AU2003235146B2

AU2003235146B2 - Injector barrel

Info

Publication number: AU2003235146B2
Application number: AU2003235146A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Wayne Simmonds; Peter John Tasker
Original assignee: Datamars Ltd
Current assignee: Datamars Ltd
Priority date: 2002-08-19
Filing date: 2003-08-18
Publication date: 2009-01-08
Anticipated expiration: 2023-08-18
Also published as: NZ520849A; AU2003235146A1

Description

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AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE

SPECIFICATION

FOR A STANDARD

PATENT

ORIGINAL

Name of Applicant/s: Simcro Tech Limited Actual Inventor/s: Peter John Tasker and Wayne Simmonds Address for Service: Baldwin Shelston Waters MARGARET STREET SYDNEY NSW 2000 CCN: 3710000352 Invention Title: INJECTOR BARREL The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- File: 40105AUP00 500212096 1.DOC/5844 INJECTOR

BARREL

Technical Field This invention relates to a barrel for use with an injector, vaccinator, vaccinator gun, syringe or the like, particularly but not exclusively for use in injecting a dose of a liquid or suspension into an animal.

Backaround Art Typically such injectors will have a luer-type connection between the needle and the injector. That connection may typically be at the end of a barrel which is connected with the main injector body.

The term "barrel" is for simplicity used throughout this specification to describe any shape or size of intermediate member between the needle connection and the injector body.

To the present time there have been problems in providing a barrel which will provide a liquid tight connection between the needle connection and the applicator body which is sufficiently strong to withstand the conditions experienced in the field.

Object Of The Invention It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a barrel and/or a tip member therefor which will overcome or at least ameliorate problems in such connections to the present time or which at least will provide the public with a useful choice.

Further objects of the invention may become apparent from the following description.

Disclosure of the Invention 12-12-08; 09 :1 #t 00 3 SAccording to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a Ubarrel (as herein defined) for an injector including at a front end thereof an open bore Sadapted to receive therein a tip member, the length of the bore enabling at least a Sportion of the tip member to be accommodated therein so that an internal surface of the bore extends over and at least partially encases the said tip member, thereby, in use, strengthening a connection between the barrel and the tip member, wherein an internal surface of said bore is adapted to accommodate at least one sealing means to provide a substantially liquid tight seal between said tip member and said bore..

M 10 Preferably, said at least one sealing means may restrain movement of the tip member within the bore.

Preferably, said at least one sealing means may include an O-ring.

Preferably, said open bore may include an engaging portion adapted to securely engage said tip member and a covering portion adapted to cover at least a portion of said tip member.

Preferably, said engaging portion may include a threaded section adapted to engage a complimentary threaded section of said tip member.

Preferably, said covering portion may include a support section adjacent an outer end of said bore.

Preferably, said support section of said covering portion may be substantially circular in cross section and may have a diameter which is larger than a diameter of said engaging section.

Preferably, said support section of said covering portion may be adapted to engage a bearing section of said tip member in a sliding fit.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a tip member for use with a barrel as described in any of the nine preceding paragraphs, the tip member including needle engagement means adapted to engage a needle or needle assembly.

COMS ID No: ARCS-216814 Received by IP Australia: Time 10:19 Date 2008-12-12 12-12 -08;09:14 t 17 00 4 Preferably, the tip member may include a locking portion adapted to releasably lock said needle engagement means in engagement with said needle or Sneedle assembly.

Preferably, said needle engagement means may include a luer lock connection.

c According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a m 10 barrel substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 and 2.

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c According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a tip member substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1, 2 ,3a and 3b or Figure 4.

Brief Description of the Accompanying Drawings Figure 1: Shows a cross-sectional side view of an injector according to a preferred embodiment of the invention; Figure 2: Shows an enlarged cross-sectional side view of the barrel of the injector shown in Figure 1; Fiiures 3a 3b: Show rear perspective and front perspective views of the tip member of Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4: Shows a cross-sectional side view of an alternative tip member.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention The present invention particularly relates to injector type applicators to enable animal remedies to be injected into animals but would have application with any other syringes or like apparatus for any other purpose.

COMS ID No: ARCS-216814 Received by IP Australia: Time 10:19 Date 2008-12-12 12-12-08;09:14 6/ 17 00 LC' In such injectors a controlled dose of a fluid or suspension is required to be injected into animals and for this purpose the injector will typically have barrels in which Sthere are chambers of different sizes so that, for example, 2, 5, 10 or 15 mis can be LC' injected repeatedly into successive animals.

Referring to Figure 1 an injector according to a preferred embodiment of the

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invention is referenced generally by arrow 1. It is shown with an inlet 2 through which the required fluid can be caused to pass into a chamber 3 in barrel 5, the length of which chamber, defining the dose which will be injected into the animal.

M The operation of the spring loaded trigger 13 will provide sequential doses into

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the chamber 3 which will then be forced through a one-way valve 4 at the end of the barrel 5 to exit through the needle 16. In alternative embodiments the barrel 5 may be a component of a suitable alternative injector such as a vaccinator, vaccinator gun, syringe or the like, such as are known to those skilled in the art.

Referring next to Figure 2, the front end 5A of the barrel 5 has a bore 6 which is adapted to accommodate a tip member 7. Suitably tip member 7 may have a threaded section 8 which is adapted to engage a respective screw thread 8A in the bore 6, so that the tip member 7 can be screwed into a secure connection with the end of the barrel 5. However any alternative connection or engagement means, such as a bayonet-type, may be used.

It will be seen that the total length of the bore 6 is such that at least a substantial portion of the length of the tip member 7 is accommodated so that tip member 7 can be securely and strongly held within the bore 6 and be at least partially encased by the end of the barrel 5. In one embodiment it is envisaged that the tip member 7 may be totally encased by the end of the barrel In a preferred embodiment the barrel 5 may be of a plastic molding whereas the tip member 7 may be of a substantially harder material, such as metal, or possibly from a suitably strong plastic such a metal impregnated type. It is also seen, particularly in Figure 2, that one or more sealing members 9 may be provided between an external surface of the tip member 7 and an internal surface of the bore 6.

COMS ID No: ARCS-216814 Received by IP Australia: Time 10:19 Date 2008-12-12 00 6 C1 In a preferred embodiment the sealing member 9 may be a single ring accommodated within a groove 10 at a front end of the threaded section 8 of tip member 7, best seen in Figure 3a. The one or more sealing members 9 may assist in providing a liquid tight seal between the tip member 7 and the barrel bore 6. Friction between the tip member 7 and the one or more sealing members 9 and between the one or more sealing members 9 and the barrel bore 6 may also assist in resisting any tendency of the tip member 7 to disengage from the barrel c In an alternative embodiment a sealing member 9 may be insert molded inside M 10 the bore 6 during the molding process, or alternatively the entire tip member 9 could be injection molded from a suitable plastic into the bore 6.

In a preferred embodiment the bore 6 may include a substantially smooth covering portion 14 at or adjacent the outer end 15. Preferably the covering portion 14 may be circular in cross-section and may be of a larger diameter than the threaded section 8A, and the tip member 7 may have a bearing section 16 adapted to engage the covering portion 14 of the bore 6 in a sliding fit.

In use, the sliding fit between the covering portion 14 and bearing section 16 may assist in supporting the tip member 7 when the tip member 7 is subject to transverse forces, the covering portion 14 acting as a supporting section for the tip member 7.

The tip member 7 may be adapted for use with any suitable needle or needle mounting assembly 12. As seen particularly in Figures 2 and 3b, in a preferred embodiment the tip member 7 has an outwardly projecting tubular portion 11, such as a luer or luer-lock type fitting, for engagement of the tip member 7 with a needle mounting assembly 12, shown in Figure 1. The tip member 7 may be provided with an internally threaded locking portion 13 to further engage or lock the needle mounting assembly 12 in place, although those skilled in the art will appreciate that alternative means of engaging or locking the needle mounting assembly 12 may be used, for example an externally threaded locking portion, or any other suitable engagement and/or locking means.

COMS ID No: ARCS-216814 Received by IP Australia: Time 10:19 Date 2008-12-12 12-12-08;09: a/ 17 00 7 C Referring next to Figure 4, an alternative tip member 7A is shown. The alternative tip member 7A has both an internally threaded locking portion 13 and an Sexternal thread 17, which in a preferred embodiment may be adapted for connection to C a "sterimatic" type fitting.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention provides a

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barrel for an injector which may have improved sealing with a tip member, improved overall strength, improved visibility of the needle when administering a required dose, M and an improved appearance compared to the barrels of the prior art.

M( SWhere in the foregoing description, reference has been made to specific components or integers of the invention having known equivalents then such equivalents are herein incorporated as if individually set forth.

Although this invention has been described by way of example and with reference to possible embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that modifications or improvements may be made thereto without departing from the scope or spirit of the appended claims.

COMS ID No: ARCS-216814 Received by IP Australia: Time 10:19 Date 2008-12-12

Claims

12-12-08;09:14 00 8 L' THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS: 1. A barrel (as herein defined) for an injector including at a front end thereof an open bore adapted to receive therein a tip member, the length of the bore enabling at least a portion of the tip member to be accommodated therein so that an internal surface of the bore extends over and at least partially encases NO the said tip member, thereby, in use, strengthening a connection between the Sbarrel and the tip member, wherein an internal surface of said bore is adapted Sto accommodate at least one sealing means to provide a substantially liquid C 10 tight seal between said tip member and said bore. 2. The barrel of Claim 1 wherein said at least one sealing means restrains movement of the tip member within the bore. 3 The barrel of Claim 1 or 2 wherein said at least one sealing means includes an O-ring. 4 The barrel of Claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein said open bore includes an engaging portion adapted to securely engage said tip member and a covering portion adapted to cover at least a portion of said tip member. The barrel of Claim 4 wherein said engaging portion is a threaded section adapted to engage a complimentary threaded section of said tip member. 6. The barrel of Claim 4 or 5 wherein said covering portion includes a support section adjacent an outer end of said bore. 7 The barrel of Claim 6 wherein said support section of said covering portion is substantially circular in cross section and has a diameter which is larger than a diameter of said engaging section. 8. The barrel of Claim 6 or 7 wherein said support section of said covering portion is adapted to engage a bearing section of said tip member in a sliding fit. COMS ID No: ARCS-216814 Received by IP Australia: Time 10:19 Date 2008-12-12 12-12-08;09: 14 1C/ 17 00 o 9 0 9. A tip member for use with the barrel of any one of Claims 1 to 8, the tip member including needle engagement means adapted to engage a needle or needle 0 assembly. 10. The tip member of Claim 9 including a locking portion adapted to releasably lock said needle engagement means in engagement with said needle or needle I- assembly. 11. The tip member of Claim 9 or 10 wherein said needle engagement means C 10 includes a luer lock connection. O c 12. A barrel substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 and 2.

13. A tip member substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1, 2, 3a and 3b or Figure 4. COMS ID No: ARCS-216814 Received by IP Australia: Time 10:19 Date 2008-12-12