Abstract:
A medicament container assembly for an autoinjector having a power assembly actuatable to cause a power stroke in cooperating relation with said medicament container assembly. The medicament container assembly comprises a container having a forward end, a hypodermic needle having a sharpened end, and first and second liquid medicaments. A pair of pistons and a closure assembly are provided for (1) sealingly confining the first liquid medicament and the needle in mutually communicating relation in a forward storage position within the container, (2) sealingly confining the second liquid medicament within the container in a separate rearward storage position, and (3) enabling the power stroke to cause (1) an initial movement of the needle into the injection site during which the sharpened end of the needle moves from a position of entry into the skin to a full depth position, (2) a progressive movement of the first medicament outwardly of the sharpened end of the needle as the sharpened end of the needle moves from the position of entry into the skin into the full depth position so as to inject a predetermined dosage of the first liquid medicament within the injection site in a first pattern surrounding the path of movement of the sharpened end of the needle, and (3) a progressive movement of the second medicament outwardly of the sharpened end of the needle generally after the sharpened end of the needle has reached the full depth position thereof to inject a predetermined dosage of the second liquid medicament within the injection site in a second pattern extending from the sharpened end of the needle.
Abstract:
The present invention provides a peak flow meter which facilitates a subject's compliance with the use thereof. In one embodiment, the peak flow meter provides an alarm for indicating that the subject is due for a peak expiratory flow rate evaluation when the subject has failed to use the peak flow meter after a predetermined period of time. In another embodiment, the peak flow meter is provided with circuitry which derives a data result corresponding to the peak expiratory flow rate of air blown into the peak flow meter for a number of blows. A first comparator determines the best data result within the number of blows and a memory stores each best data result. A second comparator compares each best data result to a specified value and provides an enabling signal to an alarm when a best data result is a predetermined amount lower than the specified value. To provide an incentive for the subject to blow as hard as possible into the peak flow meter, the a comparator may also compare each data result to the previous data result and provide an indication when the most recent data result is greater than the preceding data result.
Abstract:
An injection device (10) comprises a plastic or metal container (26) adapted to contain a charge of medicament. The container has at least an inner surface coated with polyparaxylylene (29). A needle (40) is cooperative with the container so as to be communicable with the medicament and provides a passage through which the medicament can be forced into the flesh of an individual. A plunger (36) is disposed in the container in slidably sealed relation with the polyparaxylylene coating provided on the inner surface of the container. The plunger is movable through the container toward a generally forward end thereof to force the medicament through the needle and into the flesh of the individual.