WO2023210577A1

WO2023210577A1 - Needleless syringe

Info

Publication number: WO2023210577A1
Application number: PCT/JP2023/016109
Authority: WO
Inventors: 剛河合; 翔悟小森; ジャックリットサッブメーク
Original assignee: 株式会社ダイセル
Priority date: 2022-04-27
Filing date: 2023-04-24
Publication date: 2023-11-02

Abstract

Provided is a needleless syringe comprising: a syringe assembly storing a substance to be injected; and a main unit storing the syringe assembly in a storage space, wherein the main unit includes: a housing which defines the storage space and which is movable relative to the syringe assembly; a pressing part which is connected to the housing and the syringe assembly and transmits a force of the movement to the syringe assembly to press the syringe assembly toward a nozzle side when the housing is moved by an operator; an elastic part which is connected to the housing and the pressing part and which elastically deforms as the housing moves to adjust the pressing force transmitted from the pressing part to the syringe assembly; and a power supply unit that supplies power to a drive unit when the housing has reached a predetermined position with respect to the syringe assembly as a result of the movement of the syringe assembly.

Description

needleless syringe

The present disclosure relates to a needleless syringe.

As a device for administering an injection target substance to an injection target such as a living body without using an injection needle, a needleless syringe is known that injects a medicinal solution containing an injection target substance into an injection target at high pressure. In recent years, needleless syringes have been developed with attention focused on ease of handling and hygiene. Generally, in a needleless syringe, a pressurized drug solution is injected toward the injection target using a driving source such as compressed gas or a spring, and the drug solution is introduced into the injection target using the kinetic energy of the drug solution. The configuration has been put into practical use.

For example, Patent Document 1 describes a needleless syringe that contains an active ingredient in solid or liquid form and injects the active ingredient using combustion gas of gunpowder.

US Patent No. 6,610,028 International Publication No. 2017/115868

When injecting an injection target substance into an injection target using a needleless syringe, it is important to appropriately press the injection port for ejecting the injection target substance against the injection target. For example, if the pressing force against the injection target is too small, the substance to be injected may not reach the desired depth, and if the pressing force is too large, the substance to be injected may exceed the desired depth. For this reason, it is desirable to keep the pressing force of the needleless syringe against the injection target constant, but there is a problem that the pressing force tends to vary for each administration, making it difficult to administer appropriately.

Therefore, in view of the above-mentioned problems, the present disclosure aims to provide a technique that makes it possible to appropriately maintain the pressing force of a needleless syringe against an injection target.

In order to solve the above problems, the needle-free syringe of the present disclosure includes:
A needleless syringe that administers an injection substance to an injection target without using a needle,
a syringe assembly containing the substance for injection;
a main body unit having a housing space extending in one direction and housing the syringe assembly in the housing space;
Equipped with
The syringe assembly includes:
a nozzle that injects the substance for injection;
a target substance storage part that accommodates the injection target substance and communicates with the nozzle;
a drive unit that applies injection energy to the injection target substance for injection by being supplied with electric power;
has
The main unit is
a housing defining the receiving space and movable relative to the syringe assembly;
a pressing portion connected to the housing and the syringe assembly and transmitting the force of the movement to the syringe assembly to press the syringe assembly toward the nozzle when the housing is moved by an operator;
an elastic part that is connected to the housing and the pressing part and adjusts the pressing force transmitted from the pressing part to the syringe assembly by elastically deforming as the housing moves;
a power source supplying power to the drive unit when the housing reaches a predetermined position relative to the syringe assembly due to movement of the syringe assembly;
has.

In the needleless syringe, the pressing part includes a lever connected to the syringe assembly, the elastic part, and the housing,
The lever is provided so as to be swingable about a pivot that moves together with the housing,
A force that moves the support shaft as the housing moves is transmitted to the syringe assembly and the elastic portion via the lever, and the lever applies the syringe assembly toward the injection target side with a predetermined pressure. You can force it.

The needleless syringe includes:
The power supply section is
The elastic portion is provided, and
a piezoelectric element electrically connected to the drive section;
a hammer that is movably held from an initial position away from the piezoelectric element to a position in contact with the piezoelectric element, and is moved by the elastic force of the elastic part;
a locking portion that locks the hammer at the initial position in an initial state;
Equipped with
When the housing reaches the predetermined position, the locking portion releases the locking of the hammer, and the hammer is moved by the elastic force of the elastic portion that is elastically deformed as the housing moves, and the hammer is moved. Electric power generated when the hammer collides with the piezoelectric element may be supplied to the drive unit.

The needleless syringe includes:
The drive section is
a pair of electrodes electrically connected to the power supply unit and supplied with the power;
an insulating member interposed between the pair of electrodes;
a cover body that covers one end side of the pair of electrodes together with the surrounding space;
Gunpowder filled in the space within the cover body;
Equipped with
The pair of electrodes may have a discharge gap in the space that has lower insulation resistance than a portion where the insulating member is interposed.

According to the technology of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a technology that makes it possible to appropriately maintain the pressing force of a needleless syringe against an injection target.

1 is a diagram schematically showing the appearance of a needleless syringe. It is a 1st sectional view of a needleless syringe. It is a 2nd sectional view of a needleless syringe. It is a 3rd sectional view of a needleless syringe. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the internal configuration of the needleless syringe with a part of the housing omitted. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the appearance of the main unit. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the internal configuration of the needleless syringe with the housing omitted. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a piezoelectric element module. It is a figure which shows the state where the rod part of a piezoelectric element module was pushed in to this side of a locking part. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state in which a hammer of a piezoelectric element module collides with a piezoelectric element. FIG. 3 is an axial cross-sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the initiator along the central axis. It is a figure which shows the operating procedure of a needleless syringe. It is a figure showing the composition of the needleless syringe concerning a second embodiment. 14 is a diagram schematically showing a DD cross section in FIG. 13. FIG.

<First embodiment>
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A needleless syringe (hereinafter simply referred to as a "syringe") 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. The syringe 1 is a needleless syringe that uses the combustion energy of gunpowder to inject an injection liquid corresponding to the injection target substance of the present application into an injection target, that is, it injects an injection liquid into an injection target without using a needle. This is a device that performs injections.

Note that the configurations and combinations thereof in each embodiment are merely examples, and additions, omissions, substitutions, and other changes to the configurations can be made as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. This disclosure is not limited by the embodiments, but only by the claims. In this embodiment, the terms "distal side" and "proximal side" are used to express the relative positional relationship in the longitudinal direction of the syringe 1. The "distal side" refers to a position closer to the distal end of the syringe 1, which will be described later, that is, closer to the nozzle 71 (see FIG. "side" indicates the opposite direction, that is, the direction toward the safety switch 6 of the syringe 1.

<Configuration of syringe 1>
Here, FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the appearance of a syringe 1. As shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a first sectional view of the syringe 1, and the cross section is the AA section in FIG. Further, FIG. 3 is a second sectional view of the syringe 1, and the cross section is the BB section in FIG. 1, and the BB section is perpendicular to the AA section. FIG. 4 is a third sectional view of the syringe 1, and the cross section is the CC section in FIG. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the syringe 1 with a part of the housing 20 omitted. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the appearance of the main body unit 2 constituting the syringe 1. As shown in FIG. Note that hatching in each cross section is partially omitted. In the following description, the direction along the Y-axis is also referred to as the "vertical direction," the direction along the Z-axis is also referred to as the "front-back direction," and the direction along the X-axis is also referred to as the "horizontal direction." These directions are for convenience when describing the embodiment, and, for example, the arrangement of each component in the syringe 1 is not limited to these directions.

The syringe 1 is formed by attaching a syringe assembly 10 to a main body unit 2. The injection liquid injected into the injection target by the syringe 1 is formed by containing a predetermined substance in a liquid medium that exhibits the efficacy and function expected for the injection target. In the injection liquid, the predetermined substance may be dissolved in the liquid medium, or may be simply mixed without being dissolved.

Examples of the predetermined substance contained in the injection solution include biologically derived substances that can be injected into a living body to be injected, and substances that exhibit desired physiological activity. Examples of biologically derived substances include DNA, RNA, and nucleic acids. , antibodies, cells, etc. Substances that emit physiological activity include pharmaceuticals made of low molecules, proteins, peptides, etc., vaccines, inorganic substances such as metal particles for thermotherapy and radiotherapy, and carriers that serve as carriers. Examples include substances that have various pharmacological and therapeutic effects. Further, the liquid that is the medium of the injection liquid may be any substance suitable for administering these predetermined substances into the injection subject, and it does not matter whether it is aqueous or oil-based. Further, as long as the predetermined substance can be injected with the syringe 1, there is no particular limitation on the viscosity of the liquid that is the medium.

[Main unit]
In the syringe 1, the syringe assembly 10 is configured to be detachable from the main unit 2. A storage space 75 formed between a container 70 (an example of a "target substance storage section" in the present application) included in the syringe assembly 10 and a plunger 80 is filled with injection liquid in a preparation stage before the operation of the syringe 1. be done. The syringe assembly 10 injects the injection liquid from the nozzle 71 provided at the tip of the container 70 when the syringe 1 is operated. The syringe assembly 10 of this embodiment is a cartridge that is replaced with an unused one when the injection liquid is injected and the cartridge is used. Details of the syringe assembly 10 will be described below.

The main unit 2 includes a housing 20, a coupling mechanism 210, a piezoelectric element module 250, and a socket 7. The housing 20 forms the outer shell of the main unit 2 and accommodates components such as the coupling mechanism 210 and the piezoelectric element module 250. The main body unit 2 is provided with a safety switch 6 at the upper rear portion thereof, which switches between a state in which injection liquid cannot be ejected and a state in which injection liquid can be ejected, in order to prevent unintended injection. Note that the syringe 1 is configured so that a user (operator) can hold and operate it with one hand. A part of the inner space on the distal end side of the housing 20 extends in at least one direction and serves as a housing space 201 (FIG. 6(D)) that houses the syringe assembly 10. An opening provided at the distal end of the housing space 201, that is, at the distal end side of the housing 20, serves as an insertion port 202 for the syringe assembly 10. The main body unit 2 accommodates the proximal end side of the syringe assembly 10 by inserting the syringe assembly 10 into the accommodation space 201 from the insertion port 202, and the syringe assembly 10 is attached to the socket 7. This syringe assembly 10 is detached from the socket 7 by being pulled toward the distal end, and can be removed from the main unit 2.

The main unit 2 will be explained based on FIG. 6. In FIG. 6, (A) represents the external appearance of the main unit 2 when viewed from the front, and (B) represents the external appearance when the main unit 2 is viewed from the side. Further, in FIG. 6, (C) represents the external appearance of the main unit 2 when viewed from the rear. (D) shows the external appearance of the main unit 2 when viewed diagonally from below. Here, the "front" is the part located distal to the user when the user grasps the main body unit 2, and is located on the left side in FIG. This is a proximal site and is located on the right side in FIG. 6(B). Therefore, when the user grasps the main unit 2 with one hand, the user's fingertips are placed on the front of the main unit 2 on the distal side, and the wrist is close to the rear of the main unit 2 on the proximal side. Moreover, "upper" refers to a region on the proximal end side of the syringe 1.

In consideration of such gripping by the user, grip portions 2A are provided on the front and rear surfaces of the main unit 2 so that the user's fingers can easily grip the main unit 2. The grip portion 2A has a plurality of ribs forming unevenness to improve the grip of the fingers.

Further, the main unit 2 is provided with a push-down safety switch 6 that enables the syringe 1 to operate. The safety switch 6 is embedded, for example, in a notch 219 in the upper rear part of the housing 20, and can be pressed down with a thumb when the user grasps the main unit 2 with one hand. As shown in FIG. 5, the safety switch 6 includes a pressure receiving part 61 that receives a pressing operation by the user, a rotation shaft 62 provided on the front side of the pressure receiving part 61, and a rotating shaft 62 that extends downward from the bottom of the pressure receiving part 61. It has an engaging arm portion 63 provided therein.

The safety switch 6 is arranged such that the rotation shaft 62 and the engagement arm part 63 are arranged inside the housing 20, and a part of the pressure receiving part 61 is exposed to the outside from the notch part 219 of the housing 20. The safety switch 6 is rotatably held by the housing 20 with a rotation shaft 62 projecting in the left-right direction, and is always urged upward by a spring (not shown). Therefore, when the safety switch 6 is not pressed by the user, the front upper surface of the safety switch 6 comes into contact with the inner surface of the housing 20 due to the biasing force of the spring, and the upper surface of the pressure receiving part 61 is kept facing upward. Moreover, when the pressure receiving part 61 is pressed by the user, the safety switch 6 rotates about the rotation shaft 62 and is pushed down toward the inside of the housing 20 . At this time, the engaging arm portion 63 of the safety switch 6 also rotates together with the pressure receiving portion 61, so when pressed by the user, the engaging arm portion 63 assumes a posture parallel to the extending direction of the accommodation space 201, and the user In the unpressed state, the engagement arm portion 63 assumes a posture inclined toward the rear side of the main unit 2.

Furthermore, the housing 20 has a socket 7 into which the rear part of the syringe assembly 10 is fitted when the syringe assembly 10 is inserted from the insertion port 202 to a prescribed position. The socket 7 includes a generally prismatic base 7A, a connecting portion 7B protruding from the center of the lower surface of the base 7A, and a connecting portion 7B that protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the base 7A to the rear and left and right sides, and extends downward from the lower surface 7C. It has an extended columnar projection 7D. The connecting portion 7B has a terminal 7E that is electrically connected to

electrodes

211 and 212 in the actuator 110, which will be described later. In the socket 7, each columnar projection 7D is fitted into a vertically elongated groove 291 provided on the inner wall surface of the housing 20, and is held movably along the groove 291.

The main unit 2 is equipped with a coupling mechanism 210 and a piezoelectric element module 250. The coupling mechanism 210 is an example of a pressing section. The coupling mechanism 210 is disposed within the housing 20 and includes a lever 220 and a piezoelectric element holder 230. A support shaft 271 that protrudes in the left-right direction at the front end portion of the lever 220 is supported by a bearing hole (not shown) provided in the inner surface of the housing 20, so that the lever 220 can swing. Further, the lever 220 is provided with a connecting convex portion 272 that protrudes in the left-right direction between the support shaft 271 and the rear portion 273 in the longitudinal direction.

The piezoelectric element holder 230 includes a pair of

side walls

231 and 232 and a bottom 233. The

side walls

231 and 232 are arranged along the inner surface of the housing 20 and extend in the vertical direction along the inner surface of the housing 20. The housing 20 is capable of sliding movement, and horizontal movement is restricted by the inner surface of the housing 20. A connecting hole 235 penetrating in the left-right direction is formed in the upper part of the

side wall parts

231 and 232. The connecting hole portion 235 is an elongated hole whose width in the vertical direction is slightly larger than the width in the front-rear direction. The connecting convex portion 272 of the lever 220 fits into the connecting hole 235, so that the piezoelectric element holder 230 and the lever 220 are connected. At this time, the piezoelectric element holder 230 and the lever 220 are connected with the rear part 273 of the lever 220 positioned below the support shaft 271, and the rear part 273 of the lever 220 is arranged so as to come into contact with the upper surface 7F of the socket 7. ing.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the syringe assembly 10, the safety switch 6, the coupling mechanism 210, and the piezoelectric element module 250, with the housing 20 of the syringe 1 omitted. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, the side wall portion 231 is provided with a piezoelectric element holding portion 234 that accommodates and holds the piezoelectric element module 250. The piezoelectric element holding portion 234 is a recessed portion formed inward from the outer surface 23A of the side wall portion 231, and includes a holding portion side wall 23B on the opposite side (inner side) of the outer surface 23A, a holding portion front wall 23C on the front side, and a rear side. Three sides in the horizontal direction are defined by the rear wall 23D of the holding part, and the lower part is defined by the bottom part 233 of the piezoelectric element holder 230. Note that a hole 23E through which the cable 29 of the piezoelectric element module 250 is passed is provided at the lower part of the holding portion side wall 23B.

The piezoelectric element module 250 is fitted into the piezoelectric element holding part 234 from the outer surface 23A side of the side wall part 231, and placed on the bottom part 233 via the spacer 23F. Further, a locking protrusion 24A protruding from the inner wall 204 of the housing 20 facing the outer surface 23A of the piezoelectric element holder 230 is inserted into the upper part of the piezoelectric element holding part 234, and the upper end of the piezoelectric element module 250, that is, the rod The upper end of the portion 258 is in contact with the upper end of the portion 258 to restrict upward movement of the piezoelectric element module 250. In this way, the piezoelectric element module 250 is held between the bottom part 233 of the piezoelectric element holder 230 and the locking protrusion 24A of the housing 20.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the piezoelectric element module 250. The piezoelectric element module 250 has a housing 254 and includes a piezoelectric element 255, a hammer 256, an elastic body (elastic part) 257, and a locking part 259 inside the housing 254. The piezoelectric element 255 includes, for example, a piezoelectric body and electrodes that sandwich the piezoelectric body, and converts force applied to the piezoelectric body into electric power. The piezoelectric body and the electrodes may be stacked so that power for operating the initiator 22 is obtained. The piezoelectric element 255 is connected to the

electrodes

211 and 212 of the initiator 22 via a cable 29.

The hammer 256 is held within the housing 254 so as to be able to move forward and backward relative to the piezoelectric element 255, and in an initial state is locked by a locking portion 259 at a position away from the piezoelectric element 255 (initial position). . The rod portion 258 has one end protruding from the housing 254 and the other end inserted into the housing 254 so as to be movable back and forth in the same direction as the hammer 256 (up and down). An elastic body 257 is arranged between the rod portion 258 and the hammer 256. When the rod portion 258 is pushed into the casing 254 from the initial state shown in FIG. 8 as the housing 20 moves, the elastic body 257 is elastically deformed between the rod portion 258 and the hammer 256 that is locked at the initial position. (compressed), and its elastic force urges the hammer 256 toward the piezoelectric element. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a state in which the rod portion 258 is pushed in to the front side of the locking portion 259. Then, when the rod portion 258 is pushed further and comes into contact with the locking portion 259, the locking portion 259 is rotated to release the locking of the hammer 256. As a result, the hammer 256 moves toward the piezoelectric element 255 due to the elastic force of the elastic body 257 and collides with the piezoelectric element 255. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the hammer 256 collides with the piezoelectric element 255.

The piezoelectric element 255 converts the force applied by the collision of the hammer 256 into electric power, and supplies it to the

electrodes

211 and 212 of the initiator 22 in the actuator 110 via the cable 29. In this way, the piezoelectric element module 250 is an example of a power supply section that supplies power for operation to the initiator 22 of the actuator 110.

[Syringe assembly]
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the syringe assembly 10 forms the syringe 1 by being attached to the main body unit 2. Specifically, the syringe assembly 10 includes an actuator 110, a container 70, This is an assembly including a plunger 80.

The body 21 of the actuator 110 is formed into a cylindrical shape. The body 21 has a central portion 21A at its center, a distal end portion 21B at its distal end, and a proximal end portion 21C at its proximal end. In the body 21, the internal spaces of the distal end portion 21B, the central portion 21A, and the base end portion 21C communicate with each other, and an opening 27 is provided on the distal end side of the distal end portion 21B. A partition wall 270 having an opening 27 is provided between the tip portion 21B and the center portion 21A. An initiator 22 (an example of a "driver" in the present application) is attached to the base end 21C of the body 21, which burns the ignition powder 225 to generate injection energy for injection.

FIG. 11 is an axial cross-sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the initiator 22 along the central axis CE. The initiator 22 includes a pair of

electrodes

211 and 212, an insulating member 223 interposed between the electrodes, a cover body 224 that covers one end side of the

electrodes

211 and 212 together with the surrounding space, and is accommodated in the space inside the cover body. It includes an ignition powder 225 and a resin holding part 226 that covers the bottom side of the initiator 22. Note that among the pair of

electrodes

211 and 212, one is also referred to as a first electrode 211 and the other as a second electrode 212.

The first electrode 211 is a conductive linear member (conductive pin) made of metal or the like, and its tip portion is disposed at the center of the initiator 22 along the central axis CE. The second electrode 212 includes a metal ring 228 having a through hole 229 through which the first electrode 211 passes through the center of the disk, and a conductive pin 227 connected to the metal ring 228 . Although there is no particular limitation as to which of the

electrodes

211 and 212 is the positive electrode or the negative electrode, in this embodiment, the first electrode 211 is the positive electrode and the second electrode 212 is the negative electrode.

An insulating member 223 is provided between the first electrode 211 passed through the through hole 229 of the metal ring 228 and the inner peripheral surface of the metal ring 228. The insulating member 223 is an insulating member such as glass or ceramic, and is interposed between the first electrode 211 and the second electrode 212 to increase the insulation resistance between the electrodes to a predetermined value or more, such as an air gap. It's higher than that. The first electrode 211 and the second electrode 212 are integrated with each other via an insulating member 223 to form an electrode unit 22A when the initiator 22 is manufactured.

The cover body 224 is a cylindrical member with a bottom, and in this embodiment, has a cylindrical peripheral wall 241 and a top wall portion 242 that closes one end of the peripheral wall 241, and an end opposite to the top wall portion 242. It has an opening 243 in the section. The cover body 224 is placed over the electrode unit 22A so as to cover the tip side of the electrode unit 22A, and the lower portion of the peripheral wall 241 is attached to the metal ring 228 by welding or the like. That is, the electrode unit 22A embolizes the opening 243 of the cover body 224. The space inside the cover body 224 that is closed by the electrode unit 22A in this manner becomes the explosive storage section 244.

The explosive accommodating portion 244 of the cover body 224 is filled with an ignition powder 225. The combustion energy of the ignition powder 225 becomes energy for the syringe 1 to inject the injection liquid into the injection target. The ignition powder includes, for example, explosives containing zirconium and potassium perchlorate (ZPP), explosives containing titanium hydride and potassium perchlorate (THPP), and explosives containing titanium and potassium perchlorate (TiPP). , explosives containing aluminum and potassium perchlorate (APP), explosives containing aluminum and bismuth oxide (ABO), explosives containing aluminum and molybdenum oxide (AMO), explosives containing aluminum and copper oxide (ACO), aluminum and oxide Examples include gunpowder containing iron (AFO) and gunpowder consisting of a combination of a plurality of these gunpowders. These explosives generate high-temperature, high-pressure plasma when they burn immediately after ignition, but when the combustion products reach room temperature and condense, they do not contain gaseous components, so the generated pressure drops rapidly. Explosives other than these may be used as the igniter as long as appropriate injection fluid can be injected.

The initiator 22 is arranged such that the gunpowder side end 282 of the metal ring 228 provided on the second electrode 212 and the upper end 281 of the first electrode 211 face the inside of the gunpowder storage section 244, and The upper end 281 of the electrode 211 and the upper end (explosive side end 282) of the metal ring 228 are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance 200. This interval 200 is set to have lower insulation resistance than the part where the insulating member 223 is interposed between the

electrodes

211 and 212 or the part where the resin holding part 226 is interposed, so that operating power is supplied between the

electrodes

211 and 212. This is a discharge gap in which a discharge accompanied by sparks occurs when the discharge occurs.

Further, the initiator 22 is attached to the body 21 so that the combustion products generated when the initiator 22 is activated are released toward the central portion 21A of the body 21. That is, the initiator 22 is attached to the base end portion 21C of the body 21 so that the combustion product release surface (top wall portion 242) faces the center portion 21A side.

The resin holding part 226 is molded to cover part of the electrode unit 22A and the cover body 224. The resin holding part 226 has a fitting recess 261 that fits into the socket 7 on the surface disposed on the proximal side of the syringe assembly 10, and the ends of the

electrodes

211 and 212 are inserted into the fitting recess 261. It is installed protrudingly. The resin holding portion 226 is an insulating member and ensures insulation resistance between the

electrodes

211 and 212. Note that the resin holding portion 226 is not limited to molding, and may be formed separately from the cover body 224 and the electrode unit 22A, and may be attached afterwards to the cover body 224 and the electrode unit 22A.

When the syringe assembly 10 is inserted into the accommodation space 201 from the insertion port 202 of the main unit 2 to a specified position, the connecting part 7B of the socket 7 is inserted into the fitting recess 261 of the resin holding part 226, and the syringe assembly 10 The syringe assembly 10 is attached to the main body unit 2 by fitting the columnar projection 7D onto the outer periphery of the rear end side. At this time, the

electrodes

211 and 212 of the initiator 22 provided in the fitting recess 261 are connected to the terminal 7E of the socket 7, and the initiator 22 is connected to the piezoelectric element module 250 via the socket 7.

The body 21 has a generally cylindrical shape, and when the initiator 22 operates, combustion products are released from the initiator 22 into the internal space 21S of the body 21. A cylindrical piston 40 is arranged in the internal space 21S of the body 21. The piston 40 has an O-ring 25 that is a sealing member so as to be slidable within the internal space 21S. The piston 40 is made of metal and has a shaft portion 41 on the tip side and an enlarged diameter portion 42 having a larger diameter than the shaft portion 41, and an annular groove provided along the outer circumference of the enlarged diameter portion 42. A ring 25 is fitted onto the outside. The piston 40 is inserted into the center portion 21A of the body 21 with the shaft portion 41 facing the distal end (nozzle 71 side) and the enlarged diameter portion 42 toward the proximal end, and the distal end portion of the shaft portion 41 is inserted into the opening 27. is maintained in the same state.

Then, when the initiator 22 operates and the combustion products are released into the internal space 21S of the body 21, the expanded diameter portion 42 receives the pressure and the piston 40 slides toward the tip side. That is, the actuator 110 has a mechanism in which the initiator 22 is the actuation source and the piston 40 is the output part. Since the diameter of the enlarged diameter portion 42 is larger than the diameter of the opening 27, the piston 40 moved by the pressure of the combustion products is moved by the diameter expansion portion 42 toward the partition wall 270 at a position where the shaft portion 41 protrudes a predetermined amount from the opening 27. It comes into contact with and stops.

Furthermore, as another method for adjusting the pressure applied to the piston 40, a gas generating agent that is combusted by combustion products from the initiator 22 to generate gas may be further disposed in the internal space 21S of the body 21. Its location is where it may be exposed to combustion products from the initiator 22. Alternatively, a gas generating agent may be placed within the initiator 22 as disclosed in International Publication No. 01-031282, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2003-25950, and the like. An example of a gas generating agent is a single base smokeless gunpowder consisting of 98% by mass of nitrocellulose, 0.8% by mass of diphenylamine, and 1.2% by mass of potassium sulfate. It is also possible to use various gas generating agents used in gas generators for airbags and gas generators for seatbelt pretensioners. By adjusting the dimensions, size, shape, especially surface shape, of the gas generating agent when placed in the internal space 21S etc., it is possible to change the combustion completion time of the gas generating agent. The pressure applied to 40 can be adjusted to a desired pressure.

Note that the piston 40 is an example of a propellant that is arranged to move in a predetermined direction inside the syringe 1. The syringe 1 may be provided with another propellant instead of the piston 40. For example, as disclosed in U.S. Patent Application No. 2006/0089595, a thin film that expands in a predetermined direction due to combustion gas, and It is also possible to use propellants arranged to deform in a predetermined direction inside the syringe 1, such as folds extending in a direction.

The material of the body 21 is not particularly limited, but for example, known nylon 6-12, polyarylate, polybutylene terephthalate, polyphenylene sulfide, liquid crystal polymer, polycarbonate, polycarbonate and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS). (resin) can be used. In addition, these resins may contain fillers such as glass fibers and glass fillers; polybutylene terephthalate contains 20 to 80% by mass of glass fibers, polyphenylene sulfide contains 20 to 80% by mass of glass fibers, Further, the liquid crystal polymer can contain 20 to 80% by mass of minerals.

The distal end portion 21B of the body 21 is a cylindrical member that communicates with the central portion 21A through the opening 27. The distal end side is open, and the proximal end side of the container 70 is inserted through this opening, and the container 70 is attached.

The container 70 is a member that accommodates the injection liquid pressurized by the plunger 80, and is a member that defines a flow path for injecting the pressurized injection liquid to the injection target. In consideration of this point, a resin material for forming the container 70 can be adopted. For example, the same type of resin material as the body 21 can be used for the container 70. The container 70 has a generally cylindrical shape at its base end, and is provided with a nozzle 71 at its tip.

Further, a plunger 80 is arranged inside the container 70. The plunger 80 is a member that pressurizes the injection liquid using the energy received from the piston 40 and provides injection energy for injection to the injection liquid. It includes a rod portion 50, a plunger head 60, and an O-ring 81. The rod portion 50 can be made of the same type of resin material as the body 21, for example. An annular groove is formed between the rod portion 50 and the plunger head 60 along the circumferential direction, and an O-ring 81 is fitted into the groove to maintain airtightness when the plunger 80 slides inside the container. It enhances sexuality. Further, the plunger head 60 is formed in a tapered shape along the inner surface of the nozzle 71.

When the plunger 80 is located on the proximal end side within the container 70, the space formed between the plunger 80 and the container 70 is a space (accommodation space) 75 in which the injection liquid is sealed.
becomes. An injection port 77 is provided at the tip of the nozzle 71 to communicate with a storage space 75 inside the container and to eject the contained injection liquid. Therefore, as the plunger 80 slides within the accommodation space 75, the injection liquid accommodated in the accommodation space 75 is pressurized and is injected from the injection port 77 via the flow path 76.

Further, the inner diameter of the flow path 76 provided in the container 70 is formed to be smaller than the inner diameter of the accommodation space 75. With such a configuration, the injection liquid pressurized to a high pressure is injected to the outside from the injection port 77.

Here, assembly of the syringe assembly 10 will be explained. With the plunger head 60 of the plunger 80 inserted into the accommodation space 75 of the container 70 to the most extreme end (innermost part), the tip of the nozzle 71 is dipped in the injection liquid and the plunger 80 is pulled back. Since the O-ring 81 of the plunger 80 and the inner wall surface 75A of the accommodation space 75 are in close contact, a negative pressure is generated in the accommodation space by the pulling back operation, and the injection liquid is filled into the accommodation space 75 from the injection port 77. can do.

After the container 70 with the accommodation space 75 filled with injection liquid is attached to the distal end 21B of the body 21, the initiator 22 is attached to the proximal end 21C of the body 21.

The syringe assembly 10 configured in this manner is loaded into the main unit through the insertion port 202 of the housing 20, and the syringe 1 is ready for use (FIGS. 1 to 3). At this time, since the safety switch 6 is not pressed down, the engaging arm portion 63 of the safety switch 6 is in a posture inclined toward the rear side. In this case, even if the socket 7 is pushed by the syringe assembly 10 and an upward force is applied, the upper surface of the columnar projection 7D projecting to the left and right of the socket 7 will come into contact with the lower end of the engaging arm 63 of the safety switch 6. , upward movement is restricted. When the syringe assembly 10 is inserted to the specified position in this state, the resin holding part 226 at the rear of the syringe assembly is pressed against the socket 7, and the connecting part 7B of the socket 7 fits into the fitting recess 261 of the resin holding part 226. The syringe assembly 10 is fitted into the socket 7.

[Operating procedure]
FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the operating procedure of the needleless syringe. An operation procedure for injecting an injection liquid using the syringe 1 that is in a usable state (hereinafter also referred to as an initial state) will be described based on FIG. 12. First, the user grasps the housing 20 of the syringe 1 with one hand and brings the nozzle 71 at the tip of the syringe assembly into contact with the injection target (processing in S101). At this time, the user grips the main body unit 2, for example, with the fingertips other than the thumb hooked on the grip portion 2A at the front of the housing 20.

Next, when the user presses down the safety switch 6 with his or her thumb, the engagement arm 63 of the safety switch 6 rotates downward, and the restriction on movement of the socket 7 by the engagement arm 63 is released. The engaging arm portion 63 rotates and comes off from directly above the columnar projection 7D of the socket 7, and the socket 7 becomes movable (processing in S102). When the user applies force to press the syringe 1 against the injection target in this state, the nozzle 71 hits the injection target and stops, but the main unit 2 moves toward the nozzle 71 (processing in S103). That is, the housing 20 moves relative to the syringe assembly 10, and the syringe assembly 10 is housed deeper in the main body unit 2 than in the initial state. As a result, the force that moves the housing 20 toward the nozzle is transmitted to the syringe assembly 10 via the lever 220, and the syringe assembly 10 is pressed toward the injection target. At this time, the upper surface 7F of the socket 7 pushes up the rear part 273 of the lever 220, causing the lever 220 to rotate upward. When the lever 220 rotates upward in this manner, the piezoelectric element holder 230 connected to the connecting convex portion 272 of the lever 220 also moves upward. On the other hand, since the housing 20 moves toward the nozzle 71, the locking protrusion 24A protruding from the inner wall 204 of the housing 20 also moves toward the nozzle 71. As a result, the rod portion 258 of the piezoelectric element module 250 is pushed into the housing 254 between the bottom portion 233 of the piezoelectric element holder 230 and the locking protrusion 24A of the housing 20. That is, as shown in FIG. 9, the elastic body 257 within the piezoelectric element module 250 is elastically deformed so as to be compressed.

Then, when the housing 20 moves further and reaches a predetermined position and the rod part 258 releases the locking of the hammer 256 by the locking part 259 as shown in FIG. It moves and collides with the piezoelectric element 255. As a result, the piezoelectric element 255 converts the collision force into electric power and supplies it to the

electrodes

211 and 212 of the actuator 110 via the cable 29 and socket 7 (processing in S104).

When power is supplied to the

electrodes

211 and 212, a discharge accompanied by a spark, a so-called spark discharge or an arc discharge occurs in the discharge gap 200, ignites the ignition charge 215, the initiator 22 is operated, and the combustion of the ignition charge 215 causes a discharge to occur. When the gas is released into the internal space 21S of the body 21, the piston 40 is pushed forward by this gas pressure. Then, the piston 40 pushes the plunger 80, and the plunger 80 advances inside the container 70, pressurizing the injection liquid, and the injection liquid is ejected from the nozzle 71 and injected into the injection target (processing in S105).

[Effects of embodiment]
In this embodiment, the main body unit 2 of the syringe 1 is connected to a housing 20 that is movable relative to the syringe assembly 10 housed in a housing space 201, and to the housing 20 and the syringe assembly 10, and the housing is connected to the housing 20 and the syringe assembly 10. The coupling mechanism 210 (lever 220/piezoelectric element holder 230) transmits the force of the movement to the syringe assembly 10 and presses the syringe assembly 10 toward the nozzle 71 when the syringe assembly 10 is moved. The main body unit 2 also includes an elastic body 257 that is connected to the housing 20 and the coupling mechanism 210 and adjusts the pressing force transmitted from the pressing part to the syringe assembly by elastically deforming as the housing 20 moves; and the syringe assembly. 10 has a piezoelectric element module 250 that provides power to the initiator 22 when the housing 20 reaches a predetermined position relative to the syringe assembly 10.

According to this embodiment, when the housing 20 is moved toward the nozzle 71 by the user while the nozzle 71 is in contact with the injection target, the force of this movement is applied to the syringe assembly 10 and the elastic force via the coupling mechanism 210. Due to the elastic deformation of the elastic body 257, the force transmitted to the syringe assembly 10 side is kept constant. At this time, the magnitude of the force transmitted to the syringe assembly 10 side is determined by the ratio of the distance from the support shaft 271 to the connecting convex portion 272 in the lever 220 and the distance from the support shaft 271 to the rear part 273, and the elastic force of the elastic body 257. etc., to obtain a desired value. In this way, the syringe 1 of this embodiment can set the pressing force for pressing the syringe assembly 10 against the injection target to a predetermined value.

In addition, the syringe 1 of this embodiment uses the piezoelectric element module 250 as a power supply section, and converts the force that moves the main body unit 2 toward the nozzle 71 side with respect to the syringe assembly 10 into electric power to operate the initiator 22. Since no external power supply or battery is required, the device can be simplified and the cost of the syringe 1 can be reduced. In addition, it can be used without electricity or batteries even in places where supplies are insufficient, such as developing countries or conflict zones.

Further, the syringe 1 of this embodiment can press the injection target and operate the syringe 1 in one operation, making the syringe 1 easy to handle. Further, a switch for operating the syringe 1 is not required, and the device configuration can be simplified.

In addition, since the initiator 22 is configured to generate a discharge in the discharge gap and ignite the ignition charge 215, compared to conventional initiators, it does not require an electric bridge wire and has a simple configuration with a reduced number of parts. It is possible to achieve miniaturization. Furthermore, since no electric bridge wire is used, the process of welding the electric bridge wire and the process of inspecting the condition of the electric bridge wire can be reduced. In addition, since electric bridge wires are not used, the electric bridge wires do not break due to pressure contact with explosives during manufacturing, and there is no connection failure of the electric bridge wires, which prevents a decrease in yield and improves quality. Stabilization can be achieved. The initiator 22 can be easily manufactured by having such a simple configuration, reducing the number of manufacturing steps, and preventing a decrease in yield.

<Second embodiment>
In the first embodiment described above, the piezoelectric element module 250 is used as the power source, but in this embodiment, the power source is configured to boost the voltage of the power supplied from the battery 252 and supply it to the initiator 22. shall be. Note that since the other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment described above, common elements are given common symbols and detailed explanations are omitted.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the configuration of a syringe 1B according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 14 is a diagram schematically showing the DD cross section of FIG. 13. In this embodiment, the coupling mechanism 210B includes a lever 220 and an elastic body holder 230B. The elastic body holder 230B of this embodiment has the same shape as the piezoelectric element holder 230 of the first embodiment, but instead of holding the piezoelectric element module 250 with the piezoelectric element holding part 234 of the piezoelectric element holder 230, the elastic body holder 230B The elastic body (elastic part) 257B is held by the elastic body holding part 234B of the body holder 230B. That is, the elastic body 257B is placed on the bottom part 233 of the elastic body holder 230B via the spacer 23F, and is held between the bottom part 233 and the locking protrusion 24A of the housing 20.

As shown in FIG. 14, a power supply unit 250B is provided as a power source inside the elastic body holder 230B. Note that the arrangement of the power supply unit 250B is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 14, and may be provided at other locations within the main unit 2.

The power supply unit 250B includes a drive circuit 251 and a battery 252. The drive circuit 251 is electrically connected to the

electrodes

211 and 212 via a cable 29B, and is also connected to a battery 252 via a power supply line. Further, the drive circuit 251 is electrically connected to the switch 253. When the switch 253 is turned on, the drive circuit 251 boosts the power supplied from the battery 252 and applies a high voltage between the

electrodes

211 and 212. Here, the high voltage is a voltage that exceeds the dielectric strength voltage in the discharge gap 200 between the electrodes 11 and 12 and causes discharge accompanied by sparks, so-called spark discharge or arc discharge. The drive circuit 251 may be, for example, an impulse voltage generation circuit or a step-up DC-DC converter.

As shown in FIG. 13, the switch 253 is held on the inner wall 204 of the housing 20 above the elastic body holder 230B, and is turned ON when it moves together with the housing 20 and comes into contact with the elastic body holder 230B. It turns OFF when there is no contact.

In the syringe 1 of this embodiment, which is in an initial state with the syringe assembly 10 loaded into the main body unit 2, the housing 20 is moved toward the nozzle 71 by the user with the nozzle 71 in contact with the injection target. The force of this movement is distributed between the syringe assembly 10 and the elastic body 257B via the coupling mechanism 210B, and the elastic body 257B is elastically deformed, so that the force transmitted to the syringe assembly 10 side is kept constant. Then, when the housing 20 is further moved toward the nozzle 71 and reaches a predetermined position, the switch 253 comes into contact with the elastic body holder 230B and is turned on, and the drive circuit 251 boosts the power supplied from the battery 252, and the electrode 211 - Apply a high voltage between 212 to activate the initiator 22.

In this way, the syringe 1B of the present embodiment can set the pressing force for pressing the syringe assembly 10 against the injection target to a predetermined value, and can appropriately perform the injection.

<Other embodiments>
Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the various embodiments described above can be combined as much as possible. Further, in the above embodiment, a spark discharge is generated in the discharge gap of the initiator 22 to ignite the ignition charge 215, but the present invention is not limited to this, and an electric bridge wire is connected between the electrodes at the position of the discharge gap of the initiator 22. However, a configuration may also be adopted in which power is supplied to the

electrodes

211 and 212 to cause the bridge wire to generate heat and ignite the ignition charge 215.

Alternatively, the syringe assembly 10 may be integrated with the main body unit 2 and configured to be non-removable. Here, the integration of the syringe assembly 10 and the main body unit 2 means, for example, that the syringe assembly 10 is engaged with a part of the main body unit 2 while being movable relative to the housing 20 as described above. It means that it cannot be easily separated. In this case, the body 21 of the syringe assembly 10 and the socket 7 of the main body unit 2 may be integrally molded, and the syringe assembly 10 may be incorporated when the main body unit 2 is assembled, or the syringe assembly 10 and the main body unit 2 may be assembled respectively, and the syringe assembly 10 may be assembled. It may be configured such that when the assembly 10 is accommodated in the accommodation space 201, it engages with the socket 7 and cannot be removed. Such a configuration in which the syringe assembly 10 cannot be attached to or detached from the main body unit 2 can be suitably employed, for example, in a disposable needleless syringe.

1, 1B: Syringe 10: Syringe assembly 11: Electrode 110: Actuator 2: Main unit 20: Housing 200: Discharge gap (interval)
204: Inner wall 201: Accommodation space 21: Body 210, 210B: Connection mechanism 211, 212: Electrode 215: Ignition charge 219: Notch portion 21A: Center portion 21B: Tip portion 21c: Base end portion 202: Insertion port 22: Initiator 220: Lever 223: Insulating member 224: Cover body 225: Ignition powder 226: Resin holding portion 227: Conductive pin 228: Metal ring 229: Through hole 22A: Electrode unit 22A: Upper end portion 230: Piezoelectric element holder 230B: Elastic body Holders 231, 232: Side wall portion 233: Bottom portion 234: Piezoelectric element holding portion 234B: Elastic body holding portion 235: Connection hole portion 23A: Outer surface 23B: Holding portion side wall 23C: Holding portion front wall 23D: Holding portion rear wall 23E: Hole 23F: Spacer 241: Peripheral wall 242: Top wall 243: Opening 244: Explosive storage section 24A: Locking protrusion 25: Ring 250: Piezoelectric element module 250B: Power supply unit 251: Drive circuit 252: Battery 253: Switch 254: Housing 255: Piezoelectric element 256: Hammer 257: Elastic body 257B: Elastic body 258: Rod portion 259: Locking portion 26: Male thread portion 261: Fitting recess 27: Opening portion 271: Support shaft 272: Connection convex portion 273 : Rear part 29, 29B: Cable 291: Groove 2A: Grip part 30: Attachment 31: Body 40: Piston 41: Shaft member 42: First flange 43: Second flange 44: Recess 50: Plunger rod 51: Shaft member 52: Reduced diameter portion 54: Projection 55: Neck 56: Projection 6: Safety switch 60: Stopper 61: Pressure receiving portion 62: Rotating shaft 63: Engagement arm 7: Socket 70: Container 71: Nozzle 73: Tip surface 74: Male screw part 75: Accommodation space 75A: Inner wall surface 76: Channel 77: Injection port 7A: Base 7B: Connection section 7C: Bottom surface 7D: Columnar projection 7E: Terminal 7F: Top surface 7G: Fitting recess 80: Plunger

Claims

A needleless syringe that administers an injection substance to an injection target without using a needle,
a syringe assembly containing the substance for injection;
a main body unit having a housing space extending in one direction and housing the syringe assembly in the housing space;
Equipped with
The syringe assembly includes:
a nozzle that injects the substance for injection;
a target substance storage part that accommodates the injection target substance and communicates with the nozzle;
a drive unit that applies injection energy to the injection target substance for injection by being supplied with electric power;
has
The main unit is
a housing defining the receiving space and movable relative to the syringe assembly;
a pressing portion connected to the housing and the syringe assembly and transmitting the force of the movement to the syringe assembly to press the syringe assembly toward the nozzle when the housing is moved by an operator;
an elastic part that is connected to the housing and the pressing part and adjusts the pressing force transmitted from the pressing part to the syringe assembly by elastically deforming as the housing moves;
a power supply unit that supplies power to the drive unit when the housing reaches a predetermined position relative to the syringe assembly due to movement of the syringe assembly;
has,
Needleless syringe.
the pressing part includes a lever connected to the syringe assembly, the elastic part, and the housing;
The lever is provided so as to be swingable about a pivot that moves together with the housing,
A force that moves the support shaft as the housing moves is transmitted to the syringe assembly and the elastic portion via the lever, and the lever applies the syringe assembly toward the injection target side with a predetermined pressure. 2. The needleless syringe according to claim 1, wherein
The power supply section is
The elastic portion is provided, and
a piezoelectric element electrically connected to the drive section;
a hammer that is movably held from an initial position away from the piezoelectric element to a position in contact with the piezoelectric element, and is moved by the elastic force of the elastic part;
a locking portion that locks the hammer at the initial position in an initial state;
Equipped with
When the housing reaches the predetermined position, the locking portion releases the locking of the hammer, and the hammer is moved by the elastic force of the elastic portion that is elastically deformed as the housing moves, and the hammer is moved. The needleless syringe according to claim 1 or 2, wherein electric power generated when a hammer collides with the piezoelectric element is supplied to the drive section.
The drive section is
a pair of electrodes electrically connected to the power supply unit and supplied with the power;
an insulating member interposed between the pair of electrodes;
a cover body that covers one end side of the pair of electrodes together with the surrounding space;
Gunpowder filled in the space within the cover body;
Equipped with
The needleless syringe according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the pair of electrodes has a discharge gap in the space that has lower insulation resistance than a portion where the insulating member is interposed.