EP1814616A1 — Automatic injector

USPTO Abstract

An injector is automatic in that the needle insertion into the injection site (e.g., a patient's skin) is triggered by the user or caregiver, the insertion is automatic, the following delivery is automatically initiated upon needle insertion, and the needle is shielded automatically after the end of delivery. Preferably the user does not see the needle prior to, during, or after injection. The injector includes a proximal and distal housings and a needle shield arranged to slide on the distal housing. The injector has a driver arranged to move the syringe to cause the needle penetration, to inject the drug, and subsequently to release the shield. The syringe needle is shielded and the shield locked automatically after delivery is completed. The patient does not experience any injector force on the tissue during injection. The injector has built in patient safety features.