WO2022177469A2

WO2022177469A2 - Tattoo cartridge

Info

Publication number: WO2022177469A2
Application number: PCT/RU2022/000074
Authority: WO
Inventors: Anna Anatolievna ANTONOVA; Maksim Maksimovich KOR
Original assignee: Antonova Anna Anatolievna
Priority date: 2022-03-11
Filing date: 2022-03-11
Publication date: 2022-08-25
Also published as: WO2022177469A3

Abstract

The invention discloses a single-use sterile device for introducing a pigment from an individual container into the dermis layer, in particular a tattoo cartridge. The cartridge comprises a body accommodating a bushing, a plunger, an elastic membrane and a needle mag. The body is provided with a removable elastic attachment on an outer surface of the body. The bushing and the plunger are connected by the membrane for damping the plunger. The needle mag is soldered on a steel rod that is secured to the plunger. The tip of the body is open and provided with protrusions on its edges, which serve for guiding the needle mag. The technical effect is expansion of the range of tattoo cartridges, improved accuracy of applying tattoos, improved quality of a picture produced.

Description

TATTOO CARTRIDGE

The invention relates to apparatus for introducing medicinal or other agent into the human body. In particular, the invention describes a disposable sterile device for introducing a pigment from an individual container into a dermis layer.

At present, there exist a wide variety of devices for performing the process of applying permanent pictures on a human body by locally damaging the cutaneous covering through introducing a coloring pigment or ink into the dermis for producing various patterns or inscriptions, i.e. for making a tattoo, thus enabling to regulate distribution of such a pigment in the subcutaneous area and create decorative images. These devices are replaceable cartridges that may be attached to a tattoo machine. As a rule, cartridges are made disposable to avoid infections. A cartridge comprises a cartridge plunger (hereinafter also "the plunger") with one or more needles. The plunger is moved by a tattoo machine that is provided with a mechanism (in particular, a tattoo machine pushrod) imparting reciprocal movement to the cartridge plunger.

Two types of cartridges are recognized depending on soldering pattern of needles and possibility of using them: these are liner cartridges and magnum cartridges. The first one has needles grouped in a circle or one needle soldered onto two other needles having a shorter length; the second one has a flat group of needles arranged in one row or in several staggered rows where the needle tips are spaced from each other.

Quality of detailing of an applied tattoo is an inherent factor having a certain artistic value in a work of a tattooist. The more accurately needles hit the skin, the easier is creation of smaller image elements located very close to each other. "Shaking", i.e. slightly oscillating, needles in a free space of a tip of a cartridge body have a great backlash which results in difficulties in ensuring accurate hits of needles an edge of a contour or an already inked area, as well as to blank spaces (i.e. not inked areas) or excess traumatization when a tattooist makes multiple attempts to hit a required point with needles. In both cases, aesthetic quality of a tattoo will be poorer due to inaccurate inking. Shaking in a magnum cartridge results in greater ink splashing which stains the skin, thus covering a working area with dirt and hampering vision of the tattooist.

Chinese patent CN204798627 (publ. 25.11.2015) describes a single-use tattoo cartridge. It comprises a body with a pin, a needle and an elastic cover and is intended for being arranged on a tattoo machine handle. The pin is used for moving the needle. The body is separated by a partition into two chambers - an inner chamber and an outer chamber, the latter serving as a guiding element for the pin. An end of the outer chamber is provided with a hole for passing and centering the needle. The elastic rubber cover at the machine-facing end of the inner chamber may be closed and sealed with a bushing, and the other end of the elastic cover embraces the needle. This device has holes for injecting a liquid at the side wall of the outer chamber, which enables to keep a great volume of a pigment in the outer chamber without multiple dipping into a pigment, and the elastic cover provides certain sealing of the inner chamber, thus protecting the latter against leaks of pigments and other liquids.

The main disadvantage of this cartridge is that the tattoo machine mechanism should be used for making the needle to move back. This complicates control of the needle and imparts additional oscillations ("shaking") to the needle, which affects accuracy of its movement. Furthermore, centering the pin in the hole of the outer chamber, which is made for smoothing needle oscillations, causes greater rubbing of the pin against the hole walls; and this rubbing is inappropriate since it results in heating a pigment in the outer chamber.

Chinese patent CN105268094 (publ. 27.01.2016) describes a tattoo cartridge. The cartridge comprises a needle, a needle base, a cylindrical shell, a first connection rod and a first connection block, the first connection block being driven by an external force to directly perform reciprocating motion. The first connection block, in its turn, drives the needle body via the first connection rod and the needle base to perform reciprocating linear motion. The cartridge does not use any spring, any rubber band or any rubber ring to retract the needle. In order to move the needle, only an external force is used, so quick withdrawal of the needle from the skin may be realized. The invention also describes a tattoo device which comprises a motor, a handle shell, a second connection rod and the above mentioned tattoo needle. When the motor pushes the needle body, it is not necessary to overcome an elasticity force,, current and power of the motor are maintained stable, and the service life of the motor is greatly prolonged. The main disadvantage of this cartridge is that an external force should be used for retracting the needle, which results in poorer quality of a pattern applied due to greater oscillations during movements of the needle, thus increasing work time of a tattooist.

Thus, no cartridges are found in the art, which would comply with the set requirements, such as high accuracy of needle motion and, meanwhile, prevent a needle from oscillating when a tattoo is made.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved design of a tattoo cartridge for working more accurately and sharply in the process of applying a tattoo.

The technical effect achieved by this invention is expansion of the range of tattoo cartridges and improved accuracy while applying a tattoo owing to, inter alia, smoothing or full elimination of needle oscillations and, consequently, improved quality of a picture provided.

The above object is solved and the stated technical effect is achieved due to that the tattoo cartridge comprises a body accommodating a bushing, a plunger, an elastic membrane and a needle mag. The body has a removable elastic attachment on an outer surface of the body. The bushing and the plunger are connected with the membrane to damp the plunger. The needle mag is soldered on a steel rod that is attached to the plunger. A tip is open and has protrusions on its edges to provide the possibility of guiding movements of the needle mag.

The membrane, secured to the plunger with one end and to the outer side of the bushing with the other end, elastically connects these two elements and serves for retracting the plunger in its initial extreme position and also provides tension that allows the plunger of the cartridge (together with the rod and the needle mag) tightly and forcibly contact the pushrod of a tattoo machine. This enables the plunger of the cartridge to move with the pushrod of the tattoo machine during reciprocal movement, which excludes appearance of a backlash between the pushrod of the machine and the plunger of the cartridge when the mechanism is operated. The membrane retains the plunger of the cartridge in the center of the cartridge axis, but, being an elastic article, allows the plunger to deflect axially under a load.

The rod ensures uniform weight distribution along the length of the cartridge element comprising the plunger, the rod itself and the needle mag. This enables to provide stability to the movement of the plunger and, correspondingly, the needles and, thereby, reduce shaking of the needles.

The set task may be solved and the stated technical effect may be achieved also in particular embodiments of the proposed tattoo cartridge.

Thus, for example, the cartridge may be made dismountable, and the steel rod may be secured to the plunger by means of a fixing glue.

In the tattoo cartridge, the needle mag may be a soldered flat group of needles arranged parallel to each other at least in a single row. This type of needles is called needles for coloring that enables to continuously color individual portions of tattoos. The needles are arranged, as a rule, with their tips staggered.

Further, the surface of the elastic attachment in the tattoo cartridge may be made embossed to minimize pressure exerted by planes and comers to the fingers. In this embodiment of the cartridge, the elastic attachment has ergonomic radii copying finger circumferences; therefore, gripping of the tool will not cause fatigue and will raise comfort during work, which will directly influence accuracy while applying a tattoo.

Preferably, in the tattoo cartridge, the membrane is secured with one end having a smaller cross- section to the plunger and with the other end having a greater cross-section to the bushing.

Protmsions may be made in the body of the tattoo cartridge, which cover at least one outermost needle of the upper row on each end of the needle mag. The outermost needles in the needle mag contact, with their ends, these protrusions (preferably, they are slightly pressed by the protmsions) in the fully retracted position of the needle mag in the body, and, in the fully extended position of the needle mag in the body, the outermost needles preferably contact the protmsions with their middle portion. These protrusions are formed due to the open configuration of the tip, which is made for the purpose of ensuring quick and effective washing of the needle mag when changing color of ink. Also, an enlarged window formed due to the open configuration of the tip reduces air oscillations created by the plunger, enabling, thereby, an ink flow to move more uniformly, which improves work quality of a tattooist.

Furthermore, in the body of the tattoo cartridge, namely, on the inner side of the tip of the body , at least one groove may be provided. Preferably, one groove is made that improves supply of a required amount of ink to the tip pad under the needle mag.

Below, the invention and its several possible embodiments will be explained in a greater detail with reference to the drawings wherein:

Fig .1 shows a lateral view of the tattoo cartridge;

Fig. 2 shows the tattoo cartridge in the disassembled state;

Fig. 3 shows a fragment of the tip of the tattoo cartridge.

It should be noted that the views of the embodiments of the tattoo cartridge shown in Figs. 1-3 are provided for the purpose of explaining the present invention generally and may be different, more or less, e.g. in appearance; however, the tattoo cartridge embodiments, as shown in the drawings, will be primarily discussed below.

The proposed tattoo cartridge comprises a body made of, e.g., polycarbonate or a material with similar properties. The body is usually made with certain characteristics, such as an open configuration of the body tip (i.e. the end of the body through which the needle mag passes) that enables to control visually a depth to which the needles penetrate into the skin as well as wash the needles quickly and effectively when changing color of ink; an enlarged window of the body tip that reduces air oscillations created by the plunger and enables an ink flow to move more uniformly as well as makes washing of the cartridge easier; additional grooves that improve supply of a required amount of ink to the pad of the flat needle mag. The ergonomic shape of the body helps to achieve increased work efficiency, since a tattooist should not attain a certain acute angle of the cartridge inclination for the purpose of improving vision of manipulations conducted by him. If a groove and a bevel on the tip end are made, which enable to keep a greater ink amount in the tip and distribute it over the needles more uniformly, a tattooist, while creating dense and uniform coloring, should not frequently dip the cartridge body into ink.

The work efficiency is understood as continuous and balanced supply of an ink volume caught by the needle mag. Ink should not be splashed inside the tattoo cartridge or in air, get stuck between the walls, thus blocking needle movements, or, on the contrary, restrict ink flow by splattering all the ink and immediately leaving a spot on the skin. The more stable is distribution of ink leaving the tip of the body, the more pigment passes into the skin, and the longer a tattooist may work with one ink portion in the tip until it is disposed of. A person skilled in the art will appreciate that, in this case, the ergonomic shape is understood as a totality of the above specific features of the cartridge body. Fig. 1 schematically shows two chambers of the body of the proposed cartridge, which are separated by a membrane. The A chamber protects the tattoo machine mechanism against entry of potentially hazardous biological liquids. The A chamber protects the tattoo machine mechanism against entering potentially hazardous biological liquids therein. The A chamber accommodates a portion of the plunger and the bushing. The B chamber contacts biological liquids of a human and ink and accommodates the needle mag and a second portion of the plunger.

A body 1 accommodates a bushing 2, a plunger 3 and an elastic membrane 4 (see Fig. 2). The bushing 2 has a through hole, wherein the plunger 3 is partially arranged, and is connected to the plunger

3 by means of the membrane 4. The bushing 2 is a guide element, and, in order to ensure free sliding of the plunger 3 therein and prevent the elements from developing increased friction, heating and getting stuck, a small gap is provided between the hole in the bushing 2 and the mating portion of the plunger 3, or, in other words, a backlash. The rubbing portion of the plunger 3 is in the guide hole of the bushing 2; this helps to reduce the risk of misalignment of the mechanism when the needle mag enters the human skin.

The plunger 3 may have a square cross-section at least in its length portion contacting the bushing 2. Correspondingly, in this case a cross-section of the hole in the bushing 2 should be, preferably, square. Owing to this shape of the cross-section, stability of hits by the plunger 3 and, consequently, the needles will be provided, and axial shifts and oscillations will be reduced. In the proposed invention, square cross-section planes enable to make a backlash smaller, thus imparting stability to the moving mechanism of the tattoo cartridge. Polyoxymethylene used in the medical industry may be the material for making the plunger 3.

The elastic membrane 4 may be made, e.g., of silicone. The membrane 4 is secured with one of its ends, preferably the one having a smaller cross-section, to the plunger 3 and with the other end, preferably the one having a greater cross-section, to the bushing 2. The membrane 4 serves for retracting the plunger 3 in its extreme initial position and retains the plunger 3 in the center of the tattoo cartridge axis, but, being an elastic element, permits axial deflections of the plunger 3 under a load. The membrane

4 provides pre-tension, which allows the plunger 3 to contact, tightly and forcibly, the mating part of the tattoo machine (in particular, the pushrod of the tattoo machine) driving the plunger 3, thus enabling the plunger 3 to move together with this mating part of the tattoo machine during their reciprocal motion. This excludes appearance of a backlash between the plunger 3 and the mating part of the tattoo machine during operation.

The membrane 4 performs two functions - protective and damping. The protective function consists in preventing biological liquids from entering the tattoo machine mechanism from the B chamber into the tattoo machine mechanism via the A chamber (see Fig. 1). The membrane 4 is arranged between the body 1 and the guide bushing 2 on one side and is tightly fixed, e.g. in a groove of the plunger 3, on the other side. This position of the membrane 4 prevents a liquid from permeating between the body 1 and the bushing 2 and between the membrane 4 and the plunger 3. A liquid may travel within the B chamber of the body and over the plunger 3 without additional pressure. At the time when the moving mechanism of the tattoo machine linearly loads the plunger 3 of the tattoo cartridge, the membrane 4 is tightly fixed in the groove of the plunger 3 and is stretched for a distance set by a stroke of the tattoo machine, preferably from 2 mm to 6 mm. When the plunger 3 reaches its extreme point, the membrane 4 retracts the plunger 3 to the initial position. During installing the cartridge into the tattoo machine, the pushing mechanism of the tattoo machine applies a small pressure to the plunger 3, moving it by several millimeters. This preload enables to move the plunger 3 from the limit stop on the bushing

2 in order to avoid shocks in this assembly during retraction of the plunger 3 to its extreme initial position.

The body 1 has a removable elastic attachment 6 on its outer surface. Since gliding compositions are used during making a tattoo to strengthen protection of the skin against an ink spreading over it, they may get onto gloves of the tattooist, and, consequently, his fingers may slip over smooth surfaces of the tool, thus affecting the grip of the tool and raising the necessity of gripping the tool tighter. And, since the process of applying a tattoo frequently takes much time, e.g., may last from 9 to 12 hours, a load on the tattooisfs index and middle fingers increases, and, consequently, tension restraining the hand movements grows, which results in a quick increase in the tattooist' hand fatigue, increases a time period of applying a tattoo, and makes work quality poorer. The elastic attachment 6 enables to reduce pressure exerted by planes and comers of the cartridge to the fingers, it has special radii copying finger circumferences and an embossed surface for the index finger. The embossed surface has lamellas arranged at an experimentally found distance from each other. The lamellas prevent the index finger from slipping during intensive hand movements and do not cause discomfort to the finger cushion during a strong pressure grip. Also, the embossed surface provides better grip when a tattooist removes a cartridge from the tattoo machine holder with his slippery gloves. During work, a tattooist replaces a cartridge and, as a rule, places it onto the table surface, and, in order to reduce the risk that the cartridge may fall, a common plane is made on the elastic attachment and the body 1 , which serves as a stable pad for the cartridge.

A rod 7 and a needle mag 5 are secured to the plunger 3 by means of a fixing glue or another material having similar properties. The needle mag 5 may be a soldered flat needle mag where the needles are arranged in parallel to each other, preferably in a single row with spaced ends, or in two or more rows, preferably in a staggered order.

The rod 7 is made, preferably, of steel and enables to distribute balanced loads uniformly, thereby improving penetration accuracy of the needles 5 under the skin by eliminating or reducing their shaking. An important condition for the tattooist's work is quick change of color of the ink in the cartridge.

For this purpose, the needle mag 5 is washed by dipping a tip 8 deeply into a container with water. The open design of the tip 8 and an enlarged window enable to carry out washing of the tip 8 quickly, thereby accelerating the tattooist's work. Also, the open design of the tip 8 has a greater angle of vision due to a lower quantity of a plastic material in the area where the needle mag 5 passes.

Further, protrusions 9 may be made on the edges of the tip 8; they cover, preferably on each side (edge), one outermost needle in the upper row of the needle mag 5. These outermost needles of the needle mag 5 contact, with their ends, the protrusions 9 (preferably, they are slightly pressed by the protrusions) in the fully retracted position of the needle mag in the body 1 , and, in the fully extended position of the needle mag in the body, the outermost needles preferably contact the protrusions 9 with their middle portion. It is worth mentioning that in the position where the needle mag 5 is completely extended from the tip 8 of the body 1, these protrusions 9 restrain (fix tightly) the needle mag 5, thereby preventing the needle mag 5 from deflecting axially, turning, getting stuck, shaking. In other words, the protrusions 9 uniformly press the needle mag 5 to the work pad that is an area on the inner surface of the tip edge under the needle mag 5, thereby restraining the needles from turning and deflecting under resistance caused by the skin surface when the needle mag 5 moves at a time of applying a tattoo.

Preferably, at least one groove 10 and at least one bevel 11 are formed on the tip 8, on its inner portion. The groove 10 performs the function of a means of supplying ink to the work pad and improves passability of an ink flow and, thereby, helps to avoid restriction of ink flow. This is ensured by a cross- section of the groove 10 at the work pad. The work pad should have a certain length along the cartridge axis, preferably being from 2 to 3.5 mm, in order to stabilize the needle mag 5. The more lengthy is the pad, the more stable is movement of the needles 5, but restriction of ink flow may be greater in this case. If the pad is absent or changed for a bevel on one lateral side of the work pad where the needle mag may contact therewith, ink may continuously splash all over. To prevent it and stabilize the operation of the needle mag 5, the work pad is formed, and restriction of the ink flow is compensated by supplying ink via at least one groove 10. Preferably, one bevel 11 on the tip edge serves to provide surface tension of ink.

The proposed invention may be operated as follows.

The cartridge is put, with its end on the side of the plunger 3, into a universal receptacle of the tattoo machine holder and is fixed therein by, e.g., turning the body by 30 degrees. A required position of the needle mag 5 in the tip 8 of the body 1 is set by adjusting the mechanism in the holder. This position will be the initial position establishing the extreme point for retracting the needle mag 5.

Power is supplied to the motor of the tattoo machine, and the mechanism drives the cartridge plunger 3 with the needle mag 5 secured thereto, performing up to 150 oscillations/pushes/strokes per second. The tip end of the body 1 (i.e., the cartridge side where ends of the needle mag 5 are located) is dipped into an ink container for 1-2 seconds, and, due to oscillating motions of the needle mag 5, the ink is drawn into the B chamber of the body 1 and fills some volume of it. The cartridge, on the side of the needle mag 5, is brought close to the skin, then it is lowered until the needle mag 5 touches the skin, and forcibly deepened to a required depth. During the tool movement, the ink does not flow out of the tip 8 of the body 1 owing to, inter alia, the work surface of at least one groove 10, if the latter is present in the cartridge, but remains therein, forming a small drop held between the edge of the tip and the needles 5 by means of the bevel on the body 1. When the needles 5 are deepened into the skin, the drop on the tip contacts the skin surface and remains is surface tension between the tip 8 and the skin. When entering into the skin, the needles stretch it with their volume, and when leaving the skin, channels made by the needles 5 close practically without any damage. During reciprocating motions of the needle mag 5 being surrounded by the ink, the needles transfer a portion of the ink into the skin. By circular or linear movements with a small amplitude, as performed by the device, the ink spreads over a required skin surface until an ink volume in the cartridge tip is disposed of completely, or earlier, at the discretion of the tattooist.

Excess ink and a liquid exuding from the skin are washed off the skin surface, and, if necessary, the actions of introducing the ink under the skin are repeated until a satisfactory result is achieved.

Upon completion of the work, power supplied to the tattoo machine is switched off, and the cartridge is removed by, e.g. turning it counterclockwise by 30 degrees.

Thus, the present invention enables to apply tattoos quickly and accurately.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A tattoo cartridge comprising a body accommodating a bushing, a plunger, an elastic membrane and a needle mag, wherein the body has a removable elastic attachment on the body outer surface, the bushing and the plunger are connected by the elastic membrane, wherein the needle mag is soldered brazed on a steel rod secured to the plunger, and the body tip is made open and has protrusions on its edges, thus providing the possibility of guiding the needle mag.

2. The tattoo cartridge of Claim 1, wherein the needle mag is a flat set of needles arranged in parallel to each other in at least one row.

3. The tattoo cartridge of Claim 1 or 2, wherein the needle mag is a solderedgroup of needles.

4. The tattoo cartridge of Claim 1, wherein the surface of the removable elastic attachment is embossed.

5. The tattoo cartridge of Claim 1 , wherein the membrane, with one of its ends having a smaller cross-section, is secured to the plunger and, with the other end having a greater cross-section, is secured to the bushing.

6. The tattoo cartridge of Claim 1, which is disassemblable.

7. The tattoo cartridge of Claim 1, wherein the steel rod is secured to the plunger by means of a fixing glue.

8. The tattoo cartridge of Claim 1 or 2, wherein the protrusions cover at least one outermost needle in the upper row on each edge of the needle mag.

9. The tattoo cartridge of Claim 8, wherein said outermost needles contact, with the ends, the protrusions at least in the fully retracted position of the needle mag.

10. The tattoo cartridge of Claim 8 or 9, wherein said outermost needles contact, with their middle portion, the protrusions at least in the fully extended position of the needle mag.