Pen needle magazine

Details Pen needle magazine Pen needle magazine

1998-09-28

2002-02-12

Nguyen, Anhtuan T. (Department: 3763)

Surgery

Means for introducing or removing material from body for...

Treating material introduced into or removed from body...

C206S365000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06346094

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention relates to a pen needle magazine dispenser for a new pen needle and, more particularly, to a pen needle magazine that holds and dispenses sterile pen needles for medication delivery pens and that safely stores the needles after use.
2. Description of Related Art
Hypodermic syringes are used to deliver selected doses of medication to patients. The prior art hypodermic syringe includes a syringe barrel having opposed proximal and distal ends. A cylindrical chamber wall extends between the ends and defines a fluid receiving chamber. The proximal end of the prior art syringe barrel is substantially open and receives a plunger in sliding fluid tight engagement. The distal end of the prior art syringe barrel includes a passage communicating with the chamber. A needle cannula is mounted to the distal end of the prior art syringe barrel, such that the lumen of the needle cannula communicates with the passage and the chamber of the syringe barrel. Movement of the plunger in a proximal direction draws fluid through the lumen of the needle cannula and into the chamber. Movement of the plunger in a proximal-to-distal direction urges fluid from the chamber and through the lumen of the needle cannula.
Medication to be injected with the prior art hypodermic syringe often is stored in a vial having a pierceable elastomeric seal. Medication in the prior art vial is accessed by piercing the elastomeric seal with the needle cannula. A selected dose of the medication is drawn into the chamber of the syringe barrel by moving the plunger a selected distance in a proximal direction. The needle cannula is withdrawn from the vial, and the medication is injected into a patient by moving the plunger in a distal direction.
Some medication, such as insulin is self-administered. The typical diabetes patient will require injections of insulin several times during the course of the day. The required dose of insulin will vary from patient to patient, and for each patient may vary during the course of the day and from day to day. Each diabetes patient will establish a regimen that is appropriate for his or her own medical condition and for his or her lifestyle. The regimen typically includes some combination of a slow or medium acting insulin and a faster acting insulin. Each of these regimens may require the diabetes patient to periodically self-administer insulin in public locations, such as places of employment or restaurants. The required manipulation of the standard prior art hypodermic syringe and vial can be inconvenient and embarrassing in these public environments.
Medication delivery pens have been developed to facilitate the self-administration of medication. A prior art medication delivery pen is identified generally by the numeral
1
in FIG.
1
. Pen
1
contains a cartridge with sufficient medication for several doses. The prior art cartridge has opposed proximal and distal ends. The distal end is closed by a pierceable and resealable rubber septum identified by the numeral
2
in FIG.
1
. The proximal end receives a stopper in sliding fluid-tight engagement. The prior art cartridge is disposed in an elongate pen-like body
4
with a proximal end (not shown) and an opposed distal end
6
. The proximal end of the pen body includes a plunger for selectively driving the stopper of the cartridge in the distal direction and a dose setting mechanism for determining the distance through which the plunger and stopper can move. Distal end
6
of pen body
4
includes an array of threads
8
for threaded engagement with a pen needle assembly
90
. Pen needle assembly
90
includes a needle cannula
91
with opposed proximal and distal points
92
and
93
and a threaded mounting skirt
94
which surrounds the proximal tip
92
. Mounting skirt
94
is threadably engageable with threads
8
on distal end
6
of pen body
4
. A safety shield
95
is releasably engaged over distal point
93
and portions of mounting skirt
94
to prevent accidental needle sticks.
A person who must periodically inject doses of medication will carry a medication delivery pen
1
and a supply of pen needle assemblies
90
. Each pen needle assembly
90
has its needle cannula
91
safely and sterility sealed in its own shield
95
, and is accessed immediately prior to administering a dose of medication. Pen needle assembly
90
then is mounted to distal end
6
of prior art pen
1
. This mounting causes proximal point
92
of needle cannula
91
to pierce rubber septum
2
of the cartridge, to place needle cannula
91
in communication with the medication in pen
1
. Pen
1
then is used to inject the selected dose of medication. After completing the injection, needle assembly
90
is separated from pen
1
and is discarded. Pen
1
may be used repeatedly in this manner until the medication is exhausted. Such prior art pens offer many conveniences and efficiencies. However, the storage of unused needles and the final disposal of used needles has presented problems. In particular, supplies of new needles often are loosely scattered in the bottom of purses or briefcases, and used needles are often disposed of unsafely.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The subject invention relates to a storing and dispensing apparatus for needle assemblies used with hypodermic syringes and preferably a new type of pen needle that is designed to attach to an adapter having conventional threads that mate with threads
8
on medication delivery pens.
The pen needle dispenser of the present invention includes a magazine dispenser having a cover removably mounted on a container with a plurality of cavities, with each cavity dimensioned to receive a new type of pen needle assembly. The user inserts a special adapter on the medication delivery pen into one of the cavities and rotates the pen to mount an unused pen needle on the adapter on the medication delivery pen. After an injection has been performed, the used pen needle is returned to the cavity by inserting the used pen needle into the cavity and rotating the pen to detach the pen needle from the adapter on the pen.
An object of the present invention is to provide a user with a convenient way to carry, dispose of and keep track of their personal pen needle usage. The pen needle magazine dispenser is designed to be carried and contain a predetermined number of pen needles in respective cavities, with each cavity being sealed by a numbered label or sterility membrane. The numbered labels indicate how many unused pen needles remain in the pen needle magazine dispenser.
These and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 1125887 (1915-01-01), Schimmel
patent: 1881415 (1932-10-01), Tingleff
patent: 2512568 (1950-06-01), Saffir
patent: D204723 (1966-05-01), Hamilton
patent: 3382865 (1968-05-01), Worrall, Jr.
patent: 4205767 (1980-06-01), Shackelford
patent: 4737150 (1988-04-01), Baeumle et al.
patent: 5224596 (1993-07-01), Kruger
patent: 5285896 (1994-02-01), Salatka et al.
patent: 5514113 (1996-05-01), Anderson et al.
patent: 5593390 (1997-01-01), Castellano et al.
patent: 5611785 (1997-03-01), Mito et al.
patent: 5775498 (1999-07-01), Kashanchi

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