US3016895A - Injector for subcutaneous implantation of solids - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 16, 1962 R. SEIN INJECTOR FOR SUBCUTANEOUS IMPLANTATION OF SOLIDS Filed Aug. 1, 1958 Roberto Ser'n l N VE N TOR.

BY @Mm Patented Jan. 16, 1962 ice 3,616,895 INJECTOR FOR SUBCUTAWEGUS IMPLANTA- TIGN Oi illLlllDS Roberto Sein, Rio Iiedras, Iuerto Rico, assignor to Pan American Laboratories, Inc, Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico Filed Aug. 1, 1953, Ser. No. 752,622 3 Claims. (CL 128--217) This invention relates generally to injectors, and more particularly to a veterinarians injector of the type designed for subcutaneous implantation of solids in animals.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an injector of the character described wherein solid pellets may be injected into animals very quickly and efliciently, because of the novel structural arrangement of the present invention.

Another object of this invention is to provide an injector, wherein the loaded pellet may not be accidentally removed from the loading tube, during the movement of the injector, but will be held firmly in place until the injector is actuated.

Yet a further object of this invention is to provide a device of the character described wherein a longitudinally bored pellet receiving and loading unit is provided which unit is hingedly mounted so that it may be misaligned with the body of the injector, so that a solid pellet may be easily inserted therein, for convenient loading of the injector.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide a locking device for retaining said loading unit in alignment with the body of the ejector, at all times, until the locking and unlocking mechanism is actuated.

An even further object of this invention is to provide a device of the character described wherein the loading tube is provided with a camming surface which cooperates with the locking and unlocking mechanism, so that the unit need only be aligned with the body of the injector, for the locking mechanism to be actuated.

An even further object of this invention is to provide a locking mechanism of the character described wherein said receiver will be firmly held in the open position, until it is moved so that the camming surface allows it to fall back into proper position in alignment with the body of the injector when the locking mechanism 1s actuated.

An even further object of this invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive device and yet one whichns exceedingly useful for the purposes for which it is intended.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein l1ke numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the in ector comprising the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional View taken substantially along the plane defined by reference line 2-2 of FIGURE 1 illustrating details of construction thereof;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sec tional view illustrating the needle assemblyand the end of the loading tube, with the pellet be1ng illustrated in movement through the tube and into the needle member; and

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view illustrating the open position of the loading member with respect to the injector body.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral generally designates the in ector body. To thisinjector body 16 is pivotally connected at longitudinally bored pellet receiving and loadingunit 12. Also,

therein.

thenecessary needle unit 14 is connected to the forward portion of theloading tube 12 so that the skin of an animal may be punctured thereby.

Theinjector body 10 comprises a tubular cylinder orbarrel 16, open at both ends, and having threads 18 on the inner surface of the rear end thereof. On the forward end, the tubular member or barrel is formed with a peripheral reinforcing collar-like portion 20, which has ears 22 (FIGS. 1 and 4) projecting therefrom, by which the openable andclosable unit 12 is pivotally connected to thebody 10. Afinger engaging member 24 is connected to the rear portion of thebarrel 16, and has indentations therein so as to more comfortably fit the contour of the index and middle fingers when using the injector. Thisfinger member 24 is held in place by acap 26. This cap has a projecting flange 28 which is threaded as at 30 so as to engage the threads 18 oftubular member 16, and enclose the rearward end of the body. It will be readily realized that thefinger member 24 has a circular opening formed therethrough so as to allow thecap 26 to pass through the opening and thehead 32 ofcap 26 will engage the outer border of the opening formed in the finger member, so as to fasten the finger member between the rearward edge ofbody 10 and the head of thecap 26. A central opening is formed axially throughcap 26, so as to accommodate an ejector rod.

Ejector rod 36 is slidably engaged in opening 34, and has ahandle 38 on its outer end thereof so that a thumb may engage this handle while the index finger and middle finger of a user are engagingfinger member 24, so as to actuate the injector in the usual manner. Asleeve 40 having slightly smaller dimensions thantubular member 16 is slidably mounted internally oftubular member 16, and has a closedbottom 42 and a closedtop 44. However, in order that theejector rod 36 may passtherethrough openings 46 and 48 are formed inends 42 and 44 respectively. A shoulder-formingwasher 50 or some other equivalent means is fastened torod 36, and is engageable with the sleeve-end 42 so that asrod 36 is retracted thesleeve 40 will also be retracted. Aspring 52 is disposed aboutrod 36 and between sleeveend 42 andcap 26, for constantly urging thesleeve 40 forwardly ofbody 10. It may be seen that in the normal position, illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2, the end ofejector rod 36 will project intoloading tube 12.

The aforementioned longitudinally bored pellet receiving andloading unit 12 comprises acircular cup 54 defining and providing a socket orchamber 56 of proper size to permit the forward projectible and retractible end ofsleeve 40 to be projected into said socket. Atube 58, sometimes referred to as a loading tube, projects forwardly from the bottom of thecup 54 and has its bore aligned with the bore or passage at the bottom of the cup and also has external screw threads (FIG. 3) formed on the end thereof. As may be seen in FIGS. 2 and 4, the edge of the rim of thecup 54 which faces the sleeve is cut away, as at 62, for clearance. However, theunit 12 is connected by means ofbolts 64 which pass throughcars 22 and into thecup 54, so that thisnovel unit 12 is pivotally connected to thebarrel 16. Furthermore, it should be apparent that thecutaway portion 62 is provided so that the cup will have suflicient clearance to hinge freely. Thus, as viewed in FIGURE 2, it may be seen that theunit 12 may be pivoted, counterclockwise into the open or loading position, but not clockwise since the rim of thecup 54 will abut the reinforcedportion 20 of the barrel. Acentral bore 66 is formed axially throughunit 12, and is in alignment with theejector rod 36, so that a portion of this rod is telescoped Furthermore, the projecting forward end portion of sleeves 4t telescoping into thesocket 56 locks thecup 54 andtube 58 against pivotal movement with respect to thebarrel 16. It may thus be seen that the cup and tube components ofunit 12 remain aligned withbarrel 16, until theejector rod 36 is purposely retracted, whereupon shoulder 59 will engage sleeve 49 and pull it rearwardly. Upon this movement, the forward end ofejector 36 will be removed frombore 66, and the forward portion ofsleeve 40 will be removed from the socket in thecup 54 so that the loading unit may pivot into its open loading position (FIG. 4).

Theneedle unit 14 is constructed of a hollow needle member 7% which has an internal passage '72 therein, and an inclined forward portion as at 74- to define a puncture point for inserting a needle into the skin. Furthermore, a knurled coupling '76 is engaged with the needle member and threadedly connected tothreads 60 of forward portion of thetube 58. It is to be noted that at 78 the needle has an enlarged portion with an inclined surface which abuts against inclined surface 813 of the connectingcoupling 76 so as to fasten needle 7b to the rest of the device. By comparing the left hand end portion of FIG. 2 with the larger showing in FIG. 3

it will be evident that pellet retaining means is mounted in the bore of the pellet receiving and ejectingunit 12. More specifically, FIG. 2 shows the nose of thepellet 84 abutting theelastic Washer 82 which is located between the end of the needle and the shoulder-forming end of thetube 58. The center opening in the washer is of a diameter less than the cross-section of the bore and also the pellet but this opening is adapted to expand and to allow the pellet to be driven and forced therethrough when forcibly pressed by the leading end of theejector rod 36. This step is brought out in FIG. 3 wherein it will be observed that approximately one-half portion of the pellet has been shoved through the center opening of thewasher 82. As soon as the whole pellet clears through it is forcibly pressed through the bore '72 of the needle by the ejector rod. It will also be evident from FIG. 4 that when the mouth of the cup is open all that one has to do is to take a pellet between the fingers, drop it down into the passage 6d, and the pellet will, of course, gravitate down through the passage in theextended tube 58 until it comes to rest against thestop washer 82. Theunit 12 having been thus loaded is ready to be swung back to its locked ready-to-use position (as seen in FIG. 2).

It will thus be seen that there has been provided a new and improved type of injector for subcutaneou implantation of solids which provides a loading tube for easy loading of the device, while positively retaining thesolid pellet 84 and not allowing it to fall out of the device until it is ejected byrod 36.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous 'modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A pellet implanter comprising in combination a barrel having an open end and a closed end provided with a central aperture, a pair of transversely spaced ears provided at and projecting longitudinally beyond the open end of said barrel, a pellet holding an injecting unit pivotally mounted between said ears for swinging movement about an axis transverse of the barrel, said unit including a body member disposed adjacent the open end of the barrel and pivoted to said ears, a tubular extension provided on said body member, said body' member and extension having an axial pellet receiving bore disposed in axial alignment with said barrel when said unit is swung to an operative position and a counterbore in said body member at the end of said bore facing the open end of the barrel, said counterbore being of substantially the same diameter as the inside of the barrel and coaxial therewith when the unit is in its operative position but being oriented laterally with respect to the barrel when said unit is swung to a position for loading a pellet into said bore, said bore being substantially smaller in diameter than said counterbore, an injector needle coaxial with and separably connected to said body member extension and having a pellet passage therethrough in alignment with said bore, yieldable means provided between said needle and said extension for retaining a pellet in the portion of the bore in said extension, a sleeve slidable in said barrel and having an end portion projectable through the open end of the barrel into said counterbore for axially aligning said unit with the barrel and releasably locking the unit in its operative position, said sleeve being hollow and having closed ends provided with coaxial openings, an ejecting rod extending slidably through said openings of said sleeve and through said aperture in the closed end of the barrel, an end portion of said rod projecting from said one end portion of the sleeve receivable in said counterbore being receivable in the portion of said bore in said body member to assist the sleeve in axially aligning said unit with the barrel and releasably locking the unit in its operative position, said end portion of said rod being engageable with a pellet in said bore to propel the pellet past said yieidable means and through the passage in said needle during sliding of the rod in said barrel and sleeve in the direction of said unit, abutment means provided on said rod within said sleeve and engageable with the closed end of the sleeve adjacent the closed end of the barrel for simultaneously Withdrawing the rod from said bore and said sleeve from said counterbore during sliding of the rod outwardly through the closed end of the barrel whereby to unlock said unit and permit swinging thereof to the pellet loading position, resilient means interposed between the closed end of the barrel and the adjacent closed end of the sleeve for urging the latter into said counterbore when said unit is axially aligned with the barrel, and cooperating handle means provided at the closed end of the barrel and at the end of said rod projecting through the closed end of the barrel for sliding said rod.

2. The device as defined inclaim 1 wherein said yieldable means comprise a resilient washer interposed between said needle and said extension and having a central opening in axial alignment with the needle passage and the extension bore, said central opening of said washer being smaller in diameter than said bore to retain a pellet in the latter but being resiliently enlargeable by the passage of a pellet therethrough under actuation of said rod.

3. The device as defined in claim 2 together with a tubular coupling member separably connecting said needle to said extension, said washer being disposed in said coupling member and having its opposite side faces in abutment with said extension and said needle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS l,7l5,77l MacGregor June 4, 1929 2,673,562 Wadinger Mar. 30, 1954 2,761,446 Reed Sept. 4, 1956

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