Abstract:
A safe disposable injector with a changeable and automatically retractable needle includes a needle cylinder ( 1 ) and a plunger ( 2 ), and also includes a medicament-dispensing needle unit ( 3 ) and an injecting needle unit ( 4 ). The medicament-dispensing needle unit ( 3 ) and the injecting needle unit ( 4 ) are changed according to the requirement in use. The present invention will prevent harmful effects caused by needle deformation and variation of smoothness and sharpness during the injection to the human body. The operation of the present invention is the same as the convention injection operation. The present invention is convenient to use and reliable to operate. After injection, the injector needle can be retracted by an automatic retraction mechanism to avoid the accidental hurt to medical staff and patients by a polluted needle tip. The present invention is suitable for automatic production on the assembly line.

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to an injector, and more particular to a safe disposable injector, wherein the injecting needle is changeable and retractable after use. 
       DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ARTS 
       [0002]    It is common practice for a disposable syringe to administer injections and vaccinations since the disposable syringe is a one-time-use device for preventing infectious diseases and nosocomial cross-infection. Such disposable syringe, such as syringe with auto-destroy needle, syringe with manual retractable needle, or syringe with automatic retractable needle, are generally of the disposable nature and are normally discarded after a single use. However, the disposable syringe has complicated structural configuration and lacks of necessary operational function. For example, when preparing dry powder injection, the syringe is used for injecting solvent into a sealed bottle in order to dissolve the dry powder in liquid form. In particular, the needle must be penetrated through the bottle stopper in order to inject the solvent into the bottle. In other words, the needle will be bent or deformed during the penetration. In addition, the tip of the needle will be blunt and the smoothness of the needle body will be substantially reduced after the penetration. Therefore, the syringe must be discarded after the preparation of the dry powder injection since the needle cannot be re-used to administer injection for human body. In fact, the syringe is prohibited for being re-used after preparation of the dry powder injection in many countries. Therefore, the physician must use one disposable syringe to prepare the dry powder injection and another one to administer injection. Accordingly, there is no syringe with changeable needle in the market, especially for the retractable needle. 
       SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
       [0003]    The invention is advantageous in that it provides a safety disposable injector, which solves the existing problems of the syringe, wherein the needle is changeable and automatically retractable after use. The present invention is convenient to use and reliable to operate. After injection, the injector needle can be retracted by an automatic retraction mechanism to avoid an injury by accidental needle sticks as serious health hazard and danger of exposure to fatal blood-transmitted viruses. 
         [0004]    Additional advantages and features of the invention will become apparent from the description which follows, and may be realized by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particular point out in the appended claims. 
         [0005]    According to the present invention, the foregoing and other objects and advantages are attained by a safety disposable injector comprising a barrel and a plunger slidably coupling within the barrel in a reciprocal manner. 
         [0006]    In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the present invention comprises a safety disposable injector comprising a barrel having a chamber, and a plunger slidably coupled within the chamber of the barrel in a reciprocal manner, wherein the plunger has a tubular structure and comprises a plunger stopper provided at a top end of the plunger. 
         [0007]    The safety disposable injector further comprises a medicament-dispensing needle unit and an injecting needle unit selectively coupled with the barrel in sealed manner. 
         [0008]    The medicament-dispensing needle unit comprises a medicament-dispensing needle body and a medicament-dispensing needle base, wherein the medicament-dispensing needle body is upwardly extended from the medicament-dispensing needle base. 
         [0009]    The injecting needle unit comprises an injecting needle body, an injecting needle base, a base sleeve, a sealing element, a compression spring, and a spring seat, wherein the base sleeve, which is a tubular member, comprises a retention protrusion protruded from an inner wall of the base sleeve at a bottom end thereof, wherein the sealing element is supported within the base sleeve by the retention protrusion so as to retain the sealing element at the bottom end of the base sleeve, wherein the injecting needle base is held within an interior cavity of the base sleeve, wherein the spring seat is coupled at a top end of the base sleeve, wherein the sealing element is sealed and retained between the bottom end of the base sleeve and the bottom end of the injecting needle base to provide a sealing effect therebetween and to apply a frictional holding force against the injecting needle base to withstand a compression force of the compression spring. 
         [0010]    The safety disposable injector further comprises a sealer element, such as an O-shaped sealing ring, provided at the barrel to seal with the medicament-dispensing needle unit and the injecting needle unit when the medicament-dispensing needle unit or the injecting needle unit is coupled with the barrel. 
         [0011]    A top opening end portion of the barrel has an inner diameter gradually reducing toward the bottom end thereof to form an inner conical opening at an inner surface of the barrel. Correspondingly, each of the medicament-dispensing needle unit and the injecting needle unit further has an outer conical platform formed at an outer circumferential surface of the bottom end of each of the medicament-dispensing needle unit and the injecting needle unit to seal and engage with the inner conical opening of the barrel. 
         [0012]    The taper of the inner conical opening of the barrel is larger than the taper of each of the outer conical platform of the medicament-dispensing needle unit and the injecting needle unit. 
         [0013]    The medicament-dispensing needle base further has a handling wing, a rhombus cross section (non-circular cross section), or knurled outer surface at the outer surface of the medicament-dispensing needle base for enabling the operator to hold and turn the medicament-dispensing needle base to attach to or detach from the barrel. 
         [0014]    The injecting needle unit further comprises an injecting needle protection sleeve for covering the injecting needle unit, wherein the injecting needle protection sleeve is coupled with the base sleeve to enclose the injecting needle body within the injecting needle protection sleeve, wherein the injecting needle unit further comprises an inner tongue-groove structure provided at an inner surface of the injecting needle protection sleeve and an outer tongue-groove structure provided at an outer surface of the base sleeve to engage with the inner tongue-groove structure. 
         [0015]    The injecting needle protection sleeve further has a handling wing, a rhombus cross section (non-circular cross section), or knurled outer surface for enabling the operator to hold and turn the injection needle unit to attach to the barrel. 
         [0016]    The injecting needle unit further comprises an inner ratchet provided at an inner surface of the barrel and an outer ratchet provided at an outer surface of the base sleeve wherein when the base sleeve is rotatably coupled with the barrel, the inner ratchet is engaged with the outer ratchet. 
         [0017]    The tip of the medicament-dispensing needle body is configured as one of a slanted tip and a conical tip with a side aperture at a circumferential surface of a tip portion. 
         [0018]    The barrel, the plunger, the medicament-dispensing needle base, the injecting needle base, base sleeve, and the spring seat are made of plastic. 
         [0019]    The medicament-dispensing needle body and the medicament-dispensing needle base of the medicament-dispensing needle unit are formed in a one piece integrated structure by mold injection. 
         [0020]    The barrel is made of transparent plastic material. 
         [0021]    Accordingly, the present invention provides the advantages as follows: 
         [0022]    (1) According to the need of the injection, the operator is able to selectively interchange between the medicament-dispensing needle unit and the injecting needle unit to couple with the barrel. After the preparation of the liquid by the medicament-dispensing needle unit, the injecting needle unit to couple with the barrel to administer injections. Therefore, the sharpness of the injecting needle and the smoothness of the injecting needle will always be maintained at the best condition. 
         [0023]    (2) The operation of the present invention is the same as the convention injection operation that the conventional operation habit remains basically unchanged in the present invention. The present invention is convenient to use and reliable to operate. After injection, the injector needle can be retracted by an automatic retraction mechanism to avoid the accidental hurt to medical staff and patients by a polluted needle tip. 
         [0024]    (3) The present invention has a simple structural configuration and is suitable for automatic production on the assembly line, so that the present invention is capable of maintaining a high quality and reducing the manufacturing cost. 
         [0025]    (4) As a result, the present invention will substantially reduce the unnecessary waste of material by interchanging the medicament-dispensing needle unit and the injecting needle unit, such that present invention is considered as an environmental friendly product. 
         [0026]    Still further objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the ensuing description and drawings. 
         [0027]    These and other objectives, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0028]      FIG. 1  is a sectional view of a safety disposable injector with medicament-dispensing needle unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the wing-type medicament-dispensing needle unit. 
           [0029]      FIG. 2  is a sectional view of the safety disposable injector with medicament-dispensing needle unit according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the rhombus-type medicament-dispensing needle unit. 
           [0030]      FIG. 3  is a sectional view of the safety disposable injector with injection needle unit according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0031]      FIG. 4  is a sectional view of the safety disposable injector with injection needle unit according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the injection needled unit being retracted. 
           [0032]      FIG. 5  is a sectional view of the injection needle unit of the safety disposable injector according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0033]      FIG. 6  is a sectional view of the medicament-dispensing needle unit of the safety disposable injector according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0034]      FIG. 7  is a sectional view of the injection needle unit of the safety disposable injector according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the rhombus-type injection needle unit. 
           [0035]      FIG. 8  is a sectional view of the medicament-dispensing needle unit of the safety disposable injector according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the rhombus-type medicament-dispensing needle unit. 
           [0036]      FIG. 9  illustrates a sealing structure of the barrel of the safety disposable injector with injection needle according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0037]      FIG. 10  illustrates an automatic retraction mechanism of the safety disposable injector with injection needle according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0038]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 6  of the drawings, a safety disposable injector, such as a disposable syringe, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated, wherein the safety disposable injector comprises a barrel  1  having a chamber, and a plunger  2  slidably coupling within the chamber of the barrel  1  in a reciprocal manner. The safety disposable injector further comprises a medicament-dispensing needle unit  3  and an injecting needle unit  4  selectively coupling with the barrel  1 . According to the preferred embodiment, the medicament-dispensing needle unit  3  comprises a medicament-dispensing needle body  3   a  and a medicament-dispensing needle base  3   b , wherein the medicament-dispensing needle body  3   a  is fixed and upwardly extended from the medicament-dispensing needle base  3   b . Alternatively, the medicament-dispensing needle body  3   a  and the medicament-dispensing needle base  3   b  of the medicament-dispensing needle unit  3  can be formed in a one piece integrated structure by mold injection. The injecting needle unit  4 , which incorporates with an automatic retraction mechanism, comprises an injecting needle body  4   a , an injecting needle base  4   b , a base sleeve  4   c , a sealing element  4   f  which is preferably a sealing O-ring, a compression spring  4   d , and a spring seat  4   e . The injecting needle body  4   a  is upwardly and coaxially extended from the injecting needle base  4   b . The base sleeve  4   c , which is a tubular member, comprises a retention protrusion  4   c   1  protruded from an inner wall of the base sleeve  4   c  at a bottom end thereof, wherein the sealing element  4   f  is supported within the base sleeve  4   c  by the retention protrusion  4   c   1  so as to retain the sealing element  4   f  at the bottom end of the base sleeve  4   c . The injecting needle base  4   b  is held within an interior cavity of the base sleeve  4   c . The spring seat  4   e  is coupled at a top end of the base sleeve  4   c , wherein the spring seat  4   e  can be fixed to the base sleeve  4   c  by clamp-engagement, rotary-engagement, integrated structure or the like. The injecting needle body  4   a  is extended from the interior cavity of the base sleeve  4   c  to an exterior of the injecting needle base  4   b  through the spring seat  4   e . The compression spring  4   d  is coaxially coupled with the injecting needle base  4   b  and is retained between the spring seat  4   e  and a bottom end of the injecting needle base  4   b . Accordingly, the top end of the compression spring  4   d  is biased against the spring seat  4   a  while the bottom end of the compression spring  4   d  is biased against the bottom end of the injecting needle base  4   b  such that the compression spring  4   d  will apply a compression spring force against the injecting needle base  4   b . In addition, the sealing element  4   f  is sealed and retained between the bottom end of the base sleeve  4   c  at the retention protrusion  4   c   1  thereof and the bottom end of the injecting needle base  4   b  to provide a sealing effect therebetween and to apply a frictional holding force against the injecting needle base  4   b  so as to withstand the compression force of the compression spring  4   d . Accordingly, the frictional holding force of the sealing element  4   f  equals to or greater than the compression force of the compression spring  4   d , such that the injection needle base  4   b  will be retained in position and the compression spring  4   d  is retained at a compressed state. In other words, the injection needle base  4   b  is held within the base sleeve  4   c  via the sealing element  4   f . The barrel  1  has an inner threaded portion  1   c . Correspondingly, the medicament-dispensing needle unit  3  further has an outer threaded portion  3   b   3  while the injecting needle unit  4  further has an outer threaded portion  4   c   5 . According to the operation of the present invention, the medicament-dispensing needle unit  3  and the injecting needle unit  4  can be selectively coupled with the barrel  1  by rotatably engaging the outer threaded portion  3   b   3  of the medicament-dispensing needle unit  3  to the inner threaded portion  1   c  of the barrel  1  or by rotatably engaging the outer threaded portion  4   c   5  of the injecting needle unit  4  to the inner threaded portion  1   c  of the barrel  1 . It is worth mentioning that the top opening end portion of the barrel  1  has an inner diameter gradually reducing toward the bottom end thereof to form an inner conical opening  1   a  at an inner surface of the barrel  1 . Correspondingly, each of the medicament-dispensing needle unit  3  and the injecting needle unit  4  further has an outer conical platform  3   b   1 ,  4   c   3  formed at an outer circumferential surface of the bottom end of each of the medicament-dispensing needle unit  3  and the injecting needle unit  4 . It is worth mentioning that each of the medicament-dispensing needle unit  3  and the injecting needle unit  4  can have a circular platform instead of the outer conical platform  3   b   1 ,  4   c   3 . When the medicament-dispensing needle unit  3  or the injecting needle unit  4  is rotatably engaged with the barrel  1 , the outer conical platform  3   b   1 ,  4   c   3  of the medicament-dispensing needle unit  3  or the injecting needle unit  4  will bias against the inner conical opening  1   a  of the barrel  1  so as to create a sealing effect between the outer conical platform  3   b   1 ,  4   c   3  of the medicament-dispensing needle unit  3 /the injecting needle unit  4  and the inner conical opening  1   a  of the barrel  1 . If the taper of the inner conical opening  1   a  of the barrel  1  is different from the taper of the outer conical platform  3   b   1 ,  4   c   3  of the medicament-dispensing needle unit  3  or the injecting needle unit  4 , i.e. the taper of the inner conical opening  1   a  of the barrel  1  is larger than the taper of the outer conical platform  3   b   1 ,  4   c   3  of the medicament-dispensing needle unit  3  or the injecting needle unit  4 , the sealing effect between the two surfaces will be achieved. For the best mode, when the taper of the inner conical opening  1   a  of the barrel  1  matches with the taper of the outer conical platform  3   b   1 ,  4   c   3  of the medicament-dispensing needle unit  3  or the injecting needle unit  4 , the sealing effect between the surfaces will be maximized by increasing the contacting surface area. It is appreciated that an O-shaped sealing ring or other sealer element can be used for sealing between the two surfaces to further enhance the sealing effect therebetween. In order to operate the present invention, the medicament-dispensing needle unit  3  is firstly coupled with the barrel  1  such that by slidably pulling the plunger  2 , the solvent is sucked into the barrel  1  via the medicament-dispensing needle unit  3 . Then, by inserting the medicament-dispensing needle unit  3  into a bottle containing the dry powder medication, the solvent is injected into a bottle containing the dry powder medication via the slidably pushing the plunger  2 , so as to dissolve the dry powder medication to form a liquid medication. By slidably pulling the plunger  2 , the liquid medication is withdrawn from the bottle to the barrel  1  through the medicament-dispensing needle unit  3 . The medicament-dispensing needle unit  3  is detached from the barrel  1  and the injection needle unit  4  is then coupled with the barrel  1 . Accordingly, the injection needle unit  4  further has an outer ratchet  4   c   4  outwardly protruded from the outer circumferential surface thereof. Correspondingly, the barrel  1  further has an inner ratchet  1   b  protruded from the inner circumferential surface thereof, wherein when the injection needle unit  4  is rotatably engaged with the barrel  1  at one direction, the outer ratchet  4   c   4  is engaged with the inner ratchet  1   b  to prevent the injection needle unit  4  being reversely rotated back to an opposite direction. In other words, the injection needle unit  4  can only coupled with the barrel  1  but cannot detached from the barrel  1  once the injection needle unit  4  is coupled thereto. Once the injection needle unit  4  is coupled with the barrel  1 , the plunger  2  is slidably pushed to administer injection through the injection needle unit  4 . Accordingly, the plunger  2 , having a tubular structure, comprises a plunger stopper  2   a  coupled at a top end of the plunger  2  and adapted to being pushed into the interior of the plunger  2  when a downward pushing force is applied at the plunger stopper  2   a . When the plunger  2  is pushed toward the injection needle unit  4 , the plunger stopper  2   a  of the plunger  2  will bias against the bottom end of the injection needle base  4   b . When the pushing force is kept applying at the plunger  2 , the plunger stopper  2   a  is forced and gradually pushed back into the interior of the plunger  2 . At the mean time, the top end of the plunger  2  is aligned with the sealing element  4   f  and is slidably inserted into a gap between the bottom end of the base sleeve  4   c  and the bottom end of the injecting needle base  4   b . When the pushing force is kept applying at the plunger  2 , the top end of the plunger  2  will push against the sealing element  4   f  until the sealing element  4   f  is moved offset to its original position. Therefore, the frictional holding force of the sealing element  4   f  will be released to free the engagement between the base sleeve  4   c  and the injecting needle base  4   b . It is worth mentioning that all the liquid medication will be discharged from the barrel  1  at this position. Once the frictional holding force of the sealing element  4   f  is released, the compression spring  4   d  will return back to its original form to apply the spring force against the injecting needle base  4   b . Therefore, the injecting needle base  4   b , including the injecting needle body  4   a , will be pushed into the interior of the plunger  2  through the sealing element  4   f  so as to retract the injecting needle body  4   a  into the barrel  1 . It is worth mentioning that the injecting needle base  4   b  will also push the plunger stopper  2   a  together into the interior of the plunger  2 . In other words, when the injecting needle body  4   a  is rapidly retracted into the barrel  1 , i.e. also the interior of the plunger  2 , via the spring force, the injecting needle body  4   a  will be pulled back from the patient skin to complete the injection process. It is worth mentioning that the entire injecting needle body  4   a  is retracted into the interior of the plunger  2 . Therefore, no protection cap is required for covering the top opening of the barrel to prevent the tip of the used injecting needle body  4   a , so as to avoid an injury by accidental needle sticks. In addition, the used injection needle unit  4  cannot be re-assembled back to the barrel  1  to prevent the repeated use of the injection needle unit  4  for ensuring the injection needle unit  4  as a one-time use device. 
       Embodiment 2 
       [0039]    Embodiment 2 is a modification of the above embodiment, wherein the safety disposable injector further comprises a medicament-dispensing needle protection sleeve  3   c  for covering the medicament-dispensing needle unit  3 . Accordingly, the medicament-dispensing needle protection sleeve  3   c  is coupled with the medicament-dispensing needle base  3   b  to enclose the medicament-dispensing needle body  3   a  within the medicament-dispensing needle protection sleeve  3   c . The medicament-dispensing needle base  3   b  further has a handling wing  3   b   2 , a rhombus cross section (non-circular cross section)  3   b   4 , or knurled outer surface at the outer surface of the medicament-dispensing needle base  3   b  for enabling the operator to hold and turn the medicament-dispensing needle base  3   b  to attach to or detach from the barrel  1 . Accordingly, the tip of the medicament-dispensing needle body  3   a  can be formed as a slanted tip or a conical tip  3   a   1  with a side aperture  3   a   2  at the circumferential surface of the tip portion. 
       Embodiment 3 
       [0040]    Embodiment 3 is another modification of the above embodiment, as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , wherein the safety disposable injector further comprises an injecting needle protection sleeve  4   g  for covering the injecting needle unit  4 . Accordingly, the injecting needle protection sleeve  4   g  is coupled with the base sleeve  4   c  to enclose the injecting needle body  4   a  within the injecting needle protection sleeve  4   g . The injecting needle unit  4  further comprises an inner tongue-groove structure  4   g   1  provided at an inner surface of the injecting needle protection sleeve  4   g  and an outer tongue-groove structure  4   c   2  provided at an outer surface of the base sleeve  4   c . Therefore, when the injecting needle protection sleeve  4   g  is coupled with the base sleeve  4   c  to enclose the injecting needle body  4   a , the inner tongue-groove structure  4   g   1  is interlocked with the outer tongue-groove structure  4   c   2 . The injecting needle protection sleeve  4   g  further has a handling wing  4   g   2 , a rhombus cross section (non-circular cross section)  4   g   3 , or knurled outer surface for enabling the operator to hold and turn the injection needle unit  4  to attach to the barrel  1 . It is worth mentioning that before the injection needle unit  4  is attached to the barrel  1 , the base sleeve  4   c  is covered and protected by a base cover  5 . The base cover  5  can be removed from the base sleeve  4   c  in order for the injection needle unit  4  attaching to the barrel  1 . Preferably, the base cover  5  has an inner threaded portion  5   a  rotatably and detachably coupled with the base sleeve  4   c.    
       Embodiment 4 
       [0041]    Embodiment 4 is another modification of the above first and third embodiments, as shown in  FIGS. 3 ,  4 ,  7  and  9 , wherein the automatic retraction mechanism of the injecting needle unit  4  further comprises an inner ratchet  1   b  provided at the inner surface of the barrel  1  and an outer ratchet  4   c   4  provided at the outer surface of the base sleeve  4   c . When the base sleeve  4   c  is rotatably coupled with the barrel  1 , the inner ratchet  1   b  is engaged with the outer ratchet  4   c   4 . Therefore, the base sleeve  4   c  can only rotate at one direction to couple with the barrel  1 , as shown in  FIG. 10 , so as to prevent the base sleeve  4   c  being detached from the barrel  1  by rotating the base sleeve  4   c  at the reverse direction. In other words, the present invention prevents the injecting needle unit  4  being re-used by disassembling the injecting needle unit  4  from the barrel  1  after use. Therefore, the present invention ensures the injecting needle unit  4  being used for one single time only. 
         [0042]    One skilled in the art will understand that the embodiment of the present invention as shown in the drawings and described above is exemplary only and not intended to be limiting. 
         [0043]    It will thus be seen that the objects of the present invention have been fully and effectively accomplished. It embodiments have been shown and described for the purposes of illustrating the functional and structural principles of the present invention and is subject to change without departure from such principles. Therefore, this invention includes all modifications encompassed within the spirit and scope of the following claims.