UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE
2,680,439 HIGH-PRESSURE INJECTION DEVICE
Arnold K. Sutermeister, New York, N. Y.
Application September 8,1948, Serial No. 48,177
21 Claims. (CL 138—173)
This invention is a high pressure injection device for injecting a medicament, serum, vaccine, hormone, drug, anaesthetic or the like into animate or inanimate bodies.
The principal object of the invention is to pro- 5 vide an improved device of this character where the substance injected is subjected to very high pressure and is ejected through a very fine nozzle so that the substance being injected enters the
body without forming a puncture, of the type 10 right of elements shown at the bottom of Fig 1; formed by a hypodermic needle. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section of a modifica
the released gas acting on that form of the invention using either one or two pistons.
Further advantages of structure and operation will be described in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal cross section through the pressure injection device of the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a side elevation looking toward ths
Another important object of the invention is to provide an apparatus wherein gas is released at very high pressure from a suitable cartridge, this gas operating a piston for generating the 15 requisite pressure, which is used to eject the medicament or the like through a fine orifice. The high pressure exerted ejects the medicament in a very fine stream at very high velocity, the kinetic energy of which causes the stream 20 to enter the body, the stream forming a microscopic puncture which is scarcely visible.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, two interconnecting pistons are provided of different size. Gas pressure released from a suit- 25 able cartridge is applied to a large piston, which piston in. turn operates a smaller piston of smaller area, thereby increasing the pressure in the ratio as expressed by the area of the larger piston with respect to the area of the smaller piston. 30
The cartridge used may conveniently be charged with carbon dioxide or air or other gases under high pressure and this cartridge is loaded into the device, mechanism being provided for
tion of a safety latch;
Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the parts in another position;
Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of a modification using one cylinder.
Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of another modification, using one cylinder and a modified means for puncturing the cartridge;
Fig. 7 shows side and top views of the rupturing spike; and
Fig. 8 is a sectional view of an escape valve.
Referring now to these drawings, the invention comprises an injection nozzle 2 provided with a very fine orifice I for the injection at high velocity of any desired fluid or medicament into the human body. Hollow spike or needle 3, conveniently formed from the end of a hypodermic needle, provides a passage for the fluid to the orifice I.
The nozzle 2 is threaded at 4 to the end of a small cylinder 5. The upper end of cylinder 5 is adapted to contain capsule 6 for containing the
medicament. This capsule is conveniently propuncturing the cartridge and releasing the gas 35 vi(je(j with an end flange 7, which flange holds the
for actuating the pistons, as above described.
The puncturing of the cartridge is preferably accomplished by a hammer which is released by a trigger button, safety latch means being provided for preventing accidental and inadvertent operation of the button, all of which will be described in more detail below.
In order to reload the device, it is partly disassembled and safety means are provided for
capsule in position, as shown in Fig. 1.
Cylinder 5 is provided with a small, high pressure piston 8 which is interconnected with and conveniently integral with a larger piston 10 working in a larger cylinder II. Cylinder 11 is provided with a head or cap 12.
Piston 10 and cylinder wall 11 are provided with apertures 13 and 14 respectively, adapted to come into registry to form an exhaust port,
preventing accidental operation until the device 45 as wjy be described. has been completely reassembled. The large piston 10 is spring pressed down
The medicament to be injected is conveniently wardly by the spring 15. The head of piston 10 loaded into the device in a capsule which may be hermetically sealed for preventing any contami
50
nation, this capsule being ruptured by the smaller
piston, -which rupture may be aided by a hollow
spike, as will be described, for injecting the
medicament through the fine orifice.
In a modified form of the invention, only one
is provided with a valve opening 16 controlled by a downwardly opening valve 17, urged upwardly to the closed position by a spring 17 A. The cap 12 of the large cylinder is provided with inlet apertures 18 adjacent a rupturing spike 19. Threaded to the underside of cap 12, in an
piston is used, the gas pressure acting directly on 55 internally threaded nipple 12', is a breech memthis one piston to crush the capsule and eject the ber 2|. the «PPer end of which ls threaded as
at 20 to engage with nipple 12'. Breech member 2i is adapted to contain a gas emitting or gas
medicament.
In another modification, the gas cartridge is punctured by rotating the breech containing it,
releasing cartridge 22, the gas being released
to force the cartridge against a rupturing spike, so when it is punctured by the spike (9. Cartridge
2,680,439
22 is provided with guide fins 23, primarily for convenience in unloading the spent capsule.
The cartridge 22 is adapted to contain gas, such as air or carbon dioxide for example, under high pressure.
When the cartridge 22 is ruptured or fired, high pressure gas is released and travels through apertures !8, forcing the large piston upwardly against spring S5, thereby, applying a greatly multiplied pressure against the smaller piston S. This crushes the capsule.6, the spike-3 .puncturing the upper end of the capsule so that the contents thereof are ejected at a very high pressure and velocity through the fine aperture (.
When the piston reaches the upper end of its stroke, valve !7 makes contact with cylinder head ii, opens, and exhaust apertures !3 and 14 come into registry, and the gas is released through apertures (8, 13 and i ^ and spring \ 5 returns the pistons to their original, positions.
Hammer mechanism, trigger release mechanism for the hammer and safety latches for the trigger and hammer mechanism will be now de. scribed.
Detachably threaded onto the lower end of breech member 21 is a housing indicated generally at H. This housing is provided in its upper portion with an inwardly extending flange 28, apertured to provide, a seat for the hammer 25. The stem 29 of the hammer is provided with a flange 27 providing an upper bearing for a spring 28 for urging the hammer upwardly.
The lower portion of the stem 29 of the hammer passes through a guide flange 30 carried.by .the housing, stem 2S being squared where it passes through the flange to prevent, its twisting.
The lower end of the hammer is provided with a latching shoulder 31 adapted to be engaged and held by the. nose 32 of the sear 33, which sear is pivoted at 34. The .sear is ..normally urged to latching position with the hammer by the flat spring 3S. .The sear is released from the trigger by a push button 36.
In order to prevent accidental operation of the push button, a safety latch 37 is provided which is slotted at 38, the slot engaging a guide pin or rivet 38. The right hand end of .the latch 37.1s adapted.to engage in a notch 4Q_in.the push.button and is normally held in latching position by a flat spring '1!. .Positive movement of the latch to the left against spring 3! is necessary before the push button 36 can be operated. When so operated, the hammer is released, spring 28 forcing the hammer 25 upward, in turn forcing:the cartridge against spike 59, thereby releasing high pressure gas to operate the pistons, as already described.
When the high pressure gas is released the recoil or reaction causes the cartridge to move downward in the breech member 21 against hammer 25 causing this and parts 27 and 29 to move downward, compressing spring 28. Nose 32 of sear 33 drops over latching shoulder 31 because of the tension of spring 35. The trigger mechanism is now cocked for another injection. As tapered hammer 25 moves downward it seats on tapered seat 26, preventing escape of gas.
After the gas has been released from the cartridge 22, housing H is unscrewed, the spent cartridge removed and a fresh one inserted in the breech 2!. The fins 23 provide convenient gripping points for pliers for this purpose.
A further safety latch is provided for preventing the operation of the hammer before the: housing H has been completely reassembled with the
breech 21. This safety latch comprises a vertically slidable rod 42 which passes through upper and lower flanges 27 and 30, being squared where it passes through one or both flanges, in
•> order to prevent its twisting. This rod is urged upwardly by spring 43. The lower end of the rod n is provided with a lateral off-set 42' which is adapted to move in and out of the path of a lug .33' on sear 33. .When the parts are disassembled,
10 latch rod 42 is moved upwardly by spring 43 so that lugs 42' and 33' are in engagement so that sear 33.cannot be operated to release the hammer. This would be the position when the parts are disassembled. When the parts are completely
15 assembled, rod 42 is pushed downwardly, the described lugs are disengaged and-as .far. as the safety rod is concerned, the sear 33 may be operated to release the.hammer, subject further of course to manual release of-the latch 37.
20 -Referring now .to the modified safety latch shown in Figs. 3 and 4, trigger button 45 movable in guide 45A is provided with an extension 45B adapted to contact the lower arm 33" of sear,33, •being-urged'toward the sear by a light spring 46.
25 Latch member 37' has a slot 47 in which is engaged a guide pin 43snatch 37' is normally urged to the left by a flat spring 49. Latch 37' engages in a slot 50 in button 45. One side of button S5 is slotted as.at 51 and
30 pivoted on pin 52. .In this slot is a catch 53, this catch being-engaged by-a spring 54 to move it clockwise, to engage an edge of cap 44; when moved counterclockwise, catch 53 is disengaged, as in Fig. 4.
So This latch mechanism operates as follows: The recoil from discharge forces the hammer .and sear arm 83" downwardly, spring 54 turns .catch 53 to engage-44, as in.Fig. 3. This prevents fur.ther discharge, even if pressure is maintained
40 on button 45. To release latch.. mechanism for the next.discharge the latch 37' is:moved to the right through slot-5Q in button 45 (Fig. 3) against catch 53. This causes catch 53 to rotate.about pin 52 and at the same time to slightly compress
4.3 spring 48 and make button 45 move down slightly. As edge 55 of catch 53 clears lower edge 56 of 44, the-slight compression of spring 46 is relieved .and button 45 moves back to the previous position. The edge 85 of .catch 53 is now above the
50 lower edge SB of cap 44, as indicated in Fig. 4 and cannot rotate back under the spring pressure of 54 to the position indicated in Fig. 3. To complete discharge the latch 37' is moved all the way to the left so that it is completely disengaged
5j both from slot 50 and from shoulder 57 on button 45. The button can now be pushed in to effect the discharge.
The purpose of this device.is.to insure a positive engagement of catch 53 upon.recoil of the gas
CO cartridge from the previous discharge and to prevent a repeated discharge of the hammer meeha•nisin by failure of the operator .to remove his finger from the catch 37' and button 45. In the modification shown in Fig. 5, only a
G.-) single cylinder is used, instead of the two cylinders of Fig. 1. Cap member 88, threaded onto breech 21, carries a rupturing spike 19 and gas escape holes 62. Cap member GO is threaded to -receive a cylinder 64, containing a piston 60. The
TO upper end 68 of the piston bears against capsule B. In operation, when the cartridge is ruptured by being driven against spike IS, the'gas drives piston SB up to rupture .the capsule S and eject the medicament in a fine high pressure
70 stream at: 1, By this .time, the piston has cleared
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