Ampoule and Nozzle Development for Needle-Free Injections

Abstract

A rigid, compact, multi-piece ampoule has been designed and fabricated as a platform to conveniently house different nozzle inserts one at a time to offer increased jet consistency and functional flexibility. Three different nozzle geometries that respectively produce a single axial jet, radial jets, and intersecting jets are designed and fabricated. Through high-speed imaging and injection into tissue analog and ex vivo porcine tissue, these nozzles are demonstrated to have potential for a range of injection applications including intradermal, intratympanic, and traditional uses. The presented ampoule is more successful than a commercial jet injection ampoule in adhering to desired position and velocity trajectories and the energy efficiencies of jet ejections are compared.