Portable device for delivering medicaments and the like

Abstract

Disclosed is a portable device for delivering a medicament or the like into the body of a human or animal subject, the device comprising: a medicament compartment containing the medicament or the like to be delivered; delivery means comprising an orifice through which the medicament or the like is expelled from the device; and an internal combustion engine which provides the motive force by which the medicament is expelled from the device.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION[0001]This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 048,294, filed Feb. 12, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. ______, which is the national filing of international application number PCT / GB01 / 02227 filed May 21, 2001, with a priority of British application number 0012165.7 filed May 20, 2000.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]This invention relates to a portable device for delivering medicaments and the like.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]The internal combustion engine and its principles of operation are of course well-known. It is also known to produce a portable tool with a small internal combustion engine. Such a tool, for fixing fasteners to a workpiece, is disclosed in EP 0 316 468, U.S. Pat. No. 4,483,474 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,522,162.[0004]EP 0 316 468 describes in detail the construction and operation of a fastener tool equipped with a combustion chamber, into which is introduced a fuel / air mixture, combustion of which (ignited by a spark) drive...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0012]The device as a whole is of such dimensions as to be readily hand-held in use, and preferably small enough to fit in trouser or jacket pocket of average size. The body or housing is preferably formed from heat-resistant plastics material or metal (e.g. steel). The cylinder, cylinder head and piston may conveniently be formed of metal (e.g. steel or the like), ceramics, composite or plastics materials. The means for forming a combustible mixture of fuel and air or other combustion-supporting gas in the combustion chamber will generally comprise a fuel inlet and a separate air inlet. One or both of these inlets may conveniently be provided with valve means to regulate the flow of fuel or air, as the case may be.

[0023]For the avoidance of doubt, it should be stated that in preferred embodiments, the amount of fuel and / or air (or other combustion-supporting gas) introduced into the chamber can be altered between predetermined, fixed amounts. Thus, the power output of the device is consistent for a given volume of fuel and air, but these can be adjusted as desired, to increase or decrease the power output of the device between pre-determined set values. Thus, for example, the fuel dosing assembly may be arranged to meter one of several, fixed amounts of fuel. Preferably the fuel and / or air inlets, by which the fuel and air (or other combustion-supporting gas) are respectively introduced into the combustion chamber, will be shaped so as to set up turbulent flow, facilitating mixing of the fuel and air upon entry into the combustion chamber.

[0027]The device may be used to deliver a medicament to a human subject or to any animal subject, including birds (especially poultry), farm livestock (such as sheep, pigs, cattle, goats, horses), and companion animals (especially cats and dogs). It is desirable to minimise the noise of operation of the injection device to avoid discomfort or irritation to the recipient of the medicament, and any nearby people or animals. The inventors have noted that, in this respect, it is desirable that the residual energy of the products of combustion is at least largely dissipated before the exhaust valve is opened, so that venting of the cylinder following combustion is accomplished quietly.

Problems solved by technology

Indeed there are many reasons why the selection of an internal combustion engine to provide the motive force would not have been considered by the person skilled in the art of designing medicament delivery devices since most internal combustion engines are rather large, and heavy, and so are difficult to scale down to fit within a portable device.

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