Medical cement monomer ampoule cartridge for storing the ampoule, opening the ampoule and selectively discharging the monomer from the ampoule into a mixer

An apparatus for storing and discharging bone cement monomer, said apparatus including:

• a cartridge having:
• opposed first and second ends;
• a void space between the ends;
• and an outlet opening adjacent the second end;
• an ampoule containing bone cement monomer disposed within the cartridge void space;
• a plunger moveably mounted to said cartridge adjacent the first end of said cartridge, said plunger having a grasping mechanism for holding said ampoule to said plunger so that said ampoule moves with said cartridge, wherein said plunger is moveably mounted to said cartridge to selectively move said ampoule towards and away from the second end of said cartridge;
• a cracking assembly located in said cartridge between said ampoule and the outlet opening, said cracking assembly positioned so that said plunger can move said ampoule against said cracking assembly and having a feature that, when said ampoule is moved against said cracking assembly, opens said ampoule and said cracking assembly being further shaped to define an opening in said cartridge through which monomer is able to flow towards the cartridge outlet opening;
• at least one finger that is moveably attached to at least one of said cartridge or plunger so as to have:
• an engaged state in which said finger blocks movement of said plunger and said ampoule towards said cracking assembly;
• and a disengaged state in which said finger does not inhibit movement by said plunger that moves said ampoule against said cracking assembly;
• a first pressure-actuated valve attached to said cartridge that is normally closed and that is configured to open when a pressure within the cartridge void space is below an ambient air pressure so as to allow air into the cartridge void space;
• and
• a second pressure-actuated valve located adjacent the second end of said cartridge that is normally closed and that is configured to open when the pressure within the cartridge void space is above said ambient air pressure so as to allow the bone cement monomer to exit said cartridge through said second valve and the cartridge outlet opening.

An apparatus for storing and discharging bone cement monomer, said apparatus including:

• a cartridge having:
• opposed first and second ends;
• a void space between said ends;
• and an outlet opening in the second end;
• an ampoule containing bone cement monomer disposed within the cartridge void space;
• a cracking assembly located in said cartridge between said ampoule and the outlet opening, said cracking assembly having a feature that, when said ampoule is pressed against said cracking assembly, opens said ampoule and said cracking assembly further defining at least one opening in said cartridge through which monomer is able to flow towards the cartridge outlet opening;
• a plunger reciprocally mounted in said cartridge adjacent the first end of said cartridge, said plunger dimensioned to, when depressed towards the cartridge second end, press said ampoule against said cracking assembly, so as to cause said cracking assembly to open said ampoule so as to cause the release of the monomer in the ampoule;
• a first pressure-actuated valve attached to said cartridge that is normally closed and that is configured to open when a pressure within the cartridge void space is below an ambient air pressure so as to allow air into the cartridge void space, wherein said first valve opens when there is a small difference in pressure between the pressure in the cartridge void space and the ambient air pressure;
• and
• a second pressure-actuated valve located adjacent the second end of said cartridge that is normally closed and that is configured to open when the pressure within the cartridge void space is above said ambient air pressure so as to allow the bone cement monomer to exit said cartridge through said second valve and the cartridge outlet opening, wherein said second valve opens when there is a large difference in pressure between the pressure in the cartridge void space and the ambient air pressure.