KR102225578B1 - Needle-free syringe with piston driven by rapid fluid expansion - Google Patents

Abstract

According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a needleless injection device for injecting a drug, comprising: a cylindrical injection device main body having a first space and a second space along a longitudinal direction; A nozzle formed at an end of the main body of the injection device on the second space side; A piston disposed between the first space and the second space and movable along the longitudinal direction of the main body of the injection device; And a piston driving unit configured to heat the first space to increase the pressure in the first space, and pressurize the piston by increasing the pressure in the first space by the piston driving unit to pressurize the drug accommodated in the second space. Disclosed is a needleless injection device, characterized in that configured to spray through the nozzle.

Description

Needle-free syringe with piston driven by rapid fluid expansion}

The present invention relates to a needleless injection device, and more particularly, to a novel method of driving a piston for drug injection.

Conventionally, a needle-free injection device for injecting drugs into a human or animal body has been used. Since the needleless injection device does not have a needle, the drug must be injected into the living body by spraying the drug from the injection nozzle of the injection device at a high pressure in a short time, and for this purpose, the drug is injected by moving a piston in the injection device.

Conventional needleless injection devices use, for example, piezoelectric elements, explosives, and high-pressure gas to move a piston. In the case of the explosive explosive method, there is a problem in that the used explosives must be discarded and supplied again, and in the case of the high-pressure gas method, the used gas must be discharged and a new high-pressure gas must be supplied.

Therefore, the necessity of a needleless injection device that injects drugs by moving a piston in a novel method that solves the problem of such an existing method is raised.

Patent Document 1: Korean Patent Application Publication No. 2006-0061925 (published on June 8, 2006) Patent Document 2: Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1502752 (announced on March 16, 2015)

According to an embodiment of the present invention, an object of the present invention is to provide a needleless injection device capable of rapidly heating a fluid in a short time to expand a volume and to inject a drug by moving a piston under the pressure of the expanded fluid.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, an object of the present invention is to provide a needleless injection device having a structure capable of controlling an injection amount of a drug to be injected into a living body.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a needleless injection device for injecting a drug, comprising: a cylindrical injection device main body having a first space and a second space along a longitudinal direction; A nozzle formed at an end of the main body of the injection device on the side of the second space; A piston disposed between the first space and the second space and movable along the longitudinal direction of the main body of the injection device; And a piston driving unit configured to heat the first space to increase the pressure in the first space, and pressurize the piston by increasing the pressure in the first space by the piston driving unit to pressurize the drug accommodated in the second space. Disclosed is a needleless injection device, characterized in that configured to spray through the nozzle.

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the first tank for storing the fluid; A second tank accommodating the fluid discharged from the first space; At least one valve for opening and closing a first path between the first space and the first tank and a second path between the first space and the second tank; And a control unit for controlling the opening and closing of the valve.

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a first stopper installed on an inner surface of the main body of the injection device and protruding toward a central axis of the main body of the injection device to limit movement of the piston; A driving unit connected to the first stopper and operative to move the first stopper inside the inner surface of the main body of the injection device; And a control unit for controlling the operation of the driving unit.

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the main body of the injection device includes: a lower housing having a movement path of the piston and the second space therein; An upper housing having the first space therein; And an adjustment nut connecting the lower housing and the lower housing, wherein the adjustment nut is formed to surround at least a partial outer circumferential surface of an upper end of the lower housing and at least a partial outer circumferential surface of a lower end of the upper housing, the lower housing or The coupling length with at least one of the upper housings may be adjusted, and the volume of the second space may be increased or decreased by adjusting the coupling length.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to provide a novel needleless injection device capable of rapidly heating a fluid in a short time to expand a volume, and injecting a drug by moving a piston under the pressure of the expanded fluid.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, since the fluid once used can be reused, there is an advantage that the fluid can be continuously used without wasting it. In addition, when a cooling means for cooling the fluid in a short time is provided, the expanded fluid is natural. Since there is no need to wait for cooling, there is an advantage that the drug injection operation can be performed continuously.

In addition, in the case of the needleless injection device having a stopper according to an embodiment of the present invention, the piston can be operated when the pressure becomes sufficient after waiting until the rapidly heated fluid expands and pressurizes the piston with sufficient pressure. There is an advantage that the drug can be injected into the living body and the user can control the injection timing of the drug.

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, by combining the upper housing and the lower housing constituting the main body of the injection device with an adjustment nut to adjust the distance between the upper housing and the lower housing, the injection amount of the drug can be conveniently adjusted as needed. It has the advantage of being able to.

1 is a view for explaining a needleless injection device according to a first embodiment of the present invention;
2 is a view for explaining a needleless injection device according to a second embodiment of the present invention;
3 is a view for explaining a needleless injection device according to a third embodiment of the present invention;
4 to 6 are views for explaining a needleless injection device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention;
7 is a view for explaining a needleless injection device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention;
8 is a view for explaining a needleless injection device according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

The above objects, other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be easily understood through the following preferred embodiments related to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein and may be embodied in other forms. Rather, the embodiments introduced herein are provided so that the disclosed content may be thorough and complete, and the spirit of the present invention may be sufficiently conveyed to those skilled in the art.

In the present specification, when a component is referred to as being on another component, it means that it may be formed directly on the other component or that a third component may be interposed therebetween. In addition, in the drawings, the thickness of the components is exaggerated for effective description of the technical content.

In the present specification, when terms such as first and second are used to describe components, these components should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element. The embodiments described and illustrated herein also include complementary embodiments thereof.

In this specification, the singular form also includes the plural form unless specifically stated in the phrase. As used in the specification, "comprise" and/or "comprising" does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other components.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In describing the specific embodiments below, a number of specific contents have been prepared to explain the invention in more detail and to aid understanding. However, a reader who has knowledge in this field enough to understand the present invention can recognize that it can be used without these various specific contents. In some cases, it is to be noted in advance that parts that are commonly known in describing the invention and are not significantly related to the invention are not described in order to avoid confusion in describing the invention.

1 is a view for explaining a needleless injection device 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, the needleless injection device 100 according to an embodiment may include an injection device main body 110, a piston driving unit 130, and a drug chamber 140. The injection device main body 110 is a cylindrical member having an empty space therein, and an upper end portion is open, and a nozzle 114 for injecting a drug may be formed at the lower end portion. In one embodiment, the injection device main body 110 may have a circular cross-section, but may alternatively have a polygonal cross-section such as a triangle or a quadrangle.

In one embodiment, the injection device main body 110 includes an upper first space 111 and a lower second space 112 along the length direction. A piston 120 is disposed between the first space 111 and the second space 112, and the piston 120 moves in a longitudinal direction (ie, the vertical direction in the drawing) inside the injection device main body 110 It can move longitudinally in space.

The injection device main body 110 may include an upper case 113 coupled to an upper end. As the upper case 113 is coupled to the upper end of the injection device main body 110, the first space 111 is a closed space surrounded by the inner surface of the main body 110, the upper case 113, and the piston 120. Can be.

In one embodiment, the first space 111 may be at least partially filled with a fluid. In one embodiment, this fluid may be a liquid or gas that can rapidly expand in volume by heating. In one embodiment, the fluid may be a liquid having a low boiling point, and may include, for example, at least one of water, ethanol, and benzene. When the first space 111 is filled with such a liquid, the liquid may be filled only in a partial area of the first space 111 and the remaining area may be filled with an arbitrary gas such as air.

In an alternative embodiment, the fluid filling the first space may be a gas. In one embodiment, a gas having a low specific heat that can rapidly expand by heating may be used as this gas.

The piston driving unit 130 is a device for expanding the fluid by heating the fluid accommodated in the first space 111. The volume of the fluid is expanded by heating the fluid by the piston driving unit 130, and the expanded fluid pressurizes the piston 120 accordingly, thereby injecting the drug in the second space 112 to the outside.

In one embodiment, the piston driving unit may include a high voltage driving unit 131, a heating unit 133, and a battery 135. The high voltage driver 131 may generate a high voltage from power supplied from the battery 135 and supply it to the heating unit 133. The heating unit 133 is disposed in the first space 111 and may be implemented as a heating element that receives high voltage or high current power from the high voltage driver 131 to generate thermal energy. The heating unit 133 may be attached to and installed on the inner surface of the body unit 110 in the first space 111 so as to directly contact and heat the liquid contained in the first space 111, or the first space ( 111).

According to the above-described configuration, when the first space 111 of the main body of the injection device is sealed and a liquid such as water or ethanol is filled in the first space 111, the high voltage driver 131 A high current power is supplied to the heating unit 133 to rapidly heat the liquid in the first space 111. The rapidly heated liquid vaporizes in a short time and expands in volume. The vaporized and expanded fluid pressurizes the piston 120, and accordingly, the piston 120 moves to the second space 112 to inject the drug contained in the second space 112 through the injection nozzle 114. I can.

Although not shown in the drawing, the high voltage driver 131 may adjust the voltage or current amount of power supplied to the heating unit 133 and/or the application time according to the type or amount of the fluid filled in the first space 111, Accordingly, the expansion rate and/or the expansion pressure of the fluid in the first space 111 may be controlled.

Meanwhile, in an embodiment, the piston driving unit 130 may further include a cooling means 137 for cooling the fluid in the first space 111. In the illustrated embodiment, the cooling means 137 is disposed in the first space 111 and may cool the first space 111 by receiving power from the battery 135. As the cooling means 137, for example, a thermoelectric element using a Peltier effect may be used. Therefore, since the fluid in the first space 111 can be rapidly heated and rapidly cooled by the heating unit 133 and the cooling means 137, it is possible to perform drug injection in a continuous operation in a short time.

In one embodiment, an elastic member 117 for returning the piston 120 to its original position may be further included in the injection device main body 110. In the illustrated embodiment, the elastic member 117 is implemented as a coil spring, but may be implemented as a component of another elastic structure in an alternative embodiment. The elastic member 117 may be disposed in a space between the first space 111 and the second space 112. The piston 120 may return to a point where the pressure of the liquid and/or gas filling the first space 111 and the repulsive force of the elastic member 117 are balanced.

An air outlet 115 may be formed at a side portion of the injection device main body 110. That is, as the piston 120 reciprocates, the volume of the space in which the elastic member 117 is disposed changes. In order to prevent the reciprocating motion of the piston 120 from being disturbed by the change in the volume of the space, the air outlet 115 ) Is formed, and external air can freely enter the space in which the elastic member 117 is disposed through the air outlet 115.

The second space 112 of the main body part 110 of the injection device is located under the piston 120 and is surrounded by the inner side surface of the main body part 110 and the lower surface of the piston 120. A nozzle 114 for injecting drugs is formed at the lower end of the second space 112. The second space 112 accommodates a drug to be injected into a living body. In the present specification, "living organism" is used to include any living organisms such as humans, animals, plants, etc., and "drugs" are not only liquid substances used for the purpose of preventing, diagnosing, or treating diseases for living organisms, but also for living organisms. It can be used in the sense of including any liquid that can be injected.

In one embodiment, the drug is stored in the drug chamber 140. The drug chamber 140 may be implemented as an independent component separate from the injection device main body 110, and in an alternative embodiment, the drug chamber 140 is integrally coupled to the injection device main body 110. It could be.

The injection device main body 110 and the drug chamber 140 may be connected by a supply pipe 150 for supplying a drug. The supply pipe 150 connects the drug chamber 140 and the second space 112 of the main body 110 and supplies the drug in the drug chamber 140 to the second space 112. The drug in the drug chamber 140 may be supplied to the second space 112 by a separate supply device (not shown) such as, for example, a supply pump, but such a supply device may not be required. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the piston 120 moves toward the second space 112 by pressurization of the expanded fluid, and after injecting the drug in the second space 112 through the nozzle 114, the piston 120 is returned to the first space 111 side by the elastic member 117 and the volume of the second space 112 is increased again, and accordingly, the drug in the drug chamber 140 is transferred to the second space due to atmospheric pressure. Can be injected into 112.

In the illustrated embodiment, an air inlet 145 may be included to allow external air to communicate with the drug chamber 140 for such a drug injection operation. A check valve may be installed at the air inlet 145 to prevent the drug from leaking to the outside. In addition, a check valve 155 may be installed in the supply pipe 150 as well, and the check valve 155 is formed of the second space 112 when the second space 112 is pressurized by the movement of the piston 120. The drug does not flow back into the drug chamber 140.

2 is a view for explaining a needleless injection device 200 according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, the needleless injection device 200 according to the second embodiment may include an injection device body part 210, a piston driving part 230, and a drug chamber 240. The injection device main body 210 has a first space 211 and a second space 212 therein, and a piston 220 is disposed therebetween.

A piston driving unit 230 is coupled to an upper portion of the injection device main body 210, and the piston driving unit 230 may include a high voltage driving unit 231, a heating unit 233, and a battery 235. At least a portion of the first space 211 is filled with a fluid capable of rapid expansion by heating. The drug contained in the drug chamber 240 may be supplied to the second space 212 of the injection device main body 210 through the supply pipe 250, and the drug in the second space 212 is the first space 211 It may be injected to the outside through the nozzle 214 by the pressure of the piston 220 due to the expansion of the fluid of.

As described above, the injection device body part 210, the piston driving part 230, and the drug chamber 240 according to the second embodiment are respectively the injection device body part 110, the piston driving part 130, and the drug chamber of FIG. Since it has the same or similar configuration and function as (140), a detailed description is omitted.

Compared with the first embodiment, the needleless injection device 200 of the second embodiment is different in that it further includes a fluid supply and discharge system 260 for rapid expansion. In one embodiment, the fluid supply and discharge system 260 may include a first tank 261, a second tank 262, and one or more valves 263.

The first tank 261 is a tank that accommodates the fluid to be supplied to the first space 211 of the injection device main body 210, and the second tank 262 accommodates the fluid discharged from the first space 211. It's a tank. The valve 263 is a path between the first space 211 and the first tank 261 ("first path") and a path between the first space 211 and the second tank 262 ("second path"). Each opens and closes "). The valve 263 may include one or more on-off valves, and in the illustrated embodiment, the valve 263 may be implemented as a single 2-way valve.

Although not shown in the drawing, the needleless injection device 200 may further include a control unit (not shown) for controlling the opening and closing operation of the valve 263. In one embodiment, the control unit controls the valve 263 to close the first path and the second path while the piston 220 moves toward the second space due to the expansion of the fluid in the first space 211. I can. In addition, in one embodiment, the control unit opens the second path between the first space 211 and the second tank 262 while the piston 220 that has moved toward the second space returns to the first space side, and the piston 220 ) After returning to the first space side, a valve to open the first path between the first space 211 and the first tank 261 to inject the fluid from the first tank 261 into the first space 211 You can control (263).

Specifically, the needleless injection device 200 provided with the fluid supply and discharge system 260 according to the second embodiment may repeat the drug injection operation a plurality of times as follows.

First, just before the piston driving unit 230 operates, that is, the piston 220 is located at a position where the pressure of the fluid filled in the first space 211 and the elastic force of the elastic member 217 are balanced. The piston driving unit 230 starts to operate, the heating unit 233 heats the fluid (for example, by vaporization of the liquid) to rapidly expand the fluid and push the piston 220 toward the second space 212.

After the piston 220 maximally moves toward the second space 212 to inject the drug, the piston 220 returns to the first space 211 by the elastic force of the elastic member 217. At this time, while the piston 220 is returning, the path between the second tank 262 and the first space 211 is opened by the operation of the valve 263, and at least a part of the expanded fluid passes through the valve 263. Thus, it is discharged to the second tank 262.

When the piston 220 returns, the operation of the valve 263 closes the path between the second tank 262 and the first space 211, and between the first tank 261 and the first space 211 By opening the path, the fluid in the first tank 261 may be injected into the first space 211. The first space 211 is at least partially refilled with this injected fluid, after which the above-described drug injection operation may be started again.

According to the second embodiment including the fluid supply and discharge system 260 as described above, since the fluid can be discharged and a new fluid supplied after the drug is injected by the rapid expansion of the fluid, for example, the vaporized Even if the fluid is not completely liquefied by the cooling means 237, since there is no need to wait until the fluid is completely liquefied, there is an advantage that the drug injection operation can be continuously performed. In addition, in this embodiment, it can be configured to connect the second tank 262 and the first tank 261, and the vaporized fluid used once is liquefied in the second tank 262 and then into the first tank 261. Since it may be resupplied and used repeatedly, there is an advantage of performing a continuous operation of drug injection without wasting fluid.

3 is a view for explaining a needleless injection device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, the needleless injection device 300 according to the third embodiment may include an injection device main body 310, a piston driving part 330, and a drug chamber 340, and these components are respectively illustrated in FIG. 1 or 2, the injection device body parts 110 and 210, the piston driving parts 130 and 230, and the drug chambers 140 and 240 have the same or similar configuration and function, and thus a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Compared with the first or second embodiments, the needleless injection device 300 of the third embodiment is different in that it further includes two stoppers 318 and 360 that limit the movement of the piston 320.

In the illustrated embodiment, the needleless injection device includes an upper stopper 318 formed in the first space 311. The upper stopper 318 is formed to protrude from the inner surface of the first space 311 of the inner surface of the injection device main body 310. Accordingly, the upper stopper 318 may limit the maximum rising position of the piston 320 in the upward direction, and prevent excessive rise when the piston 320 returns.

The needleless injection device 300 may further include a lower stopper 360 that restricts movement of the piston 320 and a driving unit 365 that moves the lower stopper 360. In one embodiment, the lower stopper 360 may be installed on the inner surface of the injection device main body 310 and may be configured to protrude toward the central axis of the injection device main body 310. In one embodiment, the position of the lower stopper 360 is disposed at a position capable of supporting the lower portion of the piston head of the piston 320 in a ready state before the needleless injection device 300 injects the drug. That is, as shown, the piston head of the piston 320 may be positioned between the upper stopper 318 and the lower stopper 360 in the drug injection preparation state.

The driving unit 365 is connected to the lower stopper 360 and may operate to move the lower stopper 360 into the inner surface of the injection device main body 310. In one embodiment, the driving unit 365 may be implemented with a known technology such as a linear motor or hydraulic actuator for linear motion. Also, although not shown in the drawings, the needleless scanning device 300 may further include a control unit (not shown) that controls the operation of the driving unit 365.

According to this third embodiment, the piston driving unit 330 starts an operation of supplying a high voltage or a high current to the heating unit 333 so that the lower stopper 360 is placed on the inner surface of the main body 310 before a predetermined time elapses. It is protruded and positioned so that the piston 320 does not move downward. Thereafter, when a predetermined time elapses from the start of the operation of the piston driving unit 330, the control unit controls the driving unit 365 to move the lower stopper 360 into the inner surface of the injection device main body 310, and accordingly, the piston ( 320) moves toward the second space by the pressure of the expanded fluid to inject the drug.

In an alternative embodiment, the needleless injection device 300 may further include a pressure sensor (not shown) that measures the pressure due to the expansion of the fluid in the first space 311, and the control unit is based on the measurement result of the pressure sensor. Accordingly, the operation of the driving unit 365 may be controlled. For example, when the piston driving unit 330 starts supplying power to the heating unit 333, the pressure sensor measures the pressure in the first space and transmits the measured value to the control unit. When the pressure is greater than the predetermined pressure, the control unit operates the driving unit 365 to move the lower stopper 360 to the inside of the inner surface of the injection device main body 310, thereby causing the piston 320 to move into the second space by the pressure of the expanded fluid. The drug can be injected by moving it to the side.

Further, in another alternative embodiment, the needleless injection device 300 may include a lower stopper 360 and a device for manually operating the stopper 360. That is, in this alternative embodiment, the needleless injection device 300 does not have a driving unit 365, and the lower stopper 360 may be configured so that the user can manually operate the lower stopper 360 as needed. For example, the user confirms that the fluid in the first space 311 has sufficiently expanded by applying power, for example, with a pressure sensor or the like, or after confirming the elapse of a predetermined time as the starting point of the operation of the piston driving unit 330, the user It is possible to operate the piston 320 by moving the lower stopper 360 at any desired time point, and thus, there is an advantage that the user can control the time point of drug injection.

According to the second embodiment provided with the lower stopper 360 as described above, the movement of the piston 320 is restricted until the fluid in the first space 311 expands and the piston 320 can be pressurized with sufficient pressure. Then, when the pressure is sufficiently high, the piston 320 is operated, so that the drug can be injected into the living body with a high injection pressure.

Now, a needleless injection device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6. 4 to 6 are schematic diagrams of a needleless injection device according to a fourth embodiment, FIGS. 4 and 5 schematically show cross-sections of the needleless injection device in a drug loading state and a drug launch state, respectively, and FIG. 6 is a needleless injection device. The appearance of the device is schematically shown.

4 and 5, the needleless injection device 400 according to the fourth embodiment includes a body portion including a lower housing 410, an upper housing 420, and an adjustment nut 430. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the needleless injection device 400 may also include piston driving units 130, 230, 330 and drug chambers 140, 240, and 340, but are omitted for convenience of description.

In the illustrated embodiment, the main body of the injection device includes a lower housing 410, an upper housing 420, and an adjustment nut 430. The upper housing 420 includes a first space 401 therein. The first space 401 is at least partially filled with a fluid. As described with reference to FIG. 1, the volume of the fluid expands due to rapid heating, so that the piston 450 can be pressed downward.

The lower housing 410 includes a movement path of the piston 450 and a second space 402 therein. The second space 402 is a space in which a drug is filled, and the drug may be injected into the second space 402 through the drug injection port 414. Although not shown in FIG. 4, the drug injection port 414 may be connected to the drug chambers 140, 240, and 340.

In the illustrated embodiment, there is a space in which the head of the piston 450 can move below the first space 401 in the upper housing 420, and between the moving space of the piston head and the first space 401 A step 428 may be formed. The step 428 may have a function similar to the upper stopper 318 of FIG. 3, for example. That is, when the piston 450 returns, the first space 401 can be secured by preventing excessive rise.

The inner diameter of the upper end 412 of the lower housing 410 is configured to be smaller than the inner diameter of the lower end 422 of the upper housing 420. At this time, since the diameter of the piston head of the piston 450 is the same as the inner diameter of the lower region of the upper housing 420, the piston head can descend only to the upper end 412 of the housing 410. Accordingly, in the illustrated embodiment, the movement of the piston 450 in the vertical direction may be limited according to the separation distance between the step 428 of the upper housing 420 and the upper end 412 of the lower housing 410.

The adjustment nut 430 serves to connect the lower housing 410 and the upper housing 420. The adjustment nut 430 may be, for example, a cylindrical (or ring-shaped) member. In the illustrated embodiment, the adjustment nut 430 may be formed to surround at least a partial outer circumferential surface of the upper end of the lower housing 410 and at least a partial outer circumferential surface of the lower end of the upper housing 420.

In the illustrated embodiment, a flange 421 is formed at the lower end of the upper housing 420, and a fastening groove 431 meshing with the flange 320 is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the adjustment nut 430. Accordingly, the flange 420 is seated and fastened in the fastening groove 431, so that the adjustment nut 430 may be rotatably fastened to the upper housing 420.

Among the inner circumferential surfaces of the adjustment nut 430, a structure for coupling with the lower housing 410 is formed on an inner circumferential surface below the fastening groove 431. In the illustrated embodiment, the adjustment nut 430 and the lower housing 410 are fastened by screwing or similar coupling. In one embodiment, an uneven shape 413 such as a screw thread is formed on an outer circumferential surface of an upper portion of the lower housing 410, and a protrusion such as a ball 433 is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the adjustment nut 430 so as to engage and couple thereto. . A plurality of balls 433 may be installed along the inner circumferential surface of the adjustment nut 430, while being seated in the concave area (groove) of the uneven shape 413 of the lower housing 410, the adjustment nut 430 and the lower housing 410 ) Can be fastened. In an alternative embodiment, a concave-convex shape such as a screw thread may be formed on an outer circumferential surface of the upper portion of the lower housing 410, and a concave-convex shape meshing with the inner circumferential surface of the adjustment nut 430 may be formed.

In this way, the adjustment nut 430 and the lower housing 410 are configured to be fastened by screwing or similar coupling, so that the adjustment nut 430 and the adjustment nut 430 are rotated with respect to the lower housing 410. The coupling length to which the lower housing 410 is coupled can be variably adjusted.

In an alternative embodiment, the adjustment nut 430 and the upper housing 420 may be configured to adjust the coupling length to be variable. For example, the above-described screwing or a similar coupling structure may be applied to the adjustment nut 430 and the upper housing 420. In this case, by forming a flange on the upper end of the lower housing 410 and engaging the fastening groove 431 of the adjustment nut 430 and the flange of the lower housing, the adjustment nut 430 can be rotatably fastened to the lower housing. I can.

In another alternative embodiment, for example, the adjustment nut 430 and the lower housing 410 and between the adjustment nut 430 and the upper housing 420 may be respectively screwed or fastened with a coupling structure in a similar manner. According to this, the coupling length between the adjustment nut 430 and the lower housing 410 and the coupling length between the adjustment nut 430 and the upper housing 420 may be individually adjusted.

When the coupling length between the adjustment nut 430 and at least one of the lower housing 410 or the upper housing 420 is adjusted, the distance between the lower housing 410 and the upper housing 420 is different by the adjustment nut 430. Therefore, the piston 450 is further moved toward the second space 402 or away from the second space 402 by the elastic force of the elastic member 417 and is positioned. Therefore, the volume of the second space 402 can be increased or decreased by adjusting the coupling length between the adjustment nut 430 and at least one of the lower or upper housings 410 and 420, so that the amount of drug injected into the living body can be adjusted. .

In an embodiment, the lower stopper 360 and the driving unit 365 shown in FIG. 3 may be applied to the embodiment of FIG. 4. In this case, the upper housing 420 may further include a lower stopper that restricts movement so that the piston 450 does not move downward, a driving unit for driving the stopper, or a device for manually moving the lower stopper. Since the lower stopper and the driving unit have the same or similar functions as the lower stopper 360 and the driving unit 365 of FIG. 3, a description thereof will be omitted.

The lower housing 410 may include an air outlet 415 on a side surface. The air outlet 415 is intended to function the same as or similar to the air outlet 115 of FIG. 1, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

A lower end of the lower housing 410 may include a nozzle structure for injecting the drug in the second space 402 to the outside. In one embodiment, the nozzle structure may include nozzles 114, 214 and 314 having a predetermined diameter on the lower surface of the lower housing 410, similar to the structure shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, for example.

4 shows a nozzle structure according to an alternative embodiment. According to this alternative embodiment, the lower housing 410 includes a cap-shaped nozzle portion 440 movably coupled to the lower end. The nozzle part 440 is coupled to the lower housing 410 so as to be able to move within a predetermined range in the vertical direction. At this time, one or more elastic members 445 may be disposed between the nozzle part 440 and the lower surface of the lower housing 410. Therefore, when a predetermined amount of force is applied to the nozzle unit 440, the nozzle unit 440 moves toward the lower housing 410 and is in close contact with the lower end of the lower housing 410 as shown in FIG. It is spaced a predetermined distance from the lower housing 410 as shown in FIG. 4 by the elastic force of 445.

In the illustrated embodiment, a through hole 411 in a vertical direction is formed on the lower surface of the lower housing 410, and the through hole 411 is fitted to the through hole 411 at the center of the cap-shaped nozzle part 440 A protrusion 442 that can move in the vertical direction along the line is formed. The nozzle part 440 and the protrusion part 442 may be integrally formed or may be formed separately and then be coupled to the nozzle part 440. The protrusion 442 includes a flow path 443 through which the drug passes in the vertical direction. The upper end of the flow path 443 may be formed on the side of the protrusion 442, and the lower end of the flow path 443 may be configured to be aligned with the nozzle 441 formed on the lower surface of the nozzle part 440. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, in a state where the nozzle part 440 is spaced apart from the lower housing 410, the upper end of the flow path 443 is located in the through hole 411 of the lower housing 410, so that the flow path 443 Is closed, and thus the drug in the second space 402 cannot be discharged to the outside.

However, when the nozzle part 440 comes into close contact with the lower end of the lower housing 410 as shown in FIG. 5 due to external force, the upper end of the flow path 443 is opened in the second space 402, and thus in this state When the piston 450 moves downward, the drug in the second space 402 may pass through the flow path 443 and the nozzle 441 and be injected to the outside. Therefore, for example, in the case of injecting drugs into the body of an animal, the lower surface of the nozzle unit 440 is pressed against the skin of the animal and the main body of the needleless injection device 400 is pressed by the pressing force. As shown in FIG. 5, the lower housing 410 is in close contact with the lower end of the lower housing 410, and in this state, the piston 450 is driven by volume expansion due to rapid heating of the fluid, so that the drug can be injected into the living body.

Meanwhile, in the illustrated embodiment, a ball 447 may be further included in the second space 402. The ball 447 may be, for example, a metal ball made of a metal material, and the diameter of the ball 447 is preferably larger than the through hole 411. The ball 447 according to this configuration prevents the drug in the second space 402 from being discharged to the outside through the flow path 443. That is, when the nozzle part 440 is spaced apart from the lower housing 410 as shown in FIG. 4, since the ball 447 blocks the through hole 411, the drug in the second space 402 passes through the through hole 411. It can be prevented from being discharged to the outside.

In one embodiment, the ball 447 may be disposed to move freely within the second space 402. In an alternative embodiment, the ball 447 may be connected to the inner wall surface or the protrusion 442 of the lower housing 410 constituting the second space 402 by any elastic member or wire, in this case. Even if the needleless injection device 400 is positioned or moved upside down, the range in which the ball 447 moves within the second space 402 may be limited.

Meanwhile, FIG. 6 schematically shows the appearance of the needleless injection device of FIGS. 4 and 5. As described above, the body portion of the needleless injection device includes a lower housing 410, an upper housing 420, and an adjustment nut 430. A nozzle part 440 is attached to the lower part of the lower housing 410 so as to be movable in the vertical direction.

The adjustment nut 430 and the lower housing 410 are fastened by screwing or similar coupling as shown in FIG. 4, and thus, as the adjustment nut 430 is rotated, the adjustment nut 430 and the lower housing ( The fastening length between 410 is changed and the volume of the second space 402 can be increased or decreased. At this time, as shown in the figure, an adjustment scale 419 is engraved on the surface of the lower housing 410, and each scale is a second space 402 when the lower end of the adjustment nut 430 reaches a height coincident with this scale. Can represent the volume of. Therefore, the user can adjust the amount of drug injection easily and conveniently because the adjustment nut 430 can be rotated and adjusted to the corresponding scale according to the amount of drug injection required by the user.

Meanwhile, according to the illustrated embodiment, a locking device structure may be included that prevents the second space 402 from being opened by unintentionally moving the nozzle unit 440 upward. In the illustrated embodiment, the nozzle unit 440 includes a guide groove 448 formed as a groove or through hole having a predetermined shape on its surface. The guide groove 448 may be formed to have a predetermined length in the horizontal and vertical directions, for example, and may be, for example, a groove in the shape of “A” as shown in the drawings. In addition, a protruding piece 418 protrudes from the outer surface of the lower housing 410, and the protruding piece 418 is fitted into the groove of the guide groove 448 and guided.

According to this configuration, if the protruding piece 418 is located in the locking position shown in Fig. 6, that is, in the horizontal groove of the guide groove 448, the protruding piece 418 cannot move up and down, so the nozzle part 440 is You can prevent it from moving in the direction. When the needleless injection device is to be used, the nozzle unit 440 is rotated to the left so that the protruding piece 418 is located in the groove in the vertical direction of the guide groove 448 to unlock. In this unlocked position, the nozzle unit 440 can move in the vertical direction, so, for example, the user presses the main body of the needleless injection device while touching the nozzle unit 440 to the skin of an animal or body, as shown in FIG. While the part 440 is in close contact with the lower housing 410, the flow path 443 is opened so that the drug can be injected.

An exemplary drug injection method using the needleless injection device 400 of the fourth embodiment described above will be described.

First, after the previous injection of the drug, the piston 450 returns upward by the elastic force of the elastic member 417, and the drug is sucked into the second space 402 through the drug injection port 414 and filled. After that, the heating unit 433 is heated for the next injection of the drug. Meanwhile, while filling the drug and heating the heating unit, the user may set the nozzle unit 440 in a locked state so that the nozzle unit 440 does not move in the vertical direction by rotating the nozzle unit 440 along the guide groove 448.

The fluid in the first space 401 expanded by heating of the heating unit 433 presses the piston 450 downward. However, as shown in Fig. 4, since the ball 447 of the second space 402 blocks the through hole 411, the pressure in the second space 402 increases, but the piston 450 is placed in a standby state where it does not move. do

After that, when the user rotates the nozzle unit 440 in the unlocked state and contacts the nozzle unit 440 with the skin of an animal or body and presses the body of the needleless injection device, the nozzle unit 440 moves upward as shown in FIG. By moving and in close contact with the lower housing 410, the flow path 443 is in communication with the second space 402, and accordingly, the piston 450 moves downward to transfer the drug in the second space 402 to the nozzle 441. Can be sprayed through.

7 is a view for explaining a needleless injection device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, the needleless injection device 500 according to the fifth embodiment includes a main body consisting of a lower housing 410, an upper housing 420, and an adjustment nut 430, a piston driving unit 530, and a drug chamber. It may include (140).

The configuration and function of the main body including the lower housing 410, the upper housing 420, and the adjustment nut 430 have been described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6, and the drug chamber 140 has been described with reference to FIG. The description is omitted from. The piston driving unit 530 of the embodiment of Fig. 7 is different from the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 6 in that it is configured to press the piston 450 by expanding the volume of the fluid in the first space 401 using a hydrogen storage alloy. Do.

In the illustrated embodiment, the piston driving unit 530 may include a hydrogen storage alloy 531, a heating means 532, a cooling means 533, and a battery 535.

Hydrogen storage alloy 531 is an alloy that absorbs hydrogen when cooled or pressurized to become a metal hydride and generates heat. Conversely, when heated or depressurized, it releases hydrogen and absorbs heat. And nickel), titanium-based alloys, and rare earth-based alloys are known to have such hydrogen storage properties. In an embodiment of the present invention, any hydrogen storage alloy having such hydrogen storage characteristics may be used. The hydrogen storage alloy 531 may be partially filled in the first space 401 in the upper housing 420, and the rest of the first space 401 may be filled with air or any gas.

The heating means 532 is a device for heating the hydrogen storage alloy 531. As the heating means 532 heats the hydrogen storage alloy 531, the hydrogen storage alloy 531 releases hydrogen, and the released hydrogen is discharged to the first space 401, and the first space 401 and the space are By pressing the existing fluid, the piston 450 can be pressed and pushed toward the second space 402. The cooling means 533 is a device for cooling the hydrogen storage alloy 531. As the cooling means 533 cools the hydrogen storage alloy 531, the hydrogen storage alloy 531 absorbs hydrogen, and the piston 450 can return to the first space 401 side by the restoring force of the spring 417. have.

As shown, the heating means 532 may be composed of an electric heater that generates heat by receiving power from the battery 535, and the cooling means 533 is a thermoelectric element that receives power from the battery 535 and causes an endothermic reaction. Can be configured. However, this is an exemplary configuration, and of course, other types of heating means and/or cooling means for heating and cooling the hydrogen storage alloy 531 may be used.

In one embodiment, each of the heating means 532 and the cooling means 533 may be disposed to surround the hydrogen storage alloy 531 in the first space 401 or along the inner side of the upper housing 420 The arrangement or structure of the heating means 532 and the cooling means 533 may vary according to specific embodiments.

Although not shown in the drawing, the voltage or current amount, and/or application time of power supplied from the battery 535 to the heating means 532 or the cooling means 533 can be controlled by a control unit (not shown). Accordingly, the expansion rate or expansion pressure of the expansion gas in the first space 401 can be controlled.

Since the drug injection operation of the needleless injection device of the fifth embodiment according to this configuration is the same or similar to that described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6, a description thereof will be omitted.

8 is a view for explaining a needleless injection device according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention

Referring to the drawings, the needleless injection device 600 according to the sixth embodiment includes an injection device main body 610 and a nozzle unit 640 coupled to a lower portion of the main body 610. The body portion 610 has a first space 601 at an upper portion and a second space 602 at a lower portion.

The piston driving unit using the hydrogen storage alloy disposed in the first space 601 is the same as the piston driving unit 530 described with reference to FIG. 7 and thus a description thereof will be omitted. In addition, since the nozzle unit 640 coupled to the lower portion of the second space 602 is the same as the nozzle unit 440 described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6, a description thereof will be omitted.

The needleless injection device 600 according to the sixth embodiment is different from the first to fifth embodiments in that a piston 620 made of an elastic body is included between the first and second spaces 601 and 602. The elastic piston 620 may perform the same function by replacing the rigid pistons 120, 220, 320, and 450 of the first to fifth embodiments. The piston 620 may be made of a gel or rubber material of an elastic body that can be freely deformed by instantaneous pressure.

As shown in Fig.8(a), when the second space 602 is in the standby state where the drug is loaded, the piston 620 has an original initial shape and is disposed between the first space 601 and the second space 602. Then, when an instantaneous expansion pressure occurs in the first space 602, the shape of the piston 620 is deformed as shown in FIG. 7(b) and moves to the second space 602, and the drug in the second space 602 is removed. It can be discharged through the nozzle 641. After that, when the expansion pressure of the first space 601 disappears, the piston 620 may return to the shape as shown in FIG. 8(a) again by its own elastic force and may return.

As described above, according to the sixth embodiment, the pistons 120, 220, 320, 450 and the springs 117, 217, 317, 417 can be replaced by using the piston 620 of an elastic body instead of a piston having solid rigidity. The structure of the needleless injection device can be further simplified.

As described above, those of ordinary skill in the field to which the present invention pertains will understand that various modifications and variations are possible from the description of this specification. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the body parts 110, 210, and 310 of the needleless injection device of FIGS. Alternatively, the lower ends of the body portions 110, 210, and 310 of FIGS. 1 to 3 may be configured with a nozzle unit 440 as shown in FIG. In addition, a needleless injection device may be configured by applying the piston driving unit 530 of FIG. 5 to the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 3, and the elastic piston 620 of FIG. 8 may be applied to the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 7. It might be possible. Therefore, the scope of the present invention is limited to the described embodiments and should not be defined, and should be defined by the claims to be described later as well as equivalents to the claims.

100, 200, 300, 400, 500: needleless injection device
110, 210, 310: injection device main body
120, 220, 320, 450, 620: piston
130, 230, 330, 530: piston drive
140, 240, 340: drug chamber

Claims (19)

As a needleless injection device for injecting drugs,
A cylindrical injection device main body 110 having a first space 111 and a second space 112 at least partially filled with fluid;
A nozzle (114) formed at an end of the injection device main body on the second space side;
A piston (120) disposed between the first space and the second space and movable along the longitudinal direction of the main body of the injection device;
A piston driving unit 130 configured to heat the first space 111 to increase the pressure in the first space and pressurize the piston to inject the drug contained in the second space 112 through the nozzle;
A first tank (261) storing the fluid;
A second tank (262) accommodating the fluid discharged from the first space;
At least one valve (263) for opening and closing a first path between the first space and the first tank and a second path between the first space and the second tank; And
And a control unit that controls the opening and closing of the valve (263). The method of claim 1, wherein the piston driving part,
battery;
A heating unit disposed in the first space and receiving power to generate thermal energy; And
And a high voltage driving unit for generating a high voltage from the power supplied from the battery and supplying it to the heating unit. The method of claim 1,
The piston driving unit further comprises a cooling means disposed in the first space and receiving power to cool the first space. The method of claim 1,
Needleless injection device, characterized in that the fluid contains at least one liquid of water, ethanol, and benzene. The method of claim 1, wherein the piston driving part,
battery;
A hydrogen storage alloy disposed in the first space;
Heating means for heating the hydrogen storage alloy by receiving power from the battery; And
And a cooling means for cooling the hydrogen storage alloy by receiving power from the battery. The method of claim 1,
And an elastic member (117) operating to return the piston moved to the second space side by the expansion of the fluid to the first space side. The method of claim 1,
A drug chamber 140 for storing a drug;
A supply pipe 150 for supplying a drug from the drug chamber 140 to the second space 112; And
And a check valve (155) installed in the supply pipe and configured to prevent the drug supplied to the second space from flowing back into the drug chamber. delete The method of claim 1,
And the control unit controls the valve to close the first path and the second path while the piston moves toward the second space due to the expansion of the fluid. The method of claim 9,
The control unit opens the second path while the piston returns to the first space side, and opens the first path after the piston returns to the first space side to transfer the fluid of the first tank to the liquid. The needleless injection device, characterized in that controlling the valve to inject into the first space. As a needleless injection device for injecting drugs,
A cylindrical injection device main body 110 having a first space 111 and a second space 112 along the longitudinal direction;
A nozzle (114) formed at an end of the injection device main body on the second space side;
A piston (120) disposed between the first space and the second space and movable along the longitudinal direction of the main body of the injection device;
A piston driving unit 130 configured to inject the drug contained in the second space 112 through the nozzle by pressing the piston;
A first stopper 360 installed on an inner surface of the main body of the injection device and protruding toward a central axis of the main body of the injection device to limit movement of the piston;
A driving unit (365) connected to the first stopper and operative to move the first stopper into an inner surface of the main body of the injection device; And
Includes; a control unit for controlling the operation of the driving unit,
And the control unit controls the driving unit to move the first stopper to an inner surface of the main body of the injection device after a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of the operation of the piston driving unit. delete The method of claim 11,
Further comprising a pressure sensor for measuring the pressure inside the first space,
And the control unit controls the driving unit to move the first stopper to an inner surface of the main body of the injection unit when the measured value of the pressure sensor is greater than a predetermined pressure. The method of claim 11,
And a second stopper (318) protruding toward the first space on the inner surface of the first space and configured to limit the maximum upward position of the piston. The method of claim 1,
The main body of the injection device,
A lower housing 410 having the movement path of the piston and the second space therein;
An upper housing 420 having the first space therein; And
Including; an adjustment nut 430 connecting the upper housing and the lower housing,
The adjustment nut 430 is formed to surround at least a part of an outer circumferential surface of an upper end of the lower housing and at least a part of an outer circumferential surface of a lower end of the upper housing, and the coupling length with at least one of the lower housing or upper housing is adjusted, ,
The needleless injection device, characterized in that the volume of the second space is configured to increase or decrease by adjusting the coupling length. The method of claim 15,
The adjustment nut 430 is rotatably coupled to the upper housing 420 and is coupled to the lower housing 410 in a screwed manner, so that the coupling length between the adjustment nut and the lower housing is adjustable. Needleless injection device made with. The method of claim 15,
The adjustment nut 430 is rotatably coupled to the lower housing 410 and is coupled to the upper housing 420 in a screwed manner, so that the coupling length between the adjustment nut and the upper housing is adjustable. Needleless injection device made with. As a needleless injection device for injecting drugs,
A cylindrical injection device main body having an upper housing having a first space and a lower housing having a second space along the longitudinal direction;
A piston disposed between the first space and the second space and movable along the longitudinal direction of the main body of the injection device;
A piston driving unit configured to drive the piston to pressurize the drug contained in the second space; And
Including; a nozzle unit 440 coupled to the end portion of the injection device main body on the second space side so as to be movable in the longitudinal direction of the injection device main unit and having a flow path 443 therein,
The nozzle unit 440 may include a nozzle 441 formed on a lower surface; And a flow path 443 for passing the drug in the vertical direction inside the nozzle unit 440,
The upper end of the flow path 443 communicates with the second space and the lower end communicates with the nozzle 441, but when the nozzle part 440 moves downward and is separated from the lower housing, the flow path is closed and the The needleless injection device, characterized in that the flow path is opened when the nozzle unit 440 moves upward and comes into close contact with the lower housing. The method of claim 18,
A guide groove 448 formed on the surface of the nozzle part 440 in horizontal and vertical directions; And
A protruding piece 418 protruding from the outer surface of the lower housing corresponding to the guide groove 448; further comprising,
By configuring the protruding piece 418 to move along the guide groove 448, the nozzle unit 440 is configured to move between a locking position that cannot be moved in a vertical direction and a locking position that can be moved in a vertical direction. Needleless injection device, characterized in that.

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