Patent ID: 7789857

Claim:
A needle injector device for connection in fluid-flow communication with an inlet or outlet port of a reservoir, the needle injector device comprising: a housing structure having an interior volume; a moveable needle supported by the housing structure for movement at least between a retracted position and an extended position; a needle carriage supported for movement within the interior volume of the housing structure with the moveable needle, at least between the retracted position and the extended position, the needle carriage having a needle passage through which the moveable needle extends in a case where the moveable needle and the needle carriage are in the retracted position; a hollow needle or cannula attached to the needle carriage and moveable with the needle carriage at least between the retracted position and the extended position, the hollow needle or cannula having a central passage through which the moveable needle extends in a case where the moveable needle, the needle carriage, and the hollow needle or cannula are in the retracted position; a locking structure for locking the needle carriage and the hollow needle or cannula in the extended position in a case where the needle carriage and the hollow needle or cannula are moved to the extended position; a first bias member supported by the housing structure within the interior volume of the housing structure, the first bias member for moving the needle carriage toward the extended position; a lever supported within the interior volume of the housing structure, the lever moveable between a first lever position, in which the lever holds the moveable needle from movement in a direction toward the retracted position, and a second lever position, in which the lever separates from the moveable needle to allow movement of the moveable needle toward the retracted position; an engagement member for moving the lever to the second lever position as the needle carriage is moved toward the extended position; and a second bias member operatively coupled to the moveable needle, the second bias member imparting a bias force on the moveable needle in a direction toward the retracted position, the second bias member for withdrawing the moveable needle from at least a portion of the hollow needle or cannula in a case where the needle carriage is in the extended position and the lever is in the second lever position.