Microneedle cartridge

Abstract

A needle cartridge for a microneedling pen that is designed to distort or to become irreversibly damaged when removed from the microneedling pen is described. The needle cartridge includes one or more locking clips that are designed to lock the needle cartridge into a predetermined position when the needle cartridge is attached to a body of the microneedling pen, and the locking clips are further designed to break apart from the needle cartridge when the needle cartridge is removed from the body of the microneedling pen.

Description

Title of the InventionMICRONEEDLE CARTRIDGECross-Reference to Prior Applications

[0001] The present application does not claim priority to any previously filed patent application(s).Federally Sponsored Research and Development

[0002] Not applicable.Joint Research Agreement

[0003] Not applicable.Reference to a "Sequence Listing", a Table, or a Computer Program Listing Appendix Submitted on a Compact Disc and an Incorporation by Reference of the Material on the Compact Disc.

[0004] Not applicable.Statement Regarding Prior Disclosures by an Inventor or Joint Inventor

[0005] Not applicable.Background of the Invention(1) Field of the Invention

[0006] The presently-disclosed subject matter relates to a microneedle cartridge that may be used in a variety of applications, such as in a microneedling pen for stimulating collagen.(2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98

[0007] Dermatological microneedling pens are designed to allow the user to repeatedly puncture the skin with tiny, sterile needles. The microneedling pens usually comprise a handpiece and a needle cartridge. Typically, the microneedles are affixed to a disc attached to the handpiece. Under ideal conditions, after a single treatment with the microneedling pen, the needle cartridge is detached from the handpiece and discarded in order to prevent contamination between applications and / or to prevent contamination between patients.

[0008] The needle cartridges are normally reversibly attached to the handpiece of the microneedling pen, commonly using screw threads. This allows for the easy attachment and removal of the needle cartridge by allowing the user to simply screw the needle cartridge into position on the handpiece and then to unscrew the needle cartridge after use. However, when the needle cartridge is removed from the handpiece, the threads remain intact so the cartridge may be re-attached to the handpiece at a later time and reused.

[0009] Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a disposable needle cartridge that can be easily attached to the microneedling pen's handpiece for a first use, but that becomes distorted or damaged during removal from the handpiece to prevent subsequent uses of the needle cartridge. The present disclosure provides such solutions.Summary of the Present Invention

[0010] The present development is a needle cartridge for a microneedling pen that is designed to distort or to become irreversibly damaged when removed from the microneedling pen. In anembodiment, the needle cartridge includes one or more locking clips that are designed to lock the needle cartridge into a predetermined position when the needle cartridge is attached to a body or handpiece of the microneedling pen, and the locking clips are further designed to break apart from the needle cartridge when the needle cartridge is removed from the body of the microneedling pen.Brief Description of the Figures

[0011] FIG. 1A is a bottom and front perspective view of a needle cartridge for a microneedling pen made according to the present invention, FIG. IB is a bottom and front perspective view and FIG. 1C is a top and back perspective view of the needle cartridge of FIG. 1A with the housing shown in shadow;

[0012] FIG. 2A is a bottom and back perspective view, FIG. 2B is a front view and FIG. 2C is a side view, of the housing of the needle cartridge and plunger of FIG. 1A, FIG. 2D is a top and front perspective view of the shoulder of the housing of the needle cartridge of FIG. 1A including a locking clip and an aligner, FIG. 2E is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 2C along line B-B, FIG. 2F is a cross-sectional perspective view of FIG. 2B along line A-A, FIG. 2G is an enlarged view of the shoulder and locking clips of FIG. 2E, and FIG. 2H is an enlarged view of the shoulder and aligner of FIG. 2F;

[0013] FIG. 3A is a front elevation view and FIG. 3B is a side elevation view of the plunger of the needle cartridge of FIG. 1A;

[0014] FIG. 4A is a front view, FIG. 4B is a side view, and FIG. 4C is a top view of the needle cartridge of FIG. 1A with the housing and plunger shown in shadow, and FIG. 4D is a cross-sectional view of the needle chamber of FIG. 4C along line C-C;

[0015] FIG. 5 is a side view of the seal of FIG. 1A with a plurality of microneedles;

[0016] FIG. 6A is a top and front perspective view and FIG. 6B is a bottom and front perspective view of the chamber body of the microneedling pen of FIG. 1A;

[0017] FIG. 7A is a front exploded view and FIG. 7B is a side exploded view of the needle chamber and plunger of the needle cartridge of FIG. 1A with the housing shown in shadow; and,

[0018] FIG. 8 is a front perspective view of the needle cartridge of FIG. 1A inserted into a microneedling pen.Detailed Description of the Present Development

[0019] The present development is a needle cartridge for a microneedling pen wherein the needle cartridge is designed to distort or to become irreversibly damaged when removed from the microneedling pen. Because the needle cartridge becomes damaged when the cartridge is removed the from microneedling pen, the needle cartridge cannot be reinserted into the microneedling pen, thereby preventing reuse of a previously used needle cartridge and reducing the risk of contamination and / or infection to the user.

[0020] A first embodiment of a needle cartridge made according to the present inventions is shown in FIGs 1 -8. The details of one or more embodiments of the presently-disclosed subject matter are set forth in this document. Modifications to embodiments described in this document, and other embodiments, will be evident to those of ordinary skill in the art after a study of the information provided in this document. The information provided in this document, and particularly the specific details of the described embodiments, is provided primarily for clearness of understanding and no unnecessary limitations are to be understood therefrom. In case of conflict, the specification of this document, including definitions, will control.

[0021] As used herein, the term "microneedle" refers to a tiny needle intended to penetrate and perforate a user's skin outer layers. As used herein, the term "tiny needle" refers to a needle having a length no greater than 5 mm and a needle gauge no larger than 31 gauge. As used herein, the term "microneedling pen" or "pen" is a device comprising a handpiece and at least one microneedle wherein the microneedle is accessible to perforate the skin's outer layers.

[0022] Referring to FIGs. 1A - 1C and 8, the needle cartridge 10 comprises a housing 12, at least one plunger 20, and a needle chamber 30. The housing 12 protects the needle chamber 30 and plunger 20, and provides the means for attaching the needle cartridge 10 to the microneedling pen 90. Theexterior design of the housing 12 may vary as desired by the user and may include indicia or other ornamentation.

[0023] As shown in FIGs. 2A - 2H, the housing 12 includes a body 14, a neck 16, and at least one locking clip 50. The body 14 is designed to house the needle chamber 30. The neck 16 is designed to provide an entry port for the plunger 20. Although not required to perform as intended, the body 14 and neck 16 usually have a circular cross-sectional configuration and the diameter of the body 14 is larger than the diameter of the neck 16. The body 14 connects to the neck 16 with a shoulder 15.

[0024] At least one locking clip 50 is positioned on the shoulder 15. The locking clip 50 extends away from the body 14 essentially parallel to the neck 16, and is designed to engage with a complementary latch (not shown) positioned within the microneedling pen to secure the needle cartridge 10 in position during use. In one embodiment, a pair of locking clips 50', 50" are securely mounted on the shoulder 15 such that the locking clips are on opposite sides of the neck 16. As shown in FIG. 2H, each locking clip 50 is affixed to the shoulder 15 of the housing 12 such that a first channel 55 is formed between the locking clip 50 and the housing neck 16.

[0025] Referring to FIGs. 2D - 2G, the locking clip 50 comprises a hook 52, a body 54, and a leg section 56. The body 54 defines a bottom 54b and a hook end 54t. The leg section 56 defines a base 56b and a top 56t. The leg base 56b is affixed to the shoulder 15 of the housing 12, the leg top 56t is affixed to the body bottom 54b, and the hook 52 is affixed to the body hook end 54t. The leg defines a thickness Ti and the body defines a thickness T2. In an exemplary embodiment, T2 is equal to or greater than Ti. As used herein, the term "hook" is intended to include any structural element that can interact with a complementary feature on the microneedling pen to securely hold the needle cartridge 10 in the microneedling pen during a dermatological treatment procedure. For example, without limitation, "hook" may include a curved shaped projection, an angled projection, a knob, a nub, a wedge, a peg, a clasp, or other similar structures.

[0026] Optionally, the leg section 56 forms at least two legs 56', 56" with a gap 58 between each pair of legs, as shown in FIG. 2D. The legs 56', 56" connect the body 54, and the hook 52, to theshoulder 15, and the gap 58 is formed between the legs 56', 56". Without being bound by theory, it is believed that the presence of the gap 58 weakens the leg section 56, thereby allowing the locking clip 50 to separate more easily from the shoulder 15 when the needle cartridge 10 is removed from the microneedling pen. It is anticipated that the leg section may include more than two legs, and that there will be a gap between each neighboring pair of legs. As used herein, a "neighboring pair of legs" are any leg - gap - leg configuration, and expressly includes allowing for counting a given leg as part of multiple neighboring pairs. For example, Leg A - Gap AB - Leg B - Gap BC - Leg C has two neighboring pairs of legs: Leg A - Gap AB - Leg B and Leg B - Gap BC - Leg C. It is further anticipated that each leg will define a width, and that the width may vary as necessary to ensure that the leg will separate from the housing when the needle cartridge is removed from the microneedling pen.

[0027] Optionally, the leg base 56b is beveled or thinned where the leg section 56 attaches to the shoulder 15, such as shown in FIG. 2D. The beveling results in an attachment leg section thickness, i.e. the point of attachment between the leg section and the shoulder, being thinner than the leg section thickness Ti. Without being bound by theory, it is believed that beveling the attachment point of the leg section 56 allows the locking clip 50 to separate more easily from the shoulder 15 when the needle cartridge 10 is removed from the microneedling pen. The beveled leg section may be used in combination with the gap 58.

[0028] Optionally, at least one aligner 60 may be positioned on the shoulder 15. The aligner 60 extends away from the body 14 essentially parallel to the neck 16, and is designed to engage with a void (not shown) positioned within the microneedling pen to orient the needle cartridge 10 within the microneedling pen and to minimize rotation of the needle cartridge 10 relative to the microneedling pen during use. In the embodiment shown herein, the aligner 60 is separate from the locking clip 50, i.e., the locking clip 50 is not attached to or otherwise stabilized by the aligner 60, to allow the locking clip to easily separate from the housing 12. However, it is anticipated that the locking clip 50 could be positioned on or integrated into the aligner 60, provided that the locking clip 50 can easily separate from the housing 12 when the needle cartridge 10 is removed from the microneedling pen. Further,the aligner 60 should not include any elements or protuberances that would cause the aligner 60 to latch onto any part of the microneedling pen or secure the needle cartridge 10 within the microneedling pen. In a representative embodiment, the aligner 60 has a saddle contour with raised front 62' and rear 62" segments and a depressed center segment 64, although the specific design of the aligner 60 may vary depending on the requirements of the microneedling pen.

[0029] The plunger 20, shown in FIGs. 3A - 3B, comprises a shaft 22 and defines a top 20t and a bottom 20b. Along the shaft 22 near the plunger bottom 20b, the plunger 20 comprises a pair of knobs 24', 24". The knobs are positioned at approximately a 180° angle relative to each other, i.e., the knobs are directly across from each other with the shaft 20 located between the knobs.

[0030] As shown in FIGs. 4A - 6B, the needle chamber 30 comprises a chamber body 40, a seal 32, and at least one microneedle 34. As shown in FIGs. 4D and 5, the seal 32 defines a top 32t and a bottom 32b. The specific shape of the seal 32 may vary, but the seal 32 should fit securely into and be tightly retained in the chamber body 40. A representative alignment of the seal 32 and the chamber body 40 is shown in the cross-sectional view of the needle chamber 30 in FIG. 4D. The seal 32 is adapted to receive and retain the microneedles 34 such that the needles protrude from the seal bottom 32b. Each microneedle 34 defines a tip 33 and a base 35, and each needle is preferably positioned within the seal 32 such that the base 35 is held within the seal 32 and the tip 33 extends away from the seal base 32b.

[0031] The chamber body 40, shown in FIGs. 6A - 7B, has a plunger end 42 and a cavity end 44. The plunger end 42 has a top face 46 and sidewalls 48. The plunger end 42 is configured to fit within the housing body 14 and is adapted to receive and retain the plunger knobs 24', 24". In a representative embodiment, the top face 46 has a slit or opening 47 to receive the bottom end of the plunger shaft 22 and the sidewalls 48 have openings 49', 49" to engage the plunger knobs 24', 24". The sidewall openings 49', 49" should be sized to ensure that when the plunger knobs 24', 24" are engaged with the openings 49', 49", the plunger knobs 24', 24" are essentially locked into position.FIGs. 7A and 7B show an example arrangement of the plunger 20, chamber body 40, seal 32 and microneedles 34 in the housing 12.

[0032] As shown in FIGs. 7A and 7B, the needle chamber 30 is positioned within the housing body 14 with the plunger end 42 facing the shoulders 15. The plunger 20 is inserted through the neck 16 and connects to the needle chamber 30 with the plunger knobs 24', 24" engaged with the sidewall openings 49', 49". The microneedles 34 extend from the housing 14 opposite the plunger 20.

[0033] To use the needle cartridge 10 for a microneedling procedure, the needle cartridge 10 is inserted into a microneedling pen chamber with the needle cartridge housing 12 in direct contact with the microneedling pen. The needle cartridge housing 12 is locked into position within the microneedling pen by the locking clip(s) 50 located on the shoulder 15 of the housing. The microneedles 34 are exposed by exerting pressure on the plunger 20. After use, the needle cartridge 10 is removed by pulling the cartridge 10 from the microneedling pen. As the needle cartridge 10 is removed, the locking clips 50 break apart from the needle cartridge housing 12. Without the locking clips, the needle cartridge cannot be secured in the microneedling pen for a second use, thereby preventing reuse of a previously used needle cartridge and reducing the risk of contamination and / or infection to the user.

[0034] Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the presently disclosed subject matter pertains. All patents, patent applications, published applications and publications, databases, websites and other published materials referred to throughout the entire disclosure herein, unless noted otherwise, are incorporated by reference in their entirety. Representative methods, devices, and materials are described herein, but are not intended to be limiting unless so noted.

[0035] The terms "a", "an", and "the" refer to "one or more" when used in the subject specification, including the claims. Thus, for example, reference to "a locking clip" includes a plurality of such locking clips, and so forth.

[0036] Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing quantities of components, conditions, and otherwise used in the specification and claims are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term "about". Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in the instant specification and attached claims are approximations that can vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by the presently disclosed subject matter.

[0037] As used herein, the term "about", when referring to a value or to an amount of mass, weight, time, volume, concentration, or percentage can encompass variations of, in some embodiments ± 20%, in some embodiments ± 10%, in some embodiments ± 5%, in some embodiments ± 1%, in some embodiments ± 0.5%, and in some embodiments to ± 0.1%, from the specified amount, as such variations are appropriate in the disclosed application.

[0038] It is understood that, in light of a reading of the foregoing description, those with ordinary skill in the art will be able to make changes and modifications to the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, as defined herein. For example, those skilled in the art may substitute materials supplied by different manufacturers than specified herein without altering the scope of the present invention.

Claims

ClaimsWhat is claimed is:Claim 1. A needle cartridge for a microneedling pen wherein the needle cartridge is irreversibly damaged when removed from the microneedling pen.Claim 2. The needle cartridge of claim 1 wherein the needle cartridge is irreversibly damaged by breaking locking clips from the needle cartridge.Claim 3. The needle cartridge of claim 2 wherein the needle cartridge includes a housing, and the locking clip comprises a hook, a body, and a leg section, and wherein the leg section is attached to the needle cartridge housing, and the locking clip separates from the needle cartridge by the leg section breaking from the housing.Claim 4. A needle cartridge for a microneedling pen comprising a housing, at least one plunger, and a needle chamber, wherein the housing is irreversibly damaged when removed from the microneedling pen.Claim 5. The needle cartridge of claim 4 wherein the housing comprises at least one locking clip for attaching the needle cartridge to the microneedling pen.Claim 6. The needle cartridge of claim 5 wherein the locking clip comprises a hook, a body, and a leg section, and wherein the leg section attaches the locking clip to the housing.Claim 7. The needle cartridge of claim 6 wherein the body defines a first end and a second end, and the hook is attached to the body's first end and the leg section is attached to the body's second end.Claim 8. The needle cartridge of claim 6 wherein the leg section comprises at least two legs and a gap between each pair of legs.Claim 9. The needle cartridge of claim 6 wherein the leg section is beveled where the leg section attaches to the housing.Claim 10. A method of preventing reuse of a needle cartridge for a microneedling pen by providing a needle cartridge that is irreversibly damaged when removed from the microneedling pen.Claim 11. The method of claim 10 wherein the needle cartridge is irreversibly damaged by breaking locking clips from the needle cartridge.

Images