US 7,150,724 B2Granted

Syringe plunger driver system

AssigneeCardinal Health 303, Inc.

InventorsMatthew G. Morris, Spyros Kasvikis, Donald F. Schwartz

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Abstract

A syringe plunger driver system capable of capturing syringes of widely varying sizes comprises a pair of asymmetric plunger retainer arms pivotally mounted to a plunger driver. The system includes a low profile driver having a length that exceeds its width so that it may be mounted adjacent control modules and other operational modules. The arms are biased toward each other and one arm is longer than the other with a notch on an inside edge to receive the tip of the shorter arm when capturing small syringe flanges. A rotation knob mounted to the front surface of the low profile driver forces the arms apart when rotated to a first rotation position. A force sensor is mounted in the driver to detect occlusions in the fluid line. A processor monitors the force sensed by the force sensor and provides an alarm if the force exceeds a threshold. The driver includes a force concentrator that defines a pushing surface adapted to press against a plunger flange so that the force applied to the plunger flange is concentrated at a defined location for more accurate measurement.

Claims27

Dependent claims

A syringe plunger driver system for engaging syringe plungers of different sizes, each plunger having a plunger piston, a plunger flange having an outer diameter, and a plunger stem interconnecting the piston with the flange, and each plunger forming a part of a syringe, each syringe having a barrel in which the plunger moves, each plunger flange having an inner side facing the syringe barrel and an outer side, the syringe plunger driver system having a plunger driver adapted to move the syringe plunger into the syringe barrel in an operation mode, the syringe plunger driver system comprising:

a pushing surface located on the plunger driver adapted to press against the outer side of the plunger flange to move the flange toward the barrel during the operation mode wherein the pushing surface has a size that is large enough to engage plunger flanges ranging from relatively small to relatively large outer diameters;
a plunger retainer located on the plunger driver adapted to capture adjacent the pushing surface of the plunger driver syringe plunger flanges ranging from relatively small to relatively large outer diameters, the plunger retainer comprising:
a first arm having a first length and an inner edge, the first arm being movably mounted on the plunger driver to engage a plunger flange at a first location thereof;
a second arm movably mounted on the plunger driver having a second length shorter than the first length of the first arm to engage a plunger flange at a different location than the first arm such that the first and second arms apply force towards each other to the plunger flange to capture the flange;
wherein the ranges of movement of the first and second arms are selected so that the first and second arms engage plunger flanges ranging from relatively small to relatively large outer diameters and in the operation mode, the plunger retainer having a plurality of operating configurations at least one of which comprises a tip of the second arm contacting the inner edge of the first arm when engaging a plunger flange that is relatively small and a second of which comprises the first and second arms not touching each other when engaging a plunger flange that is relatively large;
and
a bias device connected with the first and second arms to bias the arms toward each other to capture the plunger flange between the first and second arms.

4 more elements

a pushing surface located on the plunger driver adapted to press against the outer side of the plunger flange to move the flange toward the barrel during the operation mode wherein the pushing surface has a size that is large enough to engage plunger flanges ranging from relatively small to relatively large outer diameters;
a plunger retainer located on the plunger driver adapted to capture adjacent the pushing surface of the plunger driver syringe plunger flanges ranging from relatively small to relatively large outer diameters, the plunger retainer comprising:
a first arm having a first length and an inner edge, the first arm being movably mounted on the plunger driver to engage a plunger flange at a first location thereof;
a second arm movably mounted on the plunger driver having a second length shorter than the first length of the first arm to engage a plunger flange at a different location than the first arm such that the first and second arms apply force towards each other to the plunger flange to capture the flange;
wherein the ranges of movement of the first and second arms are selected so that the first and second arms engage plunger flanges ranging from relatively small to relatively large outer diameters and in the operation mode, the plunger retainer having a plurality of operating configurations at least one of which comprises a tip of the second arm contacting the inner edge of the first arm when engaging a plunger flange that is relatively small and a second of which comprises the first and second arms not touching each other when engaging a plunger flange that is relatively large;
wherein the first and second arms have inside edges facing each other and the first arm comprises a notch on its inside edge for receiving the tip of the second arm and the arms are pivotally mounted to the plunger driver in selected locations such that the bias device will move the tip of the second arm into the notch of the first arm when no flange is present between the first and second arms;
wherein the inside edge of at least one of the first and second arms comprises an anti-siphon ledge configured to engage the inner side of the plunger flange to restrain the plunger flange from movement toward the syringe barrel;
and
a bias device connected with the first and second arms to bias the arms toward each other to capture the plunger flange between the first and second arms.

6 more elements

a pushing surface located on the plunger driver adapted to press against the outer side of the plunger flange to move the flange toward the barrel during the operation mode wherein the pushing surface has a size that is large enough to engage plunger flanges ranging from relatively small to relatively large outer diameters;
a plunger retainer located on the plunger driver adapted to capture adjacent the pushing surface of the plunger driver syringe plunger flanges ranging from relatively small to relatively large outer diameters, the plunger retainer comprising:
a first arm having a first length and an inner edge, the first arm being movably mounted on the plunger driver to engage a plunger flange at a first location thereof;
a second arm movably mounted on the plunger driver having a second length shorter than the first length of the first arm to engage a plunger flange at a different location than the first arm such that the first and second arms apply force towards each other to the plunger flange to capture the flange;
wherein the ranges of movement of the first and second arms are selected so that the first and second arms engage plunger flanges ranging from relatively small to relatively large outer diameters and in the operation mode, the plunger retainer having a plurality of operating configurations at least one of which comprises a tip of the second arm contacting the inner edge of the first arm when engaging a plunger flange that is relatively small and a second of which comprises the first and second arms not touching each other when engaging a plunger flange that is relatively large;
wherein the first and second arms have inside edges facing each other and the first arm comprises a notch on its inside edge for receiving the tip of the second arm and the arms are pivotally mounted to the plunger driver in selected locations such that the bias device will move the tip of the second arm into the notch of the first arm when no flange is present between the first and second arms;
wherein the inside edge of at least one of the first and second arms comprises an anti-siphon ledge configured to engage the inner side of the plunger flange to restrain the plunger flange from movement toward the syringe barrel;
wherein the first and second arms are curved inwardly, whereby the first and second arms are adapted to capture syringe plunger flanges of different sizes;
and
a bias device connected with the first and second arms to bias the arms toward each other to capture the plunger flange between the first and second arms.

7 more elements

A syringe plunger driver system for engaging syringe plungers of different sizes, each plunger having a plunger piston, a plunger flange, and a plunger stem interconnecting the piston with the flange, and each plunger forming a part of a syringe, each syringe having a barrel in which the plunger moves, each plunger flange having an inner side facing the syringe barrel and an outer side, the syringe plunger driver system having a plunger driver adapted to move the syringe plunger into the syringe barrel in an operation mode, the syringe plunger driver system comprising:

a pushing surface located on the plunger driver adapted to press against the outer side of the plunger flange to move the flange toward the barrel during the operation mode;
a plunger retainer located on the plunger driver adapted to capture the plunger of the syringe, the plunger retainer comprising:
a first arm mounted on the plunger driver;
and
a second arm mounted on the plunger driver at a location spaced-apart from the first arm, said first and second arms being asymmetric;
a bias device connected with the first and second arms to bias the arms toward each other to capture the plunger flange between the first and second arms;
and
a control device mounted to a front surface of the plunger driver and interconnected with the first and second arms, the front surface being perpendicular to the pushing surface, the control device including a rotation knob comprising an exposed surface for manual manipulation, the rotation knob having a first rotation position at which the knob moves the first and second arms outwardly into a syringe plunger non-engagement position in opposition to the bias device, and a second rotation position at which the knob does not prevent the first and second arms from capturing the syringe plunger flange;
wherein rotational movement of the rotation knob is substantially parallel to the front surface.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/164,112Filed 5 Jun 2002
Published: US 2003/0229311 A111 Dec 2003
Granted: 19 Dec 2006
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

A61M 5/1458
Pressurised by means of pistons: means for capture of the plunger flange
A61M 5/1456
Pressurised by means of pistons: with a replaceable reservoir comprising a piston rod to be moved into the reservoir, e.g. the piston rod is part…
A61M 5/1452
Using pressurised reservoirs, e.g. by means of pistons: pressurised by means of pistons
A61M 2202/0007
Special media to be introduced, removed or treated: introduced into the body

Family

US 2003/0229311 A1Pre-grant publication · published 11 Dec 2003
US 7,150,724 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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