Localized lubrication of syringe barrels and stoppers
AssigneeBecton, Dickinson and Company
InventorsSandor Gyure, Terry L. Sprieck, Duane L. Schmitt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A medical syringe assembly includes a first opening and a second opening at opposite ends of a tubular barrel having an inner wall. The inner wall includes an inner surface. A stopper having an engagement surface is slidably received in the tubular barrel and includes a portion for engaging the surface of the inner wall of said tubular barrel. A lubricant is disposed over a limited area of at least one member of the inner wall of the tubular barrel and the engagement surface of said stopper, whereby a sufficient amount of the lubricant is available to provide adequate reduction of friction between the surface of the inner wall of the tubular barrel and the engagement surface of the stopper.
Claims12
A medical syringe assembly comprising:
- a tubular barrel having a first opening and a second opening at opposite ends with a wall extending between said ends, said wall having an inner surface;
- a stopper slidably received in said tubular barrel and having a portion in slidable engagement with said inner surface of said tubular barrel;
- and
- a lubricant disposed over a limited area of at least one portion of said inner surface of said tubular barrel whereby a sufficient amount of said lubricant is available to reduce friction between said inner surface and said stopper.
A method of lubricating a syringe assembly including a stopper that is received with a syringe barrel, comprising the steps of:
- (a) selecting a portion of the stopper that has an axial length that is less than a total axial length of the stopper;
- and
- (b) applying a lubricant only to the portion from step (a).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.