Needle magazine

Abstract

A needle magazine for storing and selectively dispensing a plurality of needle assemblies is comprised of a modules that are located adjacent each other and connected together side-by-side. The modules may be box shaped and provided on one side surface with a pin. A side opposite the side surface having the pin has a pin-receiving hole in which the pin of an adjacent module is secured. This allows an individual user to customize the capacity of the magazine based on the user's individual needs by joining as many or as few modules as needed. In some embodiments, a peg is used to secure the modules together. Each module may have a channel that accommodates the peg, thereby allowing a user to arrange the modules side-by-side and secure them with the peg. Also disclosed are methods for attaching needles stored in magazines directly non-symmetrical injection devices

We claim:  
     
         1 . A needle magazine for storing a plurality of needle units each comprising a needle assembly and for selectively dispensing the needle assemblies therefrom, the magazine comprising: 
 a base member comprised of individual modules, wherein each module comprises at least one needle unit engaging hole for storing one of the needle units; and    a means for allowing a patient to connect the individual modules together, thereby allowing the capacity of the magazine to be cusomized.    
     
     
         2 . A needle magazine according to  claim 1 , wherein each module is box shaped and comprises: 
 an upper surface that includes the needle unit engaging hole;    a bottom surface located opposite the upper surface; and    four side surfaces located there between.    
     
     
         3 . A needle magazine according to  claim 2 , wherein: 
 each module further comprises a longitudinal channel provided between two of the opposite side surface;    a plurality of the modules are located adjacent to each other with their longitudinal channels aligned to form a longitudinal tunnel; and    a peg is disposed in the longitudinal tunnel connecting the adjacent modules together.    
     
     
         4 . A needle magazine according to  claim 2 , wherein: 
 each module comprises a longitudinal channel between two of the opposite side surfaces;    a plurality of modules are aligned side-by-side with their longitudinal channels aligned to form a tunnel;    and the plurality of modules that are aligned side-by-side are connected together by mounting a number of pins in the longitudinal tunnel.    
     
     
         5 . A needle magazine according to  claim 4 , wherein the pin has a first portion and a second portion that are each approximately half the length of the pin, the first portion located in the longitudinal channel of one module and the second portion of the pin located in the longitudinal channel of an adjacent module.  
     
     
         6 . A needle magazine according to  claim 2 , wherein each module comprises a pin located at least on one of the side surfaces, and a pin receiving hole provided on the opposite side surface, thereby allowing a number of modules to be connected together side-by-side, by entering the pin of one module into one of the pin receiving holes of an adjacent module.  
     
     
         7 . A needle magazine according to  claim 1  further comprising: 
 a lid covering the needle unit engaging holes from above;  
 a plurality of grooves disposed two of the side surfaces located opposite each other for allowing the lid to slide; and  
 a means for sliding the lid along the grooves.  
 
     
     
         8 . A needle magazine according to  claim 1 , wherein each needle unit engaging hole comprises at least one needle unit engaging element for engaging a needle magazine engaging element on the needle unit, thereby allowing the needle units to be non-rotatably stored in the needle unit engaging hole.  
     
     
         9 . A method for mounting a needle stored in magazine to an injection device that comprises an abutment that abuts a patient's skin during an injection, the method comprising the steps of: 
 inserting a portion of the injection device into the magazine; and    rotating the injection device relative to the magazine thereby securing a needle to the injection device.    
     
     
         10 . A needle magazine kit comprising: 
 a plurality of needle unit holding modules having a means for holding a needle unit; and    a means for joining the modules together to form a magazine that is adapted for particular needs of an individual user.    
     
     
         11 . The needle magazine kit of  claim 10 , wherein each module has a channel and wherein the joining means utilizes the channel for joining the modules together.  
     
     
         12 . The needle magazine kit of  claim 11 , further comprising a lid that covers the needle unit holding means.  
     
     
         13 . The needle magazine kit of  claim 12 , further comprising a means for opening the lid to allow selective access to the needle holding means.  
     
     
         14 . The needle magazine kit of  claim 11 , wherein the joining means is an integral part of each module.  
     
     
         15 . The needle magazine kit of  claim 11 , wherein the joining means allows each module to be rotated relative to the magazine as a whole.  
     
     
         16 . The needle magazine kit of  claim 15 , wherein the joining means has a length greater than the length of two modules.  
     
     
         17 . The needle magazine kit of  claim 11 , wherein the needle unit holding means has a means for preventing rotation of the needle unit relative to the magazine.  
     
     
         18 . The needle magazine of  claim 11 , further comprising a means for allowing a non-symmetrical injection device to load a needle unit directly from the magazine kit after the kit is assembled by a user.  
     
     
         19 . The needle magazine kit of  claim 11 , further comprising a means for maintaining sterility of the needle units.  
     
     
         20 . The needle magazine kit of  claim 11 , wherein each module comprises a raised portion and wherein the means for holding the needle unit is located, at least in part, within the raised portion.