Tubular injection device and drive mechanism

Abstract

To provide a tubular injection device that improves injection handling and ensures injection safety. [Solution] A tubular injection device having a proximal end and a distal end includes a drug-containing member, an injection member, a movable member, and a drive mechanism. The injection member is located at the proximal end and is in fluid communication with the drug-containing member. The movable member is movably positioned within the drug-containing member. The drive mechanism includes a drive member, a transmission sleeve, a transmission rod, and a restraining member. The drive member is located at the distal end. The transmission sleeve engages with the drive member. The transmission sleeve includes a female thread. The transmission rod is located within the transmission sleeve and engages with the movable member. The transmission rod includes a male thread that meshes with the female thread of the transmission sleeve. The restraining member restrains the rotation of the transmission rod.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a tubular injection device and a drive mechanism, and particularly to a tubular injection device and a drive mechanism capable of improving injection operation and ensuring injection safety.

Background Art

[0002] Current injection devices (such as auto-injectors and pen-type injectors) are used for self-administration of small amounts of drugs in single-dose or repeated-dose applications. Most existing injection devices are purely mechanical and are driven by mechanically pressing on the plunger rod of a cartridge or syringe. Further, in order to transfer the drug solution from the vial to the injection device, the user needs to manually hold the vial against the injection device and pull the plunger rod of the injection device. This manual operation is not easy for ordinary users and may affect injection safety due to misoperation.

Summary of the Invention

[0003] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a tubular injection device and a drive mechanism capable of improving injection operability and ensuring injection safety.

[0004] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a tubular injection device having a proximal end and a distal end comprises a drug-containing member, an injection member, a movable member, and a drive mechanism. The injection member is located at the proximal end and is in fluid communication with the drug-containing member. The movable member is movably positioned within the drug-containing member. The drive mechanism comprises a drive member, a transmission sleeve, a transmission rod, and a restraining member. The drive member is located at the distal end. The transmission sleeve engages with the drive member. The transmission sleeve has a female thread. The transmission rod is located within the transmission sleeve and engages with the movable member. The transmission rod has a male thread that meshes with the female thread of the transmission sleeve. The restraining member restrains the rotation of the transmission rod. The drive member drives the transmission sleeve to rotate, the transmission sleeve drives the transmission rod to move through the interaction between the female and male threads, and the transmission rod drives the movable member to move relative to the drug-containing member.

[0005] In one embodiment, when the drive member drives the transmission sleeve to rotate in a first direction, the transmission rod moves linearly toward its proximal end to drive the movable member toward the injection member.

[0006] In one embodiment, when the drive member drives the transmission sleeve to rotate in a second direction, the transmission rod drives the movable member to move away from the injection member. The first direction is opposite to the second direction.

[0007] In one embodiment, the transmission rod has a first limiting surface, the restraining member has a through hole formed therein, the through hole has a second limiting surface, the end of the transmission rod passes through the through hole, and the restraining member restrains the rotation of the transmission rod by the first limiting surface and the second limiting surface.

[0008] In one embodiment, the drive mechanism further comprises a screw nut embedded in the transmission sleeve, and the female thread is provided by the screw nut.

[0009] In one embodiment, the tubular injection device further comprises a first shell, and the drug-containing member is housed in the first shell.

[0010] In one embodiment, the tubular injection device further comprises a second shell, the first and second shells being assembled to house a drug-containing member and a drive mechanism, and the restraining member comprising a flange, the flange being sandwiched between the first and second shells.

[0011] In one embodiment, the tubular injection device further comprises a second shell and a third shell, the first and second shells assembled to house a drug-containing member, a transmission sleeve, a transmission rod, and a restraining member, the restraining member having a flange, the flange being sandwiched between the first and second shells, the third shell being detachably connected to the second shell, the drive member being housed in the third shell, and the drive member having a transmission portion detachably connected to the transmission sleeve.

[0012] In one embodiment, the tubular injection device further comprises a second shell, the drive mechanism is housed in the second shell, the second shell is detachably connected to the first shell, and the transmission rod is detachably connected to a movable member.

[0013] In one embodiment, the tubular injection device further comprises a cap configured to cover the first shell.

[0014] In one embodiment, the tubular injection device further comprises an adapter configured to be assembled to a first shell, and when a drug container is loaded into the adapter, the injection member enters the drug container.

[0015] In one embodiment, the drug-containing member is a cartridge, and the injection member is a pen needle detachably positioned at the proximal end of a tubular injection device.

[0016] In one embodiment, the drug-containing member and the injection member are combined to form a pre-filled syringe, with the injection member extending outward from the proximal end of the tubular injection device.

[0017] In one embodiment, the injection member, drug-containing member, movable member, and drive mechanism are arranged along the longitudinal axis of the tubular injection device to form a handheld syringe.

[0018] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the drive mechanism comprises a drive member, a transmission sleeve, a transmission rod, and a restraining member. The transmission sleeve engages with the drive member. The transmission sleeve has a female thread. The transmission rod is positioned within the transmission sleeve and engages with a movable member. The transmission rod has a male thread that meshes with the female thread of the transmission sleeve. The restraining member restrains the rotation of the transmission rod. The drive member drives the transmission sleeve to rotate, and the transmission sleeve drives the transmission rod to move through the interaction between the female and male threads.

[0019] In one embodiment, when the drive member drives the transmission sleeve to rotate in a first direction, the transmission sleeve drives the transmission rod to move out of the transmission sleeve.

[0020] In one embodiment, when the drive member drives the transmission sleeve to rotate in a second direction, the transmission sleeve drives the transmission rod to move within the transmission sleeve. The first direction is opposite to the second direction.

[0021] In one embodiment, the transmission rod has a first limiting surface, the restraining member has a through hole formed therein, the through hole has a second limiting surface, the end of the transmission rod passes through the through hole, and the restraining member restrains the rotation of the transmission rod by the first limiting surface and the second limiting surface.

[0022] In one embodiment, the drive mechanism further comprises a screw nut embedded in the transmission sleeve, and the female thread is provided by the screw nut.

[0023] In one embodiment, the drive member includes a transmission portion that is removably engaged with a transmission sleeve.

[0024] As described above, in order to realize automatic injection of a drug, the tubular injection device of the present invention drives a movable member to move relative to a drug storage member by using a drive mechanism. Therefore, the user does not need to pull or push the movable member to move it by manual operation. Therefore, the tubular injection device of the present invention enables automatic injection of a drug with minimal manual operation, thereby improving the injection operation and ensuring the safety of injection by minimizing human error. In one embodiment, the tubular injection device of the present invention may include an adapter for loading a drug container so that, by operating the drive mechanism, the transfer of the drug solution from the drug container to the drug storage member can be automatically performed. Therefore, the tubular injection device of the present invention provides an automatic operation in place of the manual operation of transferring the drug from the drug container to the tubular injection device, enabling self-administration by the general public.

[0025] These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art without any doubt upon reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments shown in the various figures and drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0026] [Figure 1] [[ID=X]]A perspective view showing a tubular injection device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] A cross-sectional view showing the tubular injection device. [Figure 3] A cross-sectional view showing a movable member moving toward the injection member. [Figure 4] A perspective view showing the drive mechanism. <U+ [Figure 5] An exploded view showing the drive mechanism. [Figure 6] A cross-sectional view showing a tubular injection device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] An exploded cross-sectional view showing the tubular injection device. [Figure 8] An exploded view showing the drive mechanism. [Figure 9] A cross-sectional view showing a tubular injection device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10]This is an exploded cross-sectional view showing a tubular injection device. [Figure 11] This is a cross-sectional view showing a tubular injection device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] This is a cross-sectional view showing a tubular injection device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] This is a cross-sectional view showing a tubular injection device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0027] Referring to Figures 1 to 5, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a tubular injection device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the tubular injection device 1, Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a movable member 14 that moves toward the injection member 12, Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the drive mechanism 16, and Figure 5 is an exploded view showing the drive mechanism 16.

[0028] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the tubular injection device 1, having a proximal end E1 and a distal end E2, comprises a drug-containing member 10, an injection member 12, a movable member 14, a drive mechanism 16, a first shell 18, and a second shell 20. The first shell 18 and the second shell 20 are assembled to house the drug-containing member 10, the movable member 14, and the drive mechanism 16. That is, the drug-containing member 10, the movable member 14, and the drive mechanism 16 are housed in a chamber formed by the first shell 18 and the second shell 20. In this embodiment, the injection member 12, the drug-containing member 10, the movable member 14, and the drive mechanism 16 can be arranged along the longitudinal axis LA of the tubular injection device 1 to form a handheld syringe, allowing the user to easily hold the tubular injection device 1 and perform the injection procedure.

[0029] The injection member 12 is positioned at the proximal end E1 of the tubular injection device 1 and is in fluid communication with the drug containment member 10. The movable member 14 is movably positioned within the drug containment member 10. In this embodiment, the injection member 12 may be an injection needle, and the drug containment member 10 may be a syringe, cartridge, etc. For example, the drug containment member 10 may be a cartridge, and the injection member 12 may be a pen needle detachably positioned at the proximal end E1 of the tubular injection device 1. The movable member 14 may be, but is not limited to, a plunger.

[0030] The drive mechanism 16 comprises a drive member 160, a transmission sleeve 162, a transmission rod 164, and a restraining member 166. The drive member 160 is located at the distal end E2 of the tubular injection device 1. In this embodiment, the drive member 160 may be a motor or the like. The transmission sleeve 162 is engaged with the drive member 160 so that the drive member 160 can be driven to rotate the transmission sleeve 162. The transmission rod 164 is located inside the transmission sleeve 162 and engages with the movable member 14. Furthermore, the transmission sleeve 162 has a female thread 1620, and the transmission rod 164 has a male thread 1640 that meshes with the female thread 1620 of the transmission sleeve 162. As a result, the transmission sleeve 162 can be driven to move the transmission rod 164 by interaction between the female thread 1620 and the male thread 1640, and the transmission rod 164 can be driven to move the movable member 14 relative to the drug container 10.

[0031] In this embodiment, the drive mechanism 16 may further comprise a threaded nut 168 embedded in the transmission sleeve 162, and a female thread 1620 may be provided to the threaded nut 168. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, in other embodiments, the female thread 1620 may be formed on the inner wall of the transmission sleeve 162 so that the threaded nut 168 can be omitted. When the female thread 1620 is formed on the inner wall of the transmission sleeve 162, the length of the female thread 1620 may be less than or equal to the length of the transmission sleeve 162, but this depends on the actual application.

[0032] The restraining member 166 is configured to restrain the rotation of the transmission rod 164. In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the transmission rod 164 may have a first restricting surface 1642, and the restraining member 166 may be formed with a through hole 1660, the through hole 1660 may have a second restricting surface 1662. The end of the transmission rod 164 passes through the through hole 1660 of the restraining member 166 so that the restraining member 166 can restrain the rotation of the transmission rod 164 by the first restricting surface 1642 and the second restricting surface 1662. In this embodiment, the restraining member 166 may include a flange 1664. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the flange 1664 may be sandwiched between the first shell 18 and the second shell 20 to restrain the rotation and movement of the restraining member 166. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, in another embodiment, the restraining member 166 may be fixed by a mechanical fixing method such as engagement, so that the flange 1664 may be omitted.

[0033] As shown in Figure 3, when the drive member 160 drives the transmission sleeve 162 to rotate in a first direction D1 (for example, the output shaft of the drive member 160 rotates counterclockwise), the transmission rod 164 may be driven by the transmission sleeve 162 to move linearly toward the proximal end E1 of the tubular injection device 1, and then to drive the movable member 14 toward the injection member 12. As shown in Figure 2, when the drive member 160 drives the transmission sleeve 162 to rotate in a second direction D2 (for example, the output shaft of the drive member 160 rotates clockwise), the transmission rod 164 may be driven by the transmission sleeve 162 to move linearly away from the proximal end E1 of the tubular injection device 1, and then to drive the movable member 14 toward the injection member 12. The first direction D1 is opposite to the second direction D2. In other words, the first direction D1 may be counterclockwise and the second direction D2 may be clockwise, or the first direction D1 may be clockwise and the second direction D2 may be counterclockwise. Therefore, in order to achieve automatic drug injection, the tubular injection device 1 of the present invention uses a drive mechanism 16 to drive the movable member 14 to move relative to the drug containment member 10. Therefore, the user does not need to pull or push the movable member 14 to move it manually.

[0034] Referring to Figures 6 to 8, Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a tubular injection device 2 according to one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 7 is an exploded cross-sectional view showing the tubular injection device 2, and Figure 8 is an exploded view showing the drive mechanism 16.

[0035] The main difference between the tubular injection device 2 and the tubular injection device 1 is that, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, the tubular injection device 2 further comprises a third shell 22. In this embodiment, the first shell 18 and the second shell 20 are assembled to house the drug containment member 10, the movable member 14, the transmission sleeve 162, the transmission rod 164, and the restraining member 166, with the flange 1664 of the restraining member 166 also sandwiched between the first shell 18 and the second shell 20. The drive member 160 is housed in the third shell 22. The third shell 22 is detachably connected to the second shell 20, and the drive member 160 comprises a transmission portion 1600 detachably connected to the transmission sleeve 162. As shown in Figure 8, the transmission portion 1600 may have a first engagement structure 1602 and the transmission sleeve 162 may have a second engagement structure 1622, so that the transmission portion 1600 can be detachably connected to the transmission sleeve 162 by engaging the first engagement structure 1602 with the second engagement structure 1622. Therefore, as shown in Figure 7, the third shell 22 having the drive member 160 can be removed from the second shell 20 after injection.

[0036] In this embodiment, the first shell 18 and the second shell 20 may be assembled to form a first chamber C1 for housing the drug-containing member 10, the movable member 14, the transmission sleeve 162, the transmission rod 164, and the restraining member 166, and the third shell 22 may form a second chamber C2 for housing the drive member 160. Thus, as shown in Figure 7, the second chamber C2 may be removed from the first chamber C1 after injection. The first chamber C1 with its associated components may be disposable after injection, and the second chamber C2 with its associated components may be disposable or reusable after injection.

[0037] Referring to Figures 9 and 10, Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view showing a tubular injection device 3 according to one embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 10 is an exploded cross-sectional view showing the tubular injection device 3.

[0038] The main difference between the tubular injection device 3 and the tubular injection device 1 is that, as shown in Figures 9 and 10, the drive mechanism 16 of the tubular injection device 3 is housed in the second shell 20. In this embodiment, the second shell 20 is detachably connected to the first shell 18, and the transmission rod 164 is detachably connected to the movable member 14. Furthermore, the restraining member 166 can be fixed to the second shell 20 by engagement or other mechanical fastening method, so that the flange 1664 can be omitted.

[0039] In this embodiment, the first shell 18 may form a first chamber C1 that houses the drug-containing member 10 and the movable member 14, and the second shell 20 may form a second chamber C2 that houses the drive mechanism 16. Therefore, as shown in Figure 10, the second chamber C2 may be removed from the first chamber C1 after injection. The first chamber C1 with its associated components may be disposable after injection, and the second chamber C2 with its associated components may be disposable or reusable after injection.

[0040] Referring to Figure 11, Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a tubular injection device 4 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] The main difference between the tubular injection device 4 and the aforementioned tubular injection device 2 is that, as shown in Figure 11, the tubular injection device 4 further includes a cap 40. The cap 40 is configured to cover the first shell 18 and the injection member 12. It should be noted that the cap 40 can also be applied to the aforementioned tubular injection devices 1 and 3.

[0042] Referring to Figure 12, Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view showing a tubular injection device 5 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] The main difference between the tubular injection device 5 and the aforementioned tubular injection device 2 is that, as shown in Figure 12, the tubular injection device 5 further comprises an adapter 50. The adapter 50 is configured to be assembled to the first shell 18. When a user wishes to use the tubular injection device 5 to perform an injection procedure, the user loads a drug container 7 (e.g., a vial) into the adapter 50, as shown in Figure 12. In this embodiment, the adapter 50 may comprise a sleeve portion 500 for holding the drug container 7. Furthermore, the sleeve portion 500 may be transparent or include a window, allowing the user to inspect the drug container 7 loaded into the adapter 50 and the drug solution inside the drug container 7.

[0044] When the drug container 7 is loaded into the adapter 50, the injection member 12 enters the drug container 7. The user can then operate the drive mechanism 16 to move the movable member 14 to transfer the drug solution from the drug container 7 through the injection member 12 to the drug storage member 10. It should be noted that the adapter 50 can also be applied to the tubular injection devices 1 and 3 described above.

[0045] Referring to Figure 13, Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a tubular injection device 6 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] The main difference between the tubular injection device 6 and the tubular injection device 2 described above is that, as shown in Figure 13, the drug-containing member 10 and the injection member 12 of the tubular injection device 6 are combined to form a pre-filled syringe 60. The injection member 12 extends out of the proximal end E1 of the tubular injection device 6 for injection. It should be noted that the pre-filled syringe 60 can also be applied to the tubular injection devices 1 and 3 described above.

[0047] As described above, the tubular injection device of the present invention uses a drive mechanism to drive a movable member to move relative to a drug-containing member in order to achieve automatic drug injection. Therefore, the user does not need to pull or push the movable member to move it by manual operation. Thus, the tubular injection device of the present invention enables automatic drug injection with minimal manual operation, thereby improving injection operation and ensuring injection safety by minimizing human error. In one embodiment, the tubular injection device of the present invention may be equipped with an adapter for loading a drug container so that the drug solution can be automatically transferred from the drug container to the drug-containing member by activating the drive mechanism. Thus, the tubular injection device of the present invention provides an automated operation that replaces the manual operation of transferring the drug from the drug container to the tubular injection device, which enables self-administration by the general public.

[0048] Those skilled in the art will readily understand that many modifications and changes can be made to the apparatus and method while retaining the teachings of the present invention. Therefore, the above disclosure should be construed as being limited only to the scope of the appended claims. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0049] [Patent Document 1] TW202110499(A) [Patent Document 2] TW202027806(A) [Patent Document 3] TW202330048(A) [Patent Document 4] US2023 / 0248917(A1) [Patent Document 5] EP2586478(B1) [Patent Document 6] US2011 / 0224622(A1) [Patent Document 7] US2012 / 0209208(A1) [Patent Document 8] US2013 / 0030384(A1)

Claims

1. A tubular injection device having a proximal end and a distal end: Drug containment member; An injection member positioned at the proximal end and in fluid communication with the drug-containing member; A movable member movably disposed in the drug-containing member; and A drive mechanism: A drive member positioned at the distal end; A transmission sleeve that engages with the drive member, the transmission sleeve having an internal thread; A transmission rod disposed in the transmission sleeve and engaging with the movable member, the transmission rod having a male thread that meshes with the female thread of the transmission sleeve; and A restraining member for restraining the rotation of the transmission rod; Equipped with a drive mechanism; The drive member rotates the transmission sleeve, the transmission sleeve drives the transmission rod to move through the interaction between the female screw and the male screw, and the transmission rod drives the movable member to move relative to the drug-containing member. Tubular injection device.

2. When the drive member drives the transmission sleeve to rotate in the first direction, the transmission rod moves linearly toward the proximal end, driving the movable member toward the injection member. The tubular injection device according to claim 1.

3. When the drive member rotates the transmission sleeve in the second direction, the transmission rod drives the movable member to move away from the injection member, and the first direction is opposite to the second direction. The tubular injection device according to claim 2.

4. The transmission rod has a first limiting surface, the restraining member has a through hole formed therein, the through hole has a second limiting surface, the end of the transmission rod passes through the through hole, and the restraining member restrains the rotation of the transmission rod by the first limiting surface and the second limiting surface. The tubular injection device according to claim 1.

5. The drive mechanism further comprises a screw nut embedded in the transmission sleeve, and the female thread is provided by the screw nut. The tubular injection device according to claim 1.

6. The first shell is further comprising the drug-containing member which is housed in the first shell. The tubular injection device according to claim 1.

7. The first and second shells are assembled to house the drug containment member and the drive mechanism, and the restraint member comprises a flange, the flange being sandwiched between the first and second shells. The tubular injection device according to claim 6.

8. The present invention further comprises a second shell and a third shell, wherein the first and second shells are assembled to house the drug containment member, the transmission sleeve, the transmission rod, and the restraint member, the restraint member comprising a flange, the flange being sandwiched between the first and second shells, the third shell being detachably connected to the second shell, the drive member being housed in the third shell, and the drive member comprising a transmission portion detachably connected to the transmission sleeve. The tubular injection device according to claim 6.

9. The device further comprises a second shell, the drive mechanism is housed in the second shell, the second shell is detachably connected to the first shell, and the transmission rod is detachably connected to the movable member. The tubular injection device according to claim 6.

10. The first shell is further comprising a cap configured to cover the first shell, The tubular injection device according to claim 6.

11. The first shell further comprises an adapter configured to be assembled to the first shell, and when a drug container is loaded into the adapter, the injection member enters the drug container. The tubular injection device according to claim 6.

12. The drug-containing member is a cartridge, and the injection member is a pen needle detachably disposed at the proximal end of the tubular injection device. The tubular injection device according to claim 1.

13. The drug-containing member and the injection member are assembled to form a pre-filled syringe, and the injection member extends outside the proximal end of the tubular injection device. The tubular injection device according to claim 1.

14. The injection member, the drug containment member, the movable member, and the drive mechanism are arranged along the longitudinal axis of the tubular injection device to form a handheld syringe. The tubular injection device according to claim 1.

15. Driving member; A transmission sleeve engaged with the drive member, the transmission sleeve having an internal thread; A transmission rod disposed within the transmission sleeve and engaged with a movable member, the transmission rod having a male thread that meshes with the female thread of the transmission sleeve; and A restraining member for restraining the rotation of the transmission rod; The drive member drives the transmission sleeve to rotate, and the transmission sleeve drives the transmission rod to move through the interaction between the female screw and the male screw. Drive mechanism.

16. When the drive member drives the transmission sleeve to rotate in the first direction, the transmission sleeve drives the transmission rod to move out of the transmission sleeve. The drive mechanism according to claim 15.

17. When the drive member drives the transmission sleeve to rotate in the second direction, the transmission sleeve drives the transmission rod to move within the transmission sleeve, and the first direction is opposite to the second direction. The drive mechanism according to claim 16.

18. The transmission rod has a first limiting surface, the restraining member has a through hole formed therein, the through hole has a second limiting surface, the end of the transmission rod passes through the through hole, and the restraining member restrains the rotation of the transmission rod by the first limiting surface and the second limiting surface. The drive mechanism according to claim 15.

19. The drive mechanism further comprises a screw nut embedded in the transmission sleeve, and the female thread is provided by the screw nut. The drive mechanism according to claim 15.

20. The drive member comprises a transmission portion that removably engages with the transmission sleeve, The drive mechanism according to claim 15.

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