Claims for Patent: 7,918,823

Summary for Patent: 7,918,823

Title:	Devices, systems and methods for medicament delivery
Abstract:	Apparatuses for automatic medicament injection and methods for manufacturing automatic medicament injectors are described herein. In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a housing, a needle, an energy storage member, an actuator, a locking member, and a needle guard. The needle is configured to move between a first position and a second position. In its first position, the needle is contained within the housing. In its second position, at least a portion of the needle extends from the housing. The energy storage member has a first configuration and a second configuration and is configured to produce a force when moving between its first configuration and its second configuration to move the needle from its first position to its second position. The actuator is configured to move the energy storage member from its first configuration to its second configuration. The locking member is movably coupled to the distal end portion of the housing such that the locking member can be moved between a first position and a second position. In its first position, the locking member is configured to engage the actuator to prevent the actuator from moving the energy storage member to the second configuration. The needle guard is removably coupled to at least one of the distal end portion of the housing or a base movably coupled to the distal end portion of the housing.
Inventor(s):	Edwards; Eric Shawn (Midlothian, VA), Edwards; Evan Thomas (Fredericksburg, VA), Licata; Mark J. (Doswell, VA), Meyers; Paul F. (Fishers, IN)
Assignee:	Intelliject, Inc. (Richmond, VA)
Application Number:	12/688,314
Patent Claims:	1. An apparatus, comprising: a housing having a distal end portion and a proximal end portion; a needle configured to move between a first needle position and a second needle position, in the first needle position the needle is contained within the housing, in the second needle position at least a portion of the needle extends from the distal end portion of the housing; an energy storage member disposed within the housing, the energy storage member configured to produce a force to move the needle from the first needle position to the second needle position; an actuator including a first actuation member disposed within the housing and a second actuation member coupled to the distal end portion of the housing, the actuator configured to actuate the energy storage member when the first actuation member is moved within the housing; and a safety lock movably coupled to the distal end portion of the housing, the safety lock including a protrusion configured to extend through an opening defined by the second actuation member and engage a portion of the first actuation member to limit movement of the first actuation member. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the energy storage member has a first configuration and a second configuration, the energy storage member configured to produce the force when the energy storage member is in the second configuration; and the first actuation member is configured to move the energy storage member between the first configuration and the second configuration when the first actuation member is moved within the housing. 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the energy storage member is a pressurized gas container configured to produce the force when the pressurized gas container is in the second configuration, the apparatus further comprising: a puncturer having a portion disposed apart from the pressurized gas container when the pressurized gas container is in the first configuration, the portion being disposed within the pressurized gas container when the pressurized gas container is in the second configuration. 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a longitudinal axis of the energy storage member is offset from a longitudinal axis of the needle. 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the actuator is configured to actuate the energy storage member when the first actuation member is moved within the housing in a first direction; and the needle is configured to move in a second direction opposite the first direction when the needle is moved from the first needle position to the second needle position. 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the actuator is configured to actuate the energy storage member when the first actuation member is moved within the housing between a first actuator position and a second actuator position; and the actuator includes a biasing member configured to urge the first actuation member towards the second actuator position. 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the first actuation member includes a retention portion configured to engage a portion of the housing to limit movement of the first actuation member; and a portion of the second actuation member is configured 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. 8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the opening defined by the second actuation member is a first opening; and the safety lock includes a needle guard coupled to the safety lock, the needle guard configured to be disposed through a second opening defined by the second actuation member and about the needle. 9. An apparatus, comprising: a housing; a medicament injector movably disposed within the housing, the medicament injector including a medicament container and a needle; an energy storage member configured to produce a force to move the medicament injector to an injection position in which a portion of the needle is disposed outside of a distal end portion of the housing; an actuator coupled to the distal end portion of the housing, the actuator configured to actuate the energy storage member when the actuator is moved relative to the housing, the actuator including a surface defining a first opening and a second opening, a portion of the needle being disposed through the second opening when the medicament injector is in the injection position; and a safety lock configured to be movably coupled to the distal end portion of the housing, a portion of the safety lock configured to be disposed through the first opening to limit movement of the actuator relative to the housing. 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the surface of the actuator is a substantially planar surface configured to engage a body. 11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the safety lock includes a needle guard coupled to the safety lock and configured to be disposed through the second opening defined by the second actuation member and about the needle. 12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the energy storage member is a gas container configured to produce the force when a pressurized gas is released from the gas container. 13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein a longitudinal axis of the energy storage member is offset from a longitudinal axis of the medicament injector. 14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein: the actuator is configured to actuate the energy storage member when the actuator is moved in a first direction; and the medicament injector is configured to move in a second direction opposite the first direction when the medicament injector is moving toward the injection position. 15. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising: a release rod configured to move within the housing between a first position and a second position to actuate the energy storage member when the actuator is moved relative to the housing; and a biasing member configured urge the release rod towards the second position, the portion of the safety lock configured to engage a portion of the release rod to limit movement of the release rod when the portion of the safety lock is disposed through the second opening. 16. An apparatus, comprising: a housing; a medicament injector movably disposed within the housing, the medicament injector including a medicament container and a needle; an energy storage member configured to produce a force to move the medicament injector to an injection position in which a portion of the needle is disposed outside of a distal end portion of the housing; a first actuation member configured to actuate the energy storage member when moved within the housing between a first position and a second position, the first actuation member including a retention portion configured to engage a portion of the housing to limit movement of the first actuation member; and 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 first actuation member. 17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising: a biasing member coupled to the first actuation member and configured to urge the first actuation member towards the second position. 18. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising: a safety lock movably coupled to the distal end portion of the housing, the safety lock including a protrusion configured to extend through an opening defined by the second actuation member to engage a portion of the first actuation member. 19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein: the energy storage member is a gas container configured to produce the force when a pressurized gas container is released from the gas container; and a longitudinal axis of the gas container is offset from a longitudinal axis of the medicament injector. 20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein: the first actuation member is configured to move within the housing in a first direction; and the medicament injector is configured to move in a second direction opposite the first direction when the medicament injector is moved to the injection position. 21. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a medicament container disposed containing epinephrine, the medicament container configured to be in fluid communication with the needle when the needle is in the second needle position. 22. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the medicament container contains epinephrine. 23. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the medicament container contains epinephrine.