Injection needle blow-off device and injection test system

Abstract

An example injection needle blow-off device includes a positioning plate having a first side configured to contact a syringe and having a second side opposite the first side; and a blow-off nozzle adjacent to the second side of the positioning plate, the blow-off nozzle comprising: a gas inlet configured to be coupled to a gas supply; a gas channel, the gas channel being coupled to the gas inlet; and a gas outlet configured to direct gas from the gas channel toward a position of a needle of the syringe, where at least a portion of the gas outlet is defined by a portion of the second side of the positioning plate.

Description

[0001] Related applications This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 488,053, filed on March 22, 2023, entitled “INJECTION NEEDLE BLOWOFF APPARATUS AND INJECTION TESTING SYSTEMS,” and U.S. Patent Application No. 18 / 588,683, filed on February 27, 2024, entitled “INJECTION NEEDLE BLOWOFF APPARATUS AND INJECTION TESTING SYSTEMS,” the entire contents of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to injection device testing, and more particularly to an injection needle blow-off device and an injection testing system. Background Art

[0003] The injection testing system may test one or more aspects of an injection device, including an autoinjector, with respect to aspects such as cap removal force, plunger actuation force, injection depth, needle retraction, and / or delivered dose.

[0004] Abstract There is disclosed an injection needle blow-off device and an injection testing system substantially as described and illustrated in conjunction with at least one of the accompanying drawings, as more fully set forth in the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will be better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals represent like parts, and in which: Figure 1 is an exemplary injection testing system for performing testing of an injection device according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0006] Figure 2 is a block diagram of an exemplary injection testing system including an injection needle blow-off device according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0007] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A front elevation view of an example embodiment of elements of an injection testing system.

[0008] Figure 4A and Figure 4B yes Figure 3A perspective view of an exemplary injection needle blow-off device comprising a positioning plate and a blow-off nozzle.

[0009] Figure 5 yes Figure 3 A bottom plan view of an exemplary injection needle blow-off device.

[0010] Figure 6 yes Figure 3 Side view of an exemplary injection needle blow-off device.

[0011] Figure 7 yes Figure 6 A cross-sectional view of an exemplary injection needle blow-off device.

[0012] Figure 8 yes Figure 3 A perspective view of an example blow-off nozzle.

[0013] Figure 9 is a flowchart representing example machine readable instructions that may be executed to implement Figure 2 The syringe test system is used to perform syringe measurements.

[0014] The accompanying drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Where appropriate, similar or identical reference numbers are used to refer to similar or identical parts. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] Needle testing devices for measuring the dose delivered by an injection needle (particularly via an autoinjector) include a flask or other container positioned to capture and measure fluid expelled from the needle. To accurately measure the expelled fluid, the needle testing device may include a blow-off or other method for isolating the final amount of expelled fluid, which may be susceptible to remaining adhered to the needle through fluid adhesion. Conventional needle testing devices may involve complex and / or expensive manufacturing processes to achieve the desired blow-off gas flow, or may not provide preferred blow-off gas flow characteristics.

[0016] Additionally, conventional needle test devices blow out a large amount of gas to remove the final droplets. In some cases, the blow-off gas can cause evaporation of the captured fluid contents, which can reduce the accuracy of the discharged fluid measurement value.

[0017] The disclosed exemplary injection needle blow-off devices and injection testing systems provide excellent blow-off flow characteristics, including supporting a range of needle lengths and gas velocities, and are manufactured using simpler and less expensive manufacturing techniques. Some exemplary injection needle blow-off devices and injection testing systems are capable of blowing off needles having shorter lengths than conventional needle testing devices, such as by using grooves in the positioning plate to reduce the effective thickness of the positioning plate and / or directing the blow-off gas within the plate grooves to impinge on the needle closer to the positioning plate.

[0018] Some disclosed exemplary needle blow-off devices and injection testing systems deliver gas to the blow-off nozzle, and therefore to the needle, in one or more gas pulses. The gas pulses effectively remove the last drop of fluid from the needle while reducing or eliminating excess fluid evaporation from the last drop or collected fluid. The disclosed exemplary needle blow-off devices and injection testing systems also have a higher probability of collecting the last drop of fluid in a collection container, rather than being blown away from the collection container as in conventional needle testing devices.

[0019] The disclosed exemplary injection needle blow-off device includes: a positioning plate having a first side, the first side being configured to contact the syringe and having a second side opposite the first side; a blow-off nozzle adjacent to the second side of the positioning plate, the blow-off nozzle including: a gas inlet, the gas inlet being configured to be connected to a gas supplier; a gas channel, the gas channel being connected to the gas inlet; and a gas outlet, the gas outlet being configured to direct gas from the gas channel toward the position of the needle of the syringe, wherein at least a portion of the gas outlet is defined by a portion of the second side of the positioning plate.

[0020] In some exemplary needle blow-off devices, the blow-off nozzle is configured to have an adjustable distance from the syringe along the plane of the second side of the positioning plate. In some exemplary needle blow-off devices, the gas outlet includes at least one wall that is angled away from the second side of the positioning plate in the direction of gas flow. In some exemplary needle blow-off devices, a cross-sectional area of ​​the gas outlet increases with increasing distance from the gas passage.

[0021] In some exemplary needle blow-off devices, the positioning plate includes a positioning plate having an aperture extending from a first side of the positioning plate to a second side of the positioning plate. In some exemplary needle blow-off devices, a blow-off nozzle is positioned on the first side of the orifice, and the device further includes a second blow-off nozzle positioned on the second side of the orifice. In some exemplary needle blow-off devices, the second blow-off nozzle includes: a second gas inlet configured to couple to the gas supply; a second gas channel coupled to the second gas inlet; and a second gas outlet configured to direct gas from the second gas channel toward the location of the needle of the syringe, wherein at least a portion of the second gas outlet is defined by the second side of the positioning plate.

[0022] In some exemplary needle blow-off devices, at least one dimension of the aperture is smaller than a corresponding dimension of the body of the syringe. In some exemplary needle blow-off devices, the blow-off nozzle includes a body that at least partially defines a gas passageway and a gas outlet. In some exemplary needle blow-off devices, the gas passageway is at least partially enclosed by a positioning plate.

[0023] Some exemplary needle blow-off devices further include a gas supply coupled to the gas inlet and a gas flow controller configured to control the supply of gas to the gas inlet to provide two or more pulses of gas. In some exemplary needle blow-off devices, the gas passageway has a first cross-sectional area, the gas outlet has a second cross-sectional area greater than the first cross-sectional area, and the gas outlet is configured to direct the gas at least partially away from the second side of the positioning plate.

[0024] In some exemplary injection needle blow-off devices, the second side of the positioning plate includes a plate groove recessed from the second side, and at least a portion of the gas outlet is defined by the plate groove. In some exemplary injection needle blow-off devices, at least a portion of the gas channel is defined by the plate groove.

[0025] The disclosed exemplary injection needle blow-off device includes: a positioning plate having a first side configured to contact the syringe and having a second side opposite the first side; a blow-off nozzle adjacent to the second side of the positioning plate, the blow-off nozzle configured to direct gas received via a gas inlet toward the position of the needle of the syringe; and a gas flow controller configured to control the delivery of gas to the gas outlet to supply gas pulses.

[0026] In some exemplary needle blow-off devices, the gas pulse comprises a burst of gas of a predetermined duration. Some exemplary needle blow-off devices include a second blow-off nozzle, wherein the gas supplier is configured to supply gas to the second blow-off nozzle in a gas pulse. In some exemplary needle blow-off devices, the gas supplier is configured to supply the gas pulse to the blow-off nozzle and the second blow-off nozzle simultaneously. Some exemplary needle blow-off devices include a collection container configured to collect contents expelled from the syringe.

[0027] In some exemplary needle blow-off devices, the gas flow controller is configured to: determine whether droplets are present on the needle after delivering the gas to the blow-off nozzle; when the droplets are still present on the needle after the delivery of the gas, adjust a parameter of the delivery of the gas to the blow-off nozzle to adjust the gas pulse; and control a second delivery of the gas to the blow-off nozzle to supply a second gas pulse. In some exemplary needle blow-off devices, the delivered parameter includes at least one of a gas pulse duration, a gas pressure, a pulse gas flow rate, or a time between gas pulses.

[0028] The disclosed exemplary injection needle testing system includes: a positioning plate having a first side configured to contact a syringe and having a second side opposite to the first side; a syringe locator configured to position the syringe in contact with the first side of the positioning plate; a syringe actuator configured to actuate the syringe to expel the contents of the syringe through the needle of the syringe; and a blow-off nozzle adjacent to the second side of the positioning plate, the blow-off nozzle including: a gas inlet configured to be connected to a gas supply; a gas channel connected to the gas inlet; and a gas outlet configured to direct gas from the gas channel toward the position of the needle of the syringe, wherein at least a portion of the gas outlet is defined by a portion of the second side of the positioning plate.

[0029] Figure 1 1 is an example injection testing system 100 for performing tests on an injection device, such as an autoinjector 102. The example injection testing system 100 can be configured, for example, to perform some or all tests to evaluate the requirements of the ISO 11608-5 standard. The example injection testing system 100 can be, for example, a general-purpose testing system configured for injection testing.

[0030] Figure 1The example injection testing system 100 includes positioning devices (e.g., for positioning the autoinjector 102 in one or more positions and / or orientations for automated testing), actuators (e.g., for actuating components of the autoinjector 102, actuating positioning device(s), positioning and / or orienting testing devices, etc.), and / or sensors for measuring various aspects of the autoinjector 102 during testing (e.g., load sensors for measuring actuation forces, auditory sensors for detecting audible events, mass scales for measuring expelled doses, displacement and / or position sensors for triggering test steps and / or measuring displacement of components of the autoinjector 102, etc.). The example injection testing system 100 also includes one or more user interface devices, such as displays 104a, 104b and an input device 106.

[0031] Figure 2 FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an exemplary injection testing system 200 including an injection needle blow-off device. The exemplary injection testing system 200 may be used to implement Figure 1 Some or all of the components of the injection testing system 100.

[0032] The exemplary injection testing system 200 includes a syringe positioner 202, a syringe actuator 204, a syringe collector 206, and control circuitry 208. The syringe positioner 202 positions and / or orients a syringe 210 (e.g., an automated syringe) for one or more tests in the injection testing system 200. For example, the syringe positioner 202 can grasp the syringe 210 and move and / or rotate the syringe 210 to perform a test. The position of the syringe positioner 202 and / or syringe 210 can be measured by one or more displacement sensors 212, which provide displacement and / or position information to the control circuitry 208.

[0033] The syringe actuator 204 actuates one or more aspects of the syringe 210, such as the plunger or other ejection mechanism of the syringe 210. The force applied by the syringe actuator 204 can be measured by a force sensor 214, which provides the force measurement to the control circuit 208.

[0034] The jet collector 206 includes a loading surface (e.g., a positioning plate 216), a blow-off nozzle 218, and a collection container 220, wherein the collection container 220 and the syringe 210 are positioned so that when the syringe 210 is actuated to expel fluid contained in the syringe 210, the fluid is expelled into the collection container 220. A collection sensor 222 measures the mass and / or volume collected in the collection container 220 and provides the mass or volume measurement to the control circuit 208.

[0035] The positioning plate 216 allows the needle 224 of the syringe 210 to extend through the positioning plate 216 toward the collection container 220. The positioning plate 216 can block the body 225 of the syringe 210 from extending through the positioning plate 216 using an aperture that is appropriately sized for the needle 224 and body 225 of the syringe 210. To test the dispensing of the contained fluid, the syringe positioner 202 can position the syringe 210 in contact with or against the positioning plate 216 so that the needle 224 extends through the aperture of the positioning plate 216. When the syringe 210 is positioned, the syringe 210 can be actuated (e.g., manually or automatically via the syringe actuator 204) to expel the contents of the syringe 210 into the collection container 220.

[0036] While the examples disclosed herein use the positioning plate 216 as a loading surface, other examples may use a different type of loading surface against which the syringe 210 can be actuated to expose the needle 224 and / or expel the contents of the syringe 210. For example, a rod or other structural member positioned to contact the body of the syringe 210 on the top side of the loading surface and avoid obstruction of the needle 224 may be used. In some such examples, the blow-off nozzle 218 may be coupled to another surface within the jet collector 206 near the bottom side of the loading surface and / or near the location of the needle 224 or otherwise adjustably supported.

[0037] At the end of actuation of the syringe 210, the blow-off nozzle 218 is controlled to blow the last drop of fluid from at or near the tip of the needle into the collection container 220. A gas supply 226 provides a gas, such as nitrogen or air, to the blow-off nozzle 218. The gas supply 226 can be, for example, a compressed gas source, a pneumatic pump, or a blower. The blow-off nozzle 218 can be positioned and / or oriented to adjust the position at which the blow-off gas strikes the needle 224, and / or can be positioned and / or oriented so that the blow-off gas strikes the needle 224 over a range of needle lengths.

[0038] The example control circuit 208 can be a general-purpose computer, laptop, tablet computer, and / or any other type of processing system configured to communicate with the sensors and actuators of the injection test system 200. For example, the control circuit 208 includes a processor 228, memory 230, and storage 232. The example processor 228 can be any general-purpose central processing unit (CPU) from any manufacturer. In some other examples, the processor 228 can include one or more specialized processing units, such as a RISC processor with an ARM core, a graphics processing unit, a digital signal processor, and / or a system on a chip (SoC). The processor 228 executes machine-readable instructions 234, which can be stored locally at the processor (e.g., in an included cache or SoC), in memory (e.g., random access memory or other volatile memory, read-only memory or other non-volatile memory (such as flash memory), and / or in storage device 232). The example storage device 232 can be a hard drive, a solid-state storage drive, a hybrid drive, a RAID array, and / or any other mass data storage device.

[0039] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 206, the syringe collector 206 includes a housing 302, a positioning plate 216, a blow-off nozzle 218, and a mass scale 304 (e.g., Figure 2 The collection sensor 222) is located inside the housing. Figure 4A and Figure 4B yes Figure 3 A perspective view of an exemplary injection needle blow-off device, comprising a positioning plate 216 and a blow-off nozzle 218, Figure 5 is a bottom plan view of an exemplary needle blow-off device, and Figure 6 yes Figure 3 Side view of an exemplary injection needle blow-off device.

[0040] Positioning plate 216 is positioned below the top of housing 302 so that the top surface of positioning plate 216 can be accessed by syringe 210 through housing 302. Positioning plate 216 is coupled to housing 302 and can be replaced with other positioning plates to test different types of syringes (e.g., with different needle lengths, with different body sizes). Replacing positioning plate 216 and attached blow-off nozzle 218 can allow for more rapid changes to accommodate different testing procedures for different syringes.

[0041] Blow-off nozzles 218 are coupled to a bottom surface 308 of positioning plate 216 on opposite sides of an aperture 306 in positioning plate 216. Needle 224 of syringe 210 extends through aperture 306 and out the bottom side of positioning plate 216. When syringe 210 is actuated, fluid is expelled from needle 224 into a collection container 220 (e.g., on a mass scale 304 positioned below needle 224).

[0042] like Figure 6 As shown, at the end of fluid discharge, the last amount of fluid tends to adhere to the needle 224 in the form of droplets 602. After the actuation is completed, the control circuit 208 controls the gas supply 226 and / or the blow-off nozzle 218 (for example, via a valve or other control device) to blow gas 604 toward the needle 224 to move the droplets 602 into the collection container 220.

[0043] Figure 7 yes Figure 6 A cross-sectional view of an exemplary injection needle blow-off device. Figure 7 As shown, the example blow-off nozzles 218 each include a gas inlet 702 that is coupled to the gas supply 226 via a hose or other connection structure. Figure 7 As shown, the blow-off nozzle 218 also includes a gas outlet 704 that directs gas received via the corresponding gas inlet 702 toward the location of the needle 224 .

[0044] The gas inlets 702 are coupled to respective gas outlets 704 via respective gas passages 706. Each gas passage 706 is implemented in part by a passage through the body 708 of the corresponding blow-off nozzle 218. The gas inlets 702 may be implemented using a hose connector that connects to the body 708 to provide fluid communication.

[0045] In the example shown, the gas passage 706 is at least partially surrounded by one or more surfaces of the positioning plate 216 . Figure 8 yes Figure 3 A perspective view of an example blow-off nozzle body 708. Figure 8 As shown, when the body 708 is attached to the positioning plate 216, the top surface 802 of the body 708 faces the bottom surface 308 of the positioning plate 216. When the body 708 is attached to the positioning plate 216, the open side of the gas channel 706 is directly adjacent to a portion of the bottom surface 308 of the positioning plate 216, which covers the open side of the gas channel 706 and provides an enclosure for the gas channel 706.

[0046] In some other examples, the portion of the gas channel 706 in the body 708 is surrounded by a surface of the body 708 .

[0047] Although Figures 4A to 72 shows a blow-off nozzle 218 having separate gas inlets, gas passages, and gas outlets, but in some examples, two or more blow-off nozzles may be implemented using a shared gas inlet and / or at least partially shared gas passages, such as a manifold having multiple gas outlets.

[0048] like Figure 8 As shown, the body 708 includes a protrusion 804 that is configured (e.g., machined) to fit into the plate channel 310 (see FIG. 1 ) of the bottom surface 308 of the positioning plate 216 when the body 708 is attached to the bottom surface 308 of the positioning plate 216. Figure 5 ). The protrusion 804 and the plate channel 310 align the gas outlet 704 with the hole 306 and / or the needle 224. The difference in width between the protrusion 804 and the plate channel 310 can be selected so that the width of the gas outlet 704 directs the gas 604 toward the hole 306 and / or the needle 224 despite any lateral offset between the protrusion 804 and the plate channel 310.

[0049] The plate channel 310 may have a depth that defines the effective thickness of the positioning plate 216 at the aperture and therefore determines the lower limit of the needle length that can be effectively blown off. Figure 6 and Figure 7 In the example shown, the plate channel 310 at least partially defines the gas outlet 704 and / or the gas channel 706, which allows the gas 604 to impinge on the needle 224 at a location closer to the bottom surface 308 of the positioning plate 216. Therefore, the plate channel 310 can be used as part of the gas outlet 704 to effectively blow off a lower needle length.

[0050] The body 708 includes a slot 806 that aligns with a fastener attachment point (e.g., a threaded hole) to secure the body 708 to the bottom surface 308 of the positioning plate 216. For example, a screw, clamp, cam lock, and / or other fastener can be inserted through the slot 806 and engage with a corresponding fastener attachment point. In other examples, the positioning plate 216 can include a similar slot or through-hole to allow the body 708 to be attached to the housing 302 or an intermediate structure between the positioning plate 216 and the housing 302. The example slot 806 is elongated to allow the position of the blow-off nozzle 218 to be adjusted without removing the fastener.

[0051] Figure 7The example gas outlets 704 direct gas 604 at least partially away from the bottom surface of the positioning plate 316. For example, the gas outlets 704 can each include at least one wall 710 that faces away from the bottom surface 308 at an angle in the direction of gas flow (e.g., away from the gas channel 706). The angled wall 710 can be a portion of the body 708 and / or a portion of the positioning plate 216 (e.g., within the plate channel 310). For example, the plate channel 310 can include a wall or slope that angles the gas 604 from the gas outlet 704 in a desired direction (e.g., outward from the plate channel 310 and toward the needle 224). The cross-sectional area of ​​the gas outlet 704 also increases with increasing distance from the gas channel 706 (e.g., in the direction of gas flow). In other examples, the cross-sectional area of ​​the gas outlet 704 may decrease with increasing distance from the gas channel 706 , such as by introducing a taper, ramp, or other angled surface from the plate channel 310 without a similar angled surface on the gas outlet 704 .

[0052] The gas outlet 704 directs the gas 604 along the length of the needle 224 so that no adjustment is required within a predetermined range of needle lengths. The blow-off nozzle 218 can have an adjustable distance from the hole 306 and / or needle 224 along the plane of the bottom surface 308 of the positioning plate 216 (e.g., parallel to the bottom surface 308 of the positioning plate 216, in a plane perpendicular to the needle 224, and / or in the direction of the plate channel 310) (e.g., in directions toward and away from the hole 306 of the positioning plate 216). For example, the slot 806 can allow for a small amount of adjustment, and / or the slot 806 can be aligned with different attachment points to achieve greater adjustment.

[0053] The exemplary gas supply 226 can be configured to provide a continuous flow of gas 604 for a predetermined duration to remove the last droplet from the needle 224. In other examples, the control circuit 208 controls the gas supply 226 to provide one or more shorter gas pulses to the blow-off nozzle 218 to remove the last droplet. The pulses can be formed as bursts of gas at a higher pressure and / or flow rate separated by periods of lower pressure or flow rate or no pressure or flow rate. The gas pulses can be at least a threshold gas pressure, at least a threshold gas flow rate, and / or less than a threshold duration, and / or can be separated by at least a threshold duration.

[0054] Gas pulses may be generated or controlled by controlling the delivery of gas to the gas inlet 702 and / or by controlling the delivery of gas to the gas outlet 704. For example, the gas supply 226 may be controlled to control the output of gas, and / or valves may be positioned between the gas supply 226 and the gas inlet 702 and / or between the gas inlet 702 and the gas outlet 704 and controlled to control the formation of gas pulses.

[0055] Figure 2 The exemplary injection testing system 200 may also include a gas flow controller 240 that controls the delivery of gas from the gas supply 226 to the gas inlet 702 of the blow-off nozzle 218. For example, the gas flow controller 240 may control a valve, solenoid, and / or other gas flow control device of the gas supply 226 to enable, shut off, and / or regulate the flow of gas. Additionally or alternatively, the gas flow controller 240 may control the gas supply 226 to regulate the pressure and / or flow of gas delivered by the gas supply 226 to the gas inlet 702 (e.g., by controlling a gas regulator). The gas flow controller 240 and / or the gas supply 226 may include any suitable type of electrical and / or mechanical device to control the delivery and / or pressure and / or flow of the gas 604.

[0056] In some examples, the control circuitry 208 and / or the gas flow controller 240 can use sensor feedback (e.g., image analysis and / or object detection using the image sensor 236) to determine when the last droplet has been removed. While the last droplet is still detected on the needle 224, the control circuitry 208 and / or the gas flow controller 240 controls the gas supply 226 to provide an additional gas pulse 604. In some such examples, the control circuitry 208 and / or the gas flow controller 240 can adjust the parameters of the pulse, such as increasing or decreasing the duration (e.g., pulse duration or constant gas duration), increasing or decreasing the time between pulses, and / or increasing or decreasing the gas pressure and / or flow rate.

[0057] The gas flow controller 240 can be implemented using any type of analog and / or digital control circuitry, such as a general purpose processor, a dedicated processor, a programmable logic device, discrete circuitry, and / or any other circuit implementation. Additionally or alternatively, the gas flow controller 240 can control the gas supply 226 using mechanical control.

[0058] In some examples, gas flow controller 240 adjusts the pressure, flow rate, and / or duration of the gas pulse based on one or more characteristics of the fluid contained in syringe 210. For example, gas flow controller 240 can receive information indicating the contents, viscosity, adhesion, and / or other properties and determine the pressure, flow rate, and / or duration of the gas pulse. Lower viscosity fluids can use lower pressures, flow rates, and / or durations (e.g., 10-20 PSI pressure for a duration of less than 0.5 seconds), while higher viscosity fluids can use higher pressures and / or durations (e.g., 15-25 PSI pressure for a duration of up to 1.5 seconds).

[0059] The gas flow controller 240 may control the gas pulses to be delivered to the plurality of blow-off nozzles 218 simultaneously or at different (eg, alternating or cyclic) times.

[0060] Although the example gas outlet 704, the example gas channel 706, and the example plate channel 310 are shown as having flat and / or angled surfaces, in other examples, any surface defining the gas outlet 704, the example gas channel 706, and / or the example plate channel 310 may be curved or rounded.

[0061] Figure 9 is a flow chart representing example machine readable instructions 900 that may be executed to implement Figure 2 The instructions 900 may be stored in the memory 230 or the storage device 232 and executed by the processor 228 to control the injection testing system 200. The instructions 900 may be used in conjunction with other tests or measurements performed on the syringe 210 by the injection testing system 200.

[0062] At block 902, the control circuit 208 (e.g., the processor 228) controls the syringe positioner 202 to position the syringe 210 for actuation. For example, the syringe positioner 202 may move the body of the syringe 210 adjacent to or in contact with the positioning plate 216 so that the needle is oriented to extend through the aperture 306.

[0063] At block 904, the control circuit 208 controls the syringe actuator 204 to actuate the syringe 210. For example, the syringe actuator 204 may actuate a plunger or other actuation device to cause the syringe 210 to expel or dispense the contents of the syringe 210.

[0064] At block 906, the control circuit 208 determines whether the syringe actuation is complete. For example, the syringe actuator 204 may actuate the syringe 210 a predetermined distance and / or to a predetermined force (e.g., based on force sensor feedback). If the syringe actuation is not complete (block 906), control returns to block 904 to continue actuation.

[0065] When injector actuation ends (block 906), at block 908, the control circuitry 208 and / or the gas flow controller 240 controls the gas supply 226 to provide one or more gas pulses to the one or more blow-off nozzles 218. The gas pulses may have defined durations, pressures, and / or flow rates, and be separated by periods of no gas or reduced gas pressure or flow rate relative to the gas pulses.

[0066] At block 910, the control circuit 208 determines whether the needle blow-off has concluded. For example, the control circuit 208 may determine whether a target number of gas pulses has been delivered and / or may use feedback to determine whether a final drop of fluid remains on the needle 224. If the needle blow-off has not concluded (block 910), control returns to block 908 to deliver one or more additional gas pulses.

[0067] When the needle blow-off is complete (block 910), at block 912, the control circuit 208 measures the mass of fluid discharged via the collection sensor 222. The control circuit 208 may store, display, report, and / or take other actions based on the measured amount.

[0068] The example instructions 900 then end.

[0069] While the disclosed examples include two blow-off nozzles on opposite sides of the needle, other examples may include a single blow-off nozzle or three or more blow-off nozzles.

[0070] The present methods and systems can be implemented using hardware, software, and / or a combination of hardware and software. The methods and / or systems can be implemented in a centralized manner in at least one computing system, or in a distributed manner, with different components distributed across several interconnected computing systems. Any type of computing system or other device suitable for performing the methods described herein is suitable. A typical combination of hardware and software may include a general-purpose computing system with a program or other code that, when loaded and executed, controls the computing system so that it performs the methods described herein. Another typical implementation may include an application-specific integrated circuit or chip. Some implementations may include a non-transitory machine-readable (e.g., computer-readable) medium (e.g., a flash drive, an optical disk, a magnetic storage disk, etc.) having stored thereon one or more lines of code executable by a machine, thereby causing the machine to perform the processes described herein. As used herein, the term "non-transitory machine-readable medium" is defined to include all types of machine-readable storage media and excludes propagating signals.

[0071] As used herein, the terms "circuit" and "circuitry" refer to physical electronic components (e.g., hardware) and any software and / or firmware (code) that can configure, be executed by, and / or otherwise interact with the hardware. As used herein, for example, a particular processor and memory may constitute a "first circuit" when executing a first line or more of code, and may constitute a second "circuit" when executing a second line or more of code. As used herein, "and / or" refers to any one or more items in a list connected by "and / or." As an example, "x and / or y" refers to any element in the three-element set {(x), (y), (x, y)}. In other words, "x and / or y" refers to one or both of x and y. As another example, "x, y, and / or z" refers to any element in the seven-element set {(x), (y), (z), (x, y), (x, z), (y, z), (x, y, z)}. In other words, "x, y, and / or z" refers to "one or more of x, y, and z." As used herein, the term "exemplary" is intended to be used as a non-limiting example, instance, or illustration. As used herein, the terms "for example" and "for instance" set forth a list of one or more non-limiting examples, instances, or illustrations. As used herein, a circuit is "operable" to perform a function so long as the circuit includes the necessary hardware and code (if any) to perform the function, regardless of whether performance of the function is disabled or not enabled (e.g., by a user-configurable setting, a factory adjustment, etc.).

[0072] Although the present method and / or system has been described with reference to certain embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted without departing from the scope of the present method and / or system. For example, the boxes and / or components of the disclosed examples may be combined, split, rearranged and / or modified in other ways. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt particular circumstances or materials to the teachings of the present disclosure without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present method and / or system is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed. On the contrary, the present method and / or system will include all embodiments that fall within the scope of the appended claims both literally and under the doctrine of equivalents.

Claims

1. A device for blowing off an injection needle, comprising: a positioning plate having a first side configured to contact the syringe and having a second side opposite the first side; as well as a blow-off nozzle adjacent to the second side of the positioning plate, the blow-off nozzle comprising: a gas inlet configured to be coupled to a gas supply; a gas passage coupled to the gas inlet; and A gas outlet is configured to direct gas from the gas passage toward the location of a needle of the syringe, wherein at least a portion of the gas outlet is defined by a portion of the second side of the positioning plate.

2. The injection needle blowing-off device according to claim 1, wherein: The blow-off nozzle is configured to have an adjustable distance from the syringe along the plane of the second side of the positioning plate.

3. The injection needle blowing-off device according to claim 1, wherein: The gas outlet includes at least one wall oriented at an angle away from the second side of the positioning plate in a direction of gas flow.

4. The injection needle blowing-off device according to claim 3, wherein: The cross-sectional area of ​​the gas outlet increases with increasing distance from the gas channel.

5. The injection needle blowing-off device according to claim 1, wherein: The positioning plate includes a positioning plate having a hole extending from a first side of the positioning plate to a second side of the positioning plate.

6. The injection needle blowing-off device according to claim 5, wherein: The blow-off nozzle is positioned on a first side of the aperture, and further includes a second blow-off nozzle positioned on a second side of the aperture.

7. The injection needle blowing-off device according to claim 6, wherein: The second blow-off nozzle comprises: a second gas inlet configured to be coupled to the gas supply; a second gas channel coupled to the second gas inlet; and A second gas outlet is configured to direct gas from the second gas channel toward the location of the needle of the syringe, wherein at least a portion of the second gas outlet is defined by the second side of the positioning plate.

8. The injection needle blow-off device of claim 1, further comprising the gas supplier and a gas flow controller coupled to the gas inlet, the gas flow controller being configured to control the supply of the gas to the gas inlet to provide two or more gas pulses.

9. The injection needle blowing-off device according to claim 1, wherein: The blow-off nozzle includes a body at least partially defining the gas passage and the gas outlet.

10. The injection needle blowing-off device according to claim 9, wherein: The gas channel is at least partially surrounded by the positioning plate.

11. The injection needle blowing-off device according to claim 1, wherein: The gas passage has a first cross-sectional area, the gas outlet has a second cross-sectional area greater than the first cross-sectional area, and the gas outlet is configured to direct the gas at least partially away from the second side of the positioning plate.

12. The injection needle blow-off device according to claim 1, wherein: The second side of the positioning plate includes a plate groove recessed from the second side, and at least a portion of the gas outlet is defined by the plate groove.

13. The needle ejection device according to claim 12, wherein: At least a portion of the gas passage is defined by the plate groove.

14. A device for blowing off an injection needle, comprising: a positioning plate having a first side configured to contact a syringe and a second side opposite the first side; a blow-off nozzle adjacent the second side of the positioning plate, the blow-off nozzle configured to direct gas received via the gas inlet toward a location of a needle of the syringe; and A gas flow controller is configured to control delivery of the gas to the blow-off nozzle to supply a gas pulse.

15. The injection needle blow-off device according to claim 14, wherein: The gas pulse comprises a burst of gas of a predetermined duration. 16 . The injection needle blow-off device according to claim 14 , further comprising a second blow-off nozzle, the gas supplier being configured to supply the gas to the blow-off nozzle and the second blow-off nozzle simultaneously in a gas pulse.

17. The injection needle blow-off device according to claim 14, wherein: The gas flow controller is configured to: determining whether a droplet is present on the needle after delivering the gas to the blow-off nozzle; adjusting parameters of delivering the gas to the blow-off nozzle to adjust the gas pulse when the droplets are still present on the needle after the delivery of the gas; as well as A second delivery of the gas to the blow-off nozzle is controlled to supply a second gas pulse.

18. The injection needle blow-off device according to claim 17, wherein: The parameters of delivery include at least one of gas pulse duration, gas pressure, pulse gas flow rate, or time between gas pulses.

19. The injection needle blow-off device according to claim 14, wherein: The gas supplier is configured to supply the gas pulse to the blow-off nozzle and the second blow-off nozzle simultaneously.

20. A syringe needle testing system comprising: a positioning plate having a first side configured to contact a syringe and a second side opposite the first side; a syringe locator configured to position the syringe in contact with the first side of the locating plate; a syringe actuator configured to actuate the syringe to expel the contents of the syringe through a needle of the syringe; as well as a blow-off nozzle adjacent to the second side of the positioning plate, the blow-off nozzle comprising: a gas inlet configured to be coupled to a gas supply; a gas passage coupled to the gas inlet; and A gas outlet is configured to direct gas from the gas passage toward the location of the needle of the syringe, wherein at least a portion of the gas outlet is defined by a portion of the second side of the positioning plate.

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