Abstract:
An apparatus is provided for performing an injection, the apparatus including a front end, a vibrator mechanism selectively vibrating the front end during an injection and a syringe holder holding a syringe during an injection through the front end while the front end is vibrated.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application claims priority to application Ser. No. 61/347,512 filed May 24, 2010 and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]    a. Field of Invention 
         [0003]    This application pertains to a method and apparatus for performing injections, and more particularly to an apparatus that applies a vibration as a skin stimulation selected to reduce pain during the injection. 
         [0004]    b. Description of the Prior Art 
         [0005]    Injections are one of the most common ways used by doctors and other health care providers to introduce drugs into a patient. Traditionally, injections are typically performed using a syringe with a needle attached to a barrel filled with the appropriate drug. The needle is first inserted through the skin (either on the arm, or other parts of the body), and then a piston is advanced manually forcing the drug to be expressed through the needle into the patient&#39;s tissues. Alternatively, the drug is fed to the needle through a long tube attached either to an IV tube directly or through a pumping mechanism. 
         [0006]    Regardless of which system is used, one problem with all injections have been that they require the piercing of the skin and the subcutaneous tissues lying immediately under the skin. Since the skin and the subcutaneous tissues are laced with numerous nerves, during the piercing step, the patient feels discomfort and pain. Depending on the individual, the injection site, the size of the needle and other factors, the discomfort and pain could be mild or could be very severe. Children and infants are particularly susceptible and, hence, they very often fear injections and administrating an injection in such cases could be a tough experience for both the doctor and the parent. 
         [0007]    Attempts have been made to resolve these problems but they have not been successful. For example, it has been suggested that the syringe be vibrated during injection. Of course, this solution is unacceptable because a vibrating syringe can be difficult to hold. Moreover, a vibrating needle tears the tissues during injection, causing much more harm than good. Other attempts made use of devices with vibrating needles. These attempts are also unacceptable from a mechanical view since it is difficult and expensive to make such a device and from a medical view as discussed above. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]    The present inventor has found that the discomfort and pain suffered at the beginning of an injection can be eliminated or significantly reduced if just prior to and/or during an injection, vibration or other similar mechanical excitation is applied to the skin and the subcutaneous tissues at the injection site. It is believed that this action can either confuse or mask-the nerve endings and their pathways so that the nerves will not transmit impulses to the brain resulting in discomfort or pain. 
         [0009]    Briefly, a device constructed in accordance with this invention includes: 
         [0010]    a housing having an aperture sized and shaped to accept a syringe with a needle and a front section with a tip, said tip having an opening through which the needle is selectively extended from the housing for administering of an injection; and 
         [0011]    a vibrating mechanism disposed within said housing and adapted to selectively vibrate said front section during said injection. 
         [0012]    Preferably the housing includes a first chamber for accepting a portion of the syringe during the injection, said chamber being in communication with said aperture and said opening and holding said syringe during said injection. The housing may also include a second chamber, said vibrating mechanism being disposed in said second chamber. In one advantageous embodiment, the vibrating mechanism includes a motor having a rotating shaft with a weight having an off-axis center of gravity, and a switch selectively activating said motor. 
         [0013]    The housing includes a third chamber holding a battery for providing current to the motor. 
         [0014]    A syringe holder may be provided that extends into the aperture and configured to hold the syringe, the syringe holder being selectively movable between a first position in which the syringe needle is disposed inside the housing and a second position in which needle extends outwardly of said housing. 
         [0015]    When the vibrating mechanism is activated, it causes at least a front part of the housing to vibrate. A care provider loads a syringe having a barrel with a drug into the housing, activates the vibrating mechanism and positions the housing so that it is contact with a patient&#39;s skin at a desired injection site. At least the front portion of the housing vibrates thereby making the nerve endings in the skin at the injection somewhat insensitive to pain. The needle is then advanced so that it extends from the housing penetrating the skin until it reaches the desired injection zone. The drug is then expelled from the syringe in a normal manner. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES  
         [0016]      FIG. 1  shows a side view of an injection apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  shows a bottom view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  shows a side sectional view with the injection apparatus being introduced into the housing; 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  shows an exploded view of the apparatus of  FIGS. 1-3 ; and 
           [0020]      FIG. 5  shows a side view with the needle fully extended through the housing. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0021]    As shown in the drawings, an apparatus  100  constructed in accordance with this invention includes a housing  102  with a wall  104 . The housing  102  can be made in a single piece by molding or can be made from two segments  102 A,  102 B joined together by a screw  106 . The housing can be made of a transparent material or a bottom portion  108  of the housing is transparent window  106 . 
         [0022]    Housing  102  is formed with a front portion  110  including a conical extension  110  having an opening  112 . The opening  112  is preferably circular and has a diameter D. 
         [0023]    Housing  102  further includes a rear wall  120  that is generally flat with a large opening  122 . Opening  122  is aligned with opening  112 . 
         [0024]    The interior of the housing  102  is partitioned into three chambers  124 ,  126  and  128 . A top portion  130  of the housing is removable to give access to chamber  124 . Chamber  124  is used to house a removable standard battery (typically an AAA battery)  132 . Also contained within the chamber  124  are a spring terminal  136  and a flat terminal  138  that contact the positive and negative terminals of the battery  132  in the normal manner. 
         [0025]    Chamber  126  houses an electric motor  140  having a shaft  142  with a weight  144 . Chamber  126  further includes a switch  148  operated by a switch cover  146  slidably mounted on wall  106 . Moving the switch cover  146  in one direction closes the switch  148  which in turn provides power to the motor  140  from battery  132 . Moving the switch cover  146  in the opposite direction turns the motor off. The weight  144  is not rotationally symmetrical but instead it is configured so that its center of gravity is offset from the axis of the shaft of the motor  140 . As a result, when the motor  140  is turned on, it causes the weight to rotate and this action causes the front section of the housing  102 , including conical extension  110  to vibrate laterally. Preferably, the apparatus is configured so that the motor  140  rotates at about 15000 RPM and causes the conical section to vibrate gently at a small amplitude of less than 1/16″. 
         [0026]    Chamber  128  houses a portion of a syringe holder  150 . As best seen in  FIG. 4 , this syringe holder  150  has an elongated portion  152  having an outer surface  154 . A semi-cylindrical longitudinal channel  156  extends through the holder  150 . The syringe holder  150  further includes an enlarged head  158  attached to one end of portion  152 . A window  160  is formed in the portion  152  adjacent to the head  158 . Opposite head  158 , the portion  152  is formed with a tab  162 . The portion  152  is sized and shaped to fit through opening  122 . The tab  162  is provided to trap the portion  152  to insure that the syringe holder  150  does not fall out and get lost. The syringe holder  150  is configured so that its portion  152  can be moved back and forth axially through the chamber  128 . 
         [0027]    Preferably, the channel  156  is sized and shaped to form an interference fit with the barrel of a typical syringe, such as a conventional 1 cc syringe  170  available from Becton Dickinson. As shown in  FIG. 2 , such a conventional syringe  170  includes a barrel  172  terminating with a replaceable needle  174 . The barrel  172  has gradations  176  to indicate the progress of an injection and the amount of fluid that has been expelled from the barrel  172 . Disposed inside the barrel is a piston  178  (see  FIG. 3 ) that is attached to a shaft  180 . The shaft  180  is terminated with a thumb pad  182 . 
         [0028]    The apparatus  100  is operated as follows. First the syringe  170  is loaded with an appropriate drug (or any other substance that a health care provider desires to inject into a patient). The loaded syringe is then inserted into syringe holder  150  so that its barrel  172  is held tightly and securely by the channel  156 . In this configuration, the needle  174  is completely contained within the apparatus  100 , and the health care provider, as well as the patient and others around the patient are protected from injury. In addition, the needle is hidden from view of a potentially anxious patient at all times. The barrel  172  and its gradations  176  are visible through the transparent wall  106 . 
         [0029]    Next, the motor  140  is turned on by switch  148  causing the front end and conical section  110  to vibrate transversally with respect to the longitudinal axis of the syringe  170 . The tip of the conical section  110  is placed in contact with the skin of the patient at the site of injection. The vibration of the conical section is transferred to the skin of the patient and the tissues underlying the skin. 
         [0030]    The health care provider holds the apparatus  100  in this position with two fingers and then pushes the enlarged head  158  with his thumb axially toward the front of the apparatus  100  thereby causing the syringe to move forward with the needle  174  extending outwardly of the conical section  110 . Since the conical section is touching the skin at the site of the injection, as the needle is advanced, it penetrates the vibrated skin and the tissues to the predetermined depth. Next, the health care provider shifts his thumb from the enlarged head  158  to the thumb pad  182  and starts pushing it inward to inject the contents of the barrel. During this time, the conical section  110  keeps on vibrating thereby confusing the nerve pathways of the skin and tissues and reducing or eliminating pain to the patient. Preferably the diameter D of opening  112  is sized so that is large enough to insure that as the conical section  110  vibrates, it does not touch needle  174  and therefore the vibration is not transmitted to the needle itself. The motor can be kept on until the injection is completed and the needle is withdrawn, or can be turned off any time before or after, thereafter stopping the vibration. 
         [0031]    It should be appreciated that the whole process can be performed with one hand holding the apparatus  100  while the skin can be held and manipulated with the other hand as needed. If multiple sites are injected sequentially, the needle can be retracted first, the conical section  112  can be moved to a new site, and the needle can then be extended again. Once the process is completed, the syringe is removed from the holder  150  and at least its tip can be disposed. The conical section  102  is wiped with alcohol or other disinfectant and the apparatus  100  is ready to be used again. 
         [0032]    The apparatus can be sized and shaped to so that it can be used with several syringes of similar sizes, e.g. 1, 3 or 5 cc, needles from 18 to 25 gauges and injection depth of up to ½ in or more. An apparatus with somewhat larger housing is needed for syringes of 3, 5, 10, 20 or 60 ccs. 
         [0033]    As illustrated in the Figures, the apparatus can be made with only five parts having special shapes and sizes, the rest of the parts being of standard shapes and sizes. 
         [0034]    The apparatus can be used for many different procedures including pediatric treatments, anesthesia, cosmetic treatments, drawing blood and blood donations, treatments for diabetes, veterinarian treatments, vaccines, etc. 
         [0035]    Obviously numerous modifications may be made to the claims without departing from its scope as defined in the appended claims. For example the housing can be easily adapted to work with automated injection devices.