Container for an automatic injector

Abstract

A container for an automatic injector provides safe, quick, and easy access to an automatic injector stored therein. The container includes tactile features that allow a user to easily determine the orientation of the container by feel alone. A hinged cap with an automatic spring assist feature allows a user to single-handedly open the container quickly and easily to remove the injector from the container without interference from the cap. The container is structured to receive the automatic injector needle end first and has a puncture resistant bottom to prevent the needle of the injector from piercing through the body wall of the container. The container also provides safe storage of a discharged automatic injector, with the hinged cap spring assist feature automatically closing the cap enough to prevent the discharged injector from falling out of the container.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[0001]This claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 925,283, filed Apr. 18, 2007, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference thereto.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The invention relates generally to containers for carrying, storing, and protecting automatic injectors. Specifically, the invention relates to containers that allow users to open and close the containers quickly and easily and to carry and store used and unused automatic injectors safely. The invention also relates to an attachment device for carrying two of the containers together.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Many individuals unfortunately must carry medication with them at all times. In some cases, the medication is contained in an automatic injector. An automatic injector is a device that performs intramuscular or subcutaneous administration of a therapeutic agent. An advantage of automatic injectors is that they contain a measured dose of ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009]In accordance with the invention, containers for automatic injectors store and protect the injectors from damage and protect the therapeutic agent stored inside the injector from degradation and contamination. Also, containers of the invention help prevent the automatic injector stored therein from accidentally activating. Furthermore, the containers allow the user or caregiver to quickly open the container and remove the automatic injector stored therein and then, depending on the type of automatic injector, safely store a used injector with an exposed needle after use until proper disposal can be made.

[0011]The containers of the invention include a cap that has a top portion, a bottom portion, and a hinge connecting the top and bottom portions. The bottom portion is affixed to the open end of the body and the top portion is sized and shaped to close the open end of the body. The cap also has a front and a back, with the hinge located on the back. The front bottom portion of the cap may extend farther along the body in a direction toward the closed end than the back bottom portion of the cap to facilitate tactile identification of the front of the container.

[0012]The hinged cap advantageously allows the user or caregiver to single-handedly open the container and access the automatic injector. The hinged cap has automatic spring assist features that help open and close the cap. When the user or caregiver applies sufficient force to initially open the cap (i.e., unsnap the cap from the container), the hinge causes the cap to automatically spring farther open to a position that creates a clear path unobstructed by the cap. This allows the automatic injector to be easily and quickly removed (as compared to known containers where unsnapping the cap only partially opens the cap, leaving the path at least partially blocked by the cap). Additionally, when the user or caregiver applies sufficient force to initially move an open cap towards closure, the hinge causes the cap to automatically spring farther to a partially-closed position that prevents the automatic injector from falling out of the container, such as, for example, when the container is tilted or held at an angle that would otherwise allow the injector to slide or drop out of the container.

[0013]Other advantageous features of the container include a body that has a shape to (1) prevent or inhibit the container from rolling on a slightly inclined surface and (2) receive the automatic injector in preferably only one orientation—needle end first. The body also has a puncture resistant bottom end to (1) prevent an unused automatic injector from piercing the container should it unintentionally activate while in the container and (2) ensure that discharged automatic injectors with exposed needles can be safely stored. In one embodiment, the puncture resistant end is contoured in such a way as to bias the needle end of the automatic injector off-center, thereby making the needle more likely to bend or cripple than to penetrate the bottom end of the container.

[0014]In some embodiments, the body includes contours and textures that make grasping and handling of the container easier and help the user or caregiver identify the orientation of the container by feel alone. The contours and textures may also help identify the type of automatic injector stored inside the container and may help differentiate between the packaging and the automatic injector itself.

Problems solved by technology

In those cases where an automatic injector is carried by an individual at all times, the injector is likely to be exposed to various physical and environmental stresses that may damage the injector or the therapeutic agent stored inside.

For example, exposure to heat and light may cause the therapeutic agent stored inside the injector to degrade.

Also, an automatic injector may inadvertently activate if dropped or jostled.

Unfortunately, many soft carry packs are not puncture resistant and thus cannot be used to store a discharged automatic injector with an exposed needle.

These known automatic injector carry packs have the disadvantage of requiring two hands to open the carry pack, whether to unzip the carry pack or to unscrew or pull off the cap of the carry pack.

Such actions can be difficult or even impossible to perform when a user is suffering from an attack and needs to quickly access the automatic injector contained in the carry pack.

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