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US 8,133,198 B2Granted
Medical fluid injector having a thermo-mechanical drive
AssigneeMallinckrodt Inc.
InventorCharles S. Neer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A medical fluid injector and methods for operation thereof. In certain embodiments, the medical fluid injector includes a medium that is expandable and contractible in response to a thermal gradient, a thermal device coupled to the medium, and a syringe interface coupled to the medium. The thermal device may include a heater, a cooler, or a combination thereof.
Claims24
A medical fluid injector, the injector comprising:
- a medium that is expandable and contractible in response to a thermal gradient;
- a thermal device in thermal communication with the medium, wherein the thermal device comprises a heater and a cooler;
- a controller in communication with each of the heater and the cooler;
- and
- a syringe interface coupled to the medium, wherein the syringe interface is movable by the medium, wherein the controller signals the heater to move the syringe interface in a first direction, and wherein the controller signals the cooler to move the syringe interface in a second direction.
2 more elements
A method of operation for a medical fluid injector, the method comprising:
- interacting a first fluid with a first side of a piston;
- and
- moving the piston in each of first and second axial directions solely by fluid pressure acting directly on the piston, wherein the moving comprises:
- expanding the first fluid to move the piston in the first axial direction, wherein the expanding of the first fluid comprises heating the first fluid;
- advancing a plunger of a syringe in one direction in response to movement of the piston resulting from the expanding of the first fluid;
- contracting the first fluid to move the piston in the second axial direction, wherein the contracting of the first fluid comprises cooling the first fluid;
- and
- advancing the plunger of the syringe in another direction in response to movement of the piston resulting from the contracting of the first fluid.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.