Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02354824 2001-10-22
1 AUTOMATIC VETERINARY MEDICAMENT DELIVERY SYSTEM
2
3
BACKGROUND
This invention relates to veterinary delivery devices for delivering
medicaments, including
6 pharmaceuticals or vaccines, to a plurality of poultry or other animals. In
particular, this invention
7 relates to a portable, electrically powered veterinary delivery system for
reliably providing a precise
8 amount of pharmaceuticals, or vaccine, rapidly to a plurality of fowl,
porcine, ovine or other animals.
9 Injection devices are known in the art. Numerous injection devices have been
provided in
l0 prior art that are adapted to include a manually operated plunger. A hand-
held syringe, having a
1l barrel and manually operated plunger, has been used to administer vaccines,
antibiotics and other
12 biological products. A problem with this device and method is that the
accuracy of the dose is
13 dependent on the manual strength and attention of the operator. When
injecting large numbers of
14 birds or other animals, the operator's hands become fatigued resulting in
inaccurate doses being
delivered to the bird or other animal being injected. An additional problem
has been accidental injury
16 to the operator as a result of either movement of the bird or other animal
during the injection process
17 or lack of lighting present at the barn or other injection locale.
Injection into a human of veterinary
18 products can cause permanent injury that may even result in amputation.
Identifying which birds or
19 other animals have been injected within a flock or herd has also been a
problem.
2 o While these units may be suitable for the particular purpose which they
address, they would
21 not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as hereinafter
described.
2 2 SUMMARY
2 3 The present invention is directed to an automatic veterinary medicament
delivery system that
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CA 02354824 2001-10-22
1 satisfies these needs for delivery of precise amounts of medicament to an
individual animal or fowl.
2 The medicament includes any fluid products for immunizing purposes or for
treatment. The system
3 provides rapid and consistent one-handed administration ofthe medicament,
without fatigue-ai~ected
4 changes in the amount of medicament delivered, to large numbers of fowl,
porcine, ovine, or other
animals. An automatic veterinary medicament delivery system having features of
the present
6 invention comprises an electronic control unit having means for quickly
adjusting the dosage of
7 medicament to be delivered by injection. The veterinary delivery system
includes several hand-held
8 injection devices from which to choose, depending on desired use, each
having a push-button trigger,
9 at least one needle, a headlight, signal lights, optional dye marking means,
and an optional mixing
chamber for mixing medicaments at the time of delivery of the medicament, the
hand-held injection
11 devices being easily connected and disconnected by means of quick connect
fluid couplers for being
12 in fluid communication with the system and a nine-pin amp electrical
connector for being in electronic
13 communication with the control unit. One embodiment hand-held unit provides
a single needle for
14 injecting especially the ear of cattle. Another embodiment hand-held unit
provides a single needle
plus marking means. A third hand-held unit provides two needles for injecting
two unmixed
16 medicines simultaneously. A fourth hand-held unit provides a single needle,
but the hand-held unit
17 is inverted with a pistol grip attached for use especially with thick-
skinned animals, such as cattle or
18 pigs. All of these hand-held units provide means to deter self injection of
the user. In some hand-
19 held units, this safety device is in the form of an emergency stop button.
In the fourth hand-held unit,
2 0 a safety interlock is provided that prevents injection until a retractable
resilient member is forced to
21 a second, retracted position , to complete an electrical circuit permitting
injection to take place. In
22 all of these delivery systems, a source of fluid medicament, tubing
interconnecting the injection
2 3 device and the medicament, an electrically powered pump in fluid
communication with both the
24 injection device and the medicament, actuation means for activating a pump
forcing the medicament
2 5 through the tubing from medicament source to the injection device for
dispensing, are provided. A
2 6 quick connect fluid coupler permits coupling of each hand-held unit to the
pump. A nine-pin amp
2 7 electrical connector connects the electrical power portion of each hand-
held unit to the control unit.
2 s Also, a convenient carrying system is provided. Optional means for marking
injected animals are also
29 included. Methods for administering two medicaments simultaneously are also
provided.
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CA 02354824 2004-08-24
Manually depressing a trigger on the hand-held injection device of this
delivery
system, in conjunction with inserting a needle into the subject body, actuates
the
pump causing fluid to flow through the hollow needle accomplishing an
injection. An
emergency stop button is provided in case an error is made, ex., the needle
goes
through the ear, or through the ear and into the user's hand, to prevent
injection of a
medicament into the user. This is an important deterrent to self-injection. An
additional embodiment provides a safety interlock member which must be
depressed
to the needle hub to close the electrical switch which in turn actuates the
pump
causing fluid flow through the hollow needle only when the needle is fully
injected
actuates an injection. This safety interlock is adjacent to the needle and
positioned to
extend to the length of the needle. This safety interlock is then depressed to
the point
adjacent to the needle hub as the needle is inserted. At this juncture, an
internal
extended rod from the safety interlock closes the electrical circuit by means
of a Hlall-
effect switch. This, in turn, actuates the pump to cause fluid flow through
the needle.
This feature also deters accidental self-injection. Injection cannot take
place until the
needle is fully inserted, thus enabling the operator to withdraw an accidental
stab
prior to injection taking place. The goal of both of the systems is operator
safety. pelf
injection is a very serious accident among vaccinating crews.
The delivery system includes a means of marking, by automatically pressing
an applicator pad containing a pre-measured amount of dye pumped into it, in
order
to prominently and automatically mark each treated animal adjacent to the
injection
site.
The delivery system is powered by a compact, rechargeable 12-volt battery or
110 volt AC/12 volt DC converter, although other electrical means could be
used, for
sustained operation reducing fatigue and the likelihood of repetitive stress
injury to
the operator.
The delivery system includes a self-priming peristaltic pump for delivery of a
consistent amount of medicament. The pump also reverses to retrieve unused
medicament upon completion of each injection chore. The use of a peristaltic
pump
permits the system to be valve-free.
The delivery system has an optional head lamp at the injection site for
greater
safety and accuracy of injection. The delivery system includes a green LCD on
the
handle to indicate that an injection is in progress. A red LCD on the handle
indicates
the medicament fluid is low.
The delivery system also includes an automatic counter to record and total the
numbers of injections.
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1 The delivery system also includes an optional mixing tube to combine
medicaments.
2 The delivery system also includes a cleaning process to clean the tubing
ofthe delivery system
3 following each job. To accomplish cleaning, the pump switch on the face of
the control unit is set
4 to "forward" in order to circulate cleaning/sanitizing solutions for
effective "clean in place".
The system is enclosed in a back-pack or box, which protects it from dirt and
dust and also
6 provides a convenient place to store and transport the component parts.
7 It is the general object ofthe present invention to provide a novel and
improved multiple dose
8 veterinary delivery system that provides a precise dosage to a plurality of
animals without requiring
9 frequent refilling of the system between administrations of medicament to a
plurality of animals.
1 o A further object is to provide a veterinary delivery system which can be
manipulated with one
11 hand freeing up the second hand of the user to hold onto the subject animal
for injection.
12 It is a further object to provide a veterinary medicament delivery system
which ensures
13 administration of precise amount of a medicament to the animal.
14 It is a further object of the invention to provide a veterinary delivery
system that uses a self
priming pump.
16 It is a further object of the invention to provide a veterinary delivery
system that eliminates
17 waste of medicament and that provides an accurate count of doses delivered.
18 Another object is to increase the safety features of such an injection
system by reducing the
19 hazard of self inoculation of the operator. A further object is to provide
an easily transportable
injection system.
21 Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following
detailed description
2 2 and accompanying drawings.
2 3 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
2 4 Understanding of the invention will be enhanced by refernng to the
accompanying drawings,
2 5 in which like numbers refer to like parts in the several views and in
which:
2 6 Fig. 1 is a plan view of the medicament delivery system of the current
invention;
2 7 Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the first embodiment hand-held unit of the
medicament
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delivery system of Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a side view of a hand-held unit of the medicament delivery system of
Fig. 2;
Fig. 4 is a side perspective view of a second embodiment hand-held unit of the
medicament delivery system of Fig. 1;
Fig. 5 is an end view of a third embodiment pistol grip hand-held unit;
Fig. 6 is a perspective view the control unit of the medicament delivery
system
of Fig. 1;
Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the interior of the control unit of Fig. 6;
Fig 8 is a plan view of the second embodiment hand-held unit where two
medicaments are pumped through two pumps simultaneously at the same rate;
Fig. 9 is a plan view of the second embodiment hand-held unit where 'two
medicaments are pumped through two separate control units at differing rates;
Fig 10 is a plan view of the medicament mixing tube;
Fig. 11 is a side view of the third embodiment pistol grip hand-held unit;
Fig. 12 is a plan view of the fourth embodiment hand-held unit where one
medicament is injected and a dye pad applicator is present.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE CURRENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Understanding of the invention will be further enhanced by referring to the
following illustrative but non-limiting example.
The term "medicaments" is intended to include serum, vaccine, antibiotics,
and any other fluid products that may be used for immunizing or for treating
poultry,
bovine, ovine, porcine or other animals.
OVERVIEW
Turning now to the drawings, in which like reference characters refer' to
corresponding elements throughout the several views, Fig. 1 illustrates an
electrically
powered automatic veterinary medicament delivery system, shown generally at
20.
System 20 is housed in a container such as a back pack and includes a hand-
held
unit 40 in fluid communication, by means of conduit tubing tubing 78, with a
medicament container 70. A first embodiment hand-held unit 40, single needle
56, no
dye means, is especially for use in injection of a medicament into the ear of
a boviine.
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All of the hand-held units 40 have a generally cylindrical shape with a
flattered
surface 41 on which, in embodiments one through three, are mounted both a
trigger
42 and an emergency stop 44 button. The fourth embodiment also has a trigger
but
no emergency stop. Also shown are a green LCD 48, which lights to indicate an
injection is in progress, and a red LCD 50 which lights to indicate that the
medicament level is low. The "function" key pad 108 is touched on the control
unit
110 to set the anticipated number of total count so that the low medicament
bottle
LCD lights up at the appropriate time, ex. when 90% of the doses have been
given.
Head lamp 46 is used to illuminate the area of injection, as well as an
optional dye
pad 172 along with the needle mount 58, in actual use, a Luer lock, all
mounted on a
proximal surface 22 of the hand-held unit 40"'. Entering this distal end 24 of
hand-
held unit 40"' is tubing 82 containing medicament 84, dye 86 and electrical
power
cords 88. All of the various hand-held unit embodiments 40, 40', 40", 40"' &
40"", look
and work similarly. A pump 100, which sits atop a control unit 110, sucks up
the
medicament from within medicament container 70 through tubing 80 and forces
the
fluid medicament from pump 100 exiting through tubing 82 and continuing
through
conduit tubing 78 for delivery by the hand-held unit 40 through a hollow
needle 56.
The control unit 110 utilizes an electronic dosage control 130, shown in
detail in I=ig.
7, to deliver a predetermined precise amount of medicament upon injection.
Additionally, the electronic dosage control 130 provides means of changing the
dosage of these predetermined precise amounts of medicament. Control unit '110
also provides optional marking means. Marking dye, in an optional embodiment
shown at Figs. 2, 3, & 5, is delivered through dye means, such as by an
applicator
pad 172, simultaneously with injection of the medicament, marking the
individual
poultry, porcine, ovine or other animal injected. Control unit 110 function
key pad '108
has an on/off control of dye means. Control unit 110 also provides for
counting the
number of injections made.
In all of the disclosed embodiments, fluid from more than one medicament
container 70 can be injected simultaneously through their respective tubing
80, the
medicaments forced by the pump 100, through an optional mixing tube 190, shown
in
detail in Fig. 10, intermixing the two medicaments prior to their being
injected through
the selected hand-held unit 40, 40', 40", 40"' or 40"". Additionally, in all
of the
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embodiments, fluid from more than one medicament container 70, 70' can be
injected
simultaneously. Where different dosages are needed, two control units 110,
110' with
the associated pumps 100, 100' can be connected up to a single hand-held unit
40,
40', 40" 40"', or 40"" for simultaneous injection, either after mixing the
medicaments
and injected through hand-held unit 40 40" and 40"', or when the medicaments
cannot be mixed for whatever reason, by injecting simultaneously through itwo
needles through hand-held unit 40' as shown in Fig. 4. Once the requirements
are
determined, which medicaments are to be injected, can they be mixed, if not,
are
they administered at the same dosage, the appropriate hand-held unit 40, 40',
or 40"
is selected and electronically connected to control unit 110 by the Amp
connector 94,
attached to the end of conduit tubing 78 and in fluid communication by means
of a
quick connect fluid connector 196 at the end of each tubing 82, 76. If the
medicaments may be mixed, the mixing tube 190 must be attached to the tubing
82
by quick connect fluid couplers 196. Quick connect fluid couplers 196 are also
mounted on pump 100 to attach tubing 80 to medicament container 70. If more
than
one pump is needed but the medicament to be administered can be given at the
same dosage, then a two pump system 100, 100', such as shown in Fig. 8, is
used.
Hand-held unit 40, 40' or 40"' may be used. When the medicament to be
administered is not of the same dosage, and cannot be mixed, then two control
units
110, 110' must be used, such as shown in Fig. 9, then hand-held unit 40" is
selected
and connected to both control units 110,110' by means of conduit tubings 78,
78'. A
nine-pin amp connector 94 connects the electronic control unit 110 to any of
the
hand-held units 40. A four-pin amp connector 122 connects the electronic
control unit
110 to the dye pump. Another four-pin amp connector 124 connects the control
unit
110 to the battery 126. These different types of amp connectors protect
against
accidental connection of the wrong device to the outlet at the control unit
110.
The control unit 110 sets the dosage, the injection count, the anticipated
number of total count so that the low medicament bottle LCD lights up at the
appropriate time, and optional marking dye by means of touching the display
LCD for
each function, by pushing the "Function" keypad 108 and using the up and down
arrows 106 to select the appropriate choice, dose, injection count, low bottle
warning
and marking dye.
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1 As shown in Fig. l, the electrically powered automatic veterinary medicament
delivery system
2 is set for injecting ears of cattle. While the hereinafter described safety
interlock could be added to
3 this hand-held unit 40, it is not felt to be necessary when injecting ears
of cattle. The ears are
4 injected, by the way, to prevent damage to an edible portion of the cattle.
The power source for running any embodiment of this system is a re-chargable
battery
6 although plugging into the circuitry of the barn or other housing could be
used.
7 Fig. 2 is a side perspective view of second embodiment hand-held unit 40' of
the medicament
s delivery system 20, having a single needle 56 and dye pad applicator 172. In
this view, hand-held unit
9 40' has a generally cylindrical shape with a flattened dorsal surface 41 on
which are mounted both
a trigger 42 and an emergency stop 44 button. Also shown are a green LCD 48,
which lights to
11 indicate an injection is in progress, and a red LCD 50 which lights to
indicate that the medicament
12 level is low. The "function" key pad is touched on the control unit 110 to
set the anticipated
13 number of total count so that the low medicament bottle LCD lights up at
the appropriate time, ex.
14 when 90% of the doses have been given. Head lamp 46 is used to illuminate
the area of injection, as
well as an optional dye pad 172 along with the needle mount 58, in actual use,
a Luer lock, all
16 mounted on a proximal surface 22 of the hand-held unit 40'. Entering this
distal end 24 of hand-held
17 unit 40' is tubing 82 containing medicament 84, dye 86 and electrical power
cords 88. This hand-held
18 unit 40' is especially for use in injection of a medicament into a bovine
at a point other than the ear.
19 Marking means conspicuously mark the animal as it is injected. Quick
connect fluid couplers 196 are
2 0 mounted on the terminal ends of both medicament tubing 82 and dye tubing
86 to permit quick,
21 convenient connection of this particular hand-held unit 40" to control unit
110.
2 2 Fig. 3 is a side view of the hand-held unit 40' of the medicament delivery
system of Fig. 2
2 3 showing an additional light 52 indicating that an injection is in
progress.
2 4 Fig. 4 is a side perspective view of a third embodiment hand-held unit
40"of the medicament
2 5 delivery system of Fig.l. This embodiment has the same general shape as
the first embodiment,
2 6 namely hand-held unit 40" having a generally cylindrical shaped body with
a flattened dorsal surface
2 7 41 on which are mounted both a trigger 42 and an emergency stop 44 button.
This embodiment
2 s adds a second needle 56' and needle mount 58' Luer lock to the proximal
surface of the hand-held
2 9 unit 40". Although the optional dye applicator pad is not shown, it will
be understood that this dye
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CA 02354824 2001-08-08
1 applicator pad is an option on all ofthe hand-held units. Also not shown in
this view but understood
2 to be mounted on the hand-held unit 40" is an additional light indicating
that an injection is in
3 progress similarly to light 52 in Fig. 3. Two needles 56, 56' are needed
with this embodiment
4 because two medicaments that may not be mixed are being injected, as
indicated by the two
medicament tubings 82, 82' . Quick connect fluid coupleres 196 are mounted on
the terminal ends
6 of both medicament tubings 82, 82' and dye tubing 86, 86' to permit quick,
convenient fluid
7 connection of this hand-held unit 40" to control unit 110. If the dosage is
the same for both
8 medicaments, a second pump100' can be mounted atop the first pump 100, as
shown in Fig. 8,
9 connected to a hand-held unit 40". The two pumps, 100, 100' piggy backed
atop the other, are
1 o interconnected by an drive shaft 134 whereby the pumps turn at the same
rate of speed delivering
11 identical amounts of medicament. If, however, different dosages of the two
medicaments is needed,
12 due to differences in viscosity or potency, or the like, two control units,
110,110' would be needed,
13 as shown in Fig. 9. The tubing from both units would be combined so only
one hand-held unit 40"
14 is needed. Although only one processing of the subject animal occurs, two
injections of different
un-mixed medicaments are given simultaneously to the same subject animal.
16 Fig. 5 is an end view of a fourth embodiment hand-held unit 40"' which has
a pistol grip 30.
17 In this embodiment, the generally cylindrically shaped hand-held unit 40"'
is basically turned upside
i8 down so that the flattened surface is on the ventral side. The trigger 42
is mounted on the front
19 surface of the pistol grip 30 for convenience of the user. This embodiment
has the same elements
2 o on the proximal surface 22, namely a needle mount 58, a hollow needle 56,
an optional dye means
21 170, with associated dye tubing 86, and headlight 46. Added to this
embodiment is safety interlock
22 150 which consists of a solid member 152, which when forced by contact with
the subject animal
2 3 skin, from a first, extended position, to a second retracted position in
alignment with the proximal
24 surface 22, releases the needle mount to allow injection to occur. The
safety interlock 150 is
2 5 designed to prevent accidental injection of the human user of the system.
Accidental injection of
2 6 certain veterinary products can cause severe injury of the area
accidentally injected. Mounted on
2 7 hand-held injection device 40"' is solid member 152, a solid member
preferably of plastic, which in
2 8 its first position, extends at least as far as the tip of needle 56. Solid
member 152 is urged to a second
2 9 position, pushed to the tip of the needle hub 57, as indicated by arrow in
Fig.l l, when the needle 56
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CA 02354824 2004-08-24
and therefore the solid member 152 comes into contact with the body of the
poultry
or other animal. When solid member 152 is biased to the second position, it
completes the electrical circuit and actuates the pump 100 which permits an
injection
to take place. This built-in safety device deters accidental, and severely
injuriaus,
self injection. Needle 56 is replaceable. When needle guard solid member '152
reaches a second position, it actuates a Hall effect switch, such as made by
the
Allegra Corp. of Worchester, Mass., internal of the hand-held injection device
40"'
which controls administration. This Hall effect switch is wired in conjunction
with the
trigger 42 on the hand-held injection device 40"', 40"", making it necessary
for the
trigger 42 to be depressed in order for the switch at the solid member 152 to
work.
This feature adds materially to the safety and reduced fatigue of the
operator, as well
as the speed of operation since the operator can depress the trigger 42
constantly
allowing injection to occur automatically and as quickly as solid member 152
is
depressed.
Trigger 42 is in electrical communication with pump 100. In the fourth
embodiment of hand-held injection device 40"' trigger 42 must be depressed,
and the
needle 56 must be fully inserted, to complete the electrical circuit in the
Hall effect
switch which actuates the pump 100 and results in an injection. This hand-held
injection device 40"' has a safety interlock 152. The other embodiments, 40,
40' & 40"
have an emergency stop button 44, although a safety interlock 152 could be
used on
all embodiments. At this time, a safety interlock is not deemed necessary on
hand-
held injection device 40 because it is primarily used on the ears of cattle
where the
needle is parallel to the ear. A safety interlock would not have any animal
body part
to urge the interlock to it's second, retracted, position. Also at this time,
a safety
interlock is not deemed necessary on hand-held injection device 40' because
this
embodiment is primarily used on soft-tissued animals such as poultry where
again
the safety interlock would not have a substantial body part to urge the
interlock to it's
second, retracted, position. A dye source is indicated at 60 with its
associated tubing
86 which interconnects, again by a quick connect fluid coupler, to conduit
tubing 78
that is in fluid communication with hand-held injection device 40"'.
Fig. 6 is an external illustration of the control unit 110 of the medicament
delivery system 20 of this invention with pump 100 mounted on top. In all
embodiments, control unit provides electrical power to hand held units 40 as
well as electronic information is set in electronic control to control dosage,
dye
on/off, and amount, injection count and low medicament level as well as the
CA 02354824 2001-08-08
1 automatic reverse feature following each injection. A nine-pin amp
electrical connector 94 connects
2 the electronic control unit 110 to any of the hand-held injection devices
40. A four-pin amp electrical
3 connector 122 connects the electronic control unit 110 to the dye pump.
Another four-pin amp
4 connector 124 connects the control unit 110 to the battery 126. These
different amp electrical
connectors protect against accidental connection of the wrong device to the
outlet at the control unit
6 110. Display 112 is an LCD display which lights up to illustrate the
different modes of the control
7 unit 110, namely, the amount of the selected dosage, the amount of dye used
per subject animal, and
s the count of injections made. The dosage, which is controlled by setting the
number of pulses that
9 are emitted by the electronic photo optic sensor 138 to accurately inject
the desired dose, depends
to on the viscosity and temperature ofthe medicament and must be calculated at
each injection session.
1l For example, very low viscosity liquid, such as water, requires 44 pulses
per 1.0 milliliter (ml) while
12 on the other hand, dosages of high-viscosity vaccines could require as many
as 110 pulses per 1.0
13 milliliter (ml). The number of pulses in an injection is manually
controlled by the up and down arrows
14 106 on the face of control unit 110, can be set at each injection session.
Whether or not to use dye
and the amount of dye used can also be selected by control unit 110. The
amount of dye to be used
16 can be set in 0.1 second increments. The injection count can be re-set to
zero after each injection
17 session by means of the up and down arrows 106. Switches on the face of
control unit 110 include
18 an on-off power switch 114, pump switch 116 that controls forward or
reverse pump, and light
19 switch 120 which controls power to the head lamp 46.
2 o Being able to switch the pump to reverse enables reclaiming of the sterile
serum, or other
21 medicament, that is in the tubing and in the hand-held injection device 40,
and pump 100 itself.
22 Reversing the pump 100 at the end of each job, by switching upwardly switch
116, effectively
2 3 retrieves medicament in the system to the container 70 or to be discarded.
This procedure can then
2 4 be followed by switching the pump switch 116 to "forward" to 'clean-in-
place' the system 20 by
2 5 pumping hot detergent water followed by a rinse, or any cleaning procedure
outlined by the user.
26 In actual use conditions, an on/off switch such as model # SLP 130A4-16,
made by Honeywell,
2 7 Minneapolis, MN power switch has been used although other comparable power
switches could be
2 8 substituted without changing the invention.
2 9 Tubing 80 provides medicament to pump 100 while tubing 82 leads from the
pump 100 to the
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CA 02354824 2004-08-24
particular hand-held injection device 40 selected.
Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the interior of the control unit of Fig. 6.
Electronic dosage control 130 uses a photo-optic unit to control the volume of
medicament fluid pumped by pump 100. Pump 100 drives shaft 134 which turns an
encoder disc 132 that has slots that are placed at a calibrated distance from
one
another around the perimeter of circular encoder disc 132. As the encoder disc
'132
rotates in response to rotation of drive shaft 134, the slots pass between an
emitter
and a receiver of a photo-optic sensor 138. The encoder disc 132 passes
through the
sensor 138. The sensor 138 "counts" the number of slots that pass between an
emitter and receiver. The combination of the distance between the slots and
the
number of slots allowed to pass through the sensor 138 determines the amount
of
serum that is dispersed. This sensor 138 is wired into a circuit board 140
which
includes a micro chip 142 which allows selection and control of the distance
the fluid
travels in pump 100. This method is preferred because of the ease in changing
doses
and in view of the changing viscosities of the medicaments used. To change the
dose, the user manipulates the function mode by pressing the "Function" key
pad
108, of control unit 110. The current number of pulses will flash on the
display 112.
The pulse count can then be changed by pressing the "UP" or "DOWN" key pad
'106
until the correct number of pulses are shown. The press the "Function" keypad
108 to
set the correct dose. The LCD display 112 will then stop flashing.
Counter also displayed on LCD display 112, records a dispensed dosage
every time any of the hand held units 40 is activated. If desired, the counter
keeps a
running total of the number of injections given while the veterinary
medicament
delivery system 20 is turned on. The counter is reset manually by using the
dawn
arrow 106. A micro switch liquid crystal display (LCD) unit, made by Curtis
Instruments, Inc., 204 Kisco Ave., Mt. Kisco, NY 10549, has been used and
works
well although other LCD's could be used.
The dosage is set depending on the number of light pulses sensed by the
photo optic sensor 138. The user determines how many pulses are equal to 1.0
cc of
the injectible medicament and calculates the desired dosage, then determines
the
number of pulses required for the correct dosage. This setting is reached by,
first,
pressing the "Function:" key pad 108, at which time the current setting will
flash in the
LCD 112. Then, by use of the "UP" or DOWN" keypads 106 move the number' of
pulses to the desired dosage setting at which time the "Function" key pad 108
should
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CA 02354824 2004-08-24
be pressed to set the correct dose. Tha LCD 112 will then stop flashing. The
appropriate dose is selected by using the LCD display 112 on control unit 110.
Fig. 8 illustrates the third embodiment hand-held injection device 40" used to
simultaneously inject two medicaments of similar viscosities. Because these
'two
medicaments may not be mixed, for whatever reason, they are run through
separate
pumps, 100 and 100' which are interconnected by an extension of drive shaft
134,
shown in detail in Fig. 7. Tubing 82 & 82' carries the pumped medicaments
separately to hand-held injection device 40" for simultaneous injection. Fig.
9
illustrates the third embodiment hand-held injection device 40" in the case of
desiring
to simultaneously inject two medicaments of different viscosities. Again,
these two
medicaments are not be to mixed, for whatever reason, and are run through two
separate control units, 110 & 110' before being run through tubing 78 & 78'
into hand-
held injection device 40".
Fig. 10 is a side view of a medicament mixing tube 190 with quick connect
fluid connectors 196 at either end. Y-shaped coupling 198 brings together the
two
medicaments to mixing tube 190. This tubing is inserted in the tubing
somewhere
between the pump 100 and any of the hand-held injection devices 40, 40', 40",
40"' or
40"". Injectible medicaments from two different sources may be mixed together
by
use of this mixing tube 190 prior to injection. This is used where the
separate
injectibles are compatible. In the case where they are not able to be mixed
for some
reason, the two injection hand-held injection device 40" is used. In use, the
mixing
tube 190, having a cylindrical barrel chamber 192 with a centrally positioned
mixing
member, double helix fins 194 shaped as two worm gears rotating in opposite
directions, is provided enabling mixing together of two fluids for delivery to
any of the
hand-held injection devices 40, 40', 40", 40"' or 40"".
Optional marking means is provided in the form of an applicator pad 172 that
marks dye onto the subject animal or fowl at the time of injection to
conspicuously
mark an individual within a group that has been injected.
Hand-held infection device
First hand-held injection device 40, shown in detail in Fig. 1 has
a one-piece generally cylindrical housing with a trigger 42 and an emergency
stop button 44 mounted on the flattened dorsal surface 41. A red
LCD 50 indicates low medicament bottle level while green LCD 48
13
CA 02354824 2001-08-08
1 indicates an injection is in progress. Both are also mounted on the dorsal
surface 41. An
2 additional injection in progress LCD 52 is mounted on the distal surface 24
of the hand-held
3 injection device 40, as shown in Fig. 3. Head lamp 46 and dye applicator pad
172 are mounted on
4 the proximal surface of hand-held injection device 40. The needle mount 58,
in actual use a Luer
lock, receives hollow needle 56. Emergency stop button 44 provides means for
preventing
6 accidental injection. The medicament in tubing 84 travels from the pump100
and is joined by dye
7 in tubing 86 . Both are wound together with power cord 88 into a larger
tubing 78 that is
8 received by the distal surface 24 of hand-held injection device 40. Dye
applicator pad 172, into
9 which dye is pumped, extends from the hand-held injection device 40 and onto
the animal to
io automatically mark the animal at each injection. Hand-held injection device
40 is especially useful
1l in injection of thin-skinned areas, for example, the ears of cattle.
12 Hand -held unit 40', shown in Figs. 2 & 3 , is similar in most respects to
the first
13 embodiment but adds a dye applicator pad 172. Hand-held injection device
40", shown at Fig. 4,
14 adds an additional hollow needle 56' and needle mount 58'. In this
embodiment as illustrated in
Fig. 4, has an addition second medicament tubing 82' and power cord 88' .
Emergency stop
16 button 44 provides means by which to deter accidental self injection. The
medicament in tubing
17 82 travels from the pump100 and is joined by pumped medicament in tubing
82' . Both are
18 wound together with power cord 88 into a larger conduit tubing 78 that is
received by the distal
19 surface 24 of hand-held injection device 40". Hand-held injection device
40" is especially useful
2 o in injection of poultry.
21 Hand -held unit 40"', Fig. 5, is similar in most respects to the first,
second and third
22 embodiments but the housing of hand-held injection device 40"' is inverted
and a pistol grip 30
2 3 with the trigger 42 mounted thereon, is added. A safety interlock 152 150,
with solid member
24 152, is mounted on the proximal surface 22, is used as means for preventing
accidental self
injection. The medicament in tubing 82 travels from the pump100 and is joined
by dye in tubing
2 6 86 . Both are wound together with power cord 88 into a larger conduit
tubing 78 that is received
27 by the.distal surface 24 of hand-held injection device 40"'. Dye applicator
pad 172, into which
28 dye is pumped, extends from the hand-held injection device 40"' and onto
the animal to
29 automatically mark each animal at each injection. Hand-held injection
device 40"' is especially
14
CA 02354824 2001-08-08
1 useful in injection of thick skinned animals such as pigs, sheep and cattle
in places other than the
2 ear.
3 All hand -held units 40, 40', 40" & 40"' are equipped with a hollow needle
56 which is in
4 fluid communication, through injection set tubing 82, with the liquid
medicament container 70.
When the needle 56 is inserted, the medicament fluid is injected.
5 In all of the hand-held injection devices 40,40', 40", & 40"', electrical
wiring is
7 connected to port on the control unit 110 by a durable, water resistant
electrical amp connectors
8 94,122,124, such an electrical connector is made by Time Electronic Supply
Co., 7803 Green Bay
9 Rd. Suite 302, Bloomington, MN 55439. A nine-pin amp connector 94 connects
the electronic
control unit 110 to the hand-held injection device 40. A four-pin amp
connector 122 connects the
11 electronic control unit 110 to the dye pump. Another four-pin amp connector
124 connects the
12 control unit 110 to the battery 126. These different amp connectors protect
against accidental
13 connection of the wrong device to the outlet at the control unit 110. A
quick connect fluid
14 coupler 196, such as that made by Coulder Products Co., 1001 Westgate Dr.
St. Paul, MN
55114, connects the injection set tubing 80, 82 to pump 100 and also to mixing
tube 190. The
16 quick connect fluid couplers 196 enable the user to select the hand-held
injection device 40, 40',
17 40" or 40"' needed and also to disconnect the tubing when replacement is
needed. The quick
18 connect fluid couplers 196 also permits the hand-held injection devices 40,
40', 40" or 40"' to be
19 disconnected for ease of transportation and storage. Additionally, the
quick connect fluid
2 o couplers 196 are water proof to a submersible depth of three feet. This
connector seals tightly
21 and will prevent dirt and grime from entering the electric contacts that
they are protecting.
22 All hand-held injection devices 40, 40', 40" & 40"' are also equipped with
a light emitting
2 3 diode as an illuminating head lamp 46, mounted adjacent to the needle 56.
A diode such as model
24 HLMP-1503, made by Gilway manufacturer has been used and works well
although other light
2 5 emitting sources could also be used. Head lamp 46, is in electrical
communication with battery
2 6 126, Fig.l, provides illumination in low light areas, such as barns, and
further attracts attention to
27 the needle 56 to prevent accidental self injection by user. Poultry are
vaccinated in low light in
2 8 order to keep the birds calm.
29 Several indicator lights are located on all hand-held injection devices 40,
40', 40", &
CA 02354824 2001-08-08
1 40"'. Low serum bottle level is indicated by red LCD signal light 50 set to
the count and will
2 light when the bottle is down to approximately 10% of capacity, e.g. in a
250m1 bottle, signal
3 light 50 lights when the bottle is down to about 25. A green LCD 48 mounted
on hand-held
4 injection devices 40, 40', 40" light to indicate an injection is in
progress. These LCDs are in
electrical communication with battery 126 by means of wiring 88. The reverse
mode is used to
6 retrieve unused medicament at the end of each job thereby reducing waste of
medicament. The
7 reverse mode must be set, by means of the "function" button 108 and the down
arrow 106 prior
8 to the dosage being set. In actual use conditions, a simple LCD, such as
made by model
9 MV-1000 made by Gilway has been used and works well however other LCDs
having similar
l0 features could be used.
11 In all of the hand-held injection devices 40, 40' , 40" & 40"' optional dye
means is
12 simultaneflusly dabbed from dye applicator pad 172 to mark the animal or
fowl injected, the
13 applicator pad 172 interconnected by dye fluid tubing 86 to a dye
container, and is applied in
14 response to again manually pushing main trigger 42 inwardly. There is no
separate trigger for
controlling the dye function.
16 PUMP
17 In use, a peristaltic-type pump 100 creates a vacuum within tubing that
sucks up the fluid
18 from the medicament container 70 by repetitively compressing and expanding
a section of
19 tubing. In actual use conditions, a relatively large bore high density
plastic tubing has been used
2 0 with great success. The size of the tubing bears a direct relationship to
the length of time it takes
21 to complete an injection, namely, the larger the tubing, the quicker the
injection time. This
2 2 repetitively compressing and expanding a section of tubing creates a
vacuum within the tubing and
2 3 provides the force to move the fluid from the medicament container through
the system to the
2 4 hand held unit 40, 40', 40" or 40"' without introducing contamination into
the system. In actual
2 5 use conditions, a peristaltic-type pump such as that made by Barnant Co.,
28W 092 Commercial
2 6 Ave. Barrington, IL 60610, has been used although other peristaltic-type
pumps could be used.
2 7 The peristaltic-type pump 100 may additionally be set so that the serum,
or other fluid
28 medicament, may be sucked up automatically from the hand-held injection
device 40, 40', 40" or
16
CA 02354824 2001-08-08
1 40"' by manually reversing the pump 100, to prevent waste. The pump 100 is
self priming. The
2 user simply continues to push trigger 42 until serum or other fluid
medicament reaches hand-held
3 injection device 40, 40', 40" or 40"'. A second peristaltic-type pump 100'
may be provided and
4 mounted in a piggy -back manner to force a second fluid medicament through
the system at the
same rate for delivery through the hand-held injection device 40". Pump 100 is
driven by motor
6 104, Fig. 7, in actual use a 12 volt motor, model # 33GN2732-276 GHS, made
by Power
7 Electric Products, 2285 Daniels St. Long Lake, MN 51 S has been used
although other similar 12
s volt motors could be used.
9 Because peristaltic pump 100 works on the premise of displacement, pump 100
accurately and
to consistently delivers the same dosage. The dose delivered can be formulated
by multiplying the
11 inner cross-sectional area of the tubing inside the pump 100 by the
distance the tubing is
12 compressed during one cycle of the peristaltic pump. Each time trigger 42
is manually depressed
13 and safety interlock 152 is pushed to its second position in response to
needle 56 being fully
14 inserted, the exact dosage is dispensed by pump 100. This increases
accuracy of delivery of the
dosage and eliminates user error caused by fatigue.
16 Battery 126 powers motor 104. In actual use conditions, a 12 volt, sealed,
lead acid,
17 rechargeable battery, such as model # DG 12-4.2 Guardian made by Douglas
Co. has been used
18 although other similar batteries could also be used. One battery charge
should be able to power
19 the device 20 through one full day of injections.
2 0 CASE
21 Any of the embodiments of veterinary medicament delivery system 20 can be
housed in a
2 2 resilient, light weight material backpack, or other housing, so long as
the housing protects the
2 3 various elements of the veterinary medicament delivery system 20 from dirt
and dust. Having the
2 4 system stored in a backpack enhances portability and storage of the system
20.
2 5 Draw-off needle is held in place inside medicament container 70. Tubing 80
is attached at
2 6 a first end to intake tubing and at a second end to a lead-in tubing for a
peristaltic-type pump
2 7 100.
2 s MIXING TUBE
17
CA 02354824 2001-08-08
1 An optional mixing tube 190, Fig. 10, is provided to mix together two
medicaments prior
2 to the medicaments being injected. Mixing tube 190 consists of a chamber 192
with double helix-
3 shaped fins 194 that, when two fluids are introduced through a Y-shaped
coupling 198, the two
4 fluids are intermixed as they are pushed down mixing tube before exiting
through quick connect
fluid coupler 196. As fluids flow through mixing tube 190, the fluids, not
shown, pass over a
6 series of stationary, helical-shaped fins 194 which causes the fluids to
fold over on themselves. In
7 this manner the fluids are completely mixed in a short distance, e.g. three
inches.
8
9 DYE APPLICATOR
1 o Dye reservoir 60 has an intake tubing affixed to reservoir 60 that draws
up dye in response
11 to a separate dye pump. Dye is drawn into dye tubing 86 in fluid
communication with any of the
12 hand-held injection devices 40, 40', 40" or 40"', but especially with 40"'.
Dye intake tubing 86
13 draws up dye in response to activation of a dye pump in response to
activation of the dye pump
14 by the injection circuit. This pump delivers dye to the applicator pad in
increments of 0.1 second
for each injection. By setting the dye pump at zero, the dye can be
discontinued if desired.
16 Dye applicator pad 172 is mounted on the proximal surface 22 of hand-held
injection
17 device 40, 40', 40", or 40"' adjacent needle 56 and head lamp 46. Dye
applicator pad 172 is in
18 fluid communication with dye reservoir 60. It has been found that dye is
dabbed onto the animal's
19 coat or skin simultaneously with the injection works well. The 'dye
applicator pad dabs the dye in
2 0 0. I second increments, depending on the control unit 110 setting. The dye
marks the animal
21 injected so that it is easy to distinguish between animals that have been
vaccinated or injected and
2 2 those that have not. This feature is a switched function and can be turned
on or off according to
2 3 the needs of the job, as set by the function key of control unit 110.
24 DOSAGE CONTROL
In all embodiments, the selected dosage is administered cleanly and
completely, without
2 6 dripping because the-pump 100 is set to automatically reverse at the end
of each injection. The
2 7 amount of this reverse is set into control unit 110 before the dosage is
set. This automatic reverse
2 8 prevents serum, or other fluid medicament, from flowing out of the end of
the hand-held injection
29 device 40, 40', 40", or 40"' due to latent pressure. A quick reverse after
each injection prevents
18
CA 02354824 2001-08-08
1 drip. It is important, also, to retrieve unused medicament at the end of
each injection session.
2 The pump reverse switch is used to retrieve unused medicament at the end of
the injection
3 session. The need for reversing fluid flow does not allow for use of a
delivery valve because such
4 a valve would prevent any reverse action.
It is an important feature of this system that it does not include a delivery
valve. The
6 absence of a delivery valve necessitates a positive, abrupt stop upon the
completion of each
7 injection followed by a quick reverse by which drip can be prevented. The
injection process,
8 therefore, involves an automatic abrupt stop upon delivery of each dose,
immediately followed by
9 a short pre-set reverse sufl'icient to prevent any drip. This reverse can
differ according to the
1 o viscosity of the medicament and should be set prior to the start of each
injection session, usually 8
11 -10 pulses. By setting this reverse action prior to setting the correct
dosage, the precise delivery
12 of each injection is not impaired. The automatic reverse is set using the
"Function" keypad 108
13 and the down arrow 106 on the front of control unit 110.
14 Electronic dosage control 130 uses a photo-optic sensor 138, shown in
detail in Fig. 7 ,
to control the volume of medicament fluid pumped by pump 100. Pump 100 drives
shaft 134
16 that turns an encoder disc 132 that has slots that are placed at a
calibrated distance from one
1'7 another around the perimeter of circular encoder disc 132. As the encoder
disc 132 rotates in
18 response to rotation of drive shaft 134, the slots pass between an emitter
and a receiver of the
19 photo-optic sensor 138. As the encoder disc 132 passes through the sensor
138, the sensor 138
2 0 "counts" the number of slots that pass between an emitter and a receiver
inside a dark housing
21 within the control unit 110 adjacent the pump 100. The combination of the
distance between the
2 2 slots and the number of slots allowed to pass through the sensor 138
determines the amount of
2 3 medicament that is dispersed. This amount is dependent on the viscosity of
the medicament and
2 4 the temperature of the medicament. Setting the required number of pulses
by the photo-optic
2 5 sensor to accurately administer the necessary precise dose is usually
accomplished by taking
2 6 measure of a set number of pulses, maybe 200, then calculating the
required pulses for the desired
27 dose. In actual use conditions, the photo-optic encoder disc 132 has 72
slots although other
2 8 sized discs with other numbers of slots, could be calibrated for use.
Since the sensor 138
29 responds positively in individual slots, it is possible to set the dosage
to within 0.0138 milliliter
19
CA 02354824 2001-08-08
1 (ml) accuracy. The pump stops abruptly upon the delivery of each dose, then
automatically
2 reverses to the number of pre-set pulses in order to stop drip. Usually 10
pulses are sufficient to
3 clear the needle 56 of any drip. This sensor 138 is wired into a circuit
board 140 for dosage
4 selection control, one of the functions of control unit 110 of Figs. 1, 6, 8
& 9 which allows
selection and control of the distance the fluid travels in pump 100. To change
the dose,
6 manipulate a switch of dosage selection control and select the dose from a
selectable dosage LCD
7 display 112 by pressing "Function" keypad 108 until "dose" appears. Then,
using the "up" and
8 "down" arrow key pads 106, enter the selected dosage. This number will be
flashing on the LCD.
9 To set the dose, touch the "function"keypad 108 at which time the number
will stop flashing.
1 o Other features of the control unit 110 "function" keypad 108 are:
automatic reverse setting, a re-
11 setable counter and a dye selection, shown in detail at Fig. 1,6,8 & 9.
Counter records a
12 dispensed dosage every time the hand-held injection device 40 is activated.
Counter keeps a
13 running total of the number of injections given while the veterinary
medicament delivery system
14 20 is turned on. The counter is reset manually by pressing the down arrow
106 on control unit
110. The total is recorded by a liquid crystal display 112 on the control unit
110. A micro switch
16 liquid crystal display unit, made by Curtis Instruments, Inc., 204 Kisco
Ave., Mt. Kisco, NY
17 10549, has been used and works well although other LCD's could be used.
18 Up and down arrows 106 are used to select from a range of dose settings LCD
display
19 112, the appropriate dose, the chosen dosage setting illuminated by a
light. Dosage settings are
2 o calibrated into the electronic control unit 110 to accommodate the desired
dose. Also shown
21 are three switches : power on/off 114, pump 116 forward/reverse, and head
lamp on/off switch
2 2 120.
2 3 Veterinary medicament delivery system 20 may be cleaned by flushing with
hot, e.g.
2 4 160oF, detergent/water mixture placed in medicament container 80. To
accomplish cleaning, the
2 5 pump switch on the face of the control unit is set to "forward" in order
to circulate
2 6 cleaning/sanitizing solutions for effective "clean in place". Cleaning
practices vary among
2 7 operators. Flushing with hot detergent water, followed by a clean rinse,
is accepted by many who
28 fear harming the vaccines with disinfectants. Others flush with hot
detergent water and follow
2 9 with an alcohol rinse, which, of course, is then rinsed.
CA 02354824 2001-08-08
1 All the hand-held injection devices 40, 40', 40"& 40"' have two signal
lights on a top
2 surface thereof, namely red LED 50 signaling low medicament, and green LED
48 indicating
3 injection in progress. On the proximal surface 22 of each hand-held
injection device 40, 40', 40"
4 & 40"' dye applicator pad 172 can be mounted which, when powered on, marks
each animal or
bird to which medicament is administered.
In the operation of hand-held injection device 40"', Fig. 5, trigger 42 must
be depressed,
7 and the needle 56 must be fully inserted into animal or fowl, which pushes
safety interlock 152
8 the tip of the needle hub 58 to complete the electrical circuit to actuate
the pump 100 which
9 accomplishes administration of medicament. This double requirement of
trigger 42 being
to depressed and safety interlock 152 solid member 152 pushed to a second
position before the
11 medicament is administered reduces the dangers of self injection. And
because the trigger 42 is
12 being depressed, either serially or continually, rather than manually
pushing a syringe handle in
13 order to pump the medicament into the animal through the needle and against
the pressure of a
14 return spring, this system greatly reduces fatigue and the incidence of
repetitive motion injury in
the operator. Additionally, use of this system 20 permits greater speed of
administration of
16 medicament to the multiplicity of animals or fowl sought to be medicated.
17 In the operation of hand-held injection device 40 , 40',& 40", trigger 42
must again be
18 depressed for each injection. Emergency stop button 44 enables the user to
stop the injection in
19 the case of either piercing the user's skin with the needle 56 or running
the needle through the
2 o subject animal body , ex. the ear. This deters accidental self injection
and accidental waste of
21 expensive medicament in the case of running the needle through the subject
animal body.
2 2 Use of the electronic dosage control 130, permits changing of the dosage
to be
2 3 administered and is especially useful when different dosages are to be
administered in succession,
2 4 however, it would be equally useful in situation where a multiplicity of
animals or fowl were
2 5 administered the same dosage of medicament.
26
27 When it is desired that two medicaments are to be administered
simultaneously, a mixing
28 tube 190, Fig. 11 may be added between the pump100, 100' and the hand-held
injection device 40
2 9 . In addition to mixing tube 190, an additional pump 100' and related
tubing and T-coupling 198
21
CA 02354824 2001-08-08
1 are used to permit mixing of the two medicaments prior to administration.
2 Veterinary medicament delivery system 20 may be cleaned by flushing with
hot, e.g.
3 160oF, detergent/water mixture placed in medicament container 80. Cleaning
practices vary
4 among operators. Flushing with hot detergent water, followed by a clean
rinse, is accepted by
many who fear harming the vaccines with disinfectants. Others flush with hot
detergent water and
6 follow with an alcohol rinse, which, of course, is then rinsed.
7 These important features allow for very precise dose from a self priming,
electrically
8 powered pump through a valve-free system which can prevent drip, include
important safety
9 features to deter self injection, automatically mark each animal, total the
numbers of injections,
to retrieve unused medicament and provide for an easy method of internally
'cleaning-in-place' of
11 the system.
12 Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail
with reference to
13 certain preferred versions thereof, other versions are possible. Therefore,
the spirit and scope of
14 the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the
preferred versions contained
herein.
22
