Automatic injection device

1. An automatic injection device comprising:

a housing element;

at least one resilient element arranged to be located within said housing element;

a syringe including at least one syringe piston;

a needle guard adapted for selectable positioning with respect to said housing element; and

a selectable driving element adapted, when actuated, to be driven by said at least one resilient element for initially displacing said syringe relative to said housing element from a non-penetration position to a penetration position and thereafter displacing said at least one syringe piston in said syringe to effect drug delivery and displacing said needle guard into a needle guarding position.

2. An automatic injection device according to claim 1 wherein said

selectable driving element is adapted, prior to being actuated, to retain said syringe in said non-penetration position.

3. An automatic injection device according to claim 1 and wherein said housing element includes at least one window permitting contents of said syringe to be viewed from outside said housing element.

4. An automatic injection device according to claim 1 and wherein said needle guard includes at least one window permitting contents of said syringe to be viewed from outside said needle guard.

5. An automatic injection device according to claim 1 and wherein said housing element includes at least one transparent portion permitting contents of said syringe to be viewed from outside said housing element.

6. An automatic injection device according to claim 1 and wherein said needle guard includes at least one transparent portion permitting contents of said syringe to be viewed from outside said needle guard.

7. An automatic injection device according to claim 2 and wherein said housing element includes at least one window permitting contents of said syringe to be viewed from outside said housing element.

8. An automatic injection device according to claim 2 and wherein said needle guard includes at least one window permitting contents of said syringe to be viewed from outside said needle guard.

9. An automatic injection device according to claim 2 and wherein said housing element includes at least one transparent portion permitting contents of said syringe to be viewed from outside said housing element.

10. An automatic injection device according to claim 2 and wherein said needle guard includes at least one transparent portion permitting contents of said syringe to be viewed from outside said needle guard.

11. An automatic injection device comprising:

a housing element;

at least one resilient element arranged to be located within said housing element;

a syringe including at least one syringe piston;

a needle guard adapted for selectable positioning with respect to said housing element; and

a selectable driving element adapted, prior to being actuated, to retain said syringe in a non-penetration position, and when actuated, to be driven by said at least one resilient element for displacing said syringe relative to said housing element from said non-penetration position to a penetration position, said selectable driving element being operative for displacing said needle guard into a needle guarding position,

said needle guard being operative to permit actuation of said selectable driving element for displacing said syringe relative to said housing element from said non-penetration position to said penetration position.

12. An automatic injection device according to claim 11 and wherein said selectable driving element is also operative when actuated, following suitable displacement of said needle guard relative to said housing element and resulting displacement of said syringe relative to said housing element from said non-penetration position to said penetration position, to be driven by said at least one resilient element for displacing said at least one syringe piston in said syringe to effect drug delivery.

13. An automatic injection device according to claim 11 and wherein said housing element includes at least one window permitting contents of said syringe to be viewed from outside said housing element.

14. An automatic injection device according to claim 11 and wherein said needle guard includes at least one window permitting contents of said syringe to be viewed from outside said needle guard.

15. An automatic injection device according to claim 11 and wherein said housing element includes at least one transparent portion permitting contents of said syringe to be viewed from outside said housing element.

16. An automatic injection device according to claim 11 and wherein said needle guard includes at least one transparent portion permitting contents of said syringe to be viewed from outside said needle guard.

17. An automatic injection device comprising:

a housing element;

at least one resilient element arranged to be located within said housing element;

a syringe including at least one syringe piston;

a needle guard adapted for selectable positioning with respect to said housing element;

a selectable driving element adapted, when actuated, to be driven by said at least one resilient element for initially displacing said syringe relative to said housing element from a non-penetration position to a penetration position; and

a motion damper operative to limit impact on said syringe produced by motion of said selectable driving element,

said motion damper comprising at least one elastomeric element;

said motion damper providing varying damping as said selectable driving element moves forwardly relative to said housing element; and

said varying damping being produced by engagement of said at least one elastomeric element with a surface of varying cross-sectional area as a function of forward displacement of said selectable driving element relative to said housing element,

said selectable driving element also being operative for displacing said at least one syringe piston in said syringe to effect drug delivery and displacing said needle guard into a needle guarding position.

18. An automatic injection device according to claim 17 and wherein said motion damper is operative to limit impact on said at least one syringe piston produced by motion of said selectable driving element.

19. An automatic injection device according to claim 17 and wherein said motion damper is operative to limit impact on a flange of said syringe produced by motion of said selectable driving element.

20. An automatic injection device according to claim 17 and wherein said at least one elastomeric element is operative to damp relative axial motion between said housing element and said selectable driving element.

21. An automatic injection device according to claim 17 and wherein said housing element includes at least one window permitting contents of said syringe to be viewed from outside said housing element.

22. An automatic injection device according to claim 17 and wherein said needle guard includes at least one window permitting contents of said syringe to be viewed from outside said needle guard.

23. An automatic injection device according to claim 17 and wherein said housing element includes at least one transparent portion permitting contents of said syringe to be viewed from outside said housing element.

24. An automatic injection device according to claim 17 and wherein said needle guard includes at least one transparent portion permitting contents of said syringe to be viewed from outside said needle guard.

25. An automatic injection device according to claim 17 and wherein:

said varying damping comprises decreasing damping; and

said varying cross-sectional area comprises a decreasing cross-sectional area.