NZ515487A - Injection device with skin rucker portion where the skin rucker portion ruckers the patient's skin prior to needle insertion - Google Patents

Abstract

An injection device with a syringe assembly and a skin rucker (8) that is fitted to the barrel via a biasing means (9) that utilizes the pressure adjustment nut to control the movement of the skin rucker in relation to the syringe assembly. The skin rucker assembly includes an area of high coefficient of friction for contact with skin. Pressure application to the injection device causes skin rucker withdrawal against the resistance of the biasing means (9) and the needle (6) enters the rucked up animal skin (11). The distance of travel and the position of the needle in relation to the skin rucker can be altered to be located in closest proximity to the skin rucker.

Description

515487 Intellectual Property Office of NZ 2 6 MAY 2003 PATENTS FORM NO. 5 Fee No. 4: $250.00 PATENTS ACT 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION After Provisional No: 515487 Dated: 13 November 2001 AN IMPROVED INJECTION DEVICE We Instrument Supplies Limited, a New Zealand company, of 13 Kaimiro Street, Pukete Industrial Estate, Hamilton, New Zealand hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed to be particularly described in AN IMPROVED INJECTION DEVICE Technical Field 515487 This invention relates to an improved injection device.

In particular, this invention relates to an improved injection device for use on the body parts of animals (or possibly humans) where there is not a great tissue depth, such as on the ears.

Reference throughout the specification shall now be made to use of the present invention in relation to injecting the ears of animals, in particular farm animals.

However this should not be seen to be a limitation on the present invention in any way as the present invention may be used to replace existing injection devices where the depth of the injection needs to be controlled. background art The need for injecting farm animals is well known, with a variety of different apparata being available.

Typically the injection devices for use with animals are variations on the standard syringe, some of which are manual and others are operated mechanically to automatically give the correct dose.

Generally most injections given to animals are administered with the syringe at a relative angle to the animal's skin of between 45 and 90 degrees.

Whilst this is fine for the majority of applications it has severe drawbacks when it is desirable to inject the animal in an area with a shallow tissue depth such as the ear.

Within animal husbandry it is often desirable for an injection to be administered to the ear of animals such as cattle, pigs, sheep, deer and so forth. 51548 7 In order for this type of injection to be successful the needle needs to be inserted through the surface of the skin of the ear at an acute angle in order to ensure that the needle does not travel right through the ear as this in itself would introduce a number of problems to the operation.

The worst case scenario would be if the operator were holding the ear and the needle passed through the ear and into the operator. This not only introduces the problems of potentially injecting a harmful substance into the operator, i.e.: could also introduce foreign bodies and blood from the animal into a wound left by the needle in the operator's hand etc.

Other problems with this type of injection is that it can often result in more than one attempt being made to correctly administer a dose to an animal, this not only wastes the time of the operator but can also cause unnecessary levels of stress to the animal which in itself will make the operation more difficult.

There is also a high likelihood of excessive chemical wastage which will not only increase the costs to the operator but can also contaminate areas such as pasture or shedding, depending upon the chemical being administered to the animal.

Since the animals will quite often be struggling during the injection procedure it can be difficult and sometimes hazardous for the operator to check to ensure that the needle is still correctly located within the tissue of the ear and therefore a number of animals can either receive a reduced dose or no dose at all.

It is an object of the present invention to address the foregoing problems or at least to provide the public with a useful choice.

Further aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the ensuing description which is given by way of example only.

Disclosure of invention According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided an injection device, including a syringe assembly, and a skin rucker assembly characterised in that the skin rucker assembly is configured to ruck-up the skin of the injection site prior to injection by the injection device.

The term "syringe assembly" used throughout the present specification should be understood to mean any form of injection device that can be used to administer injections.

In preferred embodiments of the present invention when attached to a needle the syringe assembly used will be in the form ensuring that the needle is off-centred in order that the distance between the point where the needle is joined to the rest of the syringe and the closest point of the animal's ear can be adjusted in order to adjust the angle of penetration of the needle into the skin.

It should be appreciated however that this should not be seen to be a limitation on the present invention in any way as in other embodiments any other form of syringe or injection device may be used.

Also throughout the present specification the term "skin rucker" should be understood to mean any assembly or apparatus that is capable of applying a force to the skin at an injection site that will result in the skin rucking up or puckering, i.e.: the skin will be distorted in a ripple resulting in a greater depth of tissue into which the injection can be 515487 made. 51 5 487 According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of using an injection device, including a syringe assembly fitted with a needle, and a skin rucker assembly characterised by the steps of a) aligning the injection device at an acute angle to the body part to be pierced by the syringe needle, and b) rucking the skin with the skin rucker assembly, and c) piercing the rucked skin of the body part with the needle of the syringe assembly.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a skin rucker assembly adapted to fit onto a syringe assembly.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a syringe assembly adapted to receive a skin rucker assembly.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention there is provided a kit of parts, including a syringe assembly, and a needle, and a skin rucker assembly, characterised in that ^ 5487 the syringe assembly and the skin rucker assembly are configured so that they can be adjoined together in order that the skin of the injection site can be rucked up prior to the syringe needle piercing the skin.

It should be appreciated that within preferred embodiments of the present invention 5 that when in use the skin rucker will extend beyond the tip of a needle attached to the injection device in order that the needle cannot pierce the skin prior to the skin being rucked up.

In preferred embodiments the skin rucker assembly will include a biasing means that will control the movement of the skin rucker in relation to the syringe assembly so that 10 once adequate pressure has been placed on the skin in order to cause it to ruck-up, the biasing means will allow the needle of the syringe assembly to move forward in relation to the skin rucker and consequently pierce the skin in order that an injection can be made.

In some preferred embodiments of the present invention the biasing means is adjustable 15 so that the maximum pressure placed upon the skin by the skin rucker can be altered if desired.

It is envisaged that this ability will allow the same rucking assembly to be used on different types of animals, for instance cattle and sheep which will have different sized ears and therefore will need different amounts of skin rucking to be taking place.

However, this should not be seen to be a limitation on the present invention in any way as in some other preferred embodiments of the present invention the biasing means is not adjustable.

Further, it should also be appreciated that in some embodiments of the present invention the biasing means can be used to activate devices associated with the 25 injection device, examples of which can be items such as microswitches, solenoids, 6 *<5487 ;mechanical triggers and the like, in order that the action of the skin rucker can be used to activate a further assembly such as an automatic injector or a sanitation/marking device. ;It should be appreciated however that this will not be the case with all representations 5 of the present invention as a lot of embodiments are expected to be purely manually operated without any form of marking and therefore this feature would not be necessary. ;In preferred embodiments of the present invention the skin rucker would be constructed as a probe that contains an area having a high coefficient of friction for contact with the 10 skin in order that when the skin rucker is brought into contact with an area of skin the skin rucker will maintain its position on the skin when pressure is applied to the skin via the skin rucker. ;Once again this should not be seen to be a limitation on the present invention in any way as in other embodiments of the present invention the skin rucker can be 15 constructed in any manner that is capable of applying pressure to the skin in a non-slip relationship in order to ruck the skin prior to an injection being made. ;In some embodiments the skin rucker can be in the form of a sleeve around the needle assembly, this form will have the added advantage of protecting the needle from damage and also protecting the operator or the animal from inadvertent injections. ;20 It is envisaged that the greatest benefit will be gained from the present invention when it is fitted to an injection device that incorporates an offset leur in order that a shallower injection angle may be utilised as this will increase the depth of tissue through which the needle can travel prior to exiting from the other side of a body part such as an ear. ;25 ;7 ;* 5 48 7 In some embodiments of the present invention the distance that the syringe needle travels in relation to the end of the skin rucker can be adjusted in order that differing injection depths may be possible.

In some preferred embodiments of the present invention the skin rucker is located 5 between the needle and the surface into which the needle is intended to travel. However, once again this should not be seen to be a limitation on the present invention in any way as in other embodiments the skin rucker can be located at a different angle with respect to the needle assembly if desired.

Also in preferred embodiments of the present invention that utilise the non central 10 needle assembly, the relative position of the needle with respect to the skin rucker can be altered by rotating the offset needle assembly around the barrel of the syringe until a preferred position is achieved.

It is envisaged however that in the majority of these embodiments the needle assembly will be located in its closest proximity to the skin rucker as this will enable a shallower 15 entry angle into the body tissues to be achieved.

It is envisaged that in most embodiments of the present invention the skin rucker assembly will be attached to the barrel of the injection device, however it should be appreciated that this is not a limitation on the present invention as in some embodiments the skin rucker assembly is attached to other parts of the injection device, 20 such as the end cap, a handle, or even the needle nib.

In some embodiments of the present invention the skin rucker assembly is constructed of a transparent material which will facilitate the viewing of the skin under the skin rucker during the injection procedure.

It is envisaged however that in some embodiments the skin rucker may contain 25 branding or any other form of information and it should be understood that in some 8 515487 further preferred embodiments of the present invention the skin rucker will contain a number of graduations in order that the needle travel or injection depth can be measured.

It should be further appreciated that in some preferred embodiments of the present invention where an adjustable biasing means is incorporated, the biasing means may have a dial or selector in order to indicate when the correct biasing pressure has been selected for a particular type of animal.

Whilst it should be appreciated that in most embodiments of the present invention the skin rucker is used by utilising a pushing action, this should not be seen to be a limitation on the present invention in any way as in some embodiments, particularly those that utilise the biasing means to trigger the injection cycle, the skin rucker may be used in a pinching or dragging action by pulling the present invention rather than pushing it in order that the skin is rucked up behind the skin rucker so that when the correct pressure is detected by the biasing means the needle will be inserted and subsequently the dosage will be administered.

It can clearly be seen from the previous description that the present invention has many significant advantages over the current injection systems.

The most significant advantage of the present invention is that due to the skin rucker increasing the tissue depth into which the needle can be inserted there is a greatly reduced chance of the needle clearing the other side of the tissue and therefore there is a much higher injection success rate.

Another significant advantage of the present invention is that due to the operation of the skin rucker the injection device is far easier and faster to use as the skin rucker ensures there is adequate tissue for the injection to be made. 515487 Another advantage of the present invention is that the action of the skin rucker ensures that the injection assembly operation is highly repetitive.

Other advantages of the present invention are that there is less chemical wastage due to there being a much lower chance of an injection being administered after the needle has cleared the body part and the fact that the injection assembly is now far easier to use means that a person of a lower skill level may be able to administer injections thereby lowering the operating costs of the farmer.

It should also be appreciated that a further advantage of the present invention is that due to the much higher success rate of the injection operations there is far less stress placed upon the animals as they are injected faster and with less problems and are ensured the correct dosage.

Brief Description of Drawings Further aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description which is given by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1(a) is a diagrammatical representation of a side view of one preferred embodiment of the present invention in its extended position due to no pressure being applied on the injection assembly; Figure 1(b) is a diagrammatical representation of a side view of one preferred embodiment of the present invention with the skin rucker in its withdrawn position due to pressure being applied to the injection assembly. 515487 Best Modes for Carrying out the Invention With reference to the Figures there is illustrated an improved injection assembly generally indicated by arrow 1.

The injection assembly 1 consists of a syringe barrel 2 at the outlet of which is a 5 position adjuster 3 secured to the barrel 2 by tightening a lock nut 4.

The position adjuster 3 has a needle retention device 5 located at its outlet and to which a standard needle 6 can be fitted.

The position adjuster 3 is operated by rotating on its central axis and when the desired position is reached locking it in that position by use of its adjustment nut 7.

The injection device 1 also consists of a skin rucker 8 that is fitted to the barrel 2 via a biasing means 9. The biasing means 9 is fitted with a pressure adjustment nut 10 in order that the biasing pressure against the skin rucker 8 can be adjusted.

In Figure 1(a) the injection device 1 has been placed against the skin 11 of an animal, with the skin 11 in contact with the high friction surface 12 of the skin rucker 8.

When pressure is applied to the injection device 1 the apparatus will assume the configuration shown in Figure 1(b) wherein the skin rucker 8 has moved to its withdrawn position against the resistance of the biasing means 9. The skin 11 of the animal can clearly be seen to have rucked up in front of the skin rucker 8 and the needle 6 wherein the needle 6 can clearly be seen to have entered the skin 11 and is 20 now able to complete a satisfactory injection.

Aspects of the present invention have been described by way of example only and it should be appreciated that modifications and additions may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the appended claims. 11

Claims (17)

WHAT I/WE CLAIM IS:

1. An injection device, including a syringe assembly, and a skin rucker assembly characterised in that the skin rucker assembly is configured to ruck-up the skin of the injection site prior to injection by the injection device.

2. An injection device as claimed in claim 1 wherein in use the syringe assembly includes an off-centred needle.

3. An injection device as claimed in any previous claim wherein the skin rucker assembly extends beyond the tip of a needle attached to the injection device.

4. An injection device as claimed in any previous claim wherein the skin rucker assembly contains a biasing means to control the movement of the skin rucker in relation to the syringe assembly.

5. An injection device as claimed in claim 4 wherein the pressure exerted by the biasing means is adjustable.

6. An injection device as claimed in either claim 4 or claim 5 wherein the biasing means is used to activate devices associated with the injection device.

7. An injection device as claimed in any previous claim wherein the skin rucker assembly includes an area having a high coefficient of friction for contact with the skin. Intefiectual Property Office of NZ 26JUN 2003 RECEIVED

8. An injection device as claimed in any previous claim wherein the skin rucker is in the form of a sleeve around the needle assembly.

9. An injection device as claimed in any previous claim wherein the injection device incorporates an offset leur.

10. An injection device as claimed in any previous claim wherein the distance that the syringe needle travels in relation to the distal end of the skin rucker is adjustable.

11. An injection device as claimed in any previous claim wherein the skin rucker is located between the needle and the surface into which the needle is intended to travel.

12. An injection device as claimed in claim 9 wherein the relative position of the needle with respect to the skin rucker can be altered by rotating the offset needle assembly around the barrel of the syringe.

13. An injection device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 12 wherein the needle assembly will be located in its closest proximity to the skin rucker.

14. An injection device as claimed in any previous claim wherein the skin rucker assembly is attached to a part of the injection device.

15. An injection device as clamed in claim 14 wherein the skin rucker assembly is attached to the barrel of the injection device.

16. An injection device as claimed in any previous claim wherein the skin rucker assembly is constructed of a transparent material.

17. An injection device as claimed in any previous claim wherein the skin rucker contains a number of measurement graduations. intellectual Property Office of NZ 26 JUN 2003 RECEIVED An injection device as claimed in any of claims 4, 5 or 6 wherein the biasing means has a selector to indicate the biasing pressure that is being selected. An injection device as claimed in any previous claim wherein the skin rucker is used in a pinching or dragging action by pulling the present invention rather than by pushing it. A method of using an injection device, including a syringe assembly fitted with a needle, and a skin rucker assembly characterised by the steps of a) aligning the injection device as an acute angle to the body part to be pierced by the syringe needle, and b) rucking the skin with the skin rucker assembly, and c) piercing the rucked skin of the body part with the needle of the syringe assembly. A kit of parts for an injection device, including a syringe assembly, and a needle, and a skin rucker assembly, characterised in that the syringe assembly and the skin rucker assembly are configured so that they can be adjoined together in order that the skin of the injection site is rucked-up IntffHectual Property Offlce of NZ 7 6 JUN 2003 received 23. 24. INSTRUMENT SUPPLIES LIMITED by their Attorneys JAMES & WELLS intellectual Property Office of NZ 26 JUN 2003 RECEIVED prior to the syringe needle piercing the skin. An injection device substantially as herein described with reference to and as indicated by the accompanying drawings. A method of using an injection device substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings. A kit of parts for an injection device substantially as herein described with reference to and as indicated by the accompanying drawings.