Patent EA-002700-B1 (EA)
Title: Injector device and method for its operation
Inventor: HJERTMAN BIRGER
IPC: A61M5/315
Filed: 2000-04-10
Abstract: 1. Injector device for containers of syringe type, comprising a barrel of axially roughly constant cross-section, a front opening and at least one movable wall inserted in the barrel for displacement of a container content, the injector comprising a) a housing or housing part arranged to receive the container at least axially stationary, b) an integral or composite piston rod arrangement operable to displace the container movable wall at least in the forward direction and c) a track system for controlling or sequencing the piston rod movements, the track system comprising at least one cooperating track and follower, the cooperating track and follower being arranged stationary with respect to the housing and the piston rod respectively, or vice versa, and in cooperation allowing at least one forward for the piston rod, characterized in the improvement comprising that the track system comprises a joining track running at least partly transversal to the axial direction and that the track system further comprises at least two expelling tracks, each with a first end being connected to the joining track, allowing the follower to selectively enter into any one of the expelling tracks, each expelling track running at least partly in the axial direction and in cooperation with the follower allowing forward movement of the piston rod. 2. The injector of claim 1, characterized in that the at least two expelling tracks are different. 3. The injector of claim 1, characterized in that the joining track is arranged to give a line guidance in cooperation with the follower. 4. The injector of claim 1, characterized in that at least one of the expelling tracks comprises a stop surface for the follower, limiting the piston rod forward movement. 5. The injector of claim 4, characterized in that the at least two expelling tracks have stop surfaces at different axial positions, providing piston rod limitations corresponding to different doses. 6. The injector of claim 4, characterized in that the stop surface is arranged to allow in cooperation with the follower no further transversal or forward axial movement of the piston rod. 7. The injector of claim 4, characterized in that the stop surface is arranged at a track knee or branch, allowing in cooperation with the follower a further transversal movement of the piston rod. 8. The injector of claim 7, characterized in that the track knee or branch is connected to at least one further track knee or branch, allowing in cooperation with the follower a further forward axial movement of the piston rod. 9. The injector of claim 1, characterized in that at least one of the expelling tracks continues towards its second end in a first axial section, a knee or branch and a second axial section. 10. The injector of claim 9, characterized in that the expelling track continues into a second knee or branch and a third axial section, optionally further repeated. 11. The injector of claim 10, characterized in that the expelling track takes the form selected from the group comprising a staircase form, a meandering form, a grid form and combinations thereof. 12. The injector of claim 1, characterized in that at least two expelling tracks continues towards its second end in a first axial section, a knee or branch and a second axial section. 13. The injector of claim 12, characterized in that the first axial section of the at least two expelling track have the same axial length, adapted for an initiation step. 14. The injector of claim 1, characterized in that the track system comprises an initial track, with one end being connected to the joining track, allowing the follower to enter from the initial track into the joining track under forward movement of the piston rod. 15. The injector of claim 14, characterized in that the initial track is connected to the joining track at a point where further axial movement is prevented by a wall surface of the joining track. 16. The injector of claim 14, characterized in that the initial track has a track section allowing forward movement of the piston rod over a predetermined axial length, the predetermined axial length preferably being adapted for de-aeration of the container. 17. The injector of claim 14, characterized in that the initial track has a section allowing forward movement of the piston rod over a predetermined axial length, the predetermined axial length preferably being adapted for mixing of a dual or multiple chamber container. 18. The injector of claim 17, characterized in that the section comprises a screw-threaded track. 19. The injector of claim 18, characterized in that the screw-threaded track comprises at least two parallel threaded tracks and that with at least one follower each. 20. The injector of claim 1, characterized in that one or several one-way structures are arranged in the track system to prevent movement in one direction. 21. The injector of claim 20, characterized in that the one-way structure is arranged for manual control. 22. The injector of claim 1, characterized in that one or several friction altering structures are arranged in the track system. 23. The injector of claim 1, characterized in that more than one follower is used for different parts of the track system. 24. The injector of claim 23, characterized in that the different parts are serially arranged. 25. The injector of claim 23, characterized in that the different parts are arranged in parallel. 26. The injector of claim 1, characterized in displayed information and an information selector, the information and the selector being arranged on the housing part and the piston rod part respectively or vice versa. 27. The injector of claim 26, characterized in that the selector incorporates one of a window or a pointer. 28. The injector of claim 26, characterized in that the information is displayed on the same housing part or piston rod part as carrying the track system. 29. The injector of claim 26, characterized in that information is displayed in relation to each expelling track. 30. The injector of claim 26, characterized in that information is displayed in the form of a ring concentric with the container axis. 31. The injector of claim 30, characterized in that the ring is arranged on the piston rod. 32. The injector of claim 31, characterized in that information is displayed between expelling tracks. 33. The injector of claim 30, characterized in that information is displayed axially separate from the expelling tracks. 34. Injector device for containers of syringe type, comprising a barrel of axially roughly constant cross-section, a front opening and at least one movable wall inserted in the barrel for displacement of a container content, the injector comprising a) a housing or housing part arranged to receive the container at least axially stationary, b) an integral or composite piston rod arrangement operable to displace the container movable wall at least in the forward direction and c) a track system for controlling or sequencing the piston rod movements, the track system comprising at least one cooperating track and follower, the cooperating track and follower being arranged stationary with respect to the housing and the piston rod respectively, or vice versa, and in cooperation allowing at least one forward for the piston rod, characterized in the improvement comprising that the track system comprises an initial track allowing forward movement of the piston rod, at least a section of the initial track comprising a screwthreaded track, and that the track system further comprises at least one expelling track having at least a first axial section and a second axial section connected by a transversal section. 35. The injector of claim 34, characterized in that the transversal section connects the first axial section and the second axial section in a knee form, allowing repeated ejections in cooperation with the follower. 36. The injector of claim 34, characterized in that the transversal section connects the first axial section and the second axial section in a branch form, allowing the follower to selectively enter into any one of several second axial sections. 37. The injector of claim 34, characterized in that the initial track further comprises at least a track section having a substantially axial orientation. 38. The injector of claim 34, characterized in that different followers are arranged for the initial track and the expelling track, each follower being arranged to be out of engagement with its respective track under at least a part of the cooperation when the other follower is in engagement with its track. 39. The injector of claim 34, characterized in any characteristic of the preceding claims. 40. Injector device for containers of syringe type, comprising a barrel of axially roughly constant cross-section, a front opening and at least one movable wall inserted in the barrel for displacement of a container content, the injector comprising a) a housing or housing part arranged to receive the container at least axially stationary, b) an integral or composite piston rod arrangement operable to displace the container movable wall at least in the forward direction and c) a track system for controlling or sequencing the piston rod movements, the track system comprising at least one cooperating track and follower, the cooperating track and follower being arranged stationary with respect to the housing and the piston rod respectively, or vice versa, and in cooperation allowing at least one forward for the piston rod, characterized in the improvement comprising that the track system comprises an initial track allowing forward movement of the piston rod, that the track system further comprises at least one expelling track having at least one axial section allowing forward movement of the piston rod, and that different followers are arranged for the initial track and the expelling track. 41. The injector of claim 40, characterized in that each follower be