US3308818A - Injection cartridge - Google Patents

Description

March 1967 E. v. RUTKOWSKI INJECTION CARTRIDGE Filed July 24, 1964 A W R 2 0m E KE LO V L 6 N U l R] A F M V O 2 E N as E G W G C2 w m F x W FIG.

FIG.

FIG.

United States Patent 3,308,818 INJECTION CARTRIDGE Eugene V. Rutkowski, 1010 Esplanade, Apt. 17, Redondo Beach, Calif., 90277 Filed July 24, 1964, Ser. No. 385,092 Claims. (Cl. 128-173) The invention described herein may be manufactured and use-d by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

This inventionrelates to improvements in apparatus for effecting subcutaneous and intramuscular injections of medicaments and the like into human beings and animals, and more particularly to improvements for injection without the use of 'a hypodermic needle.

A. recent technique has evolved for subcutaneous injections without the use of a hypodermic needle in which a metered quantity of injectant is projected against the skin at such high pressure and velocity that it penetrates the skin. Such technique is exemplified by the multi-dose injector, manufactured by the R. P. Sherer Company of Detroit, Mich. Such device is quite complicated and expensive and requires an electric motor source for developing the requisite pressure for the injectant gun. In remote regions, where a source of electric power is not available, it therefore becomes unusable. Also, because of its considerable bulk and weight it presents transportation difficulties into such regions.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a needleless injection device which contains a potential source of gas pressure which may be activated, when desired, and without any specialized power operated apparatus.

Another object is to provide a disposable device of such type for injecting a single metered dose.

A further object is to provide a disposable device of such type which may be constructed so economically that it can be made available to a greater number of users in need of the same.

Still further objects, advantages and salient features will become more apparent from the description to follow, the appended claims and the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is an enlarged central section through one form of the invention;

FIGS. 1A and 1B are like sections illustrating various stages of operation;

FIG. 2 is a like section through another form of the invention;

FIG. 2A is a like section of FIG. 2 illustrating the final stage of operation;

FIG. 3 illustrates a modified type of igniter, and

FIG. 4 illustrates a gun which may be optionally employed with any of the various forms of the invention.

Referring now to the drawing, and particularly to FIG. 1, the subject of the invention, in one of its forms, comprises a cylindrical capsule or tube closed at one end by aclosure 12 and in which is housed aspherical container 14 which is filled with the desiredinjectant fluid 16. A head orcap member 18 sealingly closes the opposite end of the capsule to prevent leakage of high pressure gas. The cap may thre-adedly engage the tube, as shown, or otherwise be sealingly secured to it such as by deforming the upper edge of the tube, as by rolling, over the upper edge of the cap. As will be apparent, cements, solders and the like may be employed to sealingly bond the cap to the tube.

A predetermined quantity ofpropellant powder 20 is disposed within the cylindrical capsule ortube 10, which 3,308,818 Patented Mar. 14, 1967 upon igniting, will produce a predetermined gas pressure within the capsule. Ignition of the propellant may be efiected by aconventional squib 22 containing a bridge wire (not shown) which is energized by electric current from a small portable battery, such as a flash light battery, through a suitableelectric lead 24.

The head or cap member is provided with anaperture 25 which leaves a small area of the spherical container wall unsupported and into which the wall may rupture when the injectant container is pressurized. This aperture communicates with asmall discharge orifice 26 through which the injectant is expelled at extremely high velocity, sufiicient to effect subcutaneous or intra-muscular penetration of the injectant.

FIG. 1A illustrates the deformation of the injectant container shortly after ignition of the squib at which time the wall has ruptured intoaperture 25 and the fluid is being expelled throughorifice 26 at high velocity. FIG. 18 illustrates complete deformation or retroversion of the container in which the lower half of the spherical wall has engaged the upper half and the volume of the container has been reduced to its minimum.

The injectant container may be constructed of any material, such as metal or plastic, which is sufliciently ductile to deform, as illustrated, yet not rupture to permit entry of the high pressure gas into the container. In some instances it may be desirable to dispose a ductile heat shield at least adjacent the lower portion of the container to prevent excessive heat transmission to the container wall which might cause rupture by melting or other high temperature failure.

FIG. 2 illustrates a modified form of injectant container 14A which is dome-shaped at one end,-as in the previous embodiment, but is otherwise cylindrical in shape. FIG. 2A illustrates the complete deformation of this container after being pressurized.

FIG. 3 illustrates another form of igriiter in the form of a percussion cap 22A which may be initiated by impact of afiring pin 30.

FIG. 4 is exemplary of a gun" 32 containing an injectant cartridge. Any suitablemovable closure 34 may be employed to permit insertion of the cartridge into the gun after which it may be initiated by atrigger 36 which may operate a hammer for the percussion type or operate a switch for the electric squib type. The battery may cOnveniently be housed within the handle of the gun.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for subcutaneous injections of liquid medicaments and the like, comprising;

(a) an outer container adapted to withstand high gas pressure,

(b) a hermetically sealed ductile inner container, containing the medicament,

(c) said inner container having a first portion of its wall supported by said outer container and a second portion adapted to deform into a retroversion contact with the first portion, without rupturing, to thereby reduce its volume to zero,

(d) said first portion of the inner container being unsupported by the outer container over a relatively small area to permit the inner container to rupture,

(e) a nozzle in the outer container communicating with said area through which the medicament may be discharged at a sufiiciently high velocity to eifect subcutaneous injection,

3 (f) a powder type propellant in said first container, the

products of combustion of which are adapted to deform said inner container, and

(g) means for initiating combustion of said propellant.

2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said second container is spherical in shape with a first hemispherical portion supported by said first container and a second hemispherical portion unsupported and adapted to be deformed concavely hemispherical and into contact with the first hemispherical portion.

3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said second container is cylindrical in shape with an unsupported end wall adapted to be deformed concavely and into contact with the supported portion.

4. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein the means for initiating combustion of said propellant comprises an electrically initiated squib.

5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein the means for initiating combustion of said propellant comprises a percussion cap.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,642,950 9/1927 Haas 128265 5 2,151,418 3/1939 Bolte 128265 2,816,544 12/1957 Scherer et al 128-173 3,071,294 1/1963 Galbierz 222541 3,145,712 8/1964 Litz 128173 10 References Cited by the Applicant UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,674,998 4/1954 Boehm.

2,854,925 10/1958 Crockford et al.

2,876,771 3/ 1959 Dunmire. 15 3,023,750 3/1962 Baron.

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,121,237 4/1956 France.

20 RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

K. L. HOWELL, Assistant Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. APPARATUS FOR SUBCUTANEOUS INJECTIONS OF LIQUID MEDICAMENTS AND THE LIKE, COMPRISING; (A) AN OUTER CONTAINER ADAPTED TO WITHSTAND HIGH GAS PRESSURE, (B) A HERMETICALLY SEALED DUCTILE INNER CONTAINER, CONTAINING THE MEDICAMENT, (C) SAID INNER CONTAINER HAVING A FIRST PORTION OF ITS WALL SUPPORTED BY SAID OUTER CONTAINER AND A SECOND PORTION ADAPTED TO DEFORM INTO A RETROVERSION CONTACT WITH THE FIRST PORTION, WITHOUT RUPTURING, TO THEREBY REDUCE ITS VOLUME TO ZERO, (D) SAID FIRST PORTION OF THE INNER CONTAINER BEING UNSUPPORTED BY THE OUTER CONTAINER OVER A RELATIVELY SMALL AREA TO PERMIT THE INNER CONTAINER TO RUPTURE, (E) A NOZZLE IN THE OUTER CONTAINER COMMUNICATING WITH SAID AREA THROUGH WHICH THE MEDICAMENT MAY BE DISCHARGED AT A SUFFICIENTLY HIGH VELOCITY TO EFFECT SUBCUTANEOUS INJECTION, (F) A POWDER TYPE PROPELLANT IN SAID FIRST CONTAINER, THE PRODUCTS OF COMBUSTION OF WHICH ARE ADAPTED TO DEFORM SAID INNER CONTAINER, AND (G) MEANS FOR INITATING COMBUSTION OF SAID PROPELLANT.

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