JP2020031905A - Microneedle applicator - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a microneedle applicator having a novel structure capable of preventing a microneedle from erroneous puncture.SOLUTION: In a microneedle applicator 10, a puncture rod 14 is pushed into a housing 16 and a movable cylinder 72 is moved toward a housing 16 side, so that punctuation with a microneedle 12 can be performed. The microneedle applicator comprises: movement limiting means 148 for preventing the movement of the movable cylinder 72 toward the housing 16 side; and releasing means 158 for releasing the movement limiting means 148 in accordance with the pushing operation of the puncturing rod 14 into the housing 16 and allowing the movement of the movable cylinder 72 toward the housing 16 side.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a microneedle applicator that can puncture skin with a microneedle that transmits a drug or the like percutaneously.

  Conventionally, transdermal drug administration methods such as subcutaneous injection and intravenous injection have been known. The administration of transdermal drugs by such injections has advantages such as faster effects and not being decomposed by enzymes, etc., compared to, for example, oral drug administration, but is invasive, It was often painful.

  Therefore, a transdermal drug administration method using a fine needle (microneedle) has been proposed. That is, the drug is transdermally administered by puncturing the skin with the microneedle coated with the drug or piercing the skin with the hollow microneedle and injecting the drug through the lumen provided in the microneedle. Can be done. By employing a drug administration method using a microneedle, transcutaneous treatment with less pain has been made possible.

  By the way, as a device for puncturing a microneedle into skin, for example, a microneedle applicator as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-519983 (Patent Document 1) is known. Such a microneedle applicator has a puncture rod that holds a microneedle at the time of puncture, a housing having the puncture rod inside, and a movable cylinder that is movable with respect to the housing. Then, for example, the puncture rod is pushed into the housing to compress an elastic member such as a coil spring, and at the same time, the applicator is pressed against the skin to move the movable cylinder toward the housing. Thereby, the microneedle is set in a state where it can be punctured, and the compression of the elastic member is released from such a state, whereby the puncture rod projects and the microneedle is punctured.

  However, it has been difficult for conventional microneedle applicators to provide sufficient measures against puncture by mistake. For example, in a microneedle applicator having a conventional structure, if the applicator is pressed against the skin before the puncture rod is pushed into the housing, the movable cylinder is pushed into the housing side, and the microneedle provided on the puncture rod is applied to the applicator. In some cases, the skin protruded from the skin and unintentionally punctured the skin.

JP, 2006-519983, A

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a microneedle applicator having a novel structure that is effective in preventing unintended puncture of a microneedle. Is to do.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention made to solve such problems will be described. The components employed in each of the embodiments described below can be employed in any combination as possible.

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, in a microneedle applicator in which a microneedle can be punctured by pushing a puncture rod into a housing and moving a movable cylinder toward the housing, Movement restricting means for preventing the movement of the movable cylinder to the housing side by releasing the movement restricting means with the pushing operation of the puncture rod into the housing, It is characterized by having.

  According to the microneedle applicator having a structure according to this aspect, the movement of the movable cylinder toward the housing is allowed by releasing the movement restricting means when the puncture rod is pushed into the housing. Therefore, the movable cylinder is prevented from moving toward the housing before the operation of pushing the puncture rod into the housing, and erroneous puncture of the microneedle can be prevented.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the microneedle applicator according to the first aspect, the movement restricting means is provided by a lock member that prevents the movable cylinder from moving toward the housing by contacting the movable cylinder. And the release means releases the contact between the lock member and the movable cylinder by pushing the puncture rod into the housing.

  According to the microneedle applicator having the structure according to this aspect, the lock member is provided to contact the movable cylinder to thereby constitute the movement restricting means for preventing the movement of the movable cylinder, and to move the puncture rod by pushing the puncture rod. By releasing the contact with the cylinder, release means is configured to release the movement restriction means and allow the movable cylinder to move.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the microneedle applicator according to the second aspect, the lock member is arranged so as to be movable in a direction intersecting a pushing direction of the puncture rod, and the lock member is moved. Thus, the prevention of movement by contact with the movable cylinder and the permission of movement by release of contact are selectively realized.

  According to the microneedle applicator having the structure according to this aspect, the contact with the movable cylinder is released by the movement of the lock member, and the movement of the movable cylinder is allowed. In particular, since the movable direction of the lock member intersects the pushing direction of the puncture rod, the pushing force of the puncture rod can be more efficiently blocked by the lock member.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the microneedle applicator according to the first aspect, the movement restricting means is formed by a cap that covers the puncture rod from outside, and the release is performed by a cap removing structure. The means are constituted.

  According to the microneedle applicator having the structure according to this aspect, the pushing of the puncture rod and the movement of the movable cylinder are not allowed unless the cap is removed, so that the unintended movement of the movable cylinder can be more reliably prevented.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the microneedle applicator according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the movement restricting means includes a cover that covers at least a part of the movable cylinder. Things.

  According to the microneedle applicator having the structure according to this aspect, the cover that can prevent the movement to the housing side by covering the movable cylinder is provided, so that the unintended movement of the movable cylinder can be more reliably prevented. .

  A sixth aspect of the present invention is the microneedle applicator according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the microneedle is attachable to the movable cylinder, and the puncture rod is moved from outside. The microneedle cannot be attached to the movable cylinder by attaching a removable cap to cover the housing.

  According to the microneedle applicator having the structure according to this aspect, since it is impossible to mount the microneedle on the movable cylinder without removing the cap, for example, the state in which the microneedle is mounted on the applicator Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the movable cylinder from unintentionally moving to the housing side and to cause erroneous puncturing.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the microneedle applicator according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, a safety mechanism for disabling a puncture button for puncturing the microneedle is provided. The safety mechanism is released by moving the movable cylinder toward the housing.

  According to the microneedle applicator having the structure according to this aspect, the movable cylinder is moved to the housing side, that is, the puncture operation of the microneedle can be performed by, for example, pressing the applicator against the skin. It is also possible to prevent the microneedles from protruding before pressing against the skin.

  According to the microneedle applicator having the structure according to the present invention, the movement of the movable cylinder toward the housing is controlled, which is effective in preventing unintended puncture operation of the microneedle.

The perspective view which shows the microneedle applicator as 1st Embodiment of this invention from the bottom side in the initial state which removed the cover. FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional perspective view of the microneedle applicator shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the microneedle applicator shown in FIG. 1. The perspective view which shows the microneedle applicator shown in FIG. 1 from the plane side in the storage state which covered the cover. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state where a puncture rod is pushed in the microneedle applicator shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional perspective view of the microneedle applicator shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 6 is an exemplary perspective view showing a state in which a case for holding the microneedle is being mounted on the microneedle applicator shown in FIG. 5; FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a state in which a case holding the microneedle is attached to the microneedle applicator shown in FIG. 7. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a state where a case cover is removed from a case holding the microneedle in the microneedle applicator shown in FIG. 8. The perspective view which shows the microneedle applicator shown in FIG. 9 from a plane side. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional perspective view showing a XI-XI cross section in FIG. 10. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a state where a movable cylinder is moved to a housing side in the microneedle applicator shown in FIG. 10. FIG. 13 is a perspective view in vertical section of the microneedle applicator shown in FIG. 12. FIG. 13 is a longitudinal sectional view of the microneedle applicator shown in FIG. 12. FIG. 15 is a transverse cross-sectional perspective view showing a XV-XV cross section in FIG. 14. FIG. 13 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which the puncture button is pressed and released in the microneedle applicator shown in FIG. 12 to puncture the microneedle and then the puncture button is released. FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a microneedle applicator as a second embodiment of the present invention in a storage state with a cover. FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing a cap constituting the microneedle applicator shown in FIG. 17.

  Hereinafter, in order to clarify the present invention more specifically, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  First, FIGS. 1 and 2 show a microneedle applicator (hereinafter, applicator) 10 as a first embodiment of the present invention. 1 and 2, the applicator 10 is shown in an initial state in which a cover 152 described later is removed. The applicator 10 is capable of holding a fine needle (microneedle 12 (see FIG. 9 and the like)), and presses the applicator 10 holding the microneedle 12 against the skin to hold the microneedle 12. By puncturing the skin, for example, a drug solution applied to the microneedle 12 is transcutaneously administered to the patient. In the following description, the up-down direction refers to a substantially up-down direction in FIG. In addition, the upper side refers to a substantially upper side in FIG. 2 which is a side (far side from the skin) that is gripped and pressed by the user when the applicator 10 is pressed against the patient's skin, while the lower side refers to the patient's skin. It means substantially below in FIG. 2 that is the side where the skin is located. Incidentally, FIG. 1 shows a state in which FIG. 2 is turned upside down.

  More specifically, the applicator 10 is provided with a housing 16 having a generally bottomed cylindrical shape that is opened upside down and turned upside down. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the housing 16 includes an outer housing 18 located on the outer peripheral side and an inner housing 20 located on the inner peripheral side. In addition, in the applicator 10, each member except the spring is preferably formed of a hard synthetic resin or the like.

  The outer housing 18 has a generally inverted bottomed cylindrical shape that opens downward as a whole, and a peripheral wall portion 24 extends downward from the outer peripheral edge of the upper bottom wall portion 22. The upper bottom wall portion 22 has a dome shape that is upwardly bulged in a substantially annular shape or a substantially annular regular octagon in plan view, and has a through hole 26 formed in the center thereof in a vertical direction. I have. In addition, a substantially straight cylindrical peripheral wall portion 24 is integrally formed downward from the outer peripheral edge of the upper bottom wall portion 22.

  A locking claw 28 that protrudes downward is provided on the periphery of the opening of the through hole 26 in the upper bottom wall 22. The locking claw 28 is elastically deformable in a radial direction which is a direction perpendicular to the axis of the housing 16. In the present embodiment, four locking claws 28 are formed at substantially equal intervals (approximately every 90 degrees) on the circumference.

  Further, on the outer bottom side of the upper bottom wall portion 22 with respect to the locking claw 28 (between the locking claw 28 and the peripheral wall portion 24), two flat or curved plate-like supporting wall portions 30a protruding downward. 30b are formed so as to face each other in the radial direction (the left-right direction in FIG. 14 described later). That is, one support wall 30a is provided between a puncture button 102, which will be described later, and a member such as the puncture rod 14 or the puncture spring 70 provided at the center, and the other support wall 30b is connected to the puncture rod 30b. 14 and the puncture spring 70.

  Here, a guide projection 32 protruding toward the outer peripheral side is formed at a central portion in the width direction (circumferential direction) of one support wall portion 30a so as to extend in the vertical direction. A notch 34 that opens downward is provided at the center in the width direction of the other support wall 30b.

  Furthermore, a fitting hole 36 that penetrates the peripheral wall portion 24 in the thickness direction is formed in a middle portion in the vertical direction of the outer housing 18.

  On the other hand, the inner housing 20 has a substantially inverted bottomed cylindrical shape smaller than the outer housing 18 as a whole. That is, a lid 38 having substantially the same shape as the through hole 26 of the outer housing 18 is provided at an upper end portion of the inner housing 20. A locking hole 40 penetrating in the radial direction is provided below the lid 38 at a position corresponding to the locking claw 28 of the outer housing 18. Further, a substantially small-diameter cylindrical spring support portion 42 for supporting a puncture spring 70 described later is integrally provided on the inner surface of the lid portion 38 so as to protrude downward.

  Furthermore, a step is provided at a middle portion in the height direction of the peripheral wall portion extending downward from the outer periphery of the lid portion 38, and a lower portion of the peripheral wall portion having a large diameter is formed below the step. The peripheral wall portion 44 has a substantially rounded rectangular shape, and includes a wall portion 46a located inside the support wall portion 30a in the outer housing 18, a wall portion 46b located inside the support wall portion 30b, and And a pair of walls 46c, 46c interconnecting the opposing walls 46a, 46b. Further, the outer surface of the wall portion 46a is a vertical plane extending from the upper end to the lower end below the step, and a contact surface extending in a direction perpendicular to the axis is formed at the lower end of the vertical plane.

  A guide groove 48 is formed substantially at the center in the width direction on the inner surface of the wall portion 46a and extends substantially the entire length in the vertical direction below the step and opens inward. Further, each of the wall portions 46a, 46b, 46c, 46c constituting the peripheral wall portion 44 has a locking hole 40 formed at a position above the step. Further, the wall portion 46b is provided with a notch 50 extending downward from the locking hole 40, and the wall portions 46c, 46c are provided with notches 52, 52 extending downward from the locking holes 40, 40. Is provided. In the present embodiment, ribs extending partially in the vertical direction are provided on the outer surfaces of the walls 46b, 46c, 46c. Further, a collar portion 54 is formed at the lower end of the inner housing 20 so that the inner circumference is widened and protrudes downward.

  The housing 16 is formed by inserting the above-described inner housing 20 into the above-described outer housing 18 from below and assembling the same. The lid portion 38 of the inner housing 20 is fitted into the through hole 26 of the outer housing 18, and the locking claws 28 are locked in the locking holes 40.

  The outer and inner housings 18, 20 are positioned in the circumferential direction by making the inner and outer peripheral surfaces superposed in the radial direction non-circular. The locking action of the locking claw 28 in the locking hole 40 and the contact between the lower end of the support wall 30a of the outer housing 18 and the abutting surface formed at the lower end of the wall 46a of the inner housing 20. By the action, the outer housing 18 and the inner housing 20 are fixed in a state where they are positioned in the vertical direction. In this fixed state, the upper end surface of the outer housing 18 (the upper end surface of the upper bottom wall portion 22) and the upper end surface of the inner housing 20 (the upper end surface of the lid portion 38) are substantially at the same position in the vertical direction. I have.

  Further, a puncture rod 14 is arranged inside the housing 16. In the present embodiment, the puncture rod 14 has a tubular portion 56 and a bottom wall portion 58, and has a substantially bottomed tubular shape that extends vertically as a whole. The outer peripheral shape of the cylindrical portion 56 is slightly smaller than the inner peripheral shape of the peripheral wall portion 44 of the inner housing 20.

  The tubular portion 56 has walls 60a, 60b, 60c, 60c at respective wall portions corresponding to the walls 46a, 46b, 46c, 46c of the inner housing 20, respectively. In addition, a guide ridge 62 extending substantially over the entire length in the up-down direction is protruded outward at substantially the center of the wall portion 60a in the width direction. Further, a through window 64 is formed in the upper part of the wall 60b so as to penetrate the wall 60b. Further, a positioning protrusion 66 protruding outward is provided at an upper end portion of the wall 60c.

  Furthermore, the bottom wall portion 58 is formed in a substantially disk shape having an outer diameter larger than that of the cylindrical portion 56 and protrudes in a flange shape at the lower end of the puncture rod 14. A substantially cylindrical spring supporting portion 68 is provided on the upper surface of the bottom wall portion 58 and projects into the cylindrical portion 56 and supports a lower end of a puncture spring 70 described later.

  The puncture rod 14 as described above is inserted from below into the peripheral wall portion 44 of the inner housing 20 in the tubular portion 56. A guide ridge 62 provided on the outer surface of the wall portion 60a of the cylindrical portion 56 is inserted into a guide groove 48 provided on the inner surface of the wall portion 46a of the peripheral wall portion 44, and provided on the wall portion 46c. A positioning projection 66 provided on the wall 60c is inserted into the cutout 52 thus formed. As a result, the puncture rod 14 is assembled so as to be vertically movable with respect to the inner housing 20 (housing 16).

  The upward moving end of the puncture rod 14 with respect to the inner housing 20 can be defined by, for example, the outer peripheral portion of the bottom wall portion 58 hitting the lower end portion of the peripheral wall portion 44. Further, the moving end of the puncture rod 14 downward with respect to the inner housing 20 can be defined by the positioning protrusion 66 hitting the lower end of the notch 52 or the like.

  A compression coil spring serving as a puncture spring 70 is housed in the tubular portion 56 of the puncture rod 14 so that a biasing force can be exerted between the lid portion 38 and the bottom wall portion 58 that face each other in the axial direction. It has become.

  Further, a movable cylinder 72 having a substantially cylindrical shape as a whole is attached to the housing 16 so as to be movable in the vertical direction. In the present embodiment, the peripheral wall portion 74 has a substantially octagonal shape.

  An entrance 76 is provided at a part (left side in FIG. 14) on the periphery of the peripheral wall 74. The entrance 76 has a cutout window shape opened downward. As described later, the user can easily insert his / her fingers into the movable cylinder 72 from the outside of the movable cylinder 72 through the entrance 76.

  A part of the peripheral wall portion 74 on the periphery (left side in FIG. 14) is formed with a contact plate portion 78 protruding upward. The contact plate portion 78 is provided with projecting contact portions 80, 80 projecting from both sides in the width direction (the circumferential direction of the peripheral wall portion 74). Each projecting contact portion 80 extends downward from the upper end of the contact plate portion 78 by a predetermined length, and the lower end of the projecting contact portion 80 is an inclined surface 81. Further, on both sides in the width direction of the base end portion of the contact plate portion 78, the projecting contact portion 80 is not provided, and a notch-like contact avoidance region 82 is formed. Further, a guide recess 84 is formed substantially at the center of the inner surface of the contact plate portion 78 in the width direction and extends over substantially the entire length in the vertical direction.

  Further, a substantially cylindrical spring housing portion 86 that opens upward is formed in the peripheral wall portion 74. In the present embodiment, a pair of spring accommodating portions 86, 86 are provided so as to be opposed to each other in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the peripheral wall portion 74 (a direction in front of the paper surface in FIG. 14). In the present embodiment, the spring housing 86 protrudes above the peripheral wall 74 of the movable cylinder 72. Further, pressing portions 88 (see FIG. 15) are protruded from inner surfaces of the pair of spring housing portions 86 facing each other. In each of the pressing portions 88, a front surface on the side of the puncture button 102, which will be described later, has an inclined surface 90 (see FIG. 15) inclined rearward (to the right in FIG. 14) away from the puncture button 102 as it goes downward. Have been.

  The movable cylinder 72 is provided with a pair of case holding portions 92, 92 for holding a case 160 of the microneedle 12, which will be described later, protruding below the pair of spring housing portions 86, 86. Each case holding portion 92 has a substantially rectangular frame shape, and a claw portion 94 protruding inward is provided substantially at the center of the lower side portion. In particular, in the present embodiment, the inner surface of the claw portion 94 is provided with unevenness, and can be engaged with the unevenness provided on the outer circumferential surface of the case 160 of the microneedle 12 as described later.

  Further, a stopper 96 that protrudes downward is provided on a rear side of the peripheral wall 74 of the movable cylinder 72 that faces the inlet 76 in the radial direction. The stopper 96 defines a moving end for pushing the case 160 rearward when the case 160 of the microneedle 12 described later is mounted on the movable cylinder 72.

  When the movable cylinder 72 is assembled to the housing 16, the peripheral wall 74 of the movable cylinder 72 is located between the peripheral wall 24 of the outer housing 18 and the peripheral wall 44 of the inner housing 20. The guide projections 32 of the support wall 30a of the outer housing 18 are inserted into guide recesses 84 provided on the contact plate 78 of the movable cylinder 72, and guides between the guide projections 32 and the guide recesses 84. By the action, the movable cylinder 72 is movable with respect to the housing 16 without tilting in the vertical direction.

  Further, between the movable cylinder 72 and the housing 16, a pair of compression springs 98, each having a lower part inserted into a pair of spring housings 86, 86, are pressed springs 98, 98, which are vertically separated from each other. Has been exerted. The upper end of each presser spring 98 is positioned by a spring holder 100 (FIG. 11) projecting from the inner surface of the upper bottom wall 22 of the outer housing 18.

  Further, a puncturing button 102 for performing a puncturing operation of the microneedle 12 and a lock lever 104 are assembled to the housing 16. The puncture button 102 is fitted into the fitting hole 36 so as to be able to move in and out, and protrudes out of the outer housing 18, and a flange portion which spreads inside the fitting hole 36 to prevent the puncture button 102 from coming out of the outer housing 18. 108. Further, engaging protrusions 110, 110 protruding inward are provided at both end portions in the width direction of the flange portion 108 (forward and backward in FIG. 14). An inclined surface 112 (see FIG. 3) whose projection height gradually increases downward is provided on the projecting distal end surface of each engagement projection 110.

  On the other hand, the lock lever 104 is a substantially rectangular frame-shaped member as a whole, and the peripheral wall portion 114 has substantially flat plate-shaped walls 116a and 116b opposed in the front-rear direction and left-right direction. It is composed of walls 116c, 116c.

  Notch-shaped through-grooves 118, 118 that open upward are provided on the front wall 116 a of the peripheral wall 114 at positions corresponding to the engagement protrusions 110, 110 of the puncture button 102. Then, the flange portion 108 of the puncture button 102 is superimposed on the wall portion 116a from the outside, and the engagement protrusion 110 is inserted into the through groove 118 and protrudes inward of the lock lever 104.

  The rear wall portion 116b on the rear side of the peripheral wall portion 114 is provided with a spring support portion 120 protruding outward from substantially the center in the circumferential direction and a locking portion 122 protruding inward. Further, the lower surface of the protruding tip of the locking portion 122 is an inclined surface whose inward protruding height increases as it goes upward. In the present embodiment, the inclined curved surface 124 is curved and inclined. ing. On the other hand, the upper surface of the locking portion 122 is a flat surface 125 that spreads substantially horizontally.

  Further, each of the left and right side wall portions 116c, 116c of the peripheral wall portion 114 is provided with an opening groove 126 that opens outward and extends over substantially the entire length in the vertical direction. In the present embodiment, an inclined surface 128 (see FIG. 3) that is inclined in a direction of decreasing the groove width as it goes downward is provided on the inner surface of the groove on the front side of the opening groove 126.

  Further, above the lock lever 104, a cylinder lock 130 is disposed as a lock member for preventing the movable cylinder 72 from moving upward. The cylinder lock 130 is a substantially rectangular frame-shaped member as a whole, and a peripheral wall portion 132 has a pair of wall portions 134c which are opposed to each other in a front-rear direction and substantially flat plate-shaped wall portions 134a and 134b. , 134c.

  The rear wall portion 134b is provided with a spring support portion 136 protruding outward from a substantially central portion in the circumferential direction and an engaging portion 138 protruding inward. In addition, the lower surface of the protruding tip of the engaging portion 138 is an inclined surface that inclines upward toward the protruding tip, and in the present embodiment, is an inclined curved surface 140 that inclines while curving.

  In addition, each of the left and right walls 134c, 134c is provided with a contact protrusion 142 that protrudes downward.

  In the lock lever 104 and the cylinder lock 130, a button spring 144 and a lock spring 146, both of which are compression coil springs, are assembled between the outer housing 18 that houses them. One end of the button spring 144 is externally inserted into the spring support portion 120 of the lock lever 104, and the other end is supported on the opposed inner surface of the outer housing 18. Similarly, one end of the lock spring 146 is externally inserted into the spring support portion 136 of the cylinder lock 130, and the other end is supported on the opposed inner surface of the outer housing 18.

  As a result, the lock lever 104 and the cylinder lock 130 are biased toward the front of the outer housing 18, and the puncture button 102 located in front of the lock lever 104 projects from the fitting hole 36 of the outer housing 18. Is biased to the state. A cylinder lock 130 is superimposed on the lock lever 104, and a wall 116b of the lock lever 104, a wall 134b of the cylinder lock 130, and a locking portion projecting inward from the walls 116b, 134b. 122 and the engaging portion 138 are vertically sandwiched between the support wall portion 30b of the outer housing 18 and the wall portion 46b of the inner housing 20 (and the rib protruding outward from the wall portion 46b), that is, It is inserted between the notches 34 and 50 in the vertical direction, and is supported so as to be movable in the front-rear direction. Therefore, the lock lever 104 and the cylinder lock 130 can be moved in a direction intersecting with the pushing direction (vertical direction) of the puncture rod 14, and in the present embodiment, the front and rear directions are orthogonal to the pushing direction of the puncture rod 14. It is possible to move in the direction. However, the lock lever 104 and the cylinder lock 130 may be movable in a direction inclined with respect to the front-rear direction.

  1 and 2, the applicator 10 is shown in an initial state. That is, the puncture spring 70, the presser spring 98, the button spring 144, and the lock spring 146 provided inside the applicator 10 are all in a natural length or a slightly initial compression state, and the puncture rod 14 and the movable cylinder All 72 project downward from the housing 16. In particular, in the present embodiment, in the initial state, the bottom wall portion 58 of the puncture rod 14 is located inside the movable cylinder 72, but in the initial state, the puncture rod is located outside (below) the movable cylinder. It may protrude up to. In the initial state, puncturing button 102 is in a state of protruding outward from fitting hole 36 of housing 16 (outer housing 18). Furthermore, in the initial state, the lock lever 104 and the cylinder lock 130 are provided with inclined curved surfaces 124 and 140 provided at the protruding tips of the locking portion 122 and the engaging portion 138 provided inside thereof, respectively. The rod 14 is disposed at a position where the wall 60b of the cylindrical portion 56 overlaps with the wall 60b in the vertical projection.

  Here, in the initial state shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the projecting abutting portions 80, 80 which are the upper ends of the abutting plate portions 78 of the movable cylinder 72 and the walls 134 c, 134 c of the cylinder lock 130 project downward. The contact projections 142, 142 contact each other in the up-down direction. Thus, the movement of the movable cylinder 72 toward the housing 16 in the initial state is prevented. In the present embodiment, the movement restricting means 148 for preventing the movement of the movable cylinder 72 toward the housing 16 is controlled by the movable cylinder 72. And a contact protrusion 142 of the cylinder lock 130.

  In the initial state, as shown in FIG. 11, which will be described later, the engagement protrusion 110 protruding inward from the puncture button 102 is inserted into the peripheral wall portion through the through groove 118 provided in the wall portion 116a of the lock lever 104. The protrusion of the engagement protrusion 110 extends in the front-rear direction with respect to the protrusion contact portion 80 of the contact plate portion 78 of the movable cylinder 72 provided inside the wall portion 116a. It comes into contact. Thus, in the initial state, the pressing operation of the puncture button 102 is disabled, and in the present embodiment, the safety mechanism 150 that disables the puncture button 102 is movable with the engaging projection 110 of the puncture button 102. And a projecting contact portion 80 of the cylinder 72.

  In the storage state before use, the applicator 10 structured as described above is covered with a cover 152 from below the housing 16 as shown in FIG. The cover 152 has a substantially cup shape as a whole, and includes a bottom wall portion 154 and a peripheral wall portion 156 each having a substantially octagonal shape. The peripheral wall portion 156 is detachably fitted to the peripheral wall portion 24 of the housing 16 (outer housing 18), so that the cover 152 covers the movable cylinder 72 and the puncture rod 14 from outside, and the movable cylinder 72 and the puncture rod. The rod 14 can be protected from external force. By providing such a cover 152, it is possible to prevent the movable cylinder 72 and the puncture rod 14 from unintentionally moving in the storage state. Then, by removing the cover 152 from the storage state shown in FIG. 4, the initial state before use shown in FIGS.

  When using the applicator 10, first, the puncture rod 14 is pushed into the housing 16 as shown in FIGS. That is, by pressing the bottom wall portion 58 of the puncture rod 14 with a finger inserted from the insertion port 76 of the movable cylinder 72, the puncture rod 14 is pushed above the housing 16 while compressing and deforming the puncture spring 70. As shown in FIG. 5, the applicator 10 may be gripped in an upside down state and operated to push down the puncture rod 14. When the puncture rod 14 is pushed into the housing 16, the guide action between the guide ridge 62 of the puncture rod 14 and the guide groove 48 of the inner housing 20 and the positioning protrusion 66 of the puncture rod 14 are notched in the inner housing 20. The puncture rod 14 is pushed into the housing 16 without inclining due to the guide action by fitting into the 52.

  By the pushing operation of the puncture rod 14 into the housing 16, the puncture rod 14 moves upward, and the inclination curve of the locking portion 122 protruding inward from the upper end of the wall portion 60 b of the puncture rod 14 and the lock lever 104. The surface 124 abuts. When the puncture rod 14 is further pushed in from the contact state, the lock lever 104 is moved backward while the button spring 144 is compressed and deformed.

  When the puncture rod 14 is further pushed into the housing 16, the upper end of the wall portion 60b of the puncture rod 14 and the inclined curved surface 140 of the engaging portion 138 projecting inward from the cylinder lock 130 come into contact with each other. . When the puncture rod 14 is further pushed in from this contact state, the cylinder lock 130 is moved backward while the locking spring 146 is compressed and deformed. Thereby, the contact between the projecting contact portion 80 of the movable cylinder 72 and the contact projection 142 of the cylinder lock 130 in the movement restricting means 148 for preventing the movement of the movable cylinder 72 toward the housing 16 is released, The movement of the movable cylinder 72 toward the housing 16 is allowed. That is, in the present embodiment, the releasing means 158 that releases the movement restricting means 148 to allow the movable cylinder 72 to move toward the housing 16 moves the projecting contact portion 80 and the contact projecting portion 142 in a non-contact state. The mechanism is configured as follows. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the movement of the movable cylinder 72 is prevented by the contact between the movable cylinder 72 and the cylinder lock 130, and the movement of the movable cylinder 72 is allowed by the release of the contact between the movable cylinder 72 and the cylinder lock 130. The movement of the lock 130 is selectively realized.

  In the present embodiment, since the cover 152 covers the movable cylinder 72 in the storage state before use, it is understood that the movement restricting means 148 for preventing the movement of the movable cylinder 72 is configured to include the cover 152. Can also. Further, since the puncture rod 14 can be pushed in and the movable cylinder 72 can be moved by removing the cover 152, it is understood that the release means 158 that allows the movement of the movable cylinder 72 is constituted by a structure for removing the cover 152. You can also. However, the cover that constitutes the movement restricting means is not limited to the one that is released by being detached. For example, a releasing means that allows the movement of the movable cylinder 72 by moving, opening, tilting, or the like may also be configured.

  Further, when the penetrating window 64 provided on the wall portion 60b of the puncture rod 14 moved by the pushing operation reaches the position of the lock lever 104, the locking portion 122 of the lock lever 104 enters the penetrating window 64, and the lock lever 104 is moved. Moves forward based on the elastic restoring force of the button spring 144. As a result, the flat surface 125 at the protruding tip end of the locking portion 122 comes into contact with the inner surface of the through window 64, and the locking portion 122 is locked to the through window 64. As a result, the downward movement of the puncture rod 14 is prevented, and the puncture rod 14 is pushed into the housing 16 and is held in a state where the downward biasing force of the puncture spring 70 is exerted.

  After the puncture rod 14 is pushed into the housing 16 as described above, the case 160 holding the microneedle 12 is attached to the movable cylinder 72 of the applicator 10 as shown in FIGS. In the present embodiment, the case 160 includes a case main body 162 that holds the microneedle 12 and a case cover 164 that covers the case main body 162 from the outside.

  That is, the case main body 162 of the present embodiment has a substantially annular shape as a whole, and an outer peripheral flange portion 168 and an inner peripheral flange portion 170 (see FIG. 13) are formed at the upper end of the cylindrical wall portion 166. Have been. The outer diameter of the cylindrical wall 166 is substantially equal to the distance between the case holding portions 92 and 92 in the movable cylinder 72, and the inner diameter of the inner peripheral flange 170 of the cylindrical wall 166 is punctured. The outer diameter of the bottom wall 58 of the rod 14 is larger than that of the rod 14.

  The outer peripheral portion of the substantially circular pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet 172 is overlapped and fixed to the inner peripheral flange portion 170. On the lower surface of the adhesive sheet 172, the microneedles 12 are fixed at the central portion, and are arranged in the center hole of the inner peripheral flange portion 170.

  Although the specific structure of the microneedle 12 is not limited, in this embodiment, the microneedle 12 includes a needle main body 174 including a plurality of minute solid needles and a base 176 to which the needle main body 174 is fixed. The medicine to be administered to the patient is applied to the needle body 174.

  On the other hand, the case cover 164 has a substantially U-shape as a whole, and includes a pair of cover portions 178, 178 which cover the case body 162 from both upper and lower sides, and partially cover these cover portions 178, 178 on the periphery. And a connection unit 180 for connecting the terminals with each other. The case cover 164 is detachable from the case body 162 toward the side.

  Then, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the case 160 can be attached to and detached from the movable cylinder 72 through the inlet 76 in a state where the case cover 164 is attached to the case main body 162. When the case main body 162 is mounted on the movable cylinder 72, the outer peripheral flange portion 168 is sandwiched between the claw portion 94 of the case holding portion 92 and the peripheral wall portion 74 in the vertical direction, and the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical wall portion 166. And the unevenness provided on the claw portion 94 are engaged with each other.

  Also, as shown in FIG. 9, by pulling out the case cover 164 from the case main body 162 through the inlet 76, the microneedle 12 is exposed to the outside.

  Further, the applicator 10 with the case 160 provided with the microneedles 12 is pressed against the patient's skin on the lower surface of FIGS. 10 and 11 where the microneedles 12 are exposed. That is, the housing 16 is pushed down while the lower end of the cylindrical wall portion 166 of the case main body 162 is in contact with the patient's skin, and the housing 16 and the case main body 162 are mutually displaced.

  Thereby, as shown in FIGS. 12 to 15, the movable cylinder 72 is moved toward the housing 16 (upward). That is, by moving the movable cylinder 72 toward the housing 16, substantially the entire peripheral wall 74 of the movable cylinder 72 is housed in the housing 16 while the pressing spring 98 is compressed and deformed. The movable cylinder 72 is moved into the housing 16 by the guide action of the guide projection 32 of the housing 16 and the guide recess 84 of the movable cylinder 72, so that the movable cylinder 72 is moved straight up and down with respect to the housing 16.

  In the initial state shown in FIG. 1 and the like, the safety mechanism 150 is configured by the engagement protrusion 110 of the puncture button 102 and the protrusion contact portion 80 of the movable cylinder 72 contacting each other. Is not possible, but the movable cylinder 72 moves upward in the housing 16 (moves toward the housing 16), thereby releasing the contact between the engagement protrusion 110 and the protrusion contact portion 80. Then, the engagement protrusion 110 is moved to the contact avoidance area 82 located below the projecting contact part 80. Thereby, the safety mechanism 150 is released, and the puncture button 102 can be pushed in through the fitting hole 36 of the housing 16.

  In the puncturing preparation state in which the movable cylinder 72 enters the housing 16, the pressing portion 88 provided on the spring housing portion 86 of the movable cylinder 72 enters the opening groove 126 provided on the wall portion 116 c of the lock lever 104. The inclined surface 90 provided in the pressing portion 88 and the inclined surface 128 provided in the opening groove 126 face each other in a state of being separated from each other in the front-back direction.

  When the puncture button 102 is pressed and pushed in the applicator 10 in the puncture preparation state, the microneedle 12 is punctured as shown in FIG. Note that FIG. 16 shows a state in which the pressing of the puncture button 102 is released after the microneedle 12 has been punctured. That is, the puncture button 102 and the lock lever 104 located inside the puncture button 102 are moved rearward with the compression deformation of the button spring 144 from the state shown in FIGS. The locking of the locking portion 122 by the lock 64 is released, and the puncture rod 14 is moved downward based on the elastic restoring force of the puncture spring 70. In the present embodiment, the inclined surface 90 of the pressing portion 88 of the movable cylinder 72 and the inclined surface 128 of the opening groove 126 of the lock lever 104 are mutually moved by the movement of the lock lever 104 accompanying the pushing operation of the puncture button 102. It comes into contact. By employing such a contact structure, the movable cylinder 72 and the lock lever 104 described later can be stably moved to the initial positions.

  Thus, the lower end portion of the puncture rod 14 passes through the inside of the case main body 162, and the bottom wall portion 58 of the puncture rod 14 presses the microneedles 12 together with the adhesive sheet 172 against the skin. That is, the microneedles 12 are attached to the skin with the adhesive sheet 172 in a state where the microneedles 12 are punctured into the skin, and the microneedles 12 are pressed and punctured against the skin for a predetermined time. Thereby, the medicine applied to the microneedle 12 can be effectively administered to the patient.

  When the puncture button 102 is released from the puncture operation state, the lock lever 104 returns to the initial position by the elastic restoring force of the button spring 144, as shown in FIG. Further, since the contact between the wall portion 60b of the puncture rod 14 and the engaging portion 138 of the cylinder lock 130 is released, the cylinder lock 130 is returned to the initial position by the elastic restoring force of the lock spring 146. It has become. Further, by moving the applicator 10 away from the skin from the state shown in FIG. 16, the movable cylinder 72 is returned to the initial position by the elastic restoring force of the pressing spring 98. Thereby, since the applicator 10 returns to the initial state shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the applicator 10 can be used a plurality of times by detaching and replacing the case 160.

  In the applicator 10 of the present embodiment having the above-described structure, the movement restricting means 148 for moving the movable cylinder 72 toward the housing 16 is provided, and the movement restricting means 148 is moved to the housing 16 of the puncture rod 14. Is depressed by pushing. That is, before the puncture rod 14 is pushed, the microneedle 12 is attached to the movable cylinder 72, and even when the applicator 10 is pressed against the skin in this state, the movable cylinder 72 moves into the housing 16 and the microneedle 12 moves. An erroneous puncture in which the puncture 12 punctures the skin is prevented.

  In particular, in the present embodiment, the movement restricting means 148 that prevents the movement of the movable cylinder 72 is configured by the projecting contact portion 80 of the movable cylinder 72 and the contact projection 142 of the cylinder lock 130 abutting each other. In addition, by pushing the puncture rod 14 and moving the cylinder lock 130, the contact between the projecting contact portion 80 and the contact projection 142 is released, and the movement of the movable cylinder 72 is allowed. ing. That is, before and after the movement of the cylinder lock 130, prevention and allowance of the movement of the movable cylinder 72 are selectively realized. Thus, the structure is simplified and the number of parts is reduced.

  Furthermore, in the present embodiment, since the safety mechanism 150 that prevents the pushing operation of the puncture button 102 before the movement of the movable cylinder 72 is configured, for example, before the applicator 10 is pressed against the skin, the microneedle 12 The possibility that the microneedle 12 protruding from the microneedle 12 is unintentionally punctured into the skin is prevented. In particular, since the safety mechanism 150 includes the protruding abutting portion 80 of the movable cylinder 72, the protruding abutting portion 80 can constitute both the movement restricting means 148 and the safety mechanism 150, Further simplification of the structure and reduction of the number of parts can be achieved.

  Next, FIG. 17 shows a microneedle applicator 190 as a second embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, the movement restricting means for preventing the movement of the movable cylinder 72 is realized in a mode different from that of the first embodiment. FIG. 17 shows the applicator 190 in a storage state before use. Further, in the present embodiment, members and portions substantially the same as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawings as those in the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

  That is, in this embodiment, the cap 192 is provided to prevent the puncture rod 14 from being pushed into the housing 16 before the puncture rod 14 projects into the movable cylinder 72 before use. As shown in FIG. 18, the cap 192 has a cup shape having a bottom wall portion 194 and a substantially cylindrical peripheral wall portion 196. In addition, a flange 198 that protrudes to the outer periphery is provided on the peripheral edge of the opening of the peripheral wall 196.

  The outer diameter of the flange 198 is substantially equal to the inner diameter of the peripheral wall 74 of the movable cylinder 72, and the flange 198 is inserted from the lower opening of the movable cylinder 72 with the opening of the cap 192 facing upward. The flange 198 of the cap 192 is substantially fitted into the peripheral wall 74 of the movable cylinder 72, and the cap 192 is removably assembled to the movable cylinder 72. By attaching the cap 192, the puncture rod 14 is covered from the outside, and a gap is set between the puncture rod 14 and the cap 192 so that external force applied to the cap 192 is not applied to the puncture rod 14. Has become.

  Particularly, in the present embodiment, when the cap 192 is attached to the movable cylinder 72, the bottom wall portion 194 of the cap 192 is located below the case holding portion 92 of the movable cylinder 72, and the applicator 190 is placed on the skin. , The movable cylinder 72 is prevented from being pushed up by the skin and moved to the housing 16 side. In addition, when the cap 192 is attached to the movable cylinder 72, the bottom wall portion 194 of the cap 192 is located below the case holding portion 92 of the movable cylinder 72. 160) cannot be mounted on the movable cylinder 72.

  By adopting such a cap 192, the movable cylinder 72 does not move toward the housing 16 unless the cap 192 is removed. Therefore, in the present embodiment, a movement that prevents the movable cylinder 72 from moving toward the housing 16 by the cap 192. Limiting means 200 is configured. Also in this embodiment, since the same cylinder lock 130 as that of the above embodiment is employed, the movable cylinder 72 is prevented from moving toward the housing 16 until the puncture rod 14 is pushed into the housing 16. I have. That is, since the movement of the movable cylinder 72 toward the housing 16 is allowed with the pushing operation of the puncture rod 14, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be exerted.

  Here, in the present embodiment, since the puncture rod 14 cannot be pushed in until the cap 192 is removed, the movement restricting means 200 is released after the cap 192 is removed after the cap 192 is removed. This is realized by a pushing operation of the puncture rod 14 similar to the above. That is, in the present embodiment, since the pushing operation of the puncture rod 14 can be performed by removing the cap 192, the releasing means (158) of the movement restricting means 200 similar to the first embodiment is provided with the cap 192. Is constituted by the removal structure. In particular, also in this embodiment, since the cover 152 is provided in the storage state before use similarly to the first embodiment, the movement restriction unit 200 is configured to include the cover 152 and the release unit (158). ) Can be understood to be constituted by the structure for removing the cover 152.

  In this embodiment, the case (160) of the microneedle (12) cannot be attached until the cap 192 is removed. Therefore, before removing the cap 192, the microneedle (12) is erroneously punctured in the first place. No problem occurs, and even if the cap 192 is removed, the movable cylinder 72 is prevented from moving toward the housing 16 before the puncture rod 14 is pushed, so that the microneedle (12) is erroneously punctured. Can be effectively prevented.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not construed as being limited to the specific description in the embodiments, and various changes, modifications, improvements, and the like can be made based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art. Can be implemented.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, a solid needle is adopted as the microneedle 12, and the medicine to be administered to the solid needle is applied. However, the present invention is not limited to this mode. As the microneedle, for example, as described in Patent Document 1, a hollow needle having a lumen, a structure in which a drug is administered through a lumen of a hollow needle punctured from a reservoir that separately holds a drug, and the like can be adopted. The shape, structure and number of the puncture needles are not limited.

  Further, the mechanism for restricting the movement by contacting the movable cylinder 72 is not limited to the illustrated cylinder lock 130, but may be a releasable locking structure such as a rotatable hook or an engagement using a magnetic force. Various types can be appropriately adopted.

  Further, the urging of the puncture rod, the movable cylinder, the lock lever, and the lock member (cylinder lock) is not limited to the spring as in the above embodiment, but is achieved by an elastic body such as rubber or an elastomer, a magnet, or the like. May be done.

  Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the cover 152 has a substantially cup shape, and covers the puncture rod 14 and the movable cylinder 72 in the storage state. May be covered at least partially. However, such a cover is not essential.

10, 190: microneedle applicator, 12: microneedle, 14: puncture rod, 16: housing, 72: movable cylinder, 102: puncture button, 130: cylinder lock (lock member), 148, 200: movement restricting means, 150: safety mechanism, 152: cover, 158: release means, 160: case, 192: cap

Claims (7)

By pushing the puncture rod into the housing and moving the movable cylinder to the housing side, in a microneedle applicator in which the microneedle can be punctured,
Movement limiting means for preventing the movable cylinder from moving toward the housing;
Releasing means for releasing the movement restricting means in response to a pushing operation of the puncture rod into the housing to allow the movable cylinder to move toward the housing side. applicator. The movement restricting means is configured by a lock member that prevents the movable cylinder from moving toward the housing by contact with the movable cylinder,
2. The microneedle applicator according to claim 1, wherein in the release unit, the contact between the lock member and the movable cylinder is released by pushing the puncture rod into the housing. 3.   The lock member is arranged so as to be movable in a direction intersecting the pushing direction of the puncture rod, and the movement of the lock member prevents movement by contact with the movable cylinder and allows movement by contact release. The microneedle applicator according to claim 2, wherein is selectively realized.   2. The microneedle applicator according to claim 1, wherein the movement restricting unit is configured by a cap that covers the puncture rod from outside, and the release unit is configured by a removal structure of the cap. 3.   The microneedle applicator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the movement restriction unit includes a cover that covers at least a part of the movable cylinder.   The microneedle can be attached to the movable cylinder, and a removable cap that covers the puncture rod from outside is attached to the housing so that the microneedle cannot be attached to the movable cylinder. Item 6. The microneedle applicator according to any one of Items 1 to 5.   7. A safety mechanism for disabling a puncture button for puncturing the microneedle is provided, and the safety mechanism is released by moving the movable cylinder toward the housing. The microneedle applicator according to claim 1.

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