Claims for Patent: 7,731,690

Summary for Patent: 7,731,690

Title:	Devices, systems and methods for medicament delivery
Abstract:	An apparatus includes a housing, a medicament container, an actuator, and a biasing member. The actuator is configured to move the medicament container within the housing when the actuator is moved from a first configuration to a second configuration. The actuator includes a gas container and a puncturer. When the actuator is in the first configuration, a portion of the puncturer is disposed apart from the gas container. When the actuator is in the second configuration, the portion of the puncturer is disposed within the gas container. The gas container has a longitudinal axis offset from a longitudinal axis of the medicament container. The biasing member is configured to bias the actuator toward the second configuration.
Inventor(s):	Edwards; Eric Shawn (Midlothian, VA), Edwards; Evan Thomas (Gordonsville, VA)
Assignee:	Intelliject, Inc. (Richmond, VA)
Application Number:	12/138,987
Patent Claims:	1. An apparatus, comprising: a housing; a medicament container movably disposed within the housing; and an actuator disposed within the housing, the actuator configured to move the medicament container within the housing when the actuator is moved from a first configuration to a second configuration, the actuator including: a gas container configured to contain a compressed gas, the gas container having a longitudinal axis offset from a longitudinal axis of the medicament container; a puncturer, a portion of the puncturer being disposed apart from the gas container when the actuator is in the first configuration, the portion being disposed within the gas container when the actuator is in the second configuration; an actuation member that moves within the housing to move the actuator from the first configuration to the second configuration; and a biasing member in contact with the actuation member, the biasing member urging the actuator toward the second configuration. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the actuation member includes a retention portion configured to engage the housing to limit movement of the actuation member. 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the longitudinal axis of the gas container is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the medicament container. 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the biasing member has a contracted configuration and an expanded configuration, the biasing member configured to move the actuation member from a first position to a second position when the biasing member moves from the contracted configuration to the expanded configuration. 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the housing defines a gas chamber adjacent the medicament container; and the actuator is configured to release a portion of the compressed gas contained in the gas container into the gas chamber when the actuator is in the second configuration. 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the gas container is movably disposed within the housing such that when the actuator moves from the first configuration to the second configuration the gas container is moved within the housing from a first position to a second position. 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the gas container is movably disposed within the housing such that when the actuator moves from the first configuration to the second configuration the gas container is moved within the housing from a first position to a second position; and the biasing member is in contact with the gas container. 8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the medicament container is configured to move in a first direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the medicament container; and the gas container is movably disposed within the housing such that when the actuator moves from the first configuration to the second configuration the gas container is moved in a second direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the gas container, the second direction substantially parallel to the first direction, the second direction opposite the first direction. 9. An apparatus, comprising: a housing; a medicament container movably disposed within the housing; a gas container disposed within the housing, the gas container configured to produce a force to move the medicament container in a first direction within the housing when the gas container is actuated; an actuation member at least partially disposed within the housing, the actuation member configured to move in a second direction opposite the first direction to actuate the gas container, a portion of a puncturer being disposed within the gas container when the gas container is actuated; and a biasing member in contact with the actuation member, the biasing member urging the actuation member toward the second direction. 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the actuation member includes a retention portion configured to engage the housing to limit movement of the actuation member. 11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the gas container moves within the housing from a first position to a second position when the gas container is actuated. 12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein: the gas container is movably disposed within the housing such that the gas container is moved within the housing from a first position to a second position when the gas container is actuated; and the biasing member is in contact with the gas container such that the gas container is biased toward the second position. 13. An apparatus, comprising: a housing; a medicament container movably disposed within the housing; a gas container configured to contain a compressed gas; an actuator disposed within the housing, the actuator configured to move the medicament container in a first direction within the housing when the actuator moves from a first configuration to a second configuration, the actuator including: a puncturer, a portion of the puncturer being disposed apart from the gas container when the actuator is in the first configuration, the portion of the puncturer being disposed within the gas container when the actuator is in the second configuration; a release member configured to move the actuator from the first configuration to the second configuration when the release member is moved within the housing in a second direction, the second direction different from the first direction; and a biasing member that urges the release member toward the second direction. 14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein a longitudinal axis of the gas container is offset from a longitudinal axis of the medicament container when the actuator is in the second configuration. 15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the second direction is substantially parallel to and opposite the first direction. 16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the gas container is movably disposed within the housing such that when the actuator moves from the first configuration to the second configuration the gas container is moved relative to the housing from a first position to a second position. 17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the medicament container moves within the housing in a first direction when the actuator is moved from the first configuration to the second configuration; and the actuation member moves within in the housing in a second direction opposite the first direction. 18. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein a longitudinal axis of the medicament container is offset from a longitudinal axis of the actuation member. 19. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising: a safety lock movably coupled to a distal end portion of the housing, the safety lock configured to engage a portion of the actuation member to limit movement of the actuation member. 20. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the actuation member is a first actuation member having a retention portion configured to engage the housing to limit movement of the first actuation member, the apparatus further comprising: a second actuation member coupled to the distal end portion of the housing, a portion of the second actuation member configured to engage the retention portion of the first actuation member to disengage the retention portion from the portion of the housing when the second actuation member is moved relative to the distal end portion of the housing.