Syringe needle blow-off device and injection test system

Abstract

An exemplary syringe needle blow-off device includes a positioning plate having a first side configured to contact the syringe and a second side opposite the first side, and a blow-off nozzle adjacent the second side of the positioning plate, the blow-off nozzle comprising a gas inlet configured to be coupled to a gas source, a gas channel coupled to the gas inlet, and a gas outlet configured to direct gas from the gas channel toward the syringe needle location, at least a portion of the gas outlet being defined by a portion of the second side of the positioning plate.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] [Related Applications] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 488,053, entitled "INJECTION NEEDLE BLOWOFF APPARATUS AND INJECTION TESTING SYSTEMS," filed March 2, 2023, and U.S. Patent Application No. 18 / 588,683, entitled "INJECTION NEEDLE BLOWOFF APPARATUS AND INJECTION TESTING SYSTEMS," filed February 27, 2024. The entirety of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 488,053 and U.S. Patent Application No. 18 / 588,683 are expressly incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates generally to testing injection devices, and more particularly to a needle blow-off device and injection testing system. [Background technology]

[0003] The injection testing system can test one or more aspects of an injection device, including an auto-injector, for aspects such as cap removal force, plunger actuation force, injection depth, needle retraction, and / or delivered dose. Summary of the Invention

[0004] A syringe needle blow-off device and syringe test system is disclosed, as more fully set forth in the claims, substantially as shown in and described with reference to at least one of the drawings.

[0005] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will be better understood when the following detailed description is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters represent like parts throughout. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary injection test system for performing testing of an injection device, according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0007] [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary injection test system including a needle blow-off device, according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0008] [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a front view of an exemplary embodiment of the elements of the injection test system of FIG. 2.

[0009] [Figure 4A] 4 is a perspective view of the exemplary needle blow-off device of FIG. 3 including a positioning plate and a blow-off nozzle. [Figure 4B] 4 is a perspective view of the exemplary needle blow-off device of FIG. 3 including a positioning plate and a blow-off nozzle.

[0010] [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the exemplary needle blow-off device of FIG. 3.

[0011] [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a side view of the exemplary needle blow-off device of FIG. 3.

[0012] [Figure 7] 7 is a cross-sectional view of the exemplary needle blow-off device of FIG. 6.

[0013] [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the exemplary blow-off nozzle of FIG. 3.

[0014] [Figure 9] 3 is a flowchart representing example machine-readable instructions that may be executed to implement the injection test system of FIG. 2 for performing measurements on a syringe. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] The drawings are not necessarily to scale. Where appropriate, like or identical reference numbers are used to refer to like or identical components.

[0016] A needle testing device for measuring a dose delivered by a needle, particularly an auto-injector, includes a flask or other container positioned to capture and measure fluid expelled from the needle. To accurately measure the expelled fluid, the needle testing device may include a blow-off or other method for separating the final amount of expelled fluid, which may tend to remain attached to the needle due to fluid adhesion. Conventional needle testing devices may involve complex and / or expensive manufacturing processes to achieve the desired blow-off gas flow, or may not provide preferred blow-off gas flow characteristics.

[0017] Additionally, conventional needle test devices blow off a significant amount of gas to remove the last droplets. In some cases, the blow-off gas can cause evaporation of the trapped fluid contents, which can reduce the accuracy of the measurement of the released fluid.

[0018] The disclosed exemplary needle blow-off devices and injection test systems provide superior blow-off gas flow characteristics, including support for a variety of needle lengths and gas velocities, with simpler and less expensive manufacturing techniques. Some exemplary needle blow-off devices and injection test systems are capable of blowing smaller needle lengths than conventional needle test devices, for example, by using grooves in the positioning plate to reduce the effective thickness of the positioning plate and / or by directing the blow-off gas within the plate grooves to impinge on the needle closer to the positioning plate.

[0019] Some disclosed exemplary needle blow-off devices and injection test systems deliver one or more pulses of gas to the blow-off nozzle and, therefore, to the needle. The pulses of gas effectively remove the last droplets from the needle while reducing or eliminating evaporation of excess fluid from the last droplets or collected fluid. The disclosed exemplary needle blow-off devices and injection test systems may also increase the likelihood that the last droplets will be collected by the collection vessel, rather than being blown out of the vessel as with conventional needle test devices.

[0020] An exemplary syringe needle blow-off device is disclosed that includes a positioning plate having a first side configured to contact a syringe and a second side opposite the first side, and a blow-off nozzle adjacent the second side of the positioning plate, the blow-off nozzle comprising: a gas inlet configured to be coupled to a gas source; a gas channel coupled to the gas inlet; and a gas outlet configured to direct gas from the gas channel toward the syringe needle location, at least a portion of the gas outlet being defined by a portion of the second side of the positioning plate.

[0021] In some exemplary needle blow-off devices, the blow-off nozzle is configured to have an adjustable distance from the syringe along a plane of the second side of the positioning plate. In some exemplary needle blow-off devices, the gas outlet comprises at least one wall oriented at an angle away from the second side of the positioning plate in the direction of gas flow. In some exemplary needle blow-off devices, a cross-sectional area of ​​the gas outlet increases with increasing distance from the gas channel.

[0022] In some exemplary needle blow-off devices, the positioning plate includes a positioning plate having an opening extending from a first side of the positioning plate to a second side of the positioning plate. In some exemplary needle blow-off devices, the blow-off nozzle is positioned on the first side of the opening, and the device further includes a second blow-off nozzle positioned on the second side of the opening. In some exemplary needle blow-off devices, the second blow-off nozzle includes a second gas inlet configured to be coupled to a gas source, a second gas channel coupled to the second gas inlet, and a second gas outlet configured to direct gas from the second gas channel toward the location of the syringe needle, at least a portion of the second gas outlet being defined by the second side of the positioning plate.

[0023] In some exemplary needle blow-off devices, the opening has at least one dimension smaller than a corresponding dimension of the syringe body. In some exemplary needle blow-off devices, the blow-off nozzle comprises a body at least partially defining a gas channel and a gas outlet. In some exemplary needle blow-off devices, the gas channel is at least partially enclosed by a positioning plate.

[0024] Some example needle blow-off devices further include a gas source coupled to the gas inlet and a gas flow controller configured to control the supply of gas to the gas inlet to provide two or more pulses of gas. In some example needle blow-off devices, the gas channel has a first cross-sectional area, the gas outlet has a second cross-sectional area greater than the first cross-sectional area, and the gas outlet is configured to direct the gas at least partially away from the second side of the positioning plate.

[0025] In some exemplary needle blow-off devices, the second side of the positioning plate includes a plate groove recessed from the second side, and at least a portion of the gas outlet is defined by the plate groove. In some exemplary needle blow-off devices, at least a portion of the gas channel is defined by the plate groove.

[0026] An exemplary syringe needle blow-off device is disclosed that includes a positioning plate having a first side configured to contact the syringe and a second side opposite the first side, a blow-off nozzle adjacent the second side of the positioning plate and configured to direct gas received via the gas inlet toward the location of the syringe needle, and a gas flow controller configured to control delivery of gas to the gas outlet to provide a pulse of gas.

[0027] In some exemplary needle blow-off devices, the pulse of gas comprises a burst of gas of a predetermined duration. Some exemplary needle blow-off devices include a second blow-off nozzle, and the gas source is configured to supply gas to the second blow-off nozzle in pulses of gas. Some exemplary needle blow-off devices include a gas source configured to simultaneously supply pulses of gas to the blow-off nozzle and the second blow-off nozzle. Some exemplary needle blow-off devices include a collection container configured to collect contents expelled from the syringe.

[0028] In some exemplary needle blow-off devices, the gas flow controller is configured to determine whether droplets are present on the needle after delivery of gas to the blow-off nozzle, adjust parameters of the delivery of gas to the blow-off nozzle to adjust the pulse of gas when droplets are still present on the needle after delivery of gas, and control the second delivery of gas to the blow-off nozzle to provide a second pulse of gas. In some exemplary needle blow-off devices, the delivery parameters include at least one of a gas pulse duration, a gas pressure, a pulse gas flow rate, or a time between gas pulses.

[0029] An exemplary disclosed syringe needle testing system includes a positioning plate having a first side configured to contact a syringe and a second side opposite the first side; a syringe positioner configured to position the syringe in contact with the first side of the positioning plate; a syringe actuator configured to actuate the syringe to expel the contents of the syringe through the syringe needle; and a blow-off nozzle adjacent the second side of the positioning plate, the blow-off nozzle comprising a gas inlet configured to be coupled to a gas source, a gas channel coupled to the gas inlet, and a gas outlet configured to direct gas from the gas channel toward the syringe needle position, at least a portion of the gas outlet being defined by a portion of the second side of the positioning plate.

[0030] 1 illustrates an example injection test system 100 for performing tests on an injection device, such as an auto-injector 102. The example injection test system 100 may be configured to perform some or all of the tests to evaluate the requirements of the ISO 11608-5 standard, for example. The example injection test system 100 may be, for example, a general-purpose test system configured for injection testing.

[0031] 1 includes positioning device(s) (e.g., to position the auto-injector 102 in one or more positions and / or orientations for automated testing), actuator(s) (e.g., to actuate components of the auto-injector 102, actuate the positioning device(s), position and / or orient a test device, etc.), and / or sensors that measure aspects of the auto-injector 102 during testing (e.g., load sensors that measure actuation force(s), audio sensors that detect audible events, mass scales that measure ejection amounts, displacement and / or position sensors that initiate test steps and / or measure displacement of components of the auto-injector 102, etc.). The example injection test system 100 further includes one or more user interface devices, such as displays 104a, 104b and input devices 106.

[0032] 2 is a block diagram of an example injection test system 200 including a needle blow-off device. The example injection test system 200 can be used to implement some or all of the components of the injection test system 100 of FIG.

[0033] The exemplary injection test system 200 includes a syringe positioner 202, a syringe actuator 204, an injection collector 206, and control circuitry 208. The syringe positioner 202 positions and / or orients a syringe 210 (e.g., an auto-injector) for one or more tests in the injection test system 200. For example, the syringe positioner 202 may grip the syringe 210 and move and / or rotate the syringe 210 for testing. The position of the syringe positioner 202 and / or the syringe 210 may be measured by one or more displacement sensors 212, which provide displacement and / or position information to the control circuitry 208.

[0034] The syringe actuator 204 actuates one or more aspects of the syringe 210, such as the plunger or other injection mechanism of the syringe 210. The force applied by the syringe actuator 204 can be measured by a force sensor 214, which provides a force measurement to the control circuitry 208.

[0035] The syringe collector 206 includes a mounting surface (e.g., a positioning plate 216), a blow-off nozzle 218, and a collection reservoir 220. The collection reservoir 220 and syringe 210 are positioned such that actuation of the syringe 210 to release fluid contained within the syringe 210 releases the fluid into the collection reservoir 220. A collection sensor 222 measures the mass and / or volume collected in the collection reservoir 220 and provides the mass or volume measurement to the control circuitry 208.

[0036] The positioning plate 216 allows the needle 224 of the syringe 210 to extend therethrough toward the collection container 220. The positioning plate 216 can block the body 225 of the syringe 210 from extending therethrough using an opening appropriately sized for the needle 224 and the body 225 of the syringe 210. To test for delivery of the contained fluid, the syringe positioner 202 can position the syringe 210 so that it contacts or abuts the positioning plate 216, with the needle 224 extending through the opening in the positioning plate 216. Once the syringe 210 is positioned, the syringe 210 can be actuated (e.g., manually or automatically via the syringe actuator 204) to expel the contents of the syringe 210 into the collection container 220.

[0037] While the examples disclosed herein use the positioning plate 216 as a loading surface, other examples may use a different type of loading surface such that the syringe 210 can be actuated to expose the needle 224 to the loading surface and / or release the contents of the syringe 210 onto the loading surface. For example, a rod or other structural member may be used that contacts the body of the syringe 210 on the top (upper) side of the loading surface and is positioned so as not to obstruct the needle 224. In some such examples, the blow-off nozzle 218 may be coupled to or otherwise adjustably supported on another surface adjacent the underside of the loading surface and / or adjacent the location of the needle 224 within the syringe collector 206.

[0038] Upon completion of actuation of syringe 210, blow-off nozzle 218 is controlled to blow the last droplets of fluid from at or near the tip of the needle into collection container 220. Gas source 226 supplies a gas, such as nitrogen or air, to blow-off nozzle 218. Gas source 226 may be, for example, a compressed gas source, an air pressure pump, or a blower. Blow-off nozzle 218 may be positioned and / or oriented to adjust the location at which the blow-off gas strikes needle 224 and / or to strike needle 224 over various needle lengths.

[0039] The example control circuitry 208 can be a general-purpose computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, and / or any other type of processing system configured to communicate with the sensors and actuators of the injection test system 200. For example, the control circuitry 208 includes a processor 228, a memory 230, and a storage device 232. The example processor 228 can be any general-purpose central processing unit (CPU) from any manufacturer. In some other examples, the processor 228 may include one or more special-purpose processing units, such as a RISC processor with an ARM core, a graphics processing unit, a digital signal processor, and / or a system-on-a-chip (SoC). The processor 228 executes machine-readable instructions 234, which can be stored locally in the processor (e.g., in an associated cache or within the SoC), in memory (e.g., random access memory or other volatile memory, read-only memory or other non-volatile memory such as flash memory), and / or in the storage device 232. The example storage device 232 can be a hard drive, a solid-state storage drive, a hybrid drive, a RAID array, and / or any other mass data storage device.

[0040] Figure 3 is a front view of one exemplary embodiment of the exemplary syringe collector 206 of Figure 2. The syringe collector 206 includes a housing 302 within which are disposed a positioning plate 216, a blow-off nozzle 218, and a mass scale 304 (e.g., collection sensor 222 of Figure 2). Figures 4A and 4B are perspective views of the exemplary needle blow-off device of Figure 3, including the positioning plate 216 and the blow-off nozzle 218. Figure 5 is a bottom view of the exemplary needle blow-off device, and Figure 6 is a side view of the exemplary needle blow-off device of Figure 3.

[0041] Positioning plate 216 is positioned below the top of housing 302 so that the top surface of positioning plate 216 is accessible through housing 302 by syringe 210. Positioning plate 216 is coupled to housing 302 and may be interchanged with other positioning plates for testing different types of syringes (e.g., having different needle lengths and different body dimensions). Interchanging positioning plates 216 and attached blow-off nozzles 218 can allow for faster changes to accommodate different testing procedures for different syringes.

[0042] The blow-off nozzles 218 are coupled to a bottom surface 308 of the positioning plate 216 on either side of the opening 306 in the positioning plate 216. The needle 224 of the syringe 210 extends through the opening 306 and protrudes into the bottom side of the positioning plate 216. When the syringe 210 is actuated, fluid is expelled from the needle 224 into the collection container 220 (e.g., positioned on the mass scale 304 below the needle 224).

[0043] 6, at the end of fluid ejection, the last remaining amount of fluid tends to adhere to needle 224 in the form of droplets 602. After actuation is complete, control circuitry 208 controls gas source 226 and / or blow-off nozzle 218 (e.g., via a valve or other control device) to blow gas 604 toward needle 224 and remove droplets 602 into collection container 220.

[0044] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the exemplary syringe needle blow-off device of Figure 6. As shown in Figure 7, the exemplary blow-off nozzles 218 each include a gas inlet 702 that is coupled to the gas source 226 via a hose or other connection. As shown in Figure 7, the blow-off nozzles 218 also include a gas outlet 704 that directs gas received via the corresponding gas inlet 702 toward the location of the needle 224.

[0045] The gas inlets 702 are coupled to respective gas outlets 704 via respective gas channels 706. Each gas channel 706 is implemented in part by a passage through a body 708 of a corresponding blow-off nozzle 218. The gas inlets 702 may be implemented using a hose connector that connects to the body 708 to provide fluid communication.

[0046] In the illustrated example, the gas channel 706 is at least partially surrounded by one or more surfaces of the positioning plate 216. Figure 8 is a perspective view of the body 708 of the example blow-off nozzle of Figure 3. As shown in Figure 8, the top surface 802 of the body 708 faces the bottom surface 308 of the positioning plate 216 when the body 708 is attached to the positioning plate 216. When the body 708 is attached to the positioning plate 216, the open side of the gas channel 706 is directly adjacent to a portion of the bottom surface 308 of the positioning plate 216, which covers the open side of the gas channel 706 and provides an enclosure for the gas channel 706.

[0047] In some other examples, a portion of the gas channels 706 in the body 708 is surrounded by a surface of the body 708 .

[0048] Although the blow-off nozzle 218 shown in Figures 4A-7 is shown as having separate gas inlets, gas channels, and gas outlets, in some examples, two or more blow-off nozzles may be implemented using shared gas inlets and / or at least partially shared gas channels, such as a manifold having multiple gas outlets.

[0049] 8, the body 708 includes a protrusion 804. The protrusion 804 is configured (e.g., machined) to fit into the plate channel 310 (see FIG. 5) in the bottom surface 308 of the positioning plate 216 when the body 708 is attached to the bottom surface 308 of the positioning plate 216. The protrusion 804 and the plate channel 310 align the gas outlet 704 with the opening 306 and / or needle 224. The width difference between the protrusion 804 and the plate channel 310 can be selected such that the width of the gas outlet 704 directs the gas 604 toward the opening 306 and / or needle 224 regardless of any lateral offset between the protrusion 804 and the plate channel 310.

[0050] The plate channels 310 can have a depth that defines the effective thickness of the positioning plate 216 at the opening, and consequently, the lower limit of the needle length that can be effectively sprayed. In the example of Figures 6 and 7, the plate channels 310 at least partially define the gas outlets 704 and / or gas channels 706, which allows the gas 604 to impinge on the needles 224 closer to the bottom surface 308 of the positioning plate 216. As a result, the plate channels 310 can be used as part of the gas outlets 704 to effectively spray shorter needle lengths.

[0051] The body 708 includes slots 806 that align with fastener attachment points (e.g., threaded holes) for fastening the body 708 to the bottom surface 308 of the positioning plate 216. For example, screws, clips, cam locks, and / or other fasteners can be inserted into the slots 806 and engage with the corresponding fastener attachment points. In other examples, the positioning plate 216 can include similar slots or through-holes to allow the body 708 to be attached to the housing 302 or to an intervening structure between the positioning plate 216 and the housing 302. The illustrated slot 806 is elongated to allow the position of the blow-off nozzle 218 to be adjusted without removing the fasteners.

[0052] 7 directs the gas 604 at least partially away from the bottom surface of the positioning plate 316. For example, the gas outlets 704 can each include at least one wall 710 oriented at an angle away from the bottom surface 308 in the direction of gas flow (e.g., in a direction leading away from the gas channel 706). The angled wall(s) 710 can be part of the body 708 and / or part of the positioning plate 216 (e.g., within the plate channel 310). For example, the plate channel 310 can include a wall or ramp that angles the gas 604 from the gas outlet 704 in a desired direction (e.g., outward from the plate channel 310 toward the needle 224). The cross-sectional area of ​​the gas outlets 704 also increases as the distance from the gas channel 706 increases (e.g., in the direction of gas flow). In other examples, the cross-sectional area of ​​the gas outlet 704 can decrease as the distance from the gas channel 706 increases, for example, by providing a taper, ramp, or other angled surface from the plate channel 310 without a similar angled surface at the gas outlet 704.

[0053] The gas outlet 704 directs the gas 604 over the length of the needle 224 so that adjustment over a predetermined range of needle lengths is not required. The blow-off nozzle 218 can have an adjustable distance from the opening 306 and / or needle 224 (e.g., toward and away from the opening 306 of the positioning plate 216) along the plane of the bottom surface 308 of the positioning plate 216 (e.g., in a plane perpendicular to the needle 224, parallel to the bottom surface 308 of the positioning plate 216 and / or in the direction of the plate channel 310). For example, the slot 806 can allow for small amounts of adjustment and / or the slot 806 can be aligned with different attachment points to provide greater adjustment.

[0054] The example gas source 226 can be configured to provide a continuous stream of gas 604 for a predetermined duration to remove the last droplets from the needle 224. In another example, the control circuitry 208 controls the gas source 226 to provide one or more shorter pulses of gas to the blow-off nozzle 218 to remove the last droplets. The pulses can be formed as bursts of gas at higher pressure and / or flow rate separated by durations of lower or zero pressure or flow rate. The pulses of gas can be at least a threshold gas pressure, at least a threshold gas flow rate, and / or less than a threshold duration, and / or can be separated by at least a threshold duration.

[0055] The pulses of gas can be generated or controlled by controlling the delivery of gas to the gas inlet 702 and / or by controlling the delivery of gas to the gas outlet 704. For example, the gas source 226 can be controlled to control the output of gas, and / or valves can be positioned between the gas source 226 and the gas inlet 702 and / or between the gas inlet 702 and the gas outlet 704 and controllable to control the formation of the pulses of gas.

[0056] 2 may further comprise a gas flow controller 240 that controls the delivery of gas from the gas supply 226 to the gas inlet 702 of the blow-off nozzle 218. For example, the gas flow controller 240 may control valves, solenoids, and / or other gas flow control devices of the gas supply 226 to enable, block, and / or regulate the flow of gas. Additionally or alternatively, the gas flow controller 240 may control the gas supply 226 (e.g., by controlling a gas regulator) to adjust the gas pressure and / or gas flow rate delivered by the gas supply 226 to the gas inlet 702. The gas flow controller 240 and / or the gas supply 226 may comprise any suitable type of electrical and / or mechanical device for controlling the delivery and / or pressure and / or flow rate of the gas 604.

[0057] In some examples, the control circuitry 208 and / or gas flow controller 240 can use sensor feedback (e.g., image analysis and / or object detection using the image sensor 236) to determine when the last droplet has been removed. While the last droplet is still being detected by the needle 224, the control circuitry 208 and / or gas flow controller 240 controls the gas source 226 to provide an additional pulse of gas 604. In some such examples, the control circuitry 208 and / or gas flow controller 240 can adjust parameters of the pulse, such as increasing or decreasing the duration (e.g., pulse duration or constant gas duration), increasing or decreasing the time between pulses, and / or increasing or decreasing the gas pressure and / or flow rate.

[0058] The gas flow controller 240 can be implemented using any type of analog and / or digital control circuitry, such as a general-purpose processor, an application-specific processor, a programmable logic device, discrete circuitry, and / or any other circuit implementation. Additionally or alternatively, the gas flow controller 240 may use a mechanical control to control the gas source 226.

[0059] In some examples, the gas flow controller 240 adjusts the pressure, flow rate, and / or duration of the pulse of gas based on one or more properties of the fluid contained in the syringe 210. For example, the gas flow controller 240 can receive information describing the contents, viscosity, viscosity, and / or other properties to determine the pressure, flow rate, and / or duration of the gas pulse. Lower pressures, flow rates, and / or durations (e.g., pressures between 10 PSI and 20 PSI, durations less than 0.5 seconds) can be used for fluids with lower viscosities, while greater pressures and / or durations (e.g., pressures between 15 PSI and 25 PSI, durations up to 1.5 seconds) can be used for fluids with higher viscosities.

[0060] The gas flow controller 240 can control pulses of gas to be delivered to multiple blow-off nozzles 218 simultaneously or at different (eg, alternating or cyclical) times.

[0061] Although the example gas outlet 704, the example gas channel 706, and the example plate channel 310 are shown as having flat and / or angled surfaces, in other examples, any of the surfaces defining the gas outlet 704, the example gas channel 706, and / or the example plate channel 310 may be curved or rounded.

[0062] 9 is a flowchart depicting example machine-readable instructions 900 that may be executed to implement the injection test system 200 of FIG. 2 to perform measurements on the syringe 210. For example, the instructions 900 may be stored in the memory 230 or the storage device 232 and executed by the processor 228 to control the injection test system 200. The instructions 900 may be used in conjunction with other tests or measurements that the injection test system 200 performs on the syringe 210.

[0063] In block 902, control circuitry 208 (e.g., processor 228) controls syringe positioner 202 to position syringe 210 for actuation. For example, syringe positioner 202 may move the body of syringe 210 near or into contact with positioning plate 216 so that the needle is oriented to extend through opening 306.

[0064] In block 904, the control circuitry 208 controls the syringe actuator 204 to actuate the syringe 210. For example, the syringe actuator 204 may actuate a plunger or other actuator to cause the syringe 210 to expel or eject the contents of the syringe 210.

[0065] In block 906, the control circuitry 208 determines whether the syringe actuation is complete. For example, the syringe actuator 204 may actuate the syringe 210 a predetermined distance and / or to a predetermined force (e.g., based on force sensor feedback). If the syringe actuation is not complete (block 906), control returns to block 904 to continue the actuation.

[0066] When actuation of the syringe is complete (block 906), in block 908, the control circuitry 208 and / or gas flow controller 240 controls the gas source 226 to provide one or more pulses of gas to one or more blow-off nozzles 218. The pulses of gas can have a defined duration, pressure, and / or flow rate and are separated by periods of no gas or reduced gas pressure or flow rate compared to the pulses of gas.

[0067] In block 910, the control circuitry 208 determines whether needle blow-off is complete. For example, the control circuitry 208 can determine whether a target number of gas pulses have been delivered and / or can use feedback to determine whether the last droplets of fluid remain in the needle 224. If needle blow-off is not complete (block 910), control returns to block 908 to deliver one or more additional pulses of gas.

[0068] When needle blow-off is complete (block 910), in block 912, the control circuitry 208 measures the mass of fluid expelled via the collection sensor 222. The control circuitry 208 can store, display, report, and / or perform other actions on the measured amount.

[0069] The example instruction 900 then ends.

[0070] In the example shown, there are two blow-off nozzles on either side of the needle, but in other examples there may be a single blow-off nozzle, or three or more blow-off nozzles.

[0071] The methods and systems can be implemented in hardware, software, and / or a combination of hardware and software. The methods and / or systems can be implemented centrally in at least one computing system, or distributed, with different elements distributed across several interconnected computing systems. Any type of computing system or other device adapted to perform the methods described herein is suitable. A typical combination of hardware and software can include a general-purpose computing system, along with a program or other code that, when loaded and executed, controls the computing system to perform the methods described herein. Another typical embodiment can include an application-specific integrated circuit or chip. Some embodiments can include a non-transitory machine-readable (e.g., computer-readable) medium (e.g., a flash drive, optical disk, magnetic storage disk, etc.) that stores one or more lines of machine-executable code, thereby causing the machine to perform a process as described herein. As used herein, the term "non-transitory machine-readable medium" is defined to include all types of machine-readable storage media and to exclude propagating signals.

[0072] As used herein, the terms "circuit" and "circuitry" refer to physical electronic components (i.e., hardware) and any software and / or firmware ("code") that can comprise, be executed by, and / or otherwise be associated with hardware. As used herein, for example, a particular processor and memory can include a first "circuit" when executing a first one or more lines of code, and can include a second "circuit" when executing a second one or more lines of code. As used herein, "and / or" refers to any one or more of the items in the list connected by "and / or." As an example, "x and / or y" refers to any element of the triplet {(x), (y), (x, y)}. In other words, "x and / or y" means "one or both of x and y." As another example, "x, y, and / or z" means any element of the seven-element set {(x), (y), (z), (x,y), (x,z), (y,z), (x,y,z)}. In other words, "x, y, and / or z" means "one or more of x, y, and z." As used herein, the term "exemplary" means serving as a non-limiting example, instance, or illustration. As used herein, the term "for example" begins a list of one or more non-limiting examples, instances, or illustrations. As used herein, circuitry is "operable" to perform a function whenever it includes the necessary hardware and code (if either is necessary) to perform that function, regardless of whether implementation of that function is disabled or enabled (e.g., by a user-configurable setting, factory trim, etc.).

[0073] Although the present method and / or system has been described with reference to certain specific embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that various modifications and equivalent substitutions may be made without departing from the scope of the present method and / or system. For example, blocks and / or components of the disclosed examples may be combined, divided, rearranged, and / or otherwise modified. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the present disclosure without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present method and / or system is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed. Instead, the present method and / or system includes all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims, both literally and under the doctrine of equivalents.

Claims

1. 1. A syringe needle blow-off device, comprising: a positioning plate having a first side configured to contact the syringe and having a second side opposite the first side; a blow-off nozzle adjacent the second side of the positioning plate, a gas inlet configured to be coupled to a gas source; a gas channel coupled to the gas inlet; a gas outlet configured to direct gas from the gas channel toward a syringe needle location, at least a portion of the gas outlet being defined by a portion of the second side of the positioning plate; a blow-off nozzle comprising:

1. A syringe needle blow-off device comprising:

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

3. 10. The needle blow-off device of claim 1, wherein the gas outlet comprises at least one wall oriented at an angle away from the second side of the positioning plate in the direction of gas flow.

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

5. 10. The needle blow-off device of claim 1, wherein the locating plate comprises a locating plate having an opening extending from a first side of the locating plate to a second side of the locating plate.

6. 6. The needle blow-off device of claim 5, wherein the blow-off nozzle is positioned on a first side of the opening, and the needle blow-off device further comprises a second blow-off nozzle positioned on a second side of the opening.

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

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

9. 10. The needle blow-off device of claim 1, wherein the blow-off nozzle comprises a body at least partially defining the gas channel and the gas outlet.

10. 10. The needle blow-off device of claim 9, wherein the gas channel is at least partially surrounded by the positioning plate.

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

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

13. 13. The needle blow-off device of claim 12, wherein at least a portion of the gas channel is defined by the plate groove.

14. 1. A syringe needle blow-off device, comprising: a positioning plate having a first side configured to contact the syringe and having a second side opposite the first side; a blow-off nozzle adjacent the second side of the positioning plate configured to direct gas received via a gas inlet toward a needle location of the syringe; a gas flow controller configured to control delivery of the gas to the blow-off nozzle to provide pulses of gas; 1. A syringe needle blow-off device comprising:

15. 15. The needle blow-off device of claim 14, wherein the pulse of gas comprises a burst of gas of a predetermined duration.

16. 15. The needle blow-off device of claim 14, further comprising a second blow-off nozzle, the gas source configured to supply the gas in pulses of gas to the blow-off nozzle and the second blow-off nozzle simultaneously.

17. The gas flow controller determining whether a droplet is present on the needle after the delivery of the gas to the blow-off nozzle; adjusting parameters of the delivery of the gas to the blow-off nozzle to adjust the pulse of gas when the droplet is still present on the needle after the delivery of the gas; controlling a second delivery of the gas to the blow-off nozzle to provide a second pulse of gas; 15. The needle blow-off device of claim 14 configured to:

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

19. 15. The needle blow-off device of claim 14, wherein the gas source is configured to simultaneously supply pulses of gas to the blow-off nozzle and the second blow-off nozzle.

20. 1. A needle testing system comprising: a positioning plate having a first side configured to contact the syringe and having a second side opposite the first side; a syringe positioner configured to position the syringe into contact with the first side of the positioning plate; a syringe actuator configured to actuate the syringe to expel the contents of the syringe through the needle of the syringe; a blow-off nozzle adjacent the second side of the positioning plate, a gas inlet configured to be coupled to a gas source; a gas channel coupled to the gas inlet; a gas outlet configured to direct gas from the gas channel toward a location of the needle of the syringe, at least a portion of the gas outlet being defined by a portion of the second side of the positioning plate; a blow-off nozzle comprising:

1. A syringe needle testing system comprising:

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