Patent EA-005106-B1 (EA)
Title: Miniaturized needleless injector
Inventor: EICHER JOACHIM
IPC: A61M5/30
Filed: 2001-03-02
Abstract: 1. A needle-less injector for a liquid, which is in the form of a hand-held unit, comprising a housing and a supply container for the liquid, wherein - the housing includes two portions (1; 2), (31; 32) which are connected together and which are arranged rotatably relative to each other, and - the needle-less injector includes a locking stressing mechanism with a sprung portion (3; 33; 53) which is displaceable between two abutments (17; 47) and which is provided with a triggering device, and a hollow plunger (7; 37; 57) which is fixed in the sprung portion (3; 33; 53) and which is driven by the locking stressing mechanism, wherein the hollow plunger is arranged slidably within a cylinder (8; 38) and includes a single valve body (12; 42) and disposed at the end of the cylinder is a nozzle (9; 39) having at least one opening (10; 40) and the space between the nozzle and the valve body forms a pump chamber (13; 43), and - the supply container (14; 44; 54) for the liquid is arranged within the housing and is in the form of a container separate from the needle-less injector and is connected to the end of the hollow plunger, which projects out of the cylinder, and - the amount of liquid which when the hollow plunger (7) is pulled out of the cylinder (8) has been conveyed through the hollow plunger into the pump chamber (43) is determined by the stroke travel (a) and the cross-section of the hollow plunger, and - the position of the hollow plunger stroke travel (a) within the needle-less injector is determined by the position of the two abutments (17; 47). 2. A needle-less injector according to claim 1 wherein - the two portions (1, 2; 31, 32) of the housing are releasably connected together. 3. A needle-less injector according to claims 1 and 2 wherein the nozzle (9; 39) includes only one opening (10; 40) of a hydraulic diameter of from 10 pm to 500 mum, preferably from 50mum to 150 mum, and - the nozzle opening (10; 40) is of a length of from 50 pm to 500 mum, preferably from 100 mum to 300 mum. 4. A needle-less injector according to claims 1 and 2 wherein - the nozzle (9; 39) includes a plurality of nozzle openings whose hydraulic diameter is possibly different. 5. A needle-less injector according to claims 1 and 2, wherein - the nozzle (9; 39) includes a plurality of nozzle openings, the longitudinal axes of which are parallel to one another or are inclined divergently with respect to one another. 6. A needle-less injector according to claims 1 to 5 wherein - the position of an abutment and therewith the hollow piston stroke travel (a) is variable. 7. A needle-less injector according to claims 1 to 6, wherein - the locking stressing mechanism can be stressed by rotating the two housing portions (1,2; 31, 32) manually with respect to one another. 8. A needle-less injector according to claims 1 to 7 wherein - the locking stressing mechanism can be stressed by way of a worm-thrust transmission arrangement by rotation of the two housing portions (1,2; 31, 32) relative to each other. 9. A needle-less injector according to claims 1 to 8 wherein - the locking stressing mechanism includes a coil spring (6; 36), a disk spring or a leaf spring as the energy storage means. 10. A needle-less injector according to claims 1 to 9 wherein - the nozzle (9; 39) comprises metal, plastics material, glass, silicon or precious stone such as sapphire, ruby or corundum. 11. A needle-less injector according to claims 1 to 10 wherein the separate supply container (14; 44; 54) for the liquid is releasably connected to the end of the hollow plunger (7; 37; 57) by means of a press fitting (19; 49; 59) that projects from the end of the cylinder. 12. A needle-less injector according to claims 1 to 11 wherein - the separate supply container (14; 44; 54) for the liquid is releasably connected to the hollow plunger (7; 37; 57) and is displaceable with the stroke movement of the hollow plunger within the housing. 13. A needle-less injector according to claims 1 to 12 wherein - the separate supply container (14; 44; 54) for the liquid is in the form of a replaceable supply container and the sprung portion (53) is adapted to receive the separate supply container. 14. A needle-less injector according to claims 1 to 13 wherein - the separate supply container (54) for the liquid is releasably connected to the hollow plunger (57) and the sprung portion (53), and - the sprung portion (53) is provided with snap hooks (51) which engage into a peripherally extending groove (52) in the supply container. 15. A needle-less injector according to claims 1 to 14 wherein - the nozzle end of the needle-less injector is provided with a closure cap (18). 16. A needle-less injector according to claims 1 to 15 wherein - a filter (11) is disposed in front of the side of the nozzle, which is towards the pump chamber. 17. A needle-less injector according to claims 1 to 16 wherein - the separate supply container (14; 44; 54) for the liquid is filled with a liquid medicament, preferably from the group of analgesics, vaccines, anti-diabetic agents, hormones, contraceptives, vitamins, antibiotics, sedatives, antimicrobial substances, amino acids and coronary agents. 18. A needle-less injector according to claims 1 to 3 for a liquid, which is in the form of a hand-held unit, comprising a housing and a supply container for the liquid, wherein - the locking stressing mechanism includes a coil spring (6; 36), and the locking stressing mechanism can be stressed by means of a worm-thrust transmission by rotating the two housing portions (1; 2), (31; 32) relative to one another, and the locking stressing mechanism is provided with a triggering device, and - disposed at the end of the cylinder is a nozzle (9; 39) with a single opening (10; 40), and - the supply container (14; 44; 54) is connected by means of a press fit (59) to the end of the hollow plunger, and this is connected to the sprung portion (53) by means of snap hooks (51) which engage into a peripherally extending groove (52) in the supply container, and - the separate supply container (14; 44; 54) is filled with a liquid medicament. 19. A needle-less injector according to claim 18, wherein - there is a filter in front of the side of the nozzle opposite the pump chamber. 20. Use of the needle-less injector according to claims 1 to 19 for injecting a liquid containing an active substance into a biological tissue. 21. Use of the needle-less injector according to claims 1 to 19 for injecting a liquid containing an active substance into a plant tissue. 22. Use of a needle-less injector according to claims 1 to 19 for injecting liquids containing an active substance into an animal tissue. 23. Use of the needle-less injector according to claims 1 to 19 for intracutaneous injection of vaccines into an animal. 24. Use of the needle-less injector according to claims 1 to 19 for subcutaneous injection of vaccines into an animal. 25. Use of the needle-less injector according to claims 1 to 19 for intracutaneous injecting of vaccines into a human. 26. Use of a needle-less injector according to claims 1 to 19 for subcutaneous injecting of vaccines into a human. 27. Use of the needle-less injector according to claims 1 to 19 for injecting a liquid through a membrane into the space behind said membrane.