Injection system

Abstract

DEPCT6920 / 03 / 2569 Injection systems for the treatment of human or animal bodies, which include injection devices (10). Having at least one filling port (18) for filling fluid for treatment, the filling port (18) is open into In the nozzle (20) and connected to the pressure system for creating pressure for the fluid in the filling chamber. In such a way that a stream of fluid capable of penetrating the skin (24) is injected from a nozzle (20), where the system Includes at least one alternative delivery device (26,28) for delivery. The treatment fluid, and the nozzle (20) of the injection device are integrated into the adapter (30) which can Connect to the matching adapter (32) of at least one of the following alternative delivery devices (26,28);

Description

[0001] INJECTION SYSTEM

[0002] BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The invention relates to an injection system for treatment of the human or animal body, comprising an injector having at least one chamber for accommodating a treatment fluid, the chamber opening out into a nozzle and being connected to a pressurizing system for pressurizing the fluid in the camber such that a skinpenetrating jet is ejected from the nozzle.

[0004] WO 2018 / 115249 A1 discloses an injector of the type indicated above which takes the form of a hand-held injection gun having two nozzle heads arranged side-by- side and each comprising a liquid chamber with an associated nozzle. This injector has the advantage that two different treatment fluid such as vaccines or drugs may be administrated at a time.

[0005] While the document cited above discloses a needleless injection system, more conventional injection systems comprise a needle connected to a syringe body by means of a pair of standardized mating fittings. For example, the pair of fittings may be configured as a Luer-lock as has been described in US 2021135878 A1 .

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] It is an object of the invention to enhance the versatility of an injector of the type described above.

[0008] In order to achieve this object, the system according to the invention comprises at least one alternative administering device for administering treatment fluid, and the nozzle of the injector is integrated with an adapter that is connectable to a mating adapter of said at least one alternative administering device. The alternative administering device may for example be a needle or a spray nozzle. Thus, the injector that is originally designed for needleless injections may optionally be converted into an injector for administering the treatment liquid via a needle, if this mode of administration is deemed necessary or advantageous, or it may be used for administering the treatment liquid in the form of a spray to be applied oro-nasally to mammals. The conversion of the injector for alternative administration modes can be achieved simply by connecting the adapter of the alternative administering advice to the adapter that is integrated into the nozzle of the injector.

[0009] Useful details and further developments of the invention are indicated in the dependent claims.

[0010] The adapters of the alternative administering devices and the injector may be standardized fittings constituting for example a Luer fitting or a Luer-lock.

[0011] The injector may optionally be a twin-type injector of the type discussed above. Then, when spray nozzles are fitted to the nozzle heads of the injector, it is possible for example to simultaneously spray the treatment fluid into the two nostrils of a mammal.

[0012] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Embodiment examples will now be described in conjunction with the drawings, wherein:

[0014] Fig. 1 is a schematic view of an injection system according to the invention;

[0015] Figs. 2 to 4 are cross-sectional views of different embodiments of nozzle heads of an injector forming part of the injection system according to the invention;

[0016] Fig. 5 is a front view of an injector of an injection system according to another embodiment; and

[0017] Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the nozzle head of a conventional injector.

[0018] DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0019] An exemplary injection system is shown in Fig. 1 and comprises an injector 10 which may take the form of a hand-held injection gun having a body 12 and a nozzle head 14. A fluid cartridge 16 containing a treatment fluid such as a vaccine, a drug, a hormone or the like has been inserted in the body 12. Inside the body 12, the fluid cartridge 16 is connected to a fluid chamber 18 formed inside the nozzle head 14. The chamber 18 opens out into a nozzle 20. The body 12 accommodates a pressurizing system of any known type, e.g. a piston / cylinder unit with an associated drive mechanism, for pressurizing the fluid in the chamber 18. The pressurizing system may be actuated by pulling a trigger 22, with the result that a high pressure is created in the fluid in the chamber 18 and a jet 24 of the treatment fluid is jetted out from the nozzle 20. When the nozzle head 14 is applied to the skin of a patient or animal, the jet 24 will penetrate the skin, so that the treatment fluid can be administered with intra-dermally or intra-muscularly without the use of a needle.

[0020] The injection system further comprises a number of alternative administering devices which, may comprise a needle 26 and a spray nozzle 28 such as shown in the example. Other examples of alternative administering devices may be a device for intra-oral application, a device for venous administration, or administration devices for anal administration, intramammary administration, intranasal administration, and / or intraocular administration.

[0021] The injector further comprising an adapter that is integrated with the nozzle and is connectable to a mating adapter of an alternative administering device for administering the treatment fluid.

[0022] Preferably, the mating adaptor of the alternative administering device (26, 28) is a female adapter 32 by which the administering device can safely and reliably be connected to the nozzle 20, so that the treatment liquid will be introduced into the alternative administering device such as needle 26 and the spray nozzle 28. Preferably, the nozzle 20 is integrated in a complementary male adapter 30. Suitably the adaptor is a Luer-lock.

[0023] The nozzle 20 may be integrated in a male adapter 30. Preferably, the male adaptor is configured as a Luer-lock such as shown in this example. Each of the alternative administering devices 26, 28 has a complementary female adapter 32 by which the administering device can safely and reliably be connected to the nozzle 20, so that the treatment liquid will be introduced into the alternative administering device such as needle 26 and the spray nozzle 28.

[0024] The housing 12 of the injector shown in Fig. 1 as well as its internal parts may have the same design as in a conventional injector. An example nozzle head 34 of a conventional injector has been shown in cross-section in Fig. 6. This nozzle head has a cylindrical body 36 which forms the fluid chamber 18 and the nozzle 20. The walls of the fluid chamber 18 have an internal thread so that the body 36 may be screwed onto an external thread of a socket (not shown) that projects from the housing 12 and forms a supply line for feeding the treatment fluid into the chamber 18.

[0025] Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the nozzle head 14 of the injector 10 shown in Fig. 1 . The nozzle head 14 has the same body 36 as the conventional nozzle head 34 but additionally comprises an adapter 30. The adaptor 30 may be in the form of the male part of the Luer-lock. As is known in the art, the Luer-lock has an almost cylindrical but slightly conical fitting 38 (Luer cone) surrounded by an internally threaded sleeve 40. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 2, the male part of the luer- lock has been attached to the body 36 such that the projecting part of the nozzle 20 projects into the fitting 38 and tightly seals the proximal end of the fitting 38. The female adapters 32 each have a hollow cylindrical fitting with an internal surface that mates with the external surface of the fitting 38 of the male part. Radial projections 42 on the outer circumferential surface of the female adapters 32 can engage in the internal thread of the sleeve 40, whereby the alternative administering device (for example needle 26 or spray nozzle 28) is firmly secured to the nozzle head 14. When the pressurizing system is activated, the fluid ejected from the nozzle 20 will be introduced into the alternative administering device such as needle and spray nozzle without any risk of leakage.

[0026] Fig. 3 shows another embodiment of a nozzle head 14’ having a body 36’. The body 36’ has a top wall that includes the nozzle 20. This top wall has a larger thickness than the top wall of the body 36 in Fig. 2 and has a recess 44 that surrounds the fitting 38 and the nozzle 20 and forms the internal threads for the projections 42.

[0027] Fig. 4 shows a nozzle head 14” according to yet another embodiment which differs from the embodiment shown in Fig. 3 in that it has a body 36” with a top wall that is thinner than in Fig. 3. Accordingly, a fitting 38’ and a recess 44’ of this embodiment are shorter than in Fig. 3. The thickness of the top wall of the body 36” may be identical to the thickness of the top wall of the body 36 of the conventional nozzle head 34.

[0028] Suitable dimensions of fitting (38, 38’, 38”) or recess (44, 44’, 44”) are between 2.0 and 15.0 mm, preferably between 2.2 and 14.0 mm, preferably between 2.5 and 13.0 mm, preferably between 2.7 and 12.0 mm, preferably between 3.0 and 11.0 mm, preferably between 3.1 and 10.0 mm, preferably between 3.2 and 9.5 mm, preferably between 3.3 and 9.0 mm, preferably between 3.4 and 8.5 mm, preferably between 3.5 and 8.0 mm, preferably between 3.6 and 7.5 mm, preferably between 3.7 and 7.0 mm, preferably between 3.8 and 6.5 mm, preferably between 3.9 and 6.0 mm, preferably between 4.0 and 5.5 mm, preferably between 4.1 and 5.4 mm, preferably between 4.2 and 5.3 mm, preferably between 4.3 and 5.2 mm, preferably between 4.4 and 5.1 mm, preferably between 4.5 and 5.0 mm, preferably between 4.6 and 4.9 mm, preferably between 4.7 and 4.8 mm.

[0029] Suitable dimensions of fitting (38, 38’, 38”) or recess (44, 44’, 44”) are at least 2.0 mm, preferably at least 2.2 mm, preferably at least 2.5 mm, preferably at least 2.7 mm, preferably at least 3.0 mm preferably at least 3.1 mm, preferably at least 3.2 mm, preferably at least 3.3 mm, preferably at least 3.4 mm, preferably at least 3.5 mm, preferably at least 3.6 mm, preferably at least 3.7 mm, preferably at least 3.8 mm, preferably at least 3.9 mm, preferably at least 4.0 mm, preferably at least 4.1 mm, preferably at least 4.2 mm, preferably at least 4.3 mm, preferably at least 4.4 mm, preferably at least 4.5 mm, preferably at least 4.6 mm, preferably at least 4.7 mm.

[0030] Suitable dimensions of fitting (38, 38’, 38”) or recess (44, 44’, 44”) are less than 15.0 mm, preferably less than 14.0 mm, preferably less than 13.0 mm, preferably less than 12.0 mm, preferably less than 11.0 mm, preferably less than 10.0 mm, preferably less than 9.5 mm, preferably less than 9.0 mm, preferably less than 8.5 mm, preferably less than 8.0 mm, preferably less than 7.5 mm, preferably less than 7.0 mm, preferably less than 6.5 mm, preferably less than 6.0 mm, preferably less than 5.5 mm, preferably less than 5.4 mm, preferably less than 5.3 mm, preferably less than 5.2 mm, preferably less than 5.1 mm, preferably less than 5.0 mm, preferably less than 4.9 mm, preferably less than 4.8 mm.

[0031] Fig. 5 shows a front view of an injector 10’ having two nozzle heads 14 arranged side-by-side. The injector 10’ has two pressurizing systems, one for each nozzle head 14, that can operate independently of one another but can also be switched into a state in which both pressurizing systems are activated simultaneously by pulling the trigger 22.

Claims

DEPCT6920 / 03 / 25691. An injection system for the treatment of the human or animal body, which includes an injection device with at least one chamber for filling with therapeutic fluid, the chamber opens into a nozzle and is connected to a pressure-generating system for pressurizing the fluid in the chamber in such a way that a stream of fluid capable of penetrating the skin is injected from the nozzle, in which the system includes at least one optional delivery device for the delivery of the therapeutic fluid, and the nozzle of the injection device is integrated with an adapter capable of connecting to a matching adapter of at least one such optional delivery device.

2. A system according to claim 1, in which at least one of the optional delivery devices is a nebulizer.

3. A system according to claim 1, in which at least one of the optional delivery devices is a needle.

4. A system according to any of claims 1-3, in which the adapter of the injection device and the optional delivery device are arranged to form a Luer-fitting.5.

6. A system under one of Claims 1-4, in which the adapter of the injection device and the alternative delivery device are arranged to form a Luer-lock.

7. A system under Claims 5, in which the adapter of the nozzle is incorporated with a male Luer cone surrounded by an internally threaded sleeve, and both the Luer cone and the sleeve protrude from the wall of the body with the nozzle opening to the inside of the Luer cone.

8. A system under Claims 5 or 6, in which the adapter of the injection device has a Luer cone centrally positioned in an internally threaded groove of the body forming the nozzle.

9. A system under one of Claims 1-7, in which the injection device has more than one nozzle, each nozzle being connected to a fluid chamber and a pressure system.

10. An injection device for the treatment of human or animal bodies, incorporating at least one chamber for filling with therapeutic fluid, the chamber opening into a nozzle and connected to a pressure-generating system for pressurizing the fluid in the chamber in such a way that a fluid stream capable of penetrating the skin is injected from the nozzle; an injection device incorporating an adapter integrated into the nozzle and capable of connecting to an optional delivery adapter for the delivery of therapeutic fluid.

11. An injection device under either of Patents 9-10, in which the injection device adapter and the optional delivery adapter are arranged to form a Luer joint. 12.An injection device under claim 11, in which the injection adapter is incorporated with a male Luer cone surrounded by an internally threaded sleeve, and both the Luer cone and the sleeve protrude from the wall of the body with the nozzle opening to the inside of the Luer cone, where it is desirable that the injection adapter has the Luer cone centered in the internally threaded groove of the body forming the nozzle.

13. An injection device under one of claims 9-12, in which the injection device contains more than one of the nozzles, each of which is connected to a fluid chamber and a pressure system.

14. An injection device under one of claims 9-13, in which at least one of the alternative delivery devices is an atomizer or a needle.

Images