JP6629713B2 - Applicator and puncture kit - Google Patents

Description

  One aspect of the present invention relates to an applicator and a puncture kit for applying a microneedle to skin.

  Applicators for applying microneedles to the skin by impacting the microneedles, which administer the active ingredient through the skin, are known in the art. For example, Patent Document 1 described below discloses an applicator that moves a piston toward an opening by releasing a compressed spring.

JP-T-2005-533625

  The applicator described in Patent Literature 1 includes an upper housing as a mechanism for compressing a spring. The upper housing has a role of pulling the piston away from the opening, but the presence of the upper housing increases the height of the applicator. In order to reduce the size of the applicator, it is conceivable to omit the upper housing and deform the applicator so that the user directly pushes the piston to compress the spring. However, in order to operate the piston at a desired speed, it is necessary to increase the elastic force of the spring to some extent, and if so, a greater force is required to push the piston, so that the operability of the applicator is reduced for the user. Would.

  Therefore, a small applicator that can easily set the piston in an operable state is desired.

  An applicator according to one aspect of the present invention is an applicator for applying a microneedle to skin, and has a cylindrical shape that accommodates an elastic member and a piston that transmits the elastic force of the elastic member to the microneedle. A housing and a lifting mechanism at least partially housed in the housing, the piston moving in a direction away from the opening of the housing by moving toward the housing along the axial direction of the housing. And the lifting mechanism for rotating the piston along the circumferential direction of the housing, the piston has a plurality of enlarged portions each extending radially outward, the housing has a support, The first enlarged diameter portion of the plurality of enlarged diameter portions rests on the support base, thereby fixing the piston against the elastic force of the elastic member, and moving the lifting mechanism toward the housing to move the piston. By rotating, the first Diameter portion rests on the support base.

  In such a side surface, the user can fix the piston against the elastic force of the elastic member only by moving the lifting mechanism toward the housing along the axial direction. That is, the user can easily set the piston in an operable state. At least a part of the lifting mechanism is housed in the housing, which contributes to downsizing of the applicator. For the above reasons, it is possible to realize a small-sized applicator that can easily set the piston in an operable state.

  According to one aspect of the present invention, a small-sized applicator that can easily set a piston in an operable state can be realized.

It is the perspective view which looked at the applicator concerning an embodiment from the upper part. It is the perspective view which looked at the applicator concerning an embodiment from the lower part. It is an exploded view of the applicator concerning an embodiment. It is the perspective view which looked at the case from the lower part. It is sectional drawing for demonstrating the inside of a housing | casing. It is a perspective view of a lifting mechanism. It is the perspective view which looked at the operation button from the lower part. It is a perspective view of a cartridge used with the applicator concerning an embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows the transition from the release state of a piston to the locking state. FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 9, showing a transition from a released state of the piston to a locked state. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the applicator to which the cartridge is attached, as viewed from below. It is sectional drawing which shows an applicator after a piston operates.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same or equivalent elements will be denoted by the same reference symbols, without redundant description.

  An applicator is an auxiliary device that is used to apply a microneedle to the skin to administer any active ingredient (eg, drug) into a living body. By using the applicator, the user can apply the microneedle to the skin with a more appropriate force than when applying the microneedle directly by hand. The expression "applying the microneedles to the skin" refers to causing the microneedles to abut or puncture the skin.

  The structure of the applicator 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the applicator 1 as viewed from above. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the applicator 1 as viewed from below. FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the applicator 1. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the housing 10 as viewed from below. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the inside of the housing 10. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the lifting mechanism 40. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the operation button 50 as viewed from below.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the applicator 1 has a substantially columnar shape as a whole. As shown in FIG. 3, the applicator 1 includes a cylindrical housing 10, a coil spring (elastic member) 20, a piston 30, a lifting mechanism 40, and an operation button 50. In the present embodiment, the applicator 1 is used to apply a microneedle device including a plurality of microneedles to the skin. Specifically, the piston 30 operates by the elastic force of the coil spring 20 (the urging force of the coil spring 20) and collides with the microneedle device, whereby the elastic force is applied to the microneedle device (a plurality of microneedles). The microneedles penetrate the skin. The piston 30 can be in two states, a locked state and a released state. The locked state refers to a state in which the piston 30 is fixed in the housing 10 against the elastic force of the coil spring 20, and at this time, the coil spring 20 is in a state of being compressed and storing the elastic force. On the other hand, the released state refers to a state after the piston 30 is operated by the elastic force of the coil spring 20, and at this time, the coil spring 20 is in an extended state. The piston 30 shifts from the locked state to the released state by the operation of the operation button 50, and shifts from the released state to the locked state by the operation of the lifting mechanism 40. The applicator 1 can be used repeatedly.

  One end of the housing 10 is closed, and in the present embodiment, the closed end is referred to as a top plate 11. An operation button 50 is attached to the housing 10 so as to cover the top plate 11. The other end of the housing 10 is open, and the size and size of the opening 12 (see FIG. 4) correspond to the piston 30. A coil spring 20 is housed on the side of the top plate 11 in the housing 10, and a piston 30 is housed in contact with the coil spring 20. When the inside of the housing 10 is viewed from the opening 12, the coil spring 20 is hidden by the piston 30 and cannot be seen. The lifting mechanism 40 is attached to the housing 10 so as to cover the periphery of the opening 12, and a part of the lifting mechanism 40 is housed in the housing 10.

  In the present embodiment, the side of the operation button 50 is defined as the upper side of the applicator 1, and the side of the lifting mechanism 40 is defined as the lower side of the applicator 1. Further, an axis extending in the vertical direction passing through the center of the applicator 1 is defined as a central axis C (see FIG. 1), and the direction in which the central axis C extends is defined as the axial direction of the applicator 1. This axial direction can be referred to as a height direction. Further, a direction along the circumference of the central axis C is defined as a circumferential direction of the applicator 1, and a direction orthogonal to the central axis C is defined as a radial direction of the applicator 1.

  4 and 5 show the structure of the housing. Four guides 13 extending along the axial direction are provided inside the housing 10 at intervals of 90 degrees along the circumferential direction. The guide 13 is a structure for guiding the piston 30 along the axial direction, and corresponds to a first projection 34 of the piston 30 described later. In this embodiment, the guide 13 is an opening, but may be a groove. The upper end of each guide 13 is connected to a support 14 extending along the circumferential direction. The support 14 is a portion on which the first protrusion 34 of the piston 30 is mounted. When the first protrusion 34 is mounted on the support 14, the piston 30 is locked. The position of the support 14 in the axial direction is determined so that the compression ratio of the coil spring 20 becomes a desired one.

  Four arc-shaped peripheral holes 15 are provided around the opening 12 at predetermined intervals. A pair of support projections 16 extending radially inward are provided on an upper portion of the inner peripheral surface of the housing 10 so as to face each other. The peripheral hole 15 and the support protrusion 16 correspond to the structure of the lifting mechanism 40.

  A flange 17 is formed at the lower end of the housing 10, and the flange 17 is provided with four engaging claws 17a at intervals of 90 degrees along the circumferential direction. The engagement claw 17a has a structure for attaching a cartridge 100 described later to the applicator 1.

  The top plate 11 is provided with two types of through holes. One is a hole (center hole) 11a located at the center of the top plate 11, and the other is a pair of arc-shaped holes (arc holes) 11b provided to face each other with the center hole 11a interposed therebetween. is there. Each arc hole 11b is formed so as to extend along the circumferential direction. These two types of holes correspond to the structure of the operation button 50.

  A pair of recesses 18 are provided on the side surface of the housing 10 so as to face each other. The concave portion 18 is a portion that is recessed in a substantially trapezoidal shape from the lower end of the housing 10 to the upper side. The upper end of the concave portion 18 extending along the circumferential direction is raised so as to extend radially outward. In the present embodiment, the raised upper end is referred to as an eave portion 19. The pair of recesses 18 correspond to the structure of the operation button 50.

  The coil spring 20 is a non-linear compression spring wound so as to exhibit a truncated cone. The coil spring 20 is provided so as to surround the central axis C and extend along the axial direction. The material of the coil spring 20 is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, a stainless steel wire, an iron wire, or a copper wire.

  The piston 30 is a disk-shaped component for transmitting the elastic force of the coil spring 20 to a microneedle device (a plurality of microneedles). As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the piston 30 has a lower surface 31 that collides with the microneedle device when the applicator 1 is operated, and an upper surface 32 that contacts the lower end of the coil spring 20. Along the length). In the present embodiment, while the lower surface 31 is formed flat, a bank 32 a is provided on the periphery of the upper surface 32. The bank 32 a is a structure for preventing the coil spring 20 from shifting on the upper surface 32. At the center of the piston 30, a through hole 33 extending along the axial direction is provided.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a first projection 34 and a second projection 35 each extending radially outward are provided on the outer edge of the piston 30. Each of the first protrusion 34 and the second protrusion 35 is an example of a diameter-enlarged portion that is a portion having a larger radial length than other portions of the piston. In the present embodiment, the piston 30 includes four first protrusions (first enlarged portions) 34 and a pair of second protrusions (second enlarged portions) 35. The four first protrusions 34 are provided at every 90 degrees along the circumferential direction, and the pair of second protrusions 35 are opposed to each other with the through-hole 33 interposed therebetween, and are arranged at 45 degrees from the first protrusions 34 along the circumferential direction. It is provided at a position separated by degrees. In the present embodiment, both the first projection 34 and the second projection 35 are provided above the outer edge. In the present embodiment, the first protrusion 34 is provided to support the piston 30 in the housing 10 in a state where it resists the elastic force of the coil spring 20, and the second protrusion 35 moves the piston 30 along the circumferential direction. Provided for rotation.

  The lifting mechanism 40 is a component for moving the piston 30 in a direction away from the opening 12 of the housing 10 along the axial direction against the elastic force of the coil spring 20. As shown in FIG. 6, the lifting mechanism 40 includes a ring portion 41 having a predetermined width in a radial direction, and a cylindrical portion 42 extending upward from an inner peripheral edge of the ring portion 41, and as a whole, like a hat. It has a unique shape. The cylindrical portion 42 is housed in the housing 10, while the ring portion 41 is exposed from the housing 10 so as to cover the periphery of the opening 12. As shown in FIG. 6, in the present embodiment, a part of the lower side of the side surface of the cylindrical portion 42 is cut out, and therefore, the cylindrical portions 42 are provided at intervals of 90 degrees along the circumferential direction. Formed to include four pillars. The lifting mechanism 40 is attached to the housing 10 so that each column passes through the peripheral hole 15 of the housing 10, and can be slightly rotated in the circumferential direction.

  A plurality of vertical grooves 43 extending in the axial direction are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 42. The vertical groove 43 is provided corresponding to the position of the second protrusion 35 of the piston 30 housed in the housing 10. The vertical groove 43 has a predetermined width (length along the circumferential direction), and the width is larger at the upper part than at the lower part. The edge of the vertical groove 43 extending along the axial direction has a stepped shape in which a step portion is formed obliquely with respect to the circumferential direction and the axial direction. In this specification, this oblique step is referred to as an inclined portion. The inclined portion 44 extends along the circumferential direction on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 42. When the applicator 1 is assembled, the inclined portion 44 is provided such that the farther the surface is from the opening 12 of the housing 10, the farther from the support 14. A pair of locking projections 45 extending radially outward are provided on an upper portion of the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 42. The pair of locking projections 45 correspond to the support projections 16 of the housing 10.

  The operation button 50 is a component for operating the piston 30 supported in a state where the piston 30 is opposed to the elastic force of the coil spring 20. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 7, the operation button 50 has a disc-shaped pressing portion 51 having a size enough to cover the top plate 11 when viewed along the axial direction, and sandwiches the pressing portion 51. A pair of arm portions 52 are provided so as to face each other and each extend downward from the edge of the pressing portion 51. Due to the pressing portion 51 and the pair of arm portions 52, the operation button 50 has a substantially C shape as a whole.

  At the center of the lower surface 51a of the pressing portion 51, a central protrusion 53 extending along the axial direction is provided. The central projection 53 has a stepped shape in which the base side is thick and the tip side is thin. When the piston 30 is in the locked state, the thin tip 53 a of the central projection 53 enters the through hole 33 of the piston 30.

  The lower surface 51a is further provided with a pair of triggers 54 so as to face each other with the central projection 53 therebetween. The trigger 54 is a plate-like portion protruding downward from the lower surface 51a, and has a substantially triangular shape that becomes thinner toward the distal end. In the present specification, a portion of the trigger 54 inclined with respect to the axial direction is referred to as an inclined portion 54a, and the inclined portion 54a is provided so as to extend along the circumferential direction.

  An engagement portion 55 is provided near the lower end of the back surface (the surface facing the housing 10) of each arm portion 52. The engaging portion 55 is a hook-like portion protruding from the back surface. The end face or cross section of the engaging portion 55 when viewed along the circumferential direction has a substantially triangular shape that becomes thinner upward. In the present embodiment, the lower surface 55a of the engaging portion 55 is inclined and the top surface 55b of the engaging portion 55 extends substantially parallel to the pressing portion 51. However, both the lower surface 55a and the top surface 55b may be inclined. Note that “the lower surface (or the top surface) is inclined” means that the lower surface (or the top surface) extends so as to intersect with the pressing portion 51. While the piston 30 is maintained in the locked state, the lower surface 55a of the engaging portion 55 is in contact with the eave portion 19 (a state in which the engaging portion 55 rests on the eave portion 19), and the piston 30 is When the operation button 50 is pressed to operate, the engagement portion 55 moves to a position below the eaves portion 19.

  The operation button 50 is attached to the housing 10 in such a manner that the central projection 53 and the pair of triggers 54 are fitted in the center hole 11a and the arc hole 11b, respectively, and the pair of arms 52 are located in the pair of recesses 18. The coil spring 20 is housed in the housing 10 with one end in contact with the step of the central projection 53 of the operation button 50 and the other end in contact with the upper surface of the piston 30. The piston 30 is accommodated in the housing 10 in a state where the first projections 34 are fitted on the guides 13. The lifting mechanism 40 is attached to the housing 10 such that the cylindrical portion 42 is housed in the housing 10 and the ring portion 41 surrounds the opening 12. The position of the inclined portion 44 of the lifting mechanism 40 corresponds to the position of the second protrusion 35 of the piston 30.

  The material for producing the applicator 1 is not limited. For example, the housing 10, the piston 30, the lifting mechanism 40, and the operation button 50 are manufactured using a synthetic or natural resin material such as ABS resin, polystyrene, polypropylene, polyacetal (POM), polycarbonate, and polybutylene terephthalate (PBT). May be. Alternatively, these components may be made using silicon, silicon dioxide, ceramic, or metal (stainless steel, titanium, nickel, molybdenum, chromium, cobalt, etc.). The constituent materials may be the same or different.

Next, the configuration of the microneedle device 90 used with the applicator 1 will be described. The microneedle device 90 includes a plurality of microneedles 91 formed on a substrate corresponding to the lower surface 31 of the piston 30. Each microneedle 91 is substantially perpendicular to the plane of the substrate. The material of the microneedle device 90 is not limited; for example, stainless steel, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), other metals, other resins, biodegradable materials, ceramics, or bioabsorbable materials, or May be formed by combining the above materials. The length of the microneedles 91 is, for example, 10 μm to 1000 μm, and the density of the microneedles 91 is, for example, 0.05 needles / cm ^{2 to} 10,000 needles / cm ² .

  The active ingredient to be administered to the living body may be coated on the microneedle 91 in advance, or the coating may not be performed. If the microneedle 91 is not coated with the active ingredient in advance, the active ingredient can be administered by applying the active ingredient to the skin and then applying the microneedle device 90 to the portion using the applicator 1. Good. Alternatively, the active ingredient may be administered by applying the microneedle device 90 to the skin using the applicator 1 and then applying the active ingredient to the application site.

  In this embodiment, the microneedle device 90 is provided attached to the cartridge 100. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the cartridge 100. The cartridge 100 is a ring-shaped component that can be attached to and detached from the applicator 1. The outer edge 101 of the cartridge 100 is formed in an L shape, and the direction in which the outer edge 101 extends corresponds to the upper side of the cartridge 100. The diameter of the cartridge 100 in the portion surrounded by the outer edge 101 is set so that the cartridge 100 can be attached to the lower end of the applicator 1. Inside the outer edge 101, a claw receiver 102 corresponding to the engaging claw 17a of the housing 10 is provided. The microneedle device 90 is provided at the center of the cartridge 100 by the adhesive tape 103 with the microneedle 91 facing downward. A cover (not shown) for covering the microneedle device 90 may be provided on the lower surface of the cartridge 100 so as to be detachable by an attaching means such as a tape or an adhesive.

  The method of providing the applicator 1 and the cartridge 100 is not limited. For example, a set of applicator 1 and cartridge 100 may be provided as a puncture kit, or applicator 1 and cartridge 100 may be provided separately. The cartridge 100 is not a component of the applicator 1 but a component that can be used with the applicator 1. The cartridge is a disposable product, and the user can continue using the applicator 1 while replacing the cartridge 100.

  Next, a method of using the applicator 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. In particular, a series of procedures for setting the piston 30 in the released state to the locked state and then operating the piston 30 will be described. 9 and 10 are cross-sectional views each showing a transition from the released state to the locked state of the piston 30, FIG. 9 shows a cross section obtained by cutting a plane parallel to the central axis C, and FIG. FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 9. However, in FIG. 10, the coil spring 20 and the operation button 50 are omitted. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the applicator 1 to which the cartridge 100 is attached as viewed from below. FIG. 12 is a sectional view showing the applicator 1 after the piston 30 is operated.

  The user pushes the lifting mechanism 40 into the housing 10 to lock the piston 30. When the lifting mechanism 40 moves toward the housing 10 along the axial direction by this operation, the inclined portion 44 (more specifically, near the upper end of the inclined portion 44) comes into contact with the second protrusion 35 of the piston 30 and The second protrusion 35 is moved upward. As a result, as shown in FIG. 9, the piston 30 moves up inside the housing 10, and the coil spring 20 contracts accordingly. When the user pushes the lifting mechanism 40 to the end, the first protrusion 34 of the piston 30 that has been raised along the guide 13 passes over the upper end of the guide 13. This means that the first protrusion 34 has reached a position where it can be moved in the circumferential direction, that is, the piston 30 has become rotatable inside the housing 10. At this point, the second protrusion 35 slides along the inclined portion 44 and moves to near the lower end of the inclined portion 44, which means that the second protrusion 35 moves in the circumferential direction. Due to this movement of the second projection 35, as shown in FIG. 10, the piston 30 rotates in the circumferential direction, and the first projection 34 rests on the support base 14, so that the piston 30 is locked. When the piston 30 is fixed in this manner, the lifting mechanism 40 itself moves only in the axial direction, and does not rotate in the circumferential direction. That is, when the lifting mechanism 40 moves along the axial direction toward the housing 10 without rotating, the second protrusion 35 slides along the inclined portion 44, so that the first protrusion 34 is placed on the support base 14. Thereby, the piston 30 is fixed in a state where the piston 30 resists the elastic force of the coil spring 20.

  Subsequently, the user moves the inclined portion 44 away from the corresponding second projection 35 so that the movement of the piston 30 does not occur when the second projection 35 hits the inclined portion 44 when the piston 30 is operated. Turn the lifting mechanism 40 to. By this operation, the locking projection 45 of the lifting mechanism 40 is placed on the support projection 16 of the housing 10, and the lifting mechanism 40 is fixed with the ring portion 41 closest to the flange 17 (ie, the lower end of the housing 10). Is done.

  Subsequently, the user attaches the cartridge 100 to the lower end of the applicator 1. Specifically, the user positions the cartridge 100 with respect to the applicator 1 such that each claw receiver 102 of the cartridge 100 corresponds to the engaging claw 17a of the housing 10. Then, the user rotates the cartridge 100 with respect to the applicator 1 so that the engagement claws 17a engage with the claw receivers 102. By this series of operations, the cartridge 100 with the microneedle device 90 is attached to the applicator 1 as shown in FIG.

  With the above operation, preparation for operating the applicator 1 (piston 30) is completed. At this point (before the operation button 50 is pressed), the lower surface 55a of the engaging portion 55 is in contact with the upper end of the eave portion 19 of the housing 10, so that the engaging portion 55 is supported by the eave portion 19, and is activated. Button 50 does not automatically move down.

  Subsequently, the user places the applicator 1 integrated with the cartridge 100 on the skin S, and presses the operation button 50 (more specifically, the pressing portion 51). By this operation, the engaging portion 55 moves downward over the eaves portion 19, the operation button 50 is lowered, and the inclined portion 54a of the trigger 54 hits the second protrusion 35 of the piston 30. As described above, since the trigger 54 is tapered toward the distal end, the width of the trigger 54 that contacts the second protrusion 35 gradually increases in accordance with the degree of entry of the trigger 54, and the second protrusion 35 moves in the circumferential direction. Pressed. As the piston 30 rotates in the circumferential direction with the movement of the second protrusion 35, the first protrusion 34 comes off the support base 14 and enters the guide 13. As a result, as shown in FIG. 12, the locked state of the piston 30 is released, and the piston 30 moves toward the opening 12 by the elastic force of the coil spring 20 and collides with the microneedle device 90. This collision causes the microneedle 91 to pierce the skin S.

  The speed of the piston 30 colliding with the microneedle device 90 is not particularly limited. For example, the lower limit of the speed may be 4 m / s or 5 m / s, and the upper limit of the speed is 30 m / s, 15 m / s or less, or 12 m. / S or less. When the speed is 12 m / s or less, it is lower than the speed of a piston generally used. That is, the momentum received by the microneedle device 90 of the present embodiment is smaller than the momentum generally received by the microneedle device.

  As described above, the applicator according to one aspect of the present invention is an applicator for applying a microneedle to skin, an elastic member, and a piston that transmits the elastic force of the elastic member to the microneedle. And a lifting mechanism at least part of which is accommodated in the housing, and moves the piston along the axial direction of the housing toward the housing to open the piston in the housing. And a lifting mechanism that moves the piston away from and rotates the piston along the circumferential direction of the housing, wherein the piston has a plurality of enlarged portions each extending radially outward, A support base is provided, and the first enlarged diameter part of the plurality of enlarged diameter parts is mounted on the support base, whereby the piston is fixed in a state where it resists the elastic force of the elastic member, and the lifting mechanism faces the housing. Move and the piston By rolling, the first enlarged diameter portion rests on the supporting base.

  In such a side surface, the user can fix the piston against the elastic force of the elastic member only by moving the lifting mechanism toward the housing along the axial direction. That is, the user can easily set the piston in an operable state. At least a part of the lifting mechanism is housed in the housing, which contributes to downsizing of the applicator. For the above reasons, it is possible to realize a small-sized applicator that can easily set the piston in an operable state.

  In the applicator according to another aspect, the lifting mechanism has an inclined portion extending along a circumferential direction of the housing, and is selected from a first enlarged portion and a second enlarged portion of the plurality of enlarged portions. When the lifting mechanism moves toward the housing with one of the enlarged portions placed on the inclined portion, the piston is rotated by the selected enlarged portion sliding along the inclined portion. The enlarged portion may be mounted on the support. By employing this inclined portion, a mechanism for rotating the piston by the lifting mechanism can be realized with a simple configuration.

  In the applicator according to another aspect, when the lifting mechanism moves toward the housing with the second enlarged diameter portion resting on the inclined portion, the piston is rotated by the second enlarged diameter portion sliding along the inclined portion. Thus, the first enlarged diameter portion may be placed on the support base. By separating the enlarged portion corresponding to the support and the enlarged portion corresponding to the inclined portion, the force acting on each enlarged portion is dispersed, so that the product life of the piston and, consequently, the product life of the applicator. Can be lengthened.

  In the applicator according to another aspect, the lifting mechanism includes a ring portion that covers a peripheral edge of the opening, and a cylindrical portion that extends along the axial direction from the ring portion, and an inclined portion is formed on an inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion. May be done. Since the lifting mechanism includes the ring portion, it is easy to move the lifting mechanism toward the housing. This contributes to improving the operability of the applicator.

  A puncture kit according to one aspect of the present invention includes the above-described applicator, and a cartridge that includes a microneedle device having a plurality of microneedles and is detachable from the applicator. In this case, it is possible to continue using the applicator while replacing the cartridge (microneedle device).

  The present invention has been described in detail based on the embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. The present invention can be variously modified without departing from the gist thereof.

  In the above embodiment, the first protrusion 34 and the second protrusion 35 correspond to the enlarged diameter portion of the piston, but the enlarged diameter portion is not limited to the shape of the projection or the claw. For example, an enlarged diameter portion having a large length along the circumferential direction may be employed.

  In the above embodiment, the piston 30 includes the first protrusion 34 corresponding to the support 14 and the second protrusion 35 corresponding to the inclined portion 44, but one enlarged portion corresponds to both the support and the inclined portion. May be. For example, as a modification of the piston 30 of the above-described embodiment, a piston having the first protrusion without the second protrusion is considered. In this modification, when the lifting mechanism moves toward the housing with the first projection on the inclined portion, the first projection slides along the inclined portion and the piston rotates, thereby causing the first projection to move. It may be placed on a support. That is, the first enlarged diameter portion of the piston may move from the inclined portion to the support table, so that the piston may be locked.

  In the above embodiment, the inclined portion 44 of the lifting mechanism 40 is shown as a mechanism for rotating the piston 30, but the piston may be rotated by a structure or mechanism other than the inclined portion 44.

  The structure and shape of the lifting mechanism are not limited to the above embodiment. For example, a lifting mechanism having no ring portion 41 may be used.

  The method for providing the microneedle device is not limited to the cartridge 100. For example, the user may place the microneedle device itself on the skin, place the applicator 1 on the skin such that the piston 30 hits the microneedle device, and then activate the applicator 1. Alternatively, the microneedle device itself may be pasted on the lower surface of the piston 30 by pasting means such as a tape or an adhesive. Thus, a microneedle device may be provided without using a cartridge.

  In the above embodiment, the non-linear coil spring 20 is shown as the elastic member, but the elastic member may be a linear coil spring. The elastic member is not limited to a spring, but may be another elastic body such as rubber.

  The appearance (overall shape) and dimensions of the applicator are not limited to the above embodiment. The appearance and dimensions of the applicator can be determined in any manner taking into account ease of use, dosage of the active ingredient, design, shape of the microneedle device, and the like. For example, in the above embodiment, the height of the applicator 1 is reduced, but the applicator may be vertically long. Further, the applicator 1 has a substantially cylindrical shape, but the applicator may have a prismatic shape.

  Even if the applicator 1 is configured such that the coil spring 20 is further compressed between the time when the operation button 50 starts to be pressed toward the housing 10 and the time when the first projection 34 of the piston 30 comes off the support base 14. Good. In this configuration, the coil spring 20 is not compressed to the maximum when the piston 30 is shifted to the locked state by the lifting mechanism 40, and therefore, the elastic force of the coil spring 20 at that point is relatively small. Therefore, the user can move the piston 30 to the locked state with a smaller force. Also in this modification, since the piston 30 is operated after the coil spring 20 is further compressed by pressing the operation button 50, the microneedle 91 is applied to the skin with an appropriate force as in the above embodiment.

  The specific configuration of each component of the applicator is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the positions and numbers of the first protrusion and the second protrusion of the piston, the guide and support of the housing, the inclined portion of the lifting mechanism, and the arm portion of the operation button may be arbitrarily determined.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Applicator, 10 ... Housing | casing, 14 ... Support stand, 20 ... Coil spring, 30 ... Piston, 34 ... 1st protrusion (1st diameter expansion part), 35 ... 2nd protrusion (2nd diameter expansion part), Reference numeral 40 denotes a lifting mechanism, 41 denotes a ring portion, 42 denotes a cylinder portion, 44 denotes an inclined portion, 50 denotes an operation button, 90 denotes a microneedle device, 91 denotes a microneedle, and 100 denotes a cartridge.

Claims (3)

An applicator for applying microneedles to the skin,
An elastic member, a cylindrical housing that houses a piston that transmits the elastic force of the elastic member to the microneedle,
A lifting mechanism at least partially housed in the housing, wherein the piston moves in a direction away from the opening of the housing by moving toward the housing along an axial direction of the housing. And a lifting mechanism for rotating the piston along the circumferential direction of the housing,
The piston has a plurality of enlarged diameter portions each extending radially outward,
The housing has a support, and the first enlarged portion of the plurality of enlarged portions rests on the support, whereby the piston is fixed in a state of resisting the elastic force of the elastic member,
A ring portion that covers a peripheral edge of the opening, a tubular portion that extends from the ring portion along the axial direction, and a tubular portion that is formed on an inner peripheral surface of the tubular portion and extends along the circumferential direction of the housing. With an extending slope,
The lifting mechanism moves toward the housing in a state where one enlarged diameter portion selected from the first enlarged diameter portion and the second enlarged diameter portion of the plurality of enlarged diameter portions is placed on the inclined portion. When moving, the selected enlarged portion slides along the inclined portion to rotate the piston, whereby the first enlarged portion rests on the support.
applicator. When the lifting mechanism moves toward the housing while the second enlarged diameter portion rests on the inclined portion, the piston rotates by sliding the second enlarged diameter portion along the inclined portion, Thereby, the first enlarged diameter portion rests on the support base,
The applicator according to claim 1 . An applicator according to claim 1 or 2 ,
A puncture kit comprising: a microneedle device having a plurality of the microneedles; and a cartridge detachable from the applicator.

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