Injection device for administering a vaccine

Abstract

A manually-powered injection device that self-administers a painless injection. The injection device provides a method for substantially painless injections of vaccine and other medication into a patient that does not require the use of an anesthetic, that does not require the medical personnel to spend a substantial amount of time performing the injection procedure, that is relatively simple and inexpensive to perform and operate, and that provides a relatively high degree of safety for both the medical personnel and for the patient. The injection needle can have an outside diameter greater than 0.10 mm and less than about 0.38 mm. The vaccine or other medicament can be injected painlessly through the needle and into the patient at a substantially constant volumetric flow rate of about 0.05 μL/s to about 50 μL/s, typically over a 3- to 5-minute period of time. The injection device is configured for easy handling, and is manually powered by the use of the hand or fingers of the medical technician, patient or other person.