US 4,589,870 A · Incremental actuator for syringe

Abstract

A manually operated actuator is described with which small incremental motions of a rod are obtained to advance a piston of a prefilled syringe. The device employs a reciprocally actuated drive element with a hole through which the rod passes freely when the drive element is in a release position. When the drive element is pivoted to a rod engaging position a pair of edges formed by the hole engage the rod and advance it an increment depending upon the amount of linear movement of the drive element. A back-up inhibitor is employed to prevent the rod from moving back when the drive element is returned to a release position. The back-up inhibitor is syringe responsive by employing a mechanism which causes engagement of the rod by the inhibitor when a syringe is attached to the actuator housing. A syringe with specially adapted flanges is described for use with the actuator.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A manually operated actuator for a prefilled syringe containing a piston which is to be incrementally moved comprising:

a housing;
an elongated rod mounted to the housing for movement along the longitudinal axis of the rod between a retracted and an extended position outside the housing and for effectively engaging the piston to move it within the syringe;
means for imparting incremental motion to the rod along its longitudinal axis;
said housing having a means for receiving and retaining a portion of said syringe with its piston in alignment with the rod so that movement of the rod will cause movement of the piston,
back-up inhibitor means extending from said retaining means to said rod for operatively engaging the rod when a said syringe portion is held by the retaining means and disengaging from said rod in the absence of a said syringe portion from said retaining means so that said syringe piston can be brought into operative contact with the rod without movement of the piston until the syringe portion is held by the retaining means.

2 more elements

A manually operated actuator for a prefilled syringe containing a piston which is to be incrementally moved comprising:

a housing;
an elongated rod mounted to the housing for movement along the longitudinal axis of the rod between a retracted and an extended position and sized to engage the piston within the syringe;
a drive element movably mounted to the housing relative to a first seating surface, said drive element having a hole through which the rod passes, said hole having oppositely located drive edges past which the rod moves;
means for urging said drive element towards the first seating surface, with said hole being shaped so that the drive element at said first seating surface is in a release position enabling the rod to freely move through the hole of the drive element;
means for moving the drive element towards a pivoted position for engagement of said drive edges with the rod and for further linear incremental movement of the rod;
a back-up inhibitor movably mounted to the housing between release and rod retaining positions, means for forming a seating surface for said inhibitor, said latter seating surface comprising a stationary and a movable surface so that said inhibitor can be pivoted relative to the stationary surface;
means for urging said back-up inhibitor towards the seating surface;
said inhibitor having a hole through which the rod passes freely when said inhibitor is in its release position, said latter hole having a rod engaging edges and being sized to cause said edges to engage and retain the rod when the inhibitor is pivoted relative to the stationary seating surface;
and
means responsive to a syringe mounted to the housing for moving said movable surface to cause said inhibitor to retain the rod.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Incremental actuator for syringe

Life of this patent

Incremental actuator for syringe

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims13