Claims for Patent: 8,425,462

Summary for Patent: 8,425,462

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:	13/353,769
Patent Claims:	1. An apparatus comprising: a housing; a medicament carrier moveably disposed within the housing; a delivery member; an energy storage member configured to produce a force via a pressurized gas to move the medicament carrier from a first carrier position to a second carrier position, the delivery member disposed within the housing when the medicament carrier is in the first carrier position, a portion of the delivery member extending from the housing when the medicament carrier is in the second carrier position; a moveable member configured to move between a first moveable member position and a second moveable member position when the carrier moves from the first carrier position to the second carrier position, the moveable member configured to move from the second moveable member position to a third moveable member position when the carrier is in the second carrier position, the moveable member configured to discharge a medicament through the delivery member when moving from the second moveable member position to the third moveable member position; and a release mechanism coupled to the moveable member, the release mechanism including a valve configured to engage a protrusion disposed on a proximal portion of the medicament carrier when the moveable member is in the third moveable member position, the valve configured to release the pressurized gas thereby releasing the force from the medicament carrier when the moveable member is in the third moveable member position to allow medicament carrier to move from the second carrier position towards the first carrier position. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the moveable member is substantially stationary relative to the medicament carrier when the medicament carrier moves from the first carrier position to the second carrier position. 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the energy storage member is operably coupled to the moveable member such that the force is exerted on moveable member to cause the moveable member to move from the first moveable member position to the second moveable member position. 4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a medicament container coupled to the delivery member, the medicament container including a seal operable to fluidically isolate the medicament container from the delivery member, the seal configured to be ruptured when the moveable member moves from the second moveable member position towards the third moveable member position. 5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a medicament container coupled to the delivery member, the medicament container including epinephrine. 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the delivery member is a needle. 7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a biasing member configured to urge the medicament carrier towards the first carrier position. 8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a retraction spring configured to urge the medicament carrier towards the first carrier position, a longitudinal axis of the retraction spring being offset from a longitudinal axis of the delivery member. 9. An apparatus comprising: a housing; a medicament container disposed within the housing, the medicament container operably coupled to a delivery member; an energy storage member configured to produce a force; a carrier moveably disposed within the housing and coupled to the medicament container such that the delivery member is disposed within the housing when the carrier is in a first position and at least a portion of the delivery member is outside of the housing when the carrier is in a second position; a piston configured to transfer at least a portion of the force to the carrier and a medicament within the medicament container to move the carrier from the first position to the second position and to deliver the medicament from the medicament container via the delivery member when the carrier is in the second position; and a release mechanism configured to release the force from the piston when the release mechanism is actuated, the carrier including a protrusion configured to actuate the release mechanism after the portion of the medicament has been delivered. 10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising: a biasing member configured to urge the carrier from the second position towards the first position. 11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the force is a first force, the apparatus further comprising: a retraction member configured to produce a second force to move the carrier from the second position towards the first position when the release mechanism has been actuated. 12. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising: the medicament container includes a seal operable to fluidically isolate the medicament container from the delivery member, the seal configured to be ruptured when the portion of the force is transferred to the medicament within the medicament container via the piston. 13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the medicament includes epinephrine. 14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein: the energy storage member is configured to produce a pressurized gas; and the release mechanism includes a valve configured to release the pressurized gas, the valve coupled to a proximal end portion of the piston, the protrusion of the carrier configured to engage the valve after the portion of the medicament has been delivered. 15. A method, comprising: moving, within a housing, a carrier coupled to a medicament container from a first carrier position to a second carrier position, a needle disposed within the housing when the carrier is in the first carrier position, a portion of the needle disposed outside of the housing when the carrier is in the second carrier position; moving, in response to a force produced by an energy storage member via a pressurized gas, a moveable member from a first moveable member position to a second moveable member position when the carrier is in the second carrier position to expel at least a portion of a medicament from the medicament container via the needle; and contacting a protrusion of the carrier with a portion of a release mechanism to open a valve of the release mechanism to release the pressurized gas when the moveable member is in the second moveable member position after the portion of the medicament has been expelled, the release mechanism configured to release the force from the moveable member when the release member is actuated. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the force is a first force, the method further comprising: moving, after the contacting and in response to a second force produced by a biasing member, the carrier from the second carrier position towards the first carrier position such that the needle is retracted into the housing. 17. The method of claim 15, wherein the release mechanism is coupled to the moveable member.