Needleless injector

Abstract

A needleless injector is provided, including a driving unit, a converting unit, and a nozzle unit, wherein: the driving unit provides a pulse pressure or a pulse driving force for reciprocating a power transmission unit housed in a housing; the converting unit converts the pulse pressure or the reciprocating motion of the power transmission unit into a stepwise forward motion of a piston, so that for each pulse of the pulse pressure or each reciprocating motion of the power transmission unit, the piston receiving kinetic energy from the driving unit is stepwise moved forward and stepwise moved forward by a predetermined distance towards the nozzle unit; and the nozzle unit has a medicament storage cavity accommodating a medicament therein, and the nozzle unit discharges the medicament in the medicament storage cavity through a nozzle hole in the form of micro-jet according to the pressure applied by the piston to the medicament.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to needle-free injectors, and more specifically, to needle-free injectors that can rapidly and repeatedly inject drugs without the use of a syringe needle. Background Technology

[0002] A syringe is typically a device used to inject medication into living tissue. It consists of a needle that penetrates the body, a syringe containing the medication, and a piston that moves back and forth within the syringe to push the medication into the needle. An opening is formed in the needle to allow the medication to be injected during the injection process.

[0003] However, for patients such as those with diabetes who require multiple daily injections, even when receiving treatment at home rather than in a hospital, frequent injections are necessary. This can be challenging, especially when receiving injections at home, as the needle can pierce the skin and cause pain.

[0004] Correspondingly, in recent years, research and development of needle-free injectors has been actively carried out to alleviate fear of syringe needles and prevent needle-related infections.

[0005] However, because existing needle-free injectors are configured to inject a predetermined amount of medication into a single site of the skin at once, they may cause problems such as skin tissue damage.

[0006] Furthermore, the inconvenience of refilling the medication after a single injection limits its application to large areas of skin in fields such as cosmetic dermatology, where it cannot be used for multiple, even injections of medication over a large area of ​​skin.

[0007] Accordingly, the inventors of this disclosure developed the needle-free injector disclosed in Patent Document 1 to solve these problems. According to the needle-free injector disclosed in Patent Document 1, the piston for injecting a drug under pressure is configured to repeatedly reciprocate through a power source such as a solenoid, thereby enabling uniform injection of the drug over a larger area of ​​skin by repeatedly injecting small amounts of the drug at high speed.

[0008] (Patent Document 1) Patent Document 1: Korean Patent 10-2088830 (March 9, 2020) Summary of the Invention Technical issues Figure 16 The diagram shows an embodiment of the needle-free injector disclosed in Patent Document 1. Figure 17 To show Figure 16 A partially enlarged view of the specific structure of the nozzle used in the disclosed needleless injector.

[0009] like Figure 16As shown, the needleless injector disclosed in Patent Document 1 is provided with an electromagnetic coil 1a, and the needleless injector includes: a current supply unit (not shown), which repeatedly energizes and de-energizes the electromagnetic coil 1a at a preset period to cause the piston 3 to move forward; and an elastic member, which applies a spring force along the rearward movement direction of the piston 3 when the current supply unit (not shown) is de-energized.

[0010] Specifically, when the movable magnet 1b moves forward a predetermined distance by the magnetic force generated in the electromagnetic coil 1a, the movable magnet 1b collides with the piston head 3a at the rear end of the piston 3, and the piston 3 moves forward by the impact force at this time. In addition, the springs 4a and 4b are compressed by the forward movement of the piston 3, and when the current supply to the electromagnetic coil 1a stops, the piston 3 retracts by the restoring force of the springs 4a and 4b.

[0011] Simultaneously, a diaphragm 2b is provided in front of the piston 3. When the piston 3 retracts, the diaphragm 2b deforms, thereby reducing the pressure inside the valve chamber 7. Due to the pressure difference inside and outside the valve chamber 7, medicine is filled from the medicine supply device 5 through the medicine supply passage 5a extending into the valve chamber 7. Furthermore, when the piston 3 moves forward, the diaphragm 2b deforms and applies instantaneous high pressure to the medicine inside the valve chamber 7, causing the medicine to be ejected through the nozzle orifice 2a of the nozzle 2.

[0012] With this structure in the needle-free injector, the internal structure of the nozzle 2 becomes complex in order to supply the medication from the external medication dispenser 5 to the valve chamber 7, thus posing problems such as difficulty in mass production and increased manufacturing costs. Furthermore, due to this structural complexity, there is a risk of product performance deviations. Additionally, with a diaphragm valve structure, there is a problem of a large amount of medication remaining inside the nozzle and unable to be ejected. Moreover, due to the complex connection structure between the nozzle 2 and the medication dispenser 5, it is difficult to design the nozzle or medication dispenser as a pre-filled cartridge structure so that home users can easily and detachably connect the medication dispenser 5 or the nozzle 2 connected to the medication dispenser 5 to the needle-free injector.

[0013] This disclosure aims to solve the above-mentioned problems, and the purpose of this disclosure is to provide a needleless injector that can eliminate the complexity and instability of the nozzle structure of existing needleless injectors, reduce the manufacturing cost of needleless injectors including nozzles, and make the drug supply device and nozzle detachably connected to the main body in the form of an integrated cartridge.

[0014] Technical solution To achieve the objectives of this disclosure, the needle-free injector described herein is a needle-free injector comprising a drive unit, a conversion unit, and a nozzle unit, wherein the drive unit provides pulse pressure or a pulsed driving force for reciprocating a power transmission unit housed within a housing; the conversion unit converts the pulse pressure or the reciprocating motion of the power transmission unit into a progressive forward movement of a piston, such that for each pulse of the pulse pressure or each reciprocating motion of the power transmission unit, the piston, receiving kinetic energy from the drive unit, progressively moves forward a predetermined distance toward the nozzle unit; and the nozzle unit has a drug reservoir internally containing a drug, and the nozzle unit discharges the drug through a nozzle orifice in the form of a microjet according to the pressure applied by the piston to the drug contained in the drug reservoir.

[0015] Preferably, the piston can receive the kinetic energy by receiving pulsed pressure or by colliding with the power transmission unit; and the conversion unit can ensure that the kinetic energy transmitted to the piston is constant for each pulse or each reciprocating motion of the power transmission unit by causing the drive unit to move forward the predetermined distance whenever the piston moves forward a predetermined distance due to each pulse or one reciprocating motion of the power transmission unit.

[0016] Preferably, the piston can receive the kinetic energy by receiving pulsed pressure or by colliding with the power transmission unit; and the conversion unit can ensure that the kinetic energy transmitted to the piston is constant for each pulse or each reciprocating motion of the power transmission unit by increasing the magnitude of the pulse pressure or the driving force applied to the power transmission unit whenever the piston moves forward a predetermined distance due to each pulse or one reciprocating motion of the power transmission unit.

[0017] Preferably, the power transmission unit can be a plunger housed within the housing; the housing has an inner cavity located within the hollow internal space of the housing, and portions of the plunger and the piston can be housed within the inner cavity; a blocking member can be provided at the front end of the nozzle unit side of the housing to restrict the forward movement of the piston towards the nozzle unit by colliding with the plunger; and the needleless injector further includes a displacement unit capable of moving the housing and the blocking member at least towards the nozzle unit, and a controller configured to control the displacement unit.

[0018] Preferably, the power transmission unit can be a plunger housed within the housing; the housing can have an inner cavity located within the hollow internal space of the housing, and portions of the plunger and the piston can be housed within the inner cavity; a blocking member can be provided at the front end of the nozzle unit side of the housing to restrict the forward movement of the piston towards the nozzle unit by colliding with the plunger; and the needleless injector can also include a controller configured to control the driving force generated by the drive unit, such that the kinetic energy transmitted from the plunger to the piston is constant whenever the plunger reciprocates.

[0019] Preferably, the nozzle unit may be configured to be detachably coupled to the body of the needleless injector, the body including at least the housing and the blocking member; and the end of the piston on the nozzle unit side may extend into the chamber of the drug reservoir constituting the nozzle unit.

[0020] Preferably, the chamber of the nozzle unit can be configured such that the side facing the body of the needleless injector is open to the outside; and when the nozzle unit is separated from the body of the needleless injector, a first cap can be detachably disposed on the nozzle unit to cover the open side of the chamber.

[0021] Preferably, a second cover may be provided on the inner side of the first cover facing the chamber, the second cover being made of a material that can be punctured by the end of the piston as it moves forward; and a nozzle unit side plunger may be provided inside the second cover, the nozzle unit side plunger being configured to pressurize the agent contained in the chamber.

[0022] Preferably, the drive unit may include an electromagnetic coil wound around the outer periphery of the inner cavity of the housing; and the controller may be configured to cause the plunger to perform pulse reciprocating motion by controlling the current applied to the electromagnetic coil.

[0023] Preferably, the needleless injector may further include: a diaphragm configured to deform in response to the pulse pressure or the reciprocating motion of the power transmission unit; a switching unit side chamber, the internal pressure of which increases or decreases with the deformation of the diaphragm; a drive fluid supply unit in fluid communication with the switching unit side chamber via a drive fluid supply passage and configured to supply drive fluid to the switching unit side chamber when the internal pressure of the switching unit side chamber increases or decreases with the deformation of the diaphragm; and a check valve configured to allow the drive fluid to flow unidirectionally from the switching unit side chamber toward the inner cavity of the housing only, wherein the piston may be configured to move progressively toward the nozzle unit by the hydraulic pressure of the drive fluid supplied from the drive fluid supply unit to the inner cavity of the housing.

[0024] Preferably, the drive unit may further include: a compressed gas tank configured to supply compressed gas to the interior cavity of the housing via an inflow passage; and a valve disposed on the inflow passage and configured to control the inflow and outflow of the compressed gas from the interior cavity, and the drive unit may be controlled by the controller to provide the pulse pressure.

[0025] Preferably, the drive unit may further include: a compressed gas canister configured to supply compressed gas to the interior cavity of the housing via an inflow passage; and a valve disposed on the inflow passage and configured to control the inflow and outflow of the compressed gas into and out of the interior cavity, and branching from the inflow passage to form an outlet passage configured to discharge the compressed gas flowing in through the inflow passage to the outside of the needleless injector, and the valve regulating the opening and closing of the inflow passage and the outlet passage; the interior cavity may have at least one through-hole located where, when the plunger moves forward due to the pressure of the compressed gas, the plunger initially engages with the... The piston head collides with the piston behind the point where the inner cavity is fluidly connected to the compression chamber outside the inner cavity through the through hole; when the plunger moves forward, the air discharged from the inner cavity through the through hole can be compressed in the compression chamber; after the plunger collides with the piston, when the valve opens the discharge passage and the compressed gas is discharged to the outside of the needleless injector, the compressed air in the compression chamber can flow back to the inner cavity through the through hole due to the pressure difference between the pressure of the inner cavity and the pressure of the compression chamber; and the air flowing back to the inner cavity can move the plunger to the initial retracted position, wherein the plunger starts to move forward from the initial retracted position.

[0026] Preferably, the needleless injector may further include a retaining member configured to hold the plunger in the retracted position, wherein the retaining member may hold the plunger in the retracted position until the plunger moves forward due to the pressure of compressed air.

[0027] Preferably, the needle-free injector may include: a rod, the first end of which faces the piston head of the piston; an elastic member, the first end of which contacts the second end of the rod and is fixed to the body of the needle-free injector; and a rotating member configured to rotate by a predetermined angle by a driving force generated by the drive unit, the first end of which is rotatably connected to the rod, wherein when the rotating member is rotated by the driving force in a direction that causes the second end of the rod to compress the elastic member and the driving force is subsequently removed, the rod moves forward by the elastic force of the elastic member, while the first end of the rod strikes the piston head, thereby causing the piston to move forward gradually.

[0028] Preferably, the needle-free injector may further include: a compressed air chamber configured to supply compressed air to the inner cavity of the housing in the form of pulsed pressure; a compressed air piston configured to compress the air in the compressed air chamber by reciprocating motion; a rotating member configured to rotate by a predetermined angle by a driving force generated by the drive unit, and a first end of the rotating member being rotatably connected to the compressed air piston; and a valve configured to control the inflow and outflow of the compressed air into and out of the inner cavity, wherein, as the rotating member rotates, the compressed air piston can compress the air in the compressed air chamber by repeatedly reciprocating motion, and the flow of compressed air from the compressed air chamber toward the piston can be controlled by opening and closing the valve, thereby allowing the piston to move forward gradually by the pressure of the compressed air.

[0029] Preferably, the needle-free injector may further include an encoder capable of detecting the real-time position of the piston. The controller may pre-store information regarding the piston's stroke distance and speed required to satisfy the target injection volume and injection speed of the drug discharged from the nozzle unit. The controller can calculate the control signal values ​​required to control the drive unit and the shift unit to obtain the target injection volume and injection speed of the drug based on the real-time position information of the piston transmitted by the encoder and the pre-stored information regarding the piston's stroke distance and speed. Furthermore, the controller can control the drive unit and the shift unit based on the calculated control signal values.

[0030] Preferably, the needle-free injector may further include an encoder capable of detecting the real-time position of the piston. The controller may pre-store information regarding the piston's stroke distance and speed required to satisfy the target injection volume and injection speed of the drug discharged from the nozzle unit. The controller can calculate the control signal value required to control the drive unit to obtain the target injection volume and injection speed of the drug based on the real-time position information of the piston transmitted by the encoder and the pre-stored information regarding the piston's stroke distance and speed. The controller can then control the drive unit based on the calculated control signal value.

[0031] Beneficial effects According to the structure of this disclosure, a predetermined amount of medication can be ejected from the nozzle through the progressive forward movement of the piston. Therefore, the nozzle itself can be used as a cartridge, eliminating the need for a separate medication refill device outside the nozzle and the need to periodically replenish the medication from the refill device into the nozzle. This simplifies the existing complex medication refill mechanism and, consequently, reduces the manufacturing cost of the nozzle and the needleless injector containing the nozzle.

[0032] Furthermore, according to the structure described above in this disclosure, the agent in the nozzle can be gradually ejected multiple times per second through the repeated, progressive forward movement of the piston. Therefore, unlike existing needle-free injectors that alternately replenish and eject the agent through the reciprocating motion of the plunger, the problem of a large amount of agent remaining inside the nozzle can be reduced.

[0033] Furthermore, according to this disclosure, once the piston has moved forward, the user can detach and discard the integrated nozzle cartridge from the main body of the needle-free injector, and easily install a new cartridge onto the main body. Therefore, even in a home environment, users can easily remove and replace the cartridge.

[0034] Furthermore, according to this disclosure, by changing the relative position of the blocking member and the piston, the impact distance of the piston can be controlled, thereby easily controlling the injection speed and injection volume of the agent. Attached Figure Description

[0035] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of the needle-free injector disclosed herein.

[0036] Figure 2 A diagram illustrating a first example of a mechanism in a needleless injector of the present disclosure for converting pulsed motion into progressive forward motion.

[0037] Figure 3 A second example of a mechanism in a needleless injector according to this disclosure for converting pulsed motion into progressive forward motion is shown in the figure.

[0038] Figure 4 This is a perspective cross-sectional view of a needle-free injector, which is an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0039] Figures 5a to 5g To show the use step by step Figure 4 The diagram shows the process of drug injection using a needle-free injector.

[0040] Figure 6 For from and Figure 3 Observe from different directions Figure 4 The diagram shows a 3D view of the needle-free injector.

[0041] Figure 7 For illustrative purposes Figure 4 A partially enlarged view of the connection structure between the nozzle unit and the conversion unit of the needleless injector shown.

[0042] Figure 8a and Figure 8b For use Figure 4 A three-dimensional cross-sectional view of the nozzle unit of the needleless injector shown.

[0043] Figure 9 This is a cross-sectional view of the nozzle unit and conversion unit of a needleless injector used to illustrate another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0044] Figure 10 This is a construction diagram of a needleless injector employing compressed air, as an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0045] Figure 11 This is a construction diagram of a needleless injector employing compressed air, which is another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0046] Figure 12 This is a construction diagram of a needleless injector employing an elastic member and a motor, which is another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0047] Figure 13 This is a construction diagram of a needleless injector employing compressed air and an electric motor, which is another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0048] Figure 14 A diagram illustrating piston position and speed control for purposes of illustrating exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0049] Figure 15 For illustrative purposes Figure 14 The diagram shows the PID control used for controlling the piston's position and speed.

[0050] Figure 16 This is a structural diagram of a needle-free injector in related technologies.

[0051] Figure 17 This is a partially enlarged view of the nozzle unit of a needleless injector in the related art.

[0052] The annotations in the attached figures are explained as follows: 1: Main body 1a: Electromagnetic coil 2a: Nozzle unit 2b: Diaphragm 2c: Main bore; 3: Piston 3a: Piston head 3b: Spring 3c: Flange; 4a: Fixing and blocking component 4b: Length adjustment stop; 5: Medicine supply device 5a: Chemical supply orifice; 6: Nozzle unit on / off valve 7: Valve chamber 10: Drive unit 10a: Shell 10b: Shell cavity 11: Electromagnetic coil; 12: Drive unit side plunger 13: Housing support; 14: Stepper motor 14a: Stepper motor support; 15: Drive shaft 16: Threaded joint on the housing side; 16a: Power switching mechanism 20: Conversion Unit 21: Piston 21a: Piston head; 21b: Piston end 22a: Blocking component; 22b: Blocking component support 22c: Drive shaft support; 23: Nozzle unit support 23a: Internal threaded part; 24: Threaded joint on the blocking side. 24a: Power switching mechanism; 30: Nozzle unit 31a: Nozzle unit front end; 31: Chamber 32a: Nozzle unit side plunger; 33: Nozzle orifice 34: Flange; 35: External thread section 36: First cover; 37: End of nozzle unit 37a: Nozzle unit end hole; 38: Second cover 41: Ball pin 42: Spring 43: Conversion unit side housing; 50: Drive fluid supply unit 51: Drive fluid supply channel; 52: Conversion unit side chamber 60: Drive unit body; 61: Compressed air hose 63: Valve 64: Trigger 71: Piston head; 72: Elastic component 73: Stepper motor 74: Trigger 75: Blocking component; 76: Piston head locking part 80: Compression chamber; 81: Piston 82: Connecting hole; 100: Reagent 101: Base; 110: Driving fluid Detailed Implementation Best Practices Exemplary embodiments of the needleless injector of this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0053] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of the needle-free injector disclosed herein. Figure 1 As shown, the needleless injector disclosed herein includes a drive unit 10, a conversion unit 20, and a nozzle unit 30.

[0054] The drive unit 10 utilizes the driving force generated by a predetermined power source to cause the drive-side plunger 12 located inside the drive unit 10 to perform pulse reciprocating motion. Figure 1 In the example shown, an electromagnetic coil 11 is provided on the outer periphery of the drive unit 10, and the drive unit 10 causes the drive-side plunger 12 to perform pulse reciprocating motion by periodically changing the direction of the current applied to the electromagnetic coil 11. However, this disclosure is not limited to this, and any structure that enables the drive-side plunger 12 in the drive unit 10 to achieve reciprocating motion is applicable. Figure 1 The disclosed embodiment describes the pulsed reciprocating motion of the plunger 12 as a power transmission unit, but the present disclosure is not limited to this embodiment. As described below, the drive unit 10 is capable of providing pulsed pressure, such as compressed air.

[0055] The conversion unit 20 is configured to convert the pulse pressure provided by the drive unit 10 or the pulse reciprocating motion of the drive unit-side plunger 12 into a progressive forward movement of the nozzle unit-side plunger 21 or piston. Here, progressive forward movement refers to the movement where, corresponding to each pulse pressure provided by the drive unit 10, or each reciprocating motion of the pulse reciprocating motion, the pressurizing unit (nozzle unit-side plunger 21 or piston) for the drug 100 contained within the chamber 31 of the nozzle unit 30 progressively moves forward by a predetermined distance. Furthermore, when the drug 100 is initially loaded into the chamber 31, it fills the drug-containing space formed by the chamber 31 and the aforementioned pressurizing unit. Accordingly, each time the pressurizing unit progressively moves forward, the drug is ejected in the form of a microjet from the nozzle orifice 33 of the nozzle unit 30, the microjet having sufficient pressure and a predetermined injection volume to penetrate the patient's skin and reach the target tissue within the skin. According to this structure, a predetermined amount of agent 100 pre-filled in the nozzle unit 30 can be discharged in each reciprocating motion of the pulse reciprocating motion, without having to replenish the agent from the external agent reservoir to the nozzle unit 30 for each pulse of the pulse pressure or each reciprocating motion of the pulse reciprocating motion.

[0056] Figure 2 and Figure 3 Different mechanisms in the needleless injector disclosed herein are shown for converting pulse pressure or pulse motion into progressive forward motion.

[0057] exist Figure 2 In the illustrated mechanism, for example, the piston 21 for pressurizing the agent 100 within the chamber 31 of the nozzle unit 30, and the plunger 12 for pressing the piston 21 toward the nozzle unit 30, are both housed within the inner cavity 10b of the hollow housing 10a. The piston end 21b of the piston 21 facing the nozzle unit 30 extends into the chamber 31 of the nozzle unit 30. The chamber 31 of the nozzle unit 30 and the piston end 21b form an agent-containing space, which is filled with the agent 100. Preferably, to apply a predetermined pressure to the agent 100 within the agent-containing space, the piston end 21b may be configured as a disc shape, with a diameter approximately the same as the inner diameter of the opening of the chamber 31.

[0058] Furthermore, as described above, the drive unit 10 generates a power source that causes the plunger 12 to reciprocate longitudinally along the inner cavity 10b. Preferably, the power source generated by the drive unit 10 can be the aforementioned electromagnetic coil, or a combination of compressed air and an elastic member. In this case, the electromagnetic force generated by the electromagnetic coil or the pressure of the compressed air can be used to move the plunger 12 forward, and when the plunger 12 has moved forward a predetermined distance or more, the elastic force of the elastic member can be used to retract the plunger 12.

[0059] Simultaneously, when the plunger 12 moves forward toward the piston 21 due to the power generated by the drive unit 10 and collides with the piston 21, kinetic energy is transferred from the plunger 12 to the piston 21. The piston 21 then moves forward a predetermined distance toward the nozzle unit 30, pressurizing the agent 100 within the chamber 31. Using the pressure applied by the piston 21, the agent 100 is ejected in a predetermined amount from the nozzle orifice 33, which is in fluid communication with the chamber 31. Furthermore, after colliding with the piston 21, the plunger 12 retracts under the driving force provided by the drive unit 10.

[0060] At the same time, Figure 2 In the shown mechanism, such as Figure 2 As shown, after the plunger 12 completes one forward stroke of its reciprocating motion, an actuator (not shown) or similar device causes the housing 10a, including the plunger 12, to move forward by a distance equal to the forward distance of the piston 21. In other words, the forward distance of the drive unit including the plunger 12 is equal to the forward distance of the piston 21. In this case, as... Figure 2As shown, even if the piston 21 moves forward a predetermined distance through one reciprocating motion of the plunger 12, the drive unit including the plunger 12 will also move forward by the same distance. Therefore, the relative positions of the plunger 12 and the piston 21 within the housing 10a, and the position (a) where the plunger 12 and the piston 21 collide, remain consistent with those before one reciprocating motion. Thus, when a driving force of the same magnitude as the previous reciprocating motion is applied to the plunger 12, the piston 21 can move forward by the same distance as the previous reciprocating motion. In other words, by causing the plunger to reciprocate 12 with the same driving force, a progressive forward movement that causes the piston 21 to move forward step by step can be achieved. Therefore, for each reciprocating motion, a predetermined amount of agent 100 contained in the chamber 31 of the nozzle unit 30 can be ejected. Furthermore, when the piston 21 moves forward to a predetermined distance or more within the chamber 31 due to multiple progressive forward movements, the ejection of the contained agent 100 is completed, and the user can easily detach the nozzle unit 30 from the housing 10a and replace the nozzle unit 31.

[0061] exist Figure 3 In China, through cooperation with Figure 2 The different mechanisms shown convert the reciprocating motion of the plunger 12 into the progressive forward motion of the piston 21. Figure 2 In the mechanism shown, whenever the piston 21 moves forward a predetermined distance, the drive unit also moves forward by the same distance, thereby aligning the collision position of the piston 21 and the plunger 12 within the housing 10a. Thus, the reciprocating motion of the plunger 12 is converted into the gradual forward movement of the piston 21. On the other hand, in Figure 3 In this configuration, the position of the housing 10a remains unchanged, and the magnitude of the driving force or pulse pressure applied to the plunger 12 changes each time the piston 21 moves forward a predetermined distance. That is, in... Figure 3 In the middle, the position of shell 10a remains unchanged, therefore it is consistent with... Figure 2 The mechanisms shown differ, and the collision positions (a1, a2, a3) of the piston 21 and plunger 12 within the housing 10a change with each reciprocating motion of the plunger 12. In this case, if the following method is still used... Figure 2 The mechanism shown keeps the driving force applied to the plunger 12 constant with each reciprocating motion, but the kinetic energy applied to the piston 21 changes with each reciprocating motion of the plunger 12. Therefore, the distance the piston 21 moves forward changes with each reciprocating motion of the plunger 12, and the amount of agent 100 ejected from the nozzle orifice 33 of the nozzle unit 30 also changes with each reciprocating motion of the plunger 12. Therefore, it is impossible to inject a predetermined amount of agent 100 to the accurate depth with each injection.

[0062] Therefore, in Figure 3 In the mechanism shown, the driving force applied to the plunger 12 changes with each reciprocating motion of the plunger 12. For example, in Figure 3In the example shown, if the pressure applied to the plunger 12 during the first reciprocating motion is 10 MPa, then a higher pressure of 15 MPa is applied to the plunger 12 during the second reciprocating motion, and a further pressure of 20 MPa, higher than the pressure during the second reciprocating motion, is applied during the third reciprocating motion. For each reciprocating motion of the plunger 12, the pressure applied to the plunger 12 is determined to be a value that keeps the kinetic energy transmitted from the plunger 12 to the piston 21 constant during each reciprocating motion. This pressure can be calculated by detecting the current position of the piston 21 using an encoder or the like described below. Furthermore, the pressure can be controlled, for example, by controlling the current applied to the solenoid coil or by changing the pressure of the compressed air ejected toward the plunger 12.

[0063] The following describes in detail, with reference to the accompanying drawings, a specific embodiment of a needleless injector that converts the reciprocating motion generated by the drive unit 10 into a progressive forward motion according to the above-described mechanisms.

[0064] Figure 4 A perspective cross-sectional view of a needle-free injector, which is an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 6 From and Figure 4 Observe from different directions Figure 4 A 3D view of the needle-free injector shown.

[0065] exist Figure 4 In the example shown, the drive unit 10 includes a housing 10a constituting the main body, and a drive unit side plunger 12 is disposed in the inner cavity 10b of the housing 10a. The drive unit side plunger 12 is, for example, a magnet constituting the core of an electromagnetic actuator, and an electromagnetic coil 11 is wound around the outer periphery of the inner cavity 10b.

[0066] Furthermore, a housing support member 13 for supporting the housing 10a is formed at the housing 10a. Preferably, the housing support member 13 is integrally formed with the nozzle unit 30 side end of the housing 10a and extends downward from the housing 10a. The housing support member 13 is connected to the housing side threaded joint 16, so that when the stepper motor 14 drives the drive shaft 15 to rotate, the housing 10a can be moved forward or backward a predetermined distance according to the rotation direction and rotation amount of the drive shaft 15, as specifically described below.

[0067] exist Figure 4 In the example shown, the conversion unit 20 includes a piston 21 and a stopper 22a. The piston 21 includes a rod-shaped body, a disc-shaped piston head 21a disposed at the rear end of the drive unit side of the body, and a disc-shaped piston end 21b disposed at the front end of the nozzle unit side of the body. The rod-shaped body of the piston 21 extends longitudinally such that the piston head 21a is located within the inner cavity 10b of the housing 10a, and the piston end 21b is located within the chamber 31 of the nozzle unit 30 described below.

[0068] The blocking member 22a includes a hollow member through which the rod-shaped body of the piston 21 passes. The end of the hollow member on the drive unit side faces the piston head 21a of the piston 21, thereby forming a region where the piston 21 collides with the piston head 21a when it moves forward.

[0069] Furthermore, a blocking member support 22b is formed at the blocking member 22a to support the blocking member 22a. Preferably, the blocking member support 22b is integrally formed with the end of the hollow member of the blocking member 22a on the nozzle unit 30 side and extends downward from the blocking member 22a. The blocking member support 22b is connected to the blocking member side threaded joint 24, so that when the stepper motor 14 drives the drive shaft 15 to rotate, the blocking member 22a can be moved forward or backward a predetermined distance according to the rotation direction and rotation amount of the drive shaft 15, as specifically described below.

[0070] The nozzle unit 30 can be formed as a hollow cylindrical component capable of containing a pharmaceutical agent. A nozzle unit side plunger 32a is inserted into the chamber 31 of the nozzle unit 30 and is movable relative to the inner wall of the chamber 31, thereby dividing the interior of the chamber 31 into a pharmaceutical-containing area and other areas. Figure 4 In the example shown, the nozzle unit side plunger 32a is configured to be separate from the piston end 21b of the piston 21, but this disclosure is not limited to this configuration. For example, the nozzle unit side plunger 32a may not be provided separately, but may have the functions of both the piston end 21b and the nozzle unit side plunger 32a. The nozzle unit 30 is detachably mounted to the needle-free injector body composed of the conversion unit 20 and the drive unit 10. Preferably, the nozzle unit end 37, i.e., the conversion unit side end of the nozzle unit 30, can be screwed into the nozzle unit support 23 formed within the needle-free injector body. For this purpose, an external thread 35 may be formed on the nozzle unit end 37, and an internal thread 23a may be formed on the nozzle unit support 23. In this case, the user can easily attach or detach the nozzle unit 30 by simply rotating the nozzle unit 30 relative to the nozzle unit support 23. The specific structure of the nozzle unit 30 is described below.

[0071] The base 101 is a component for supporting the drive unit 10, conversion unit 20, and nozzle unit 30 that constitute the needle-free injector. The upper surface of the base 101 is provided with a stepper motor support 14a for fixing and supporting the stepper motor 14, and the stepper motor support 14a can fix and support the lower end of the nozzle unit support 23. The front end of the drive shaft 15 of the stepper motor 14 is preferably rotatably supported by a drive shaft support 22c, and in this configuration, the drive shaft support 22c can be integrally formed with the nozzle unit support 23.

[0072] Meanwhile, a portion of the outer periphery of the drive shaft 15 can be connected to the housing-side threaded joint 16 and the blocking-side threaded joint 24 respectively via power switching mechanisms 16a and 24a, thereby allowing rotation relative to both. Preferably, the power switching mechanisms 16a and 24a, through a known switching unit, respectively perform the function of transmitting or blocking the rotational power of the drive shaft to the housing-side threaded joint 16 and the blocking-side threaded joint 24. When the power switching mechanisms 16a and 24a transmit the rotational power of the drive shaft 15 to the housing-side threaded joint 16 and the blocking-side threaded joint 24, the housing 10a or the blocking member 22a can be moved forward or backward a predetermined distance according to the rotation direction and amount of the drive shaft 15, as specifically described below.

[0073] Figures 5a to 5g To show the use step by step Figure 4 The diagram shows the drug injection process using a needle-free injector. See below for reference. Figures 5a to 5g The illustrations provide a detailed description of the drug dispensing operation using the needle-free injector disclosed herein.

[0074] First, such as Figure 5a As shown, current is applied to the electromagnetic coil 11, thereby driving the unit-side plunger 12 to begin moving forward toward the piston 21.

[0075] Subsequently, as Figure 5b As shown, as the drive unit side plunger 12 moves forward, the front end of the drive unit side plunger collides with the piston head 21a of the piston 21.

[0076] Subsequently, as Figure 5c As shown, due to the collision between the front end of the drive unit side plunger 12 and the piston head 21a of the piston 21, the piston 21 moves forward. Correspondingly, the piston end 21b of the piston 21 compresses and causes the adjacent nozzle unit side plunger 32a to move forward. The agent 100 in the chamber 31 of the nozzle unit 30 is compressed due to the forward movement of the nozzle unit side plunger 32a, and the agent is ejected in a predetermined amount through the nozzle orifice 33 of the nozzle unit 30. At the same time, when the piston head 21a collides with the blocking member 22a, the piston 21 stops moving forward. Thus, the final forward movement distance of the nozzle unit side plunger 32a is the forward movement distance of the piston 21 from the moment the piston head 21a begins to move until the moment the piston head 21a collides with the blocking member 22a.

[0077] Subsequently, as Figure 5dAs shown, the stepper motor 14 drives the drive shaft 15 to rotate. The rotational force of the drive shaft 15 is transmitted to the threaded joint 24 on the blocking member side through the power switching mechanism 24a, thereby causing the blocking member 22a to move forward a predetermined distance. Simultaneously, the power switching mechanism 16a operates to block the transmission of the rotational force of the drive shaft 15 to the threaded joint 16 on the housing side. Therefore, even if the drive shaft 15 rotates, the housing 10a will not move and will remain stationary. In other words, in this state, only the blocking member 22a moves forward, while the housing 10a remains stationary. Thus, as the blocking member 22a moves forward, a predetermined gap is maintained between the piston head 21a and the blocking member 22a, which were originally in contact with each other.

[0078] Subsequently, as Figure 5e As shown, the current flows through the electromagnetic coil 11 in the opposite direction to the previous direction, thus causing the piston 12 on the drive unit side to retract.

[0079] Subsequently, as Figure 5f As shown, the stepper motor 14 drives the drive shaft 15 to rotate. The rotational force of the drive shaft 15 is transmitted to the housing-side threaded joint 16a through the power switching mechanism 24a, thereby causing the housing 10a, including the coil module, to move forward a predetermined distance. Simultaneously, in this situation, the power switching mechanism 24a operates to block the transmission of the rotational force of the drive shaft 15 to the blocking member-side threaded joint 24. Therefore, even if the drive shaft 15 rotates, the blocking member 22a will not move and will remain stationary. That is, in this state, only the housing 10a moves forward, while the blocking member 22a remains stationary. Therefore, the distance between the blocking member 22a and the housing 10a decreases and remains the same as the distance between the piston head 21a of the piston 21 and the drive unit-side plunger 12 before the drive unit-side plunger 12 moves forward, as shown... Figure 4 As shown in a.

[0080] Subsequently, as Figure 5g As shown, with Figure 4 Similar to the diagram shown in Figure a, current is applied to the electromagnetic coil 11, thereby driving the unit-side plunger 12 forward toward the piston head 21a. This is achieved through repeated execution. Figures 5a to 5f As shown in the operation, the drive unit side plunger 12 performs pulse reciprocating motion, and during one reciprocating motion of the drive unit side plunger 12, the nozzle unit side plunger 32a moves forward a predetermined distance. Therefore, during multiple reciprocating motions of the drive unit side plunger 12, the nozzle unit side plunger 32a can move forward gradually multiple times.

[0081] exist Figures 5a to 5gIn the illustrated embodiment, when the stepper motor 14 drives the drive shaft 15 to rotate, the housing 10a and the blocking member 22a move forward respectively. However, this disclosure is not limited to this embodiment. That is, instead of moving the housing 10a and the blocking member 22a sequentially, after the drive unit side plunger 12 collides with the piston head 21a, the direction of the current applied to the electromagnetic coil 11 is changed, so that the housing 10a and the blocking member 22a move together while the drive unit side plunger 12 retracts and the position of the piston 21 remains unchanged. Even in this case, as in the previous reciprocating motion of the drive unit side plunger 12, the position of the piston 21 within the housing 10a can remain constant during the next reciprocating motion of the drive unit side plunger 12.

[0082] Figure 7 For illustrative purposes Figure 4 A partially enlarged view of the connection structure between the nozzle unit and the conversion unit of the needleless injector shown.

[0083] like Figure 7 As shown, the nozzle unit 30 can be formed as a hollow cylindrical member capable of containing a drug. A nozzle hole 33 is formed at the front end 30a of the nozzle unit side, i.e., at the front end of the cylindrical member. The nozzle hole 33 is a through hole of a predetermined size. The nozzle unit side plunger 32a is inserted into the chamber 31 of the nozzle unit 30 and is movable relative to the inner wall of the chamber 31, thereby dividing the interior of the chamber 31 into a drug-containing area and other areas. The nozzle unit 30 is detachably mounted to the needle-free injector body composed of the conversion unit 20 and the drive unit 10. Preferably, the nozzle unit end 37, i.e., the conversion unit side end of the nozzle unit 30, can be screwed into the nozzle unit support 23 formed within the needle-free injector body. For this purpose, an external thread 35 can be formed on the nozzle unit end 37, and an internal thread 23a can be formed on the nozzle unit support 23. Simultaneously, the flange 34 can be integrally formed with the cylindrical member to surround the outer periphery of the hollow cylindrical member of the nozzle unit 30. In this configuration, when the nozzle unit 30 is connected to the nozzle unit support 23, one surface of the flange 34 is in close contact with the corresponding surface of the nozzle unit support 23. Therefore, this structure prevents the agent 100 from leaking to the outside and allows for adjustment of the connection strength between the nozzle unit 30 and the nozzle unit support 23 by the user within a suitable range.

[0084] Figure 8a and Figure 8b For use Figure 4 A three-dimensional cross-sectional view of the nozzle unit in the needleless injector shown.

[0085] like Figure 8aAs shown, before the nozzle unit 30 is connected to the body of the needleless injector, the nozzle unit end hole 37a on the nozzle unit end 37 connected to the body of the needleless injector is removably covered by the first cover 36. Therefore, the user can, before connecting the nozzle unit 30 to the body of the needleless injector, as shown... Figure 8a The first cap 36 is manually removed, and then the nozzle unit 30 is connected to the body of the needleless injector. According to this configuration, the first cap 36 can prevent the medication contained in the chamber 31 of the nozzle unit 30 from leaking to the outside during transportation or before being connected to the body for use.

[0086] exist Figure 8b In addition to Figure 8a In addition to the example shown, a second cover 38 can also be disposed inside the first cover 36, such that the second cover 38 covers the nozzle unit end hole 37a at the nozzle unit end 37, and the first cover 36 covers the second cover 38. In this case, the user can, before connecting the nozzle unit 30 to the body of the needleless injector, such as Figure 8a The first cap 36 is manually removed, and then the nozzle unit 30 is connected to the main body. During the connection of the nozzle unit 30 to the main body, the piston end 21b passes through the second cap 38 and contacts the nozzle unit side plunger 32a. With this structure, leakage of the drug 100 from between the nozzle unit side plunger 32a and the inner wall of the chamber 31 of the nozzle unit 30 can be prevented during the connection of the nozzle unit 30 to the main body of the needleless injector after the first cap 36 is manually removed.

[0087] Figure 9 This is a cross-sectional view of the nozzle unit and conversion unit of a needleless injector used to illustrate another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0088] Compared to the reference Figure 4 The illustrated embodiments, Figure 9 The needleless injector of the preferred embodiment shown differs from the one in that the conversion unit 20 uses the driving fluid 110 to convert the pulse reciprocating motion of the driving unit 10 into the stepwise forward motion of the piston 21.

[0089] The driving fluid 110 is stored in the driving fluid supply unit 50, which is in fluid communication with the conversion unit-side chamber 52 inside the conversion unit-side housing 43 of the conversion unit 20 via the driving fluid supply passage 51. Simultaneously, a diaphragm 44 is provided at the junction of the driving unit 10 and the conversion unit-side chamber 52. Therefore, when, for example... Figure 1When the plunger of the drive unit 10 reciprocates due to the electromagnetic brake, the diaphragm 44 deforms accordingly, thereby increasing or decreasing the pressure inside the switching unit side chamber 52. Specifically, when the plunger of the drive unit 10 retracts, the diaphragm 44 bends away from the switching unit side chamber 52, thereby reducing the pressure inside the switching unit side chamber 52. Correspondingly, a pressure difference is created between the drive fluid supply unit 50 and the switching unit side chamber 52, thus driving fluid flows into the switching unit side chamber 52. Figure 9 In the illustrated embodiment, the diaphragm 44 is deformed by the reciprocating movement of the plunger, but this disclosure is not limited to this embodiment. For example, the diaphragm 44 can also be deformed by applying pulsed pressure such as compressed air to it.

[0090] Subsequently, as the plunger of the drive unit 10 moves forward, the diaphragm 44 bends toward the conversion unit side chamber 52, thereby increasing the pressure inside the conversion unit side chamber 52. This pressure acts on the piston 21 of the nozzle unit 30 through the drive fluid 110, and as the piston 21 moves forward, it applies pressure to the agent 100 inside the nozzle unit 30, causing the agent 100 to be ejected at high pressure through the nozzle orifice of the nozzle unit 30.

[0091] Meanwhile, a check valve, for example, consisting of a ball pin 41 and a spring 42, is provided inside the switching unit side chamber 52 to prevent backflow of the driving fluid inside the switching unit side chamber 52. Therefore, when the plunger of the driving unit 10 retracts, only the driving fluid flows from the driving fluid supply unit 50 into the switching unit side chamber 52; the driving fluid downstream of the check valve cannot move into the space upstream of the check valve. Therefore, during the reciprocating motion of the plunger of the driving unit 10, the driving fluid is continuously supplied from the driving fluid supply unit 50 to the switching unit side chamber 52. Therefore, according to this configuration, with... Figure 3 As shown in the embodiment, during the reciprocating motion of the plunger in the drive unit 10, the piston 21 inside the nozzle unit 30 can be driven forward step by step by the amount of fluid supplied to the inside of the nozzle unit 30 through the side chamber 52 of the conversion unit.

[0092] exist Figure 4 In the illustrated embodiment, an electromagnetic actuator is used as the driving source for the drive unit 10, but this disclosure is not limited to this feature. For example, as Figure 10 As shown, compressed air and an elastic component can be used to drive the piston. Meanwhile, as mentioned above, in Figure 4The illustrated embodiment employs a structure that moves the housing 10a forward to convert reciprocating motion into progressive forward motion. However, this disclosure is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, instead of using a structure that moves the housing 10a to convert reciprocating motion into progressive forward motion, the magnitude of the current applied to the electromagnetic coil 11 can be controlled for each reciprocating motion of the drive unit-side plunger 12, thereby controlling the force applied to the drive unit-side plunger 12. In this case, as shown in reference... Figure 3 This design ensures that the kinetic energy transmitted to the piston 21 by the drive unit side plunger 12 remains consistent with each reciprocating motion of the drive unit side plunger 12. Therefore, even without moving the housing 10a and the blocking member 22a, the nozzle unit side plunger 32a can gradually move forward a predetermined distance each time the drive unit side plunger 12 reciprocates.

[0093] Figure 10 The illustrated embodiments and Figure 4 The example shown is consistent with the one shown, except for the power generation structure of the drive unit 10. Therefore, it is consistent with... Figure 4 Those structures that are identical in the illustrated embodiments are given the same reference numerals and will not be described again.

[0094] exist Figure 10 In the example shown, compressed gas is used as the means of applying pressure to piston 21. The compressed gas, which serves as a pneumatic pressure source, is stored in a compressed gas tank 200, and the pressure pulse generated by the compressed gas is regulated by a valve 210 located upstream of the compressed gas tank 200.

[0095] Valve 210 includes, for example, a core 212 formed therein as a magnet, and an electromagnetic coil 211 arranged to surround the core 212.

[0096] A valve passage 215 is formed within valve 210, the end of which is in fluid communication with compressed gas tank 200 and houses piston head 21a. A plunger 213 is formed at the end of core 212, capable of opening and closing valve passage 215. Therefore, depending on the direction of the current applied to the solenoid coil 211 of valve 210, core 212 moves vertically, thereby allowing plunger 213 to open and close valve passage 215. When current is applied to solenoid coil 211 in the direction that raises core 212, compressed gas stored in compressed gas tank 200 is instantaneously supplied via valve passage 215, thereby pressing piston 21 forward and causing piston 21 to move forward. Furthermore, when piston 21 reaches top dead center and collides with stop 22a, current flows into solenoid coil 211 in the direction that lowers core, thereby blocking compressed gas flowing through valve passage 215. Simultaneously, with… Figure 3Similar to the housing 10a shown, the compressed air tank 200 has a threaded connector 220 on its side below. When the stepper motor 14 drives the drive shaft 15 to rotate, the compressed air tank 200 moves forward accordingly. This is similar to... Figure 3 The housing 10a in the illustrated embodiment is similar. Regarding the structure that allows the drive unit and the blocking member to move forward, reference has been made to... Figure 4 as well as Figures 5a to 5f Detailed explanation is omitted below. Meanwhile, to retract piston 21, as... Figure 1 or Figure 16 As shown, an elastic member can be provided to compress the piston head 21a of the piston 21 towards the compressed gas tank 200, and the piston 21 can retract using the compressive force of the elastic member. Alternatively, an exhaust passage can be provided for discharging the compressed gas supplied to the compressed gas tank 200, and a valve can be installed in the exhaust passage. After the piston 21 is moved forward by the compressed gas, the supplied compressed gas can be discharged by opening the valve, and the piston 21 can be retracted using the pressure difference inside the housing 10a. For more information on this structure, please refer to the [link to related information]. Figure 11 An example embodiment is described below.

[0097] Figure 11 The illustrated embodiments and Figure 4 The example shown is consistent, except that the power generation structure of the drive unit 10 is different. Therefore, with Figure 4 Those structures that are identical in the illustrated embodiments are referred to by the same reference numerals and will not be described again.

[0098] and Figure 4 The embodiments shown are different. Figure 11 In the embodiment shown, the drive unit side plunger 12 is driven by compressed air supplied through a compressed air supply unit such as a compressed air tank 17.

[0099] Therefore, unlike Figure 4 In the illustrated embodiment, the outer periphery of the inner cavity 10b of the housing 10a is not wound with an electromagnetic coil 11, but is fluidly connected to the compressed air tank 17 via an inlet passage 102. Furthermore, an outlet passage 103 branches off from the inlet passage 102 for discharging compressed air supplied from the compressed air tank 17 to the outside of the needle-free injector. A valve 104 may be provided at the branch point between the inlet passage 102 and the outlet passage 103. The valve 104 controls the opening and closing of the inlet and outlet passages. Compressed air is supplied to the inner cavity 10b via the inlet passage 102 through the inlet passage, and compressed air is discharged from the inner cavity 10b to the outside via the outlet passage 103 through the outlet passage. Therefore, the valve 104 is preferably an electrically controlled three-way valve.

[0100] The inner cavity 10b has at least one through hole 10c, which is located behind the position where the drive unit side plunger 12 collides with the piston head 12a of the piston 21 when the drive unit side plunger 12 moves forward due to the pressure of the compressed gas. The through hole 10c can penetrate the inner and outer circumferences of the hollow cylindrical shape constituting the inner cavity 10b. The inner cavity 10b is in fluid communication with the compression chamber 105 through the through hole 10c. The compression chamber 105 is the space between the outer circumference of the inner cavity 10b and the inner circumference of the housing 10a. The compression chamber 105 is a space sealed from the outside of the housing 10a and is configured to be in fluid communication with the inner cavity 10b only through the through hole 10c.

[0101] Furthermore, a magnet 106 may be provided at the rear end of the inner cavity 10b as a holding member for holding the plunger 12 in a specific position. Here, the magnet 106 can be a permanent magnet or an electromagnet. When the drive unit side plunger 12, made of metal, retracts within the inner cavity 10b, the magnet 106 can be used to hold the drive unit side plunger 12 at the rear end of the inner cavity 10b using magnetic force. Due to the presence of the magnet 106, the retracted position of the drive unit side plunger 12 can be accurately maintained when it retracts. The holding member is not limited to the magnet 106. For example, the holding member may be a unit that holds the plunger 12 in a specific position by physically engaging with it.

[0102] The following text uses Figure 11 The embodiments shown are illustrated, and references are made to them. Figure 11 The content shown describes the mechanism that causes the piston 21 to move forward gradually during the reciprocating motion of the piston 12 on the drive unit side.

[0103] First, with the magnet 106 holding the drive unit side plunger 12 at the rear end of the inner cavity 10b, the valve 104 blocks the discharge channel toward the discharge passage 103 and opens the inflow channel from the compressed air tank 17 through the inflow passage 102 to the inner cavity 10b. Correspondingly, compressed gas from the compressed air tank 17 is injected through the inflow passage 102 toward the rear of the drive unit side plunger 12. Due to the pressure of the compressed gas, the drive unit side plunger 12 moves forward. Simultaneously, to ensure smooth forward movement of the drive unit side plunger 12, the magnet 106 is made of an electromagnet, so that the magnetic field of the magnet 106 disappears when compressed air is injected.

[0104] Simultaneously, as the drive unit side plunger 12 moves forward, the air in front of the drive unit side plunger 12 within the inner cavity 10b is compressed forward, and the compressed air is discharged to the compression chamber 105 through the through hole 10c. As mentioned above, the compression chamber 105 is a sealed space. Since air flows into the compression chamber 105 through the through hole 10c, the internal pressure of the compression chamber 105 becomes relatively high.

[0105] In addition, as mentioned above Figure 4As described in the embodiment, the forward-moving drive unit-side plunger 12 collides with the piston head 21a of the piston 21, causing the piston 21 to move forward until it collides with the blocking member 22a. Furthermore, as the piston 21 moves forward, the piston end 21b of the piston 21 compresses and causes the adjacent nozzle unit-side plunger 32a to move forward. The agent 100 within the chamber 31 of the nozzle 30 is compressed, reducing the forward movement distance of the nozzle unit-side plunger 32a, and the agent is ejected in a predetermined amount through the nozzle orifice 33 of the nozzle 30. Furthermore, as described above... Figure 5d The stepper motor 14 drives the drive shaft 15 to rotate, so the rotational force of the drive shaft 15 is transmitted to the threaded joint 24 on the blocking member side through the power switching mechanism 24a, thereby causing the blocking member 22a to move forward a predetermined distance.

[0106] Simultaneously, when piston 21 collides with stop 22a, valve 104 closes the inflow passage through inlet passage 102 and opens the discharge passage through outlet passage 103. Correspondingly, compressed air behind the nozzle unit side plunger 32a in the forward position is discharged through outlet passage 103. Therefore, the pressure behind the nozzle unit side plunger 32a in inner cavity 10b decreases, creating a pressure difference with the pressure in compression chamber 105. Due to this pressure difference, compressed air in compression chamber 105 flows through through hole 10c to the front of nozzle unit side plunger 32a, causing nozzle unit side plunger 32a to retract due to the pressure of the incoming compressed air. When nozzle unit side plunger 32a retracts to a position close to mounting magnet 106, it stops at the position where it contacts magnet 106 due to the magnetic field of magnet 106. As described above, when the magnet 106 is configured as an electromagnet, at least when the nozzle unit side plunger 32a collides with the piston 21, the magnetic field of the magnet 106 is regenerated. This allows the magnet 106 to hold the nozzle unit side plunger 32a in a predetermined retracted position during retraction after the collision with the piston 21. Furthermore, as described above... Figure 5f The stepper motor 14 drives the drive shaft 15 to rotate, and the rotational force of the drive shaft 15 is transmitted to the housing-side threaded joint 16a through the power switching mechanism 24a, thereby causing the housing 10a to move forward a predetermined distance. Therefore, when the valve 104 subsequently opens, the compressed air tank 17 resupplyes compressed air, and the drive unit-side plunger 12 moves forward, the collision position between the drive unit-side plunger 12 and the piston 21 inside the housing 10a remains as described above. Therefore, even if the same amount of compressed air is supplied, the piston 21 can still move forward a predetermined distance. Therefore, whenever the drive unit-side plunger 12 reciprocates, a predetermined amount of agent 100 can be ejected from the nozzle hole 33 of the nozzle unit 30.

[0107] Previously, a mechanism was described in which the reciprocating motion of the drive unit side plunger 12 is converted into the step-forward motion of the piston 21 by rotating the stepper motor 14 to move the housing 10a and the stop 22a forward. However, embodiments of this disclosure are not limited to the above-described configuration. That is, as referred to Figure 3 In addition to moving the housing 10a or the blocking member 22a, the piston 21 can also be moved forward gradually by changing the air supply from the compressed air tank 17 during each reciprocating motion of the drive unit side plunger 12. That is, for example, by adjusting the opening degree of the regulating valve 104, more compressed air is supplied to the inner cavity 10b of the housing 10a during the next reciprocating motion of the drive unit side plunger 12 than during the previous reciprocating motion, thereby applying greater pressure to the drive unit side plunger 12. Accordingly, the kinetic energy transferred from the drive unit side plunger 12 to the piston 21 during each reciprocating motion of the drive unit side plunger 12 can remain consistent. Therefore, similar to the movement of the housing 10a and the blocking member 22a, a predetermined amount of agent 100 can be ejected through the nozzle orifice 33 of the nozzle 30 during each reciprocating motion of the drive unit side plunger 12.

[0108] Figure 12 The illustrated embodiments and Figure 4 The example shown is consistent, except that the power generation structure of the drive unit 10 is different. Therefore, with Figure 4 Those structures that are identical in the illustrated embodiments are referred to by the same reference numerals and will not be described again.

[0109] exist Figure 12 In the example shown, a spring and a motor, which are elastic components, are used as the means to apply pressure to the piston 21.

[0110] Figure 12 In the illustrated embodiment, a spring 300 is provided as an elastic member. The first end of the spring 300 is fixed to a fixed position inside the needle-free injector body, and the second end is located at the first end of a first rod 310 extending longitudinally along the needle-free injector. The second end, or front end, of the first rod 310 is provided with a second rod 314, the front end of which faces the piston head 21a of the piston 21. Here, the first rod 310 and the second rod 314 can be separate rods combined together, or they can be integrally formed. Simultaneously, the first end of either the first rod 310 or the second rod 320 is rotatably connected to a crankshaft 311, which serves as a rotating member. Therefore, this rod is rotatably connected via a connecting portion 312 to the second end of a crank arm 313 that rotates around the crankshaft 311. Furthermore, the crankshaft 311 is configured to rotate a predetermined angle by a rotational power source, such as an electric motor.

[0111] According to the above structure, firstly, when the crankshaft 311 is rotated clockwise by a predetermined angle via a motor or the like, the rear end of the first rod 310 compresses the spring 300. In this state, when the power source applied to the crankshaft 311 is cut off, the first rod 310 moves forward due to the elastic force of the spring 300, and correspondingly, the front end of the second rod 314 impacts the piston 21. Furthermore, when the piston 21 reaches top dead center and collides with the stop 22a, if the crankshaft 311 is rotated clockwise again via a motor or the like, the first rod 310 retracts again, and the rear end of the first rod 310 compresses the spring 300. In this state, as described above... Figure 4 As described above, after moving the blocking member 22a a predetermined distance, the power source applied to the crankshaft 311 is cut off again, and the first rod 310 and the second rod 314 move forward and collide with the piston head 21a, thereby causing the piston 21 to move forward. Figure 4 In the example, the forward movement of housing 10a is the same as the forward movement of blocking member 22a; however, in Figure 10 In the example shown, by controlling the rotation of crankshaft 311 via a motor or similar means and adjusting the spring force of spring 300, piston 21 can be moved forward by the same amount as the forward movement of stop 22a. Alternatively, similar to Figure 4 The housing 10a shown can also be moved forward by using a threaded joint, allowing the drive unit itself, which integrates the spring 300, motor, etc.

[0112] In addition, compared with the reference Figure 3 Similar to the described mechanism, by adjusting the elastic force applied by the spring 300 without moving the stop 22a or the housing 10a forward, the kinetic energy transmitted from the front end of the second rod 320 to the piston 21 can be kept constant. That is, by controlling the elastic force applied to the second rod 320 to increase its magnitude with each reciprocating motion of the second rod 320, a constant amount of agent 100 can be ejected from the nozzle orifice 33 of the nozzle unit 30 each time the second rod 320 reciprocates, as in the case where the housing 10a and the stop 22a are moved. For this purpose, for example, the elastic force generated by the spring 300 can be changed by adjusting the amount of counterclockwise rotation of the crankshaft 311 to change the compression of the spring 300.

[0113] Figure 13 The illustrated embodiments and Figure 3 The example shown is consistent, except that the power generation structure of the drive unit 10 is different. Therefore, with Figure 3 Those structures that are identical in the illustrated embodiments are referred to by the same reference numerals and will not be described again.

[0114] exist Figure 13 In the example shown, compressed gas and an electric motor are used as the means of applying pressure to piston 21.

[0115] exist Figure 12In the example shown, the crank arm 313 is driven by the unidirectional rotation of the spring 300 and the motor. However, in Figure 13 In the example shown, the crankshaft, which is a rotating component located inside the crank 410, is rotated solely by a motor, utilizing the bidirectional rotation of the motor. One end of a rod-shaped air compression piston 420, extending longitudinally along the needle-free injector, extends into the crank 410, thus the piston 420 is rotatably connected to a crank arm that rotates with the crankshaft. Therefore, when the crankshaft rotates under the driving force of the motor 400, the air compression piston 420 can repeatedly perform reciprocating motion. Furthermore, a compression chamber 430 is provided in front of the air compression piston 420, and a [missing information - likely a device or component] is provided in front of the compression chamber 430... Figure 10 The valve 210 shown is structurally identical to the valve 440, thereby allowing or blocking compressed air from flowing from the compression chamber 430 toward the piston 21. Figure 10 As shown in the example, Figure 13 The drive unit shown, consisting of an air compression piston 420 and a motor 400, also has a threaded connector 220 on the side of the compressed air tank below it. Therefore, when the stepper motor 14 drives the drive shaft 15 to rotate, the drive unit and the blocking component can engage with... Figure 4 In the example shown, housing 10a moves forward in the same manner. For information on using compressed air to move piston 21 forward and retract, see [reference needed]. Figure 10 and Figure 11 The detailed description of the forward movement structure of the drive unit and the blocking component has been referenced. Figure 4 Detailed explanation is required; therefore, it will not be repeated below.

[0116] In addition, compared with the reference Figure 3 The mechanism is identical to that described above, eliminating the need for the forward-moving obstruction 22a or housing 10a. By adjusting the amount of compressed air flowing from the compressed air chamber 430 to the piston 21, a constant amount of agent 100 can be ejected from the nozzle orifice 33 of the nozzle unit 30 in the same manner as when the housing 10a and obstruction 22a are moved during each reciprocating motion of the air compression piston 420. For this purpose, for example, by changing the amount of air compressed by the air compression piston 420, the spring force generated by the spring 300 can be changed by adjusting the rotation of the crankshaft 311.

[0117] Figure 14 A diagram illustrating the position and speed control of a piston, used to explain exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 15 For illustrative purposes Figure 14 The diagram shows the PID control used to control the piston's position and speed.

[0118] For example, according to Figure 14In the illustrated embodiment, an encoder 510 capable of detecting the real-time position of the piston 21 is provided on the inner wall of the housing cavity 10b facing the piston 21. Therefore, when the piston 21 moves forward and retracts, its time-based position can be detected. The result detected by the encoder 510 is transmitted to the controller 500. Simultaneously, the controller 500 pre-stores the target injection volume and injection speed of the micro-jet agent to be discharged from the nozzle unit 30, as well as the stroke distance and speed of the piston 21 required to meet these injection volume and speed, the speed of the nozzle unit side plunger, etc. Accordingly, the controller 500 executes based on the following information. Figure 15 The PID control shown includes: information about the target injection volume and injection speed of the drug, as well as the stroke distance and speed of the piston 21 required to meet the target injection volume and speed; the real-time position information of the piston 21 transmitted from the encoder 510; and the current position of the stop 22a based on the revolutions of the stepper motor 440. That is, after the piston completes a single forward movement, based on the time-based position information of the piston measured by the encoder 510 and the current position information of the stop 22a measured by the rotation sensor of the stepper motor 440, the stroke and speed of the piston during the single forward movement are calculated; the error between the calculated stroke distance and speed of the piston 21 and the target values ​​is calculated; subsequently, the current applied to the solenoid coil 11 and the control signal value applied to the stepper motor 440 are calculated to reduce the error to zero. Furthermore, the power source and motor drive source are controlled to apply the calculated current and control signal. By repeatedly executing this feedback control process, drug injection according to the target injection volume and injection speed can be achieved.

[0119] Furthermore, the aforementioned PID control can still be applied even if a mechanism that controls the pressure applied to the plunger on the nozzle unit side is used, rather than a mechanism that moves the housing 10a and the stop 22a via the stepper motor 14. That is, after the piston completes a single forward movement, the encoder 510 acquires the changed piston position information. Based on pre-stored information about the target injection volume and injection speed of the drug, as well as the stroke distance and speed of the piston 21 required to meet the target injection volume and injection speed, the current applied to the electromagnetic coil 11 during the next forward movement is calculated to achieve the same stroke distance and speed as the previous forward movement. In addition, the power source can be controlled so that the current is met during the next forward movement of the piston.

[0120] The aforementioned controller can be implemented using a computer installed within the needle-free injector. In this case, the program used to implement the control function can be stored in a computer-readable recording medium. The program stored in the storage medium can be loaded into the computer system and run to achieve the function. Furthermore, the "computer system" mentioned herein refers to an in-vehicle built-in computer system, which may include an operating system (OS) or peripheral hardware. Additionally, the term "computer-readable recording medium" refers to portable media such as floppy disks, optical disks, ROMs, CD-ROMs, and storage devices built into the computer system, such as hard disks. Furthermore, "computer-readable recording medium" may also include objects that temporarily and dynamically hold the program when it is transmitted via networks such as the Internet or communication lines such as telephone lines, and objects that hold the program for a certain period of time within a computer system acting as a server or client, such as volatile memory. Moreover, the program can be used to implement a portion of the aforementioned functions, or by combining the aforementioned functions with a program already recorded in the computer system. Specific Implementation This disclosure relates to a needle-free injector, including a drive unit, a conversion unit, and a nozzle unit. The conversion unit utilizes the pulsed driving force generated by the drive unit to cause a power transmission unit to reciprocate, converting the reciprocating motion of the power transmission unit into a progressive forward movement of a piston. Furthermore, the progressive forward movement of the piston causes the medication contained within the nozzle unit to be ejected in the form of a microjet from the nozzle orifice of the nozzle unit.

[0122] Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment of this disclosure, the position of the power transmission unit changes as the piston moves forward, ensuring that the relative position between the piston and the power transmission unit remains constant. Accordingly, a predetermined amount of agent can be injected at a constant speed whenever the power transmission unit reciprocates.

[0123] Furthermore, in another exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, whenever the power transmission unit reciprocates, the magnitude of the driving force is increased so that the kinetic energy transferred from the power transmission unit to the piston remains constant during each reciprocating motion. Accordingly, whenever the power transmission unit reciprocates, a predetermined amount of agent can be injected at a constant speed.

[0124] Industrial applicability According to this disclosure, a predetermined amount of medication can be ejected from the nozzle by the progressively forward movement of the plunger. Therefore, the nozzle itself can be used as a cartridge, eliminating the need for a separate medication refill device external to the nozzle and the need for periodic refilling of the nozzle from the refill device. This simplifies existing complex medication refill mechanisms and reduces the manufacturing cost of the nozzle and the needle-free injector containing the nozzle. Furthermore, according to this disclosure, the medication in the nozzle can be ejected progressively multiple times per second by the repeated progressive forward movement of the piston. This reduces the problem of a large amount of medication remaining inside the nozzle, unlike existing needle-free injectors that use alternating piston reciprocating motion for medication refilling and ejection. Moreover, according to this disclosure, after the piston has completed its forward movement, the user can detach and discard the cartridge integrated with the nozzle from the main body of the needle-free injector, and can easily install a new cartridge on the main body. Therefore, even in a home environment, users can easily remove and replace the cartridge. Furthermore, according to this disclosure, by changing the relative position of the blocking member and the piston, the impact stroke of the piston can be controlled, thereby easily controlling the injection speed and injection volume of the agent.

Claims

1. A needle-free injector, comprising a drive unit, a conversion unit, and a nozzle unit, wherein: The drive unit provides pulse pressure or pulsed drive force to cause the power transmission unit housed in the housing to reciprocate. The conversion unit converts the pulse pressure or the reciprocating motion of the power transmission unit into a progressive forward movement of the piston, so that for each pulse of the pulse pressure or each reciprocating motion of the power transmission unit, the piston, having received kinetic energy from the drive unit, progressively moves forward a predetermined distance toward the nozzle unit; and The nozzle unit has a drug reservoir that contains the drug, and the nozzle unit discharges the drug in the form of a microjet through a nozzle orifice according to the pressure applied by the piston to the drug contained in the drug reservoir.

2. The needleless injector according to claim 1, wherein The piston receives the kinetic energy by receiving pulsed pressure or by colliding with the power transmission unit; and The conversion unit ensures that the kinetic energy transmitted to the piston is constant for each pulse or each reciprocating motion of the power transmission unit by causing the drive unit to move forward the predetermined distance whenever the piston moves forward a predetermined distance due to each pulse of the pulse pressure or each reciprocating motion of the power transmission unit.

3. The needleless injector according to claim 1, wherein... The piston receives the kinetic energy by receiving pulsed pressure or by colliding with the power transmission unit; and The conversion unit ensures that the kinetic energy transmitted to the piston is constant for each pulse or each reciprocating motion of the power transmission unit by increasing the magnitude of the pulse pressure or the driving force applied to the power transmission unit via the drive unit whenever the piston moves forward a predetermined distance due to each pulse of the pulse pressure or each reciprocating motion of the power transmission unit.

4. The needleless injector according to claim 2, wherein The power transmission unit is a plunger housed within the housing; The housing has an inner cavity located within the hollow interior space of the housing, and portions of the plunger and the piston are housed within the inner cavity; A blocking element is provided at the front end of the nozzle unit side of the housing to restrict the forward movement of the piston towards the nozzle unit by colliding with the plunger; and The needleless injector also includes a displacement unit capable of moving the housing and the blocking member forward at least toward the nozzle unit, and a controller configured to control the displacement unit.

5. The needleless injector according to claim 3, wherein The power transmission unit is a plunger housed within the housing; The housing has an inner cavity located within the hollow interior space of the housing, and portions of the plunger and the piston are housed within the inner cavity; A blocking element is provided at the front end of the nozzle unit side of the housing to restrict the forward movement of the piston towards the nozzle unit by colliding with the plunger; and The needleless injector also includes a controller configured to control the driving force generated by the drive unit such that the kinetic energy transmitted from the plunger to the piston remains constant whenever the plunger reciprocates.

6. The needleless injector according to claim 4 or 5, wherein The nozzle unit is configured to be detachably coupled to the body of the needleless injector, the body including at least the housing and the blocking member; and The nozzle unit side end of the piston extends into the cavity of the drug reservoir that constitutes the nozzle unit.

7. The needleless injector according to claim 6, wherein The chamber of the nozzle unit is configured such that the side facing the body of the needleless injector is open to the outside; and When the nozzle unit is separated from the body of the needleless injector, a first cap is detachably disposed on the nozzle unit to cover the open surface of the chamber.

8. The needleless injector according to claim 7, wherein A second cover is also provided on the inner side of the first cover facing the chamber, the second cover being made of a material that can be pierced by the end of the piston when it moves forward; and Inside the second cover, there is also a nozzle unit side plunger configured to pressurize the agent contained in the chamber.

9. The needleless injector according to claim 4 or 5, wherein The driving unit includes an electromagnetic coil wound around the outer periphery of the inner cavity of the housing; and The controller is configured to cause the plunger to perform pulse reciprocating motion by controlling the current applied to the electromagnetic coil.

10. The needleless injector according to claim 1, further comprising: A diaphragm configured to deform in response to the pulse pressure or the reciprocating motion of the power transmission unit; The pressure inside the switching unit side chamber increases or decreases with the deformation of the diaphragm; A drive fluid supply unit is fluidly connected to the side chamber of the conversion unit via a drive fluid supply passage and is configured to supply drive fluid to the side chamber of the conversion unit when the internal pressure of the side chamber of the conversion unit increases or decreases with the deformation of the diaphragm. as well as A check valve, configured to allow the drive fluid to flow unidirectionally from the switching unit side chamber toward the inner cavity of the housing. The piston is configured to move progressively toward the nozzle unit by the hydraulic pressure of the driving fluid supplied from the driving fluid supply unit to the inner cavity of the housing.

11. The needleless injector according to claim 2 or 3, wherein, The drive unit further includes: A compressed gas tank, the compressed gas tank being configured to supply compressed gas into the interior cavity of the housing via an inflow passage; and A valve, located in the inflow passage and configured to control the inflow and outflow of the compressed gas from the cavity, and The drive unit is controlled by the controller to provide the pulse pressure.

12. The needleless injector according to claim 4 or 5, wherein, The drive unit further includes: A compressed gas tank, the compressed gas tank being configured to supply compressed gas into the interior cavity of the housing via an inflow passage; and A valve, located in the inflow passage and configured to control the inflow and outflow of the compressed gas from the cavity, and An outlet passage branches off from the inflow passage, the outlet passage being configured to discharge compressed gas flowing in through the inflow passage to the outside of the needleless injector, and the valve regulating the opening and closing of the inflow passage and the outlet passage; The inner cavity has at least one through hole, which is located behind the position where the plunger initially collides with the piston head of the piston when the plunger moves forward due to the pressure of the compressed gas; The inner cavity is in fluid communication with a compression chamber outside the inner cavity through the through hole; When the plunger moves forward, the air discharged from the inner cavity through the through hole is compressed in the compression chamber; After the plunger collides with the piston, when the valve opens the discharge passage and the compressed gas is discharged to the outside of the needle-free injector, the compressed air in the compression chamber flows back into the inner cavity through the through hole due to the pressure difference between the pressure in the inner cavity and the pressure in the compression chamber; and The air flowing back into the cavity causes the plunger to move to the initial retracted position, wherein the plunger begins to move forward from the initial retracted position.

13. The needleless injector of claim 12, further comprising a retaining member configured to retain the plunger in the retracted position, wherein, The retaining member holds the plunger in the retracted position until the plunger moves forward due to the pressure of the compressed air.

14. The needleless injector according to claim 2 or 3, comprising: A rod, the first end of which faces the piston head of the piston; An elastic member, wherein a first end of the elastic member contacts a second end of the rod, and the second end of the elastic member is fixed to the body of the needleless injector; as well as A rotating member, configured to rotate a predetermined angle by a driving force generated by the drive unit, and an end of the rotating member being rotatably connected to the rod. When the driving force causes the rotating member to rotate in the direction that causes the second end of the rod to compress the elastic member, and then the driving force is removed, the rod moves forward by the elastic force of the elastic member, while the first end of the rod strikes the piston head, thereby causing the piston to move forward step by step.

15. The needleless injector according to claim 2 or 3, further comprising: A compressed air chamber configured to supply compressed air to the interior cavity of the housing in the form of the pulse pressure; A compressor piston, configured to compress air in the compression chamber by reciprocating motion; A rotating member configured to rotate a predetermined angle by a driving force generated by the drive unit, and a first end of the rotating member being rotatably connected to the air compressor piston; as well as A valve, configured to control the inflow and outflow of the compressed air from the internal cavity. As the rotating component rotates, the compressed air piston compresses the air in the compressed air chamber as it reciprocates repeatedly. The flow of the compressed air from the compressed air chamber toward the piston is controlled by the opening and closing of the valve, thereby causing the piston to move forward gradually due to the pressure of the compressed air.

16. The needleless injector according to claim 4, further comprising an encoder capable of detecting the real-time position of the piston, wherein, The controller has pre-stored information about the piston's stroke distance and speed required to meet the target injection volume and injection speed of the agent discharged by the nozzle unit; The controller calculates the control signal values ​​required to control the drive unit and the shift unit to obtain the target injection volume and injection speed of the drug, based on the real-time position information of the piston transmitted by the encoder and pre-stored information about the piston's stroke distance and speed; and The controller controls the drive unit and the shift unit according to the calculated control signal value.

17. The needleless injector according to claim 5, further comprising an encoder capable of detecting the real-time position of the piston, wherein, The controller has pre-stored information about the piston's stroke distance and speed required to meet the target injection volume and injection speed of the agent discharged by the nozzle unit; The controller calculates the control signal values ​​required to control the drive unit to obtain the target injection volume and injection speed of the drug, based on the real-time position information of the piston transmitted by the encoder and pre-stored information about the piston's stroke distance and speed; and The controller controls the drive unit based on the calculated control signal value.

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