Claims for Patent: 8,016,788

Summary for Patent: 8,016,788

Title:	Devices, systems and methods for medicament delivery
Abstract:	An apparatus includes a housing, a medicament container and an actuator. The actuator includes a release member and an energy storage member having a first position and a second position. In the first position, the energy storage member has a first potential energy. In the second position the energy storage member has a second potential energy. The energy storage member is configured to convert a portion of the first potential energy into kinetic energy when moved from the first position to the second position to move the medicament container within the housing. The energy storage member has a longitudinal axis offset from a longitudinal axis of the medicament container. The release member is configured to selectively deploy the energy storage member from its first position to its second position.
Inventor(s):	Edwards; Evan Thomas (Richmond, VA), Edwards; Eric Shawn (Richmond, VA), Licata; Mark J. (Doswell, VA)
Assignee:	Intelliject, Inc. (Richmond, VA)
Application Number:	12/688,321
Patent Claims:	1. An apparatus, comprising: a housing defining a first cavity and a second cavity, a longitudinal axis defined by the first cavity offset from a longitudinal axis defined by the second cavity, a distal end portion of the housing defining a first opening in fluid communication with the first cavity and a second opening in fluid communication with the second cavity; a medicament injector movably disposed within the first cavity, the medicament injector including a medicament container and a needle; an energy storage member disposed within second cavity, the 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 through the first opening; and an actuation member configured to actuate the energy storage member when the actuation member is moved from a first position to a second position, a first portion of the actuation member disposed within the second cavity when the actuation member is in the first position, a second portion of the actuation member disposed through the second opening when the actuation member is in the first position. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the actuation member is a first actuation member, the second portion of the first actuation member is a retention portion configured to engage the distal end portion of 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 disengage the retention portion from the distal end portion of the housing when the second actuation member is moved relative to the distal end portion of the housing. 3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a safety lock movably coupled to the distal end portion of the housing, the safety lock including a protrusion configured to engage the second portion of the actuation member to limit movement of the actuation member. 4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a safety lock movably coupled to the distal end portion of the housing, the safety lock including a protrusion configured to engage the second portion of the actuation member to limit movement of the actuation member; and a needle guard having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion of the needle guard configured to be disposed through the first opening and about the needle, the second portion of the needle guard configured to engage the safety lock. 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second portion of the actuation member is configured to contact the energy storage member when the actuation member is in the second position. 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the actuation member is configured to move within the housing in a first direction when moving from the first position to the second position; 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. 7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a biasing member disposed within the second cavity, the biasing member configured to urge the actuation member towards the second position. 8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the energy storage member is a gas container configured to produce the force when a pressurized gas is released from the gas container. 9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the energy storage member is a gas container configured to produce the force when a pressurized gas is released from the gas container, the apparatus further comprising: a seal disposed within the second cavity, the seal configured to fluidically isolate a proximal end portion of the second cavity from the second opening. 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the energy storage member is a gas container configured to produce the force when a pressurized gas is released from the gas container, the apparatus further comprising: a puncturer having a portion disposed apart from the gas container when the actuation member is in the first position, the portion being disposed within the gas container when the actuation member is in the second position. 11. An apparatus, comprising: a housing defining a first cavity and a second cavity, a longitudinal axis defined by the first cavity offset from a longitudinal axis defined by the second cavity; a medicament injector movably disposed within the first cavity, the medicament injector including a medicament container and a needle; an energy storage member disposed within second cavity, the energy storage member configured to produce a force to move the medicament injector in a first direction within the first cavity to an injection position in which a portion of the needle is disposed outside of the housing; and an actuation member configured to actuate the energy storage member when the actuation member is moved in a second direction within the second cavity from a first position to a second position. 12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein: a distal end portion of the housing defines an opening in fluid communication with the second cavity; and a first portion of the actuation member is disposed within the second cavity when the actuation member is in the first position, a second portion of the actuation member is disposed through the opening when the actuation member is in the first position. 13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the actuation member is a first actuation member, the first actuation member including a retention portion configured to engage a distal end portion of 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 disengage the retention portion from the distal end portion of the housing when the second actuation member is moved relative to the distal end portion of the housing. 14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein a distal end portion of the housing defines an opening in fluid communication with the second cavity, a retention portion of the actuation member is disposed through the opening when the actuation member is in the first position, the apparatus further comprising: a safety lock movably coupled to the distal end portion of the housing, the safety lock including a protrusion configured to engage the retention portion of the actuation member to limit movement of the actuation member. 15. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising: a biasing member disposed within the second cavity, the biasing member configured to urge the actuation member towards the second position. 16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the energy storage member is a gas container configured to produce the force when a pressurized gas is released from the gas container, the apparatus further comprising: a seal disposed within the second cavity, the seal configured to fluidically isolate a proximal end portion of the second cavity from a region outside of the housing. 17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein: the energy storage member is a gas container configured to produce the force when a pressurized gas is released from the gas container; and a proximal end portion of the housing defines a flow path such that a proximal end portion of the first cavity is in fluid communication with a proximal end portion of the second cavity. 18. An apparatus, comprising: a housing defining a first cavity and a second cavity, a longitudinal axis defined by the first cavity offset from a longitudinal axis defined by the second cavity; a medicament injector movably disposed within the first cavity, the medicament injector including a medicament container and a needle; an energy storage member disposed within second cavity, the 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 the housing; and an actuator having a release member and a biasing member, the actuator configured to actuate the energy storage member when the release member is moved from a first position to a second position, the biasing member disposed within the second cavity, the biasing member configured to urge the release member towards the second position. 19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein: a distal end portion of the housing defines a first opening in fluid communication with the first cavity and a second opening in fluid communication with the second cavity; a portion of the needle is disposed through the first opening when the medicament injector is in the injection position; and a portion of the release member is disposed through the second opening when the release member is in the first position. 20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the release member includes a retention portion configured to engage a distal end portion of the housing to limit movement of the release member, the apparatus further comprising: a trigger coupled to the distal end portion of the housing, a portion of the trigger configured to disengage the retention portion from the distal end portion of the housing when the trigger is moved relative to the distal end portion of the housing. 21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein a distal end portion of the housing defines an opening in fluid communication with the second cavity, a retention portion of the release member is disposed through the opening when the release member is in the first position, the apparatus further comprising: a safety lock movably coupled to the distal end portion of the housing, the safety lock including a protrusion configured to engage the retention portion of the release member to limit movement of the actuation member. 22. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein: the release member is configured to move within the housing in a first direction when moving from the first position to the second position; 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.