the auto-injection device 100 can further include an indicator light 154 for indicating the operating state of the auto-injection device. The indicator light 154 can emit lights of different colors to indicate different operating states.

[0130] The auto-injection device 100 according to the present disclosure can automate some key injection steps. For example, it can automate at least some or all of the steps of needle insertion, dose dispensing, and needle withdrawal, thereby providing a standardized injection procedure and simplified operation for the user. In embodiments including a capture element 160, the auto-injection device 100 according to the present disclosure can also enable easy loading and removal of the syringe, and during the loading and removal process, the needle 220 of the syringe 200 is always shielded, thus minimizing needle stick injuries. With the aid of the syringe drive mechanism 120, the auto-injection device 100 according to the present disclosure can achieve a faster needle insertion speed and / or needle withdrawal speed compared to traditional mechanical drive mechanisms, thereby reducing the user's pain and improving the user experience. Additionally, the auto-injector device 100 according to the present disclosure can also be reused repeatedly for a long time, thus saving costs.

[0131] Although exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure have been described, those skilled in the art should understand that various changes and modifications can be made to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure in essence. Therefore, all changes and modifications are included within the protection scope of the present disclosure defined by the claims. The present disclosure is defined by the appended claims, and equivalents of these claims are also included.

Claims

1. An automatic injection device for automatically injecting the fluid in a syringe into an injection site of a target. The syringe includes a barrel for containing the fluid, a needle disposed at a first end of the barrel, and a movable element capable of moving within the barrel. The movable element can be driven towards the first end of the barrel to inject the fluid in the barrel into the injection site of the target via the needle. Wherein, The automatic injection device includes: A syringe loading mechanism for loading and fixing the syringe; A syringe driving mechanism, the syringe driving mechanism includes a first motor and a first actuation assembly. The first actuation assembly can move the syringe loading mechanism along a first translation direction towards the injection site of the target under the drive of the first motor, so as to insert the needle of the syringe fixed on the syringe loading mechanism into the injection site of the target; A dose control mechanism, the dose control mechanism includes a second motor and a second actuation assembly. The second actuation assembly can move the movable element of the syringe towards the first end of the barrel under the drive of the second motor, so as to discharge a predetermined dose of fluid from the barrel of the syringe and inject it into the injection site of the target.

2. The automatic injection device according to claim 1, Wherein, The automatic injection device further includes a housing. The syringe loading mechanism is located within the housing and includes: A base having a body extending along a longitudinal direction, wherein the longitudinal direction is parallel to the first translation direction; A syringe holder for loading and fixing the syringe. The syringe holder includes a recess for accommodating the syringe and a fixing element for fixing the barrel of the syringe. And the syringe holder can move relative to the base between a first position and a second position along the longitudinal direction. In the first position, the syringe holder extends out of the housing to facilitate loading and fixing the syringe. In the second position, the syringe holder retracts into the housing; and A coupling mechanism configured to releasably couple the syringe holder to the base when the syringe holder is in the second position; Preferably, a second end of the barrel of the syringe opposite to the first end includes a radially outwardly extending flange. The fixing element of the syringe holder is configured as a notch, and the notch is adapted to receive and position the flange to prevent the barrel of the syringe from moving along the longitudinal direction; Preferably, the coupling mechanism is configured as a push-type elastic self-locking mechanism. The push-type elastic self-locking mechanism includes at least one first engaging element provided on the syringe holder and at least one second engaging element provided on the body of the base. Wherein, when the push-type elastic self-locking mechanism is first subjected to a pushing force, the first engaging element and the second engaging element are coupled to each other, and when the push-type elastic self-locking mechanism is subjected to a second pushing force, the first engaging element and the second engaging element are disconnected; More preferably, the first actuation assembly of the syringe drive mechanism includes a cylindrical first actuation element that is rotatable under the drive of the first motor and has a first mating structure provided on the outer peripheral surface thereof. The syringe loading mechanism includes a mating member for mating with the first actuation element. The mating member includes a cylindrical inner cavity for receiving the first actuation element and a second mating structure provided on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical inner cavity. When the first actuation element rotates within the cylindrical inner cavity of the mating member, the first mating structure and the second mating structure cooperate with each other such that the first actuation element can at least drive the syringe loading mechanism to move along the first translation direction to insert the needle into the target injection site.

3. The automatic injection device according to claim 2, wherein, the first actuation element is rotatable in a first rotation direction. When the first actuation element rotates in the first rotation direction within the cylindrical inner cavity of the mating member, the first mating structure and the second mating structure cooperate with each other such that the first actuation element drives the syringe loading mechanism to move along the first translation direction to insert the needle into the target injection site. And the first actuation element is further rotatable in a second rotation direction opposite to the first rotation direction. When the first actuation element rotates in the second rotation direction within the cylindrical inner cavity of the mating member, the first mating structure and the second mating structure cooperate with each other such that the first actuation element drives the syringe loading mechanism to move along a second translation direction opposite to the first translation direction to withdraw the needle from the target injection site; Preferably, the rotation of the first actuation element in the first rotation direction and the second rotation direction is both driven by the first motor; Preferably, the syringe drive mechanism includes a torsion spring. The rotation of the first actuation element in the first rotation direction is driven by the first motor, and the rotation of the first actuation element in the second rotation direction is driven by the torsion spring. When the first motor drives the first actuation element to rotate in the first rotation direction, the torsion spring is torsionally loaded to store elastic potential energy; More preferably, the first mating structure is configured as at least one slot spirally extending from a first end of the first actuation element to a second end of the first actuation element along the outer peripheral surface of the first actuation element. And the second mating structure is configured as at least one protrusion that can be received in the at least one slot and can reciprocally slide along the at least one slot to selectively drive the syringe loading mechanism to move in one of the first translation direction and the second translation direction.

4. The automatic injection device according to claim 2, wherein, The first mating structure is configured as four slots provided on the outer peripheral surface of the first actuating element, each slot spirally extending from a first end of the first actuating element to a second end of the first actuating element, wherein the four slots are evenly distributed on the outer peripheral surface of the first actuating element such that each slot extends 90° along the outer peripheral surface of the first actuating element, and the four slots are connected end to end such that two adjacent slots are mirror images of each other, and wherein the second mating structure is configured as at least one protrusion, and the at least one protrusion can slide sequentially along two adjacent slots of the four slots to drive the syringe loading mechanism to move alternately along the first translation direction and a second translation direction opposite to the first translation direction; Preferably, the at least one protrusion is configured as two protrusions spaced 180° apart from each other, the two protrusions are respectively received in two slots spaced 180° apart from each other among the four slots, and each protrusion can slide sequentially along two corresponding adjacent slots of the four slots to drive the syringe loading mechanism to move alternately along the first translation direction and the second translation direction; Preferably, when the first actuating element rotates from 0° to 90° in a first rotation direction, the at least one protrusion slides in a first slot among the four slots to drive the syringe loading mechanism to move along the first translation direction, and when the first actuating element continues to rotate from 90° to 180° in the first rotation direction, the at least one protrusion slides in a second slot adjacent to the first slot among the four slots to drive the syringe loading mechanism to move along the second translation direction; and wherein, when the first actuating element rotates from 180° to 90° in a second rotation direction opposite to the first rotation direction, the at least one protrusion slides reversely in the second slot among the four slots to drive the syringe loading mechanism to move along the first translation direction, and when the first actuating element continues to rotate from 90° to 0° in the second rotation direction, the at least one protrusion slides reversely in the first slot among the four slots to drive the syringe loading mechanism to move along the second translation direction; More preferably, the syringe driving mechanism includes a torsion spring, the rotation of the first actuating element in the first rotation direction is driven by the first motor, and the rotation of the first actuating element in the second rotation direction is driven by the torsion spring, wherein when the first motor drives the first actuating element to rotate in the first rotation direction, the torsion spring is torsionally loaded to store elastic potential energy.

5. The automatic injection device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein, the syringe driving mechanism further includes a locking mechanism, when the locking mechanism is locked, the first actuating element cannot rotate, and when the locking mechanism is unlocked, the first actuating element can rotate; Preferably, the locking mechanism comprises: a control element which is fixedly connected to the first actuating element at a distance from each other via a shaft element extending in the axial direction, wherein the control element comprises at least one through-hole extending in the axial direction and at least one key pin arranged in a first part of the at least one through-hole, the key pin being spring-loaded such that a first end of the key pin projects from the corresponding through-hole in a locked state of the locking mechanism; a locking element which is arranged between the first actuating element and the control element and comprises at least one locking rod extending in the axial direction, wherein the locking element is movable in the axial direction such that in a locked state of the locking mechanism, the at least one locking rod is inserted into a second part of the at least one through-hole of the control element; at least one elastic element which presses the locking element to push the at least one locking rod of the locking element into the second part of the at least one through-hole of the control element; and an unlocking element which is configured to press the first end of the key pin back into the corresponding through-hole such that a second end of the key pin opposite to the first end can push the at least one locking rod of the locking element out of the corresponding through-hole, thereby unlocking the locking mechanism.

6. The auto-injection device according to claim 5, wherein the control element comprises two through-holes spaced 180° from each other and two key pins respectively arranged in the first parts of the two through-holes, and the locking element comprises two locking rods spaced 180° from each other, each locking rod being capable of being inserted into a second part of a corresponding through-hole respectively; and / or the control element comprises four through-holes spaced 90° from each other and two key pins respectively arranged in the first parts of two through-holes spaced 180° from each other among the four through-holes, and the locking element comprises four locking rods spaced 90° from each other, each locking rod being capable of being inserted into a second part of a corresponding through-hole respectively; and / or the unlocking element is connected to the first motor and is capable of rotating under the drive of the first motor, and the control element further comprises at least one pushing part adapted to cooperate with the unlocking element, and after the unlocking element unlocks the locking mechanism, the unlocking element can further rotate the control element via the at least one pushing part and thus rotate the first actuating element; Preferably, the control element comprises two pushing parts adapted to cooperate with the unlocking element, the two pushing parts are configured in the form of bosses and are spaced 180° from each other, and the unlocking element comprises two parts adapted to abut against and push the two pushing parts simultaneously.

7. The auto-injection device according to claim 1, wherein The second actuation assembly of the dose control mechanism includes a screw and a second actuation element sleeved on the screw. The second actuation element includes a pressing portion adapted to press a movable element of the syringe. Wherein, the screw can be rotated in any one of a first rotation direction and a second rotation direction opposite to the first rotation direction under the drive of the second motor. When the screw rotates in the first rotation direction, the second actuation element translates on the screw towards the first end of the barrel, so as to make the movable element of the syringe translate towards the first end of the barrel via the pressing portion; Preferably, the movable element of the syringe includes a plunger rod, and the pressing portion of the second actuation element is adapted to press the end of the plunger rod.

8. The automatic injection device according to claim 2, wherein, the syringe further includes a shielding cap for shielding the needle, and the automatic injection device includes a capturing element for the shielding cap. The capturing element can be sleeved on the outer periphery of the shielding cap and can remove the shielding cap from the syringe to expose the needle; Preferably, the capturing element includes two or more elastic fingers distributed along the circumference. The free end of each elastic finger includes a hook portion extending radially inwards. When the capturing element is sleeved on the outer periphery of the shielding cap, the hook portion hooks the outer end face of the shielding cap so as to be able to remove the shielding cap from the syringe; More preferably, the housing includes an opening for the syringe holder to extend out. At least a part of the capturing element can be inserted into the opening, and wherein, the coupling mechanism is configured as a push-type elastic self-locking mechanism and can be coupled and disconnected by pressing the capturing element.

9. The automatic injection device according to claim 1, wherein, the automatic injection device includes a control unit for controlling at least one of starting, stopping, running duration, rotation direction, rotation speed, rotation angle, rotation frequency of the first motor and the second motor; Preferably, the automatic injection device further includes a power supply element for supplying power to the first motor and the second motor; More preferably, the housing of the automatic injection device includes at least one of the following items: a contact sensor for detecting whether the automatic injection device is in contact with the target injection site; an indicator light for indicating the operating state of the automatic injection device; a power interface for supplying external power to the first motor, the second motor and the control unit, or charging the power supply element when the power supply element is a rechargeable battery; a user interface including at least one of a display screen and a button, enabling the user to set the operating parameters of the automatic injection device or input user instructions.

10. The automatic injection device according to claim 1, wherein, the first motor is a servo motor or a stepper motor, and wherein, the second motor is a servo motor or a stepper motor.

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