U.S. patent application number 17/839679 was filed with the patent office on 2022-09-29 for system for syringe engagement to an injector.
The applicant listed for this patent is Bayer Healthcare LLC. Invention is credited to Luis Castillo, Charles Lang, Stephen Schulte, Christopher Swenglish.
Application Number | 20220305196 17/839679 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000006406095 |
Filed Date | 2022-09-29 |
United States Patent
Application |
20220305196 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lang; Charles ; et
al. |
September 29, 2022 |
System For Syringe Engagement To An Injector
Abstract
An injector system for injecting fluid includes a syringe and an
injector. The syringe includes a body and a plunger movably
disposed within the body. The plunger has at least one flexible leg
extending toward the rearward end of the body. The injector has a
housing with a front plate, a drive member at least partially
disposed within the housing and operable to engage the plunger, and
a syringe release assembly operable to release the syringe. The
syringe assembly includes a syringe release gear that forms an
enclosure for receiving the syringe when the syringe is fully
seated within the housing and a plunger release tube surrounding at
least a portion of the drive member. The plunger release tube has a
first end rotationally engaged with the syringe release gear.
Rotation of the syringe release assembly releases the at least one
flexible leg from the drive member.
Inventors: |
Lang; Charles; (Pittsburgh,
PA) ; Swenglish; Christopher; (Connellsville, PA)
; Castillo; Luis; (Oviedo, FL) ; Schulte;
Stephen; (Gibsonia, PA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Bayer Healthcare LLC |
Whippany |
NJ |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
1000006406095 |
Appl. No.: |
17/839679 |
Filed: |
June 14, 2022 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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17404272 |
Aug 17, 2021 |
11383029 |
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17839679 |
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17073574 |
Oct 19, 2020 |
11103637 |
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17404272 |
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15126598 |
Sep 16, 2016 |
10806852 |
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PCT/US2015/021171 |
Mar 18, 2015 |
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17073574 |
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61955527 |
Mar 19, 2014 |
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61970018 |
Mar 25, 2014 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61M 2205/581 20130101;
A61M 2205/3306 20130101; A61M 5/1458 20130101; A61M 5/14546
20130101; A61M 5/007 20130101; A61M 5/14566 20130101; A61M 5/1456
20130101 |
International
Class: |
A61M 5/145 20060101
A61M005/145; A61M 5/00 20060101 A61M005/00 |
Claims
1. An injector system for injecting fluid, comprising: a syringe,
comprising: a body comprising a rearward end and a forward end; a
plunger movably disposed within the body; at least one syringe
drive paw positioned toward the rearward end of the body; and a
syringe engagement flange positioned toward the rearward end of the
body and extending around a circumference of the body; and an
injector, comprising: a housing having a front plate defining a
syringe-receiving opening therein and a drive member at least
partially disposed within the housing and operable to engage the
plunger disposed within the syringe; and a syringe latch comprising
a plurality of latch members extending toward a center of the
syringe-receiving opening and configured to move from a closed
position to an open position when a force is applied thereto and
from the open position to the closed position when the force is
removed therefrom, wherein the syringe engagement flange pushes
against the plurality of latch members of the syringe latch to open
the syringe latch as axial rearward motion is applied to the
syringe relative to the syringe latch and the plurality of latch
members return to the closed position to retain the syringe within
the opening of the housing when the syringe is fully seated within
the housing.
2. The injector system of claim 1, wherein the syringe latch
comprises a substantially oval-shaped body member and the plurality
of latch members extend toward a center of the body member.
3. The injector system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of
latch members of the syringe latch comprise a first portion and an
arc-shaped second portion extending from the first portion.
4. The injector system of claim 3, wherein the arc-shaped second
portion, when viewed in cross-section, comprises a sloping
face.
5. The injector system of claim 4, wherein the sloping face of the
arc-shaped second portion engages with the syringe engagement
flange to force the syringe latch into the open position.
6. The injector system of claim 1, wherein the syringe latch is
manufactured from a polymeric material.
7. The injector system of claim 1, wherein the syringe latch
comprises three latch members.
8. The injector system of claim 7, wherein the three latch members
are evenly spaced around the center of the syringe-receiving
opening.
9. The injector system of claim 1, wherein the injector further
comprises a syringe release gear that forms an enclosure for
receiving the syringe when the syringe is fully seated within the
housing.
10. The injector system of claim 9, wherein the syringe release
gear comprises an opening formed therein that is aligned with the
syringe-receiving opening of the front plate.
11. The injector system of claim 10, wherein the opening in the
syringe release gear comprises a plurality of teeth formed around a
circumference thereof and the at least one syringe drive paw is
configured to engage the plurality of teeth of the opening of the
syringe release gear.
12. The injector system of claim 11, wherein the syringe is
disengaged from the injector after completion of an injection
procedure by rotating the syringe, thereby causing rotation of the
syringe release gear via the engagement between the at least one
syringe drive paw and the plurality of teeth of the syringe release
gear such that the plurality of latch members of the syringe latch
are forced into the open position which allows a user to remove the
syringe from the housing of the injector.
13. An injector system for injecting a fluid, comprising: a
syringe, comprising: an elongated tubular body comprising a
rearward end and a forward end; a plunger movably disposed within
the tubular body, the plunger having at least one flexible leg
extending toward the rearward end of the tubular body; a syringe
engagement flange positioned toward the rearward end of the tubular
body and extending around a circumference of the tubular body, the
syringe engagement flange comprising: a sloping section; and an
engagement section adjoined with the sloping section; a fluid
injector, comprising: a housing having a front plate defining a
syringe-receiving opening therein and a drive member at least
partially disposed within the housing and operable to engage the
plunger disposed within the syringe; and a syringe latch comprising
a plurality of latch members extending toward a center of the
syringe-receiving opening and configured to move from a closed
position to an open position when a force is applied thereto and
from the open position to the closed position when the force is
removed therefrom, wherein the sloping section of the syringe
engagement flange pushes against the plurality of latch members of
the syringe latch to open the syringe latch as axial rearward
motion is applied to the syringe relative to the syringe latch and
the plurality of latch members return to the closed position to
retain the syringe within the opening of the housing when the
syringe is fully seated within the housing.
14. The injector system of claim 13, wherein the syringe latch
comprises a substantially oval-shaped body member and the plurality
of latch members extend toward a center of the body member.
15. The injector system of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality
of latch members of the syringe latch comprise a first portion and
an arc-shaped second portion extending from the first portion.
16. The injector system of claim 15, wherein the arc-shaped second
portion, when viewed in cross-section, comprises a sloping
face.
17. The injector system of claim 16, wherein the sloping face of
the arc-shaped second portion engages with the sloping section of
the syringe engagement flange to force the syringe latch into the
open position.
18. The injector system of claim 13, wherein the syringe latch
comprises three latch members.
19. The injector system of claim 18, wherein the three latch
members are evenly spaced around the center of the
syringe-receiving opening.
20. The injector system of claim 13, wherein the injector further
comprises a syringe release gear that forms an enclosure for
receiving the syringe when the syringe is fully seated within the
housing.
21. The injector system of claim 20, wherein the syringe release
gear comprises an opening formed therein that is aligned with the
syringe-receiving opening of the front plate.
22. The injector system of claim 21, wherein the opening in the
syringe release gear comprises a plurality of teeth formed around a
circumference thereof and the engagement section of the syringe
engagement flange is configured to engage the plurality of teeth of
the opening of the syringe release gear.
23. The injector system of claim 22, wherein the syringe is
disengaged from the injector after completion of an injection
procedure by rotating the syringe, thereby causing rotation of the
syringe release gear via the engagement between the engagement
section and the plurality of teeth of the syringe release gear such
that the plurality of latch members of the syringe latch are forced
into the open position which allows a user to remove the syringe
from the housing of the injector.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a Divisional Application of U.S.
application Ser. No. 17/404,272, filed Aug. 17, 2021, which is a
Continuation Application of U.S. application Ser. No. 17/073,574,
filed Oct. 19, 2020, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,103,637, which is a
Divisional Application of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/126,598,
filed Sep. 16, 2016, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,806,852, which is a 371
Application of International Application No. PCT/US2015/21171,
filed Mar. 18, 2015, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional
Application No. 61/955,527, filed Mar. 19, 2014 and U.S.
Provisional Application No. 61/970,018, filed on Mar. 25, 2014, the
disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their
entirety.
BACKGROUND
Field
[0002] This application relates to medical injectors and syringes,
syringe interfaces, and syringe plungers for use therewith. More
particularly, the present application relates to front-loading
medical injectors and syringes, syringe interfaces, and syringe
plungers for use with new or existing medical injectors such that
the syringe is mountable upon and removable from the injectors by a
syringe latch.
Description of Related Art
[0003] Medical injectors and syringes for injecting contrast media
into a patient for imaging biological structures are known in the
art. For example, with reference to FIG. 1, a conventional injector
apparatus 10 for injecting a liquid contrast media into a vascular
system of an animal is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,383,858, which
is incorporated herein by reference. This injector apparatus 10 has
a front-loading construction. The apparatus of FIG. 1 utilizes a
syringe 12 capable of being front-loaded into a mounting assembly
14 associated with a front wall 16 of a housing 18 of an injector
20 by a first releasable mechanism 22. The syringe 12 is capable of
functioning in an injection operation without the use of a pressure
jacket (although the syringe may be used in an injector with a
pressure jacket).
[0004] With continued reference to FIG. 1, the mounting assembly 14
is provided with an essentially cylindrical interface 26 for
receiving a rearward end of the syringe 12. The interface 26
includes an annular surface 28, which may be cylindrical or
conically tapered. The annular surface 28 includes a distal ledge,
which is engaged by tabs 30 on the rearward end of the syringe 12.
The syringe 12 is inserted into the cylindrical interface 26 until
the tabs 30 engage the distal ledge to secure the syringe 12 to the
injector 20.
[0005] The syringe 12 comprises an elongated main tubular body or
barrel 32 and a coaxial discharge injection section 34,
interconnected by an intermediate conical portion 36. A plunger 38
is slidably positioned within the tubular body 32 and is
connectable to a second releasable mechanism 40 on a piston 42 in
the injector housing 18. The second releasable mechanism 40 is
formed in part by the plunger 38 and in part by the piston 42.
[0006] The piston 42 and plunger 38 cooperate to eject fluid
contained within the syringe 12 in a desired quantity and at a
desired rate. The second releasable mechanism 40 is designed to
facilitate axial movement of the plunger 38 in either direction
when actuated. The second releasable mechanism 40 is also designed
to engage or disengage the plunger 38 from the piston 42 no matter
where the plunger 38 sits in tubular body 32.
[0007] In operation, the syringe 12 is mounted by inserting the
syringe 12 into the interface 26 in the mounting assembly 14. The
tabs 30 initially move past the annular surface 28 where they
engage the distal ledge to securely hold the syringe 12 to the
mounting assembly 14. The mounting assembly 14 further includes a
forwardly projecting annular ring or collar 44, which functions to
assure perpendicular engagement between the plunger 38 and piston
42. As explained above, the forwardly projecting annular ring or
collar 44 also functions as a seal between a resilient annular
sealing flange 46 on the syringe 12 and the mounting assembly
14.
[0008] The resilient annular sealing flange 46 surrounds the
tubular body 32 of the syringe 12 and is disposed forward of the
tabs 30 a preselected distance essentially equal to a width of the
annular surface 28. Thus, when the syringe 12 is inserted into the
interface 26 in the mounting assembly 14 until the sealing flange
46 engages the annular ring 44, the annular ring 44 and flange 46
create a seal between the syringe 12 and the mounting assembly
14.
[0009] With further reference to FIG. 1, the apparatus also
includes a system for transmitting syringe information from the
syringe 12 to an injector controller 51. The syringe 12 is provided
with an encoding device 48 forward of the tabs 30 but rearward of
the flange 46. When attaching the syringe 12 to the mounting
assembly 14, if the syringe 12 is rotated after the tabs 30 engage
the distal ledge, a sensor 50 is provided in the annular surface 28
to read the encoding device 48. The sensor 50 then forwards the
associated signals to the injector controller 51, which interprets
the signals and modifies the function of the injector 20
accordingly. Examples of the information which could be encoded on
the encoding device 48 include dimensions of the syringe 12, volume
of the syringe 12, content of the syringe 12 (in the case of a
pre-filled syringe), manufacturing information such as lot numbers,
dates and tool cavity number, recommended contrast media flow rates
and pressures, and loading/injection sequences.
[0010] As an alternative to the encoding device 48 being a bar
code, the encoding device 48 also could include machine-readable
raised or recessed surfaces. In addition, the tubular body 32 of
the syringe 12 also may be provided with an indicating mechanism 52
for readily detecting the presence or absence of a liquid contrast
media in the syringe 12. In this instance, the indicating mechanism
52 includes a plurality of integrally molded, textured dots on the
syringe 12, which provide a visual indication of whether the
syringe 12 contains liquid or air.
[0011] Accordingly, while the above injector and syringe apparatus
have proven effective, the engagement reliability of the mounting
assembly 14 discussed hereinabove was found to be insufficient.
Accordingly, a need has arisen for a more reliable syringe/injector
engagement interface.
SUMMARY
[0012] According to one aspect of the device of the present
disclosure, provided is an injector system for injecting fluid that
includes a syringe and an injector. The syringe includes: a body
comprising a rearward end and a forward end; a plunger movably
disposed within the body; at least one syringe drive paw positioned
toward the rearward end of the body; and a syringe engagement
flange positioned toward the rearward end of the body and extending
around a circumference of the body. The injector includes: a
housing having a front plate defining a syringe-receiving opening
therein and a drive member at least partially disposed within the
housing and operable to engage the plunger disposed within the
syringe. The syringe latch has a plurality of latch members
extending toward a center of the syringe-receiving opening and
configured to move from a closed position to an open position when
a force is applied thereto and from the open position to the closed
position when the force is removed therefrom. The syringe
engagement flange pushes against the plurality of latch members of
the syringe latch to open the syringe latch as axial rearward
motion is applied to the syringe relative to the syringe latch and
the plurality of latch members return to the closed position to
retain the syringe within the opening of the housing when the
syringe is fully seated within the housing.
[0013] The injector may further include a syringe release gear that
forms an enclosure for receiving the syringe when the syringe is
fully seated within the housing. The syringe release gear may be
mounted to a rear side of the front plate by at least one syringe
release cam pin. The syringe release gear may also include an
opening formed therein that is aligned with the syringe-receiving
opening of the front plate. The opening in the syringe release gear
may include a plurality of teeth formed around a circumference
thereof. In addition, the syringe drive paw may be configured to
engage the plurality of teeth of the opening of the syringe release
gear.
[0014] The syringe may be disengaged from the injector after
completion of an injection procedure by rotating the syringe. This
causes rotation of the syringe release gear via the engagement
between the syringe drive paw and the plurality of teeth of the
syringe release gear. The plurality of latch members of the syringe
latch are thereby forced into the open position which allows a user
to remove the syringe from the housing of the injector. The syringe
desirably includes two syringe drive paws that are positioned
toward the rearward end of the body located 180.degree. degrees
apart.
[0015] The syringe latch may include two latch members, three latch
members, or any other suitable number of latch members. Each of the
plurality of latch members of the syringe latch may include a first
portion and an arc-shaped second portion extending from the first
portion. The arc-shaped second portion, when viewed in
cross-section, may include a sloping face. The syringe latch may be
manufactured from a polymeric material.
[0016] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, also
provided is a method for engaging a syringe with an injector. The
method includes: providing a syringe having a body with a rearward
end and a forward end, a plunger movably disposed within the body,
a syringe drive paw positioned toward the rearward end of the body,
and a syringe engagement flange positioned toward the rearward end
of the body and extending around a circumference of the body;
providing an injector that includes a housing having a front plate
defining a syringe-receiving opening therein, a drive member at
least partially disposed within the housing and operable to engage
the plunger disposed within the syringe; and a syringe latch
mounted to a front side of the front plate and comprising a
plurality of latch members extending toward a center of the
syringe-receiving opening and configured to move from a closed
position to an open position when a force is applied thereto and
from the open position to the closed position when the force is
removed therefrom; applying axial rearward motion to the syringe
relative to the syringe latch such that the syringe engagement
flange pushes against the plurality of latch members of the syringe
latch to open the syringe latch; and returning the plurality of
latch members of the syringe latch to the closed position to retain
the syringe within the opening of the housing when the syringe is
fully seated within the housing.
[0017] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, an
injector system for injecting fluid may include a syringe having a
body comprising a rearward end and a forward end, and a plunger
movably disposed within the body, the plunger having at least one
flexible leg extending toward the rearward end of the body. The
injector system may further include an injector having
a housing having a front plate defining a syringe-receiving opening
therein, a drive member at least partially disposed within the
housing and operable to engage the plunger disposed within the
syringe and releasably connect the at least one flexible leg to at
least a portion of the drive member, a syringe release gear that
forms an enclosure for receiving the syringe when the syringe is
fully seated within the housing, the syringe release gear mounted
to a rear side of the front plate, and a plunger release tube
surrounding at least a portion of the drive member, the plunger
release tube having a first end rotationally engaged with the
syringe release gear. Rotation of the syringe release gear may
rotate and axially move the plunger release tube relative to the
drive member to engage the at least one flexible leg and release
the at least one flexible leg from the drive member.
[0018] According to a further aspect of the present disclosure, the
syringe release gear may be mounted to a rear side of the front
plate by at least one syringe release cam pin. The syringe release
cam pin may extend through the front plate. The syringe release
gear may include an opening formed therein that is aligned with the
syringe-receiving opening of the front plate. The opening in the
syringe release gear may include a plurality of teeth formed around
a circumference thereof. At least one syringe drive paw may be
positioned toward the rearward end of the body and a syringe
engagement flange may be positioned toward the rearward end of the
body and extending around a circumference of the body. The injector
may further include a syringe latch mounted to a front side of the
front plate, the syringe latch comprising a plurality of latch
members extending toward a center of the syringe-receiving opening
and configured to move from a closed position to an open position
when a force is applied thereto and from the open position to the
closed position when the force is removed therefrom, The syringe
engagement flange may push against the plurality of latch members
of the syringe latch to open the syringe latch as axial rearward
motion is applied to the syringe relative to the syringe latch and
the plurality of latch members return to the closed position to
retain the syringe within the opening of the housing when the
syringe is fully seated within the housing. The syringe drive paw
may be configured to engage a plurality of teeth formed on the
syringe release gear. The syringe may be disengaged from the
injector after completion of an injection procedure by rotating the
syringe, which causes rotation of the syringe release gear via the
engagement between the syringe drive paw and a plurality of teeth
of the syringe release gear, thereby forcing the plurality of latch
members into the open position and allowing a user to remove the
syringe from the housing of the injector. Each of the plurality of
latch members of the syringe latch may include a first portion and
an arc-shaped second portion extending from first portion. The
arc-shaped portion may include a slot formed therein. The syringe
may include two syringe drive paws positioned toward the rearward
end of the body and located 180.degree. degrees apart.
[0019] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a
front-loading medical injector system may include a syringe having
a body comprising a rearward end and a frontward end, and a plunger
movably disposed within the body, the plunger having at least one
flexible leg extending toward the rearward end of the body. The
injector system may further include an injector having a housing
having a front plate defining a syringe-receiving opening therein,
a drive member at least partially disposed within the housing and
operable to engage the plunger disposed within the syringe and
releasably connect the at least one flexible leg to at least a
portion of the drive member, and a syringe release assembly
operable to release the syringe. Rotation of the syringe release
assembly may release the at least one flexible leg from the drive
member. The syringe release assembly may include a syringe release
gear that forms an enclosure for receiving the syringe when the
syringe is fully seated within the housing, the syringe release
gear mounted to a rear side of the front plate, and a plunger
release tube surrounding at least a portion of the drive member,
the plunger release tube having a first end rotationally engaged
with the syringe release gear. Rotation of the syringe release gear
may rotate and axially move the plunger release tube relative to
the drive member to engage the at least one flexible leg and
release the at least one flexible leg from the drive member. The
injector may further include a syringe latch mounted to a front
side of the front plate for securing the syringe to the injector.
The syringe latch may have a plurality of latch members extending
toward a center of the syringe-receiving opening and configured to
move from a closed position to an open position when a force is
applied thereto and from the open position to the closed position
when the force is removed therefrom. At least one syringe drive paw
may be positioned toward the rearward end of the body, and a
syringe engagement flange may be positioned toward the rearward end
of the body and extending around a circumference of the body. The
syringe engagement flange may push against the plurality of latch
members of the syringe latch to open the syringe latch as axial
rearward motion is applied to the syringe relative to the syringe
latch and the plurality of latch members return to the closed
position to retain the syringe within the opening of the housing
when the syringe is fully seated within the housing. Each of the
plurality of latch members of the syringe latch may include a first
portion and an arc-shaped second portion extending from first
portion.
[0020] These and other features and characteristics of the device
of the present disclosure, as well as the methods of operation and
functions of the related elements of structures and the combination
of parts and economies of manufacture, will become more apparent
upon consideration of the following description and the appended
claims with reference to the accompanying drawings, all of which
form a part of this specification, wherein like reference numerals
designate corresponding parts in the various figures. It is to be
expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the
purpose of illustration and description only and are not intended
as a definition of the limits of the device of the present
disclosure. As used in the specification and the claims, the
singular form of "a", "an", and "the" include plural referents
unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional injector
system showing an injector housing and a syringe in a disassembled
relationship;
[0022] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an injector system in
accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure showing the syringe
and the injector housing in a partially disassembled
relationship;
[0023] FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the syringe latch in accordance
with an embodiment of the disclosure for connecting the syringe to
the injector housing;
[0024] FIGS. 4A-4E are cross-sectional views of a portion of the
injector system of FIG. 2 illustrating the steps required for
loading a syringe into the injector housing;
[0025] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the injector system of
FIG. 2 showing the syringe and the injector housing in the
assembled state;
[0026] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the injector system of
FIG. 2 taken along line B-B;
[0027] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the injector system of
FIG. 2 taken along line A-A;
[0028] FIGS. 8A-8D are cross-sectional views of a portion of the
injector system of FIG. 5 illustrating the steps required for
unloading a syringe from the injector housing;
[0029] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an injector in accordance
with an alternative embodiment of the disclosure;
[0030] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the injector of FIG. 9
having the faceplate removed such that an alternative embodiment of
the syringe latch is visible;
[0031] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the injector of FIG. 10
with syringes attached thereto;
[0032] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the injector of FIG. 9 with
syringes attached thereto;
[0033] FIG. 13 is a side view of a syringe configured to be used
with the injector of FIG. 9; and
[0034] FIG. 14 are front views of the syringe latch of the injector
of FIG. 9.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0035] For purposes of the description hereinafter, the terms
"upper", "lower", "right", "left", "vertical", "horizontal", "top",
"bottom", "lateral", "longitudinal", and derivatives thereof, shall
relate to the device of the present disclosure as it is oriented in
the drawing figures. However, it is to be understood that the
device of the present disclosure may assume various alternative
variations, except where expressly specified to the contrary. It is
also to be understood that the specific devices illustrated in the
attached drawings, and described in the following specification,
are simply exemplary embodiments of the device of the present
disclosure. Hence, specific dimensions and other physical
characteristics related to the embodiments disclosed herein are not
to be considered as limiting.
[0036] With reference to FIG. 2, an injector system 100 for
injecting a liquid contrast media into a vascular system of an
animal is provided. The injector system 100 has a front-loading
construction. The system of FIG. 2 utilizes a syringe 102 capable
of being front-loaded into a mounting assembly 104 associated with
a front plate 106 of a housing (not shown) of an injector 108 by a
first releasable mechanism 22. The syringe 102 is capable of
functioning in an injection operation without the use of a pressure
jacket (although the syringe may be used in an injector with a
pressure jacket).
[0037] The syringe 102 includes an elongated main tubular body or
barrel 110 and a coaxial discharge injection section 112
interconnected by an intermediate conical portion 114. A plunger
116 is slidably positioned within the tubular body 110 and includes
at least one plunger connect flex leg 118 that is connectable to a
piston/plunger interface 120 on a piston 122 of the injector 108.
The plunger 116 also includes a plunger sense interrupter 123
extending from a central portion thereof in the direction of the at
least one flex leg 118. The plunger sense interrupter 123 is
configured to interrupt a light path produced by an IR transmitter
140 and IR receiver 142 through a fiber optic cable 144 extending
along the length of the piston 122, thereby providing a signal to
an injector controller (not shown) that the syringe 102 is fully
seated within the injector 108. An alternative embodiment of the
plunger sense interrupter 123 determines the presence/absence of
the syringe 102 without the use of a fiber optic cable.
[0038] The syringe 102 further includes a syringe engagement flange
124 positioned toward the rearward end of the body 110 and
extending around a circumference of the body 110. When viewed in
cross-section, the syringe engagement flange 124 includes a sloping
section 126, a shoulder section 128 extending from the sloping
section 126 that is essentially perpendicular to an exterior
surface of the body 110 of the syringe 102, and an engagement
section 130 extending from the shoulder section 128. The engagement
section 130 is configured to engage a plurality of teeth 132 of an
opening 134 of a syringe release gear 136 of the injector 108 as
discussed in greater detail hereinafter in relation to FIG. 6.
[0039] Since the syringe 102 is being used in this embodiment
without a pressure jacket, for strength and visibility of the
contents of the syringe 102, the syringe 102 may be formed of a
clear PET polyester material. In the alternative, the wall of the
syringe 102 may be formed of polypropylene reinforced by providing
a series of annular ribs on the tubular body 110 of the syringe 102
in a longitudinally spaced relationship. In addition, the syringe
102 desirably includes an encoding device for providing information
regarding the syringe 102 to the injector 108 an indicating
mechanism for readily detecting the presence or absence of a liquid
contrast media in the syringe 102 similar to the encoding device
and indicating mechanism of syringe 12 discussed hereinabove.
[0040] With continued reference to FIG. 1, the injector includes a
housing (not shown) having the front plate 106 defining a
syringe-receiving opening 138 therein. The piston 122 is positioned
within the housing and is configured to extending into and out of
the syringe-receiving opening 138 under the power of a drive
mechanism 146. The piston 122 includes the piston/plunger interface
120 at an end thereof that is operable to interact with the at
least one flex leg 118 of the plunger 116 to engage the plunger 116
disposed within the syringe 102.
[0041] With reference to FIG. 3 and with continuing reference to
FIG. 2, the injector 108 also includes a syringe latch 148 mounted
to a front side of the front plate 106 by any suitable fastening
device 150 for maintaining the syringe in the seated position
within the injector 108. The syringe latch 148 comprises a
substantially oval shaped body member 152 and a plurality of latch
members 154 extending toward a center C of the body member 152. In
the embodiment of the syringe latch 148 illustrated in FIG. 3, two
latch members 154 are included. The syringe latch 148 is desirably
manufactured from a resilient, polymeric material such that the
latch members 154 are configured to move from a closed position to
an open position when a force is applied thereto and from the open
position to the closed position when the force is removed
therefrom.
[0042] Each of the plurality of latch members 154 of the syringe
latch 148 includes a first portion 156 extending from the body
member 152 and an arc-shaped second portion 158 extending from the
first portion 156 and configured to engage the syringe engagement
flange 124 of the syringe 102. The arc-shaped second portion 158,
when viewed in cross-section, may include a sloping face 160 (see
FIGS. 4A-4E) that engages with the sloping section 126 of the
syringe engagement flange 124 to force the syringe latch 148 into
the open position.
[0043] With continued reference to FIG. 2, the injector 108 also
includes the syringe release gear 136 that forms an enclosure 162
for receiving the syringe 102 when the syringe 102 is fully seated
within the injector housing. The syringe release gear 136 is
mounted to a rear side of the front plate 106 by at least one
syringe release cam pin 164. The syringe release cam pin 164 is
configured to be connected to the syringe release gear 136 and
extend through the front plate 106 of the injector 108 into a slot
166 in the arc-shaped second portion 158 of the latch members 154
of the syringe latch 148.
[0044] With reference to FIG. 7 and with continued reference to
FIG. 2, the piston 122 is surrounded by a plunger release tube 168.
The plunger release tube 168 has a first end that is rotationally
engaged with the syringe release gear 136 such that rotation of the
syringe release gear 136 causes rotation of the plunger release
tube 168.
[0045] The process for engaging a syringe 102 with the injector 108
to form an injector system 100 is illustrated in FIGS. 4A-4E. This
process allows for syringe engagement with an injector 108 that
provides a syringe engagement adapted to releasably engage the
syringe 102 with the injector 108 regardless of the rotational
orientation of the syringe 102 with respect to the injector 108.
The syringe engagement uses the flex legs 118 attached to the back
side of the plunger 116 of the syringe 102 and a corresponding
feature on the piston 122 of an injector 108 that provides axial
engagement that does not require any specific rotational
orientation of the syringe 102 to releasably engage with the
injector 108. Additionally, a feature (i.e., the syringe engagement
flange 124) is provided on the outside surface of the rear portion
of the tubular body 110 to transfer rotational movement of the
syringe into a release mechanism (i.e., the syringe release gear
136) implemented in the injector 108 releasing both the syringe 102
and the plunger 116 regardless of the axial position of the engaged
syringe plunger 116.
[0046] The first step in the process for engaging the syringe 102
with the injector 108 is shown in FIG. 4A in which the syringe 102
is positioned axially with the syringe-receiving opening 134 of the
front plate 106 of the injector 108 and is moved axially along the
piston 122 into the enclosure 162 formed by the syringe release
gear 136 in the direction of arrow A.sub.1. With reference to FIG.
4B, as the syringe 102 is inserted, the sloping section 126 of the
syringe engagement flange 124 engages the sloping face 160 of the
arc-shaped second section 158 of the latch members 154 of the
syringe latch 148 and pushes the syringe latch 148. In addition,
with reference to FIGS. 4C and 4D, as the syringe 102 is inserted,
the sloped surface of the piston/plunger interface 120 flexes the
at least one flex leg 118 of the plunger 116 open. With reference
to FIG. 4E, continual movement of the syringe 102 in the direction
of arrow A.sub.1 causes the syringe 102 to be fully seated within
the enclosure 162 formed by the syringe release gear 136. When the
body of the syringe 102 is fully seated within the enclosure 162
formed by the syringe release gear 136, the following items occur:
first, the engagement section 130 of the syringe engagement flange
124 engages the teeth 132 of the syringe release gear 136. In
addition, the syringe engagement flange 124 moves beyond the
arc-shaped second portion 158 of the latch members 154 of the
syringe latch 148, thereby closing the syringe latch 148 to retain
the syringe 102. Desirably, when the syringe latch 148 returns to
the closed position, it provides an audible "click" to indicate to
the operator that the syringe 102 has been installed on the
injector 108. Furthermore, the flex legs 118 on the plunger 116
flex closed engaging the piston/plunger interface 120. Finally, the
plunger sense interrupter 123 of the plunger 116 interrupts the
light path produced by an IR transmitter 140 and IR receiver 142
through a fiber optic cable 144 extending along the length of the
piston 122, thereby providing a signal to an injector controller
(not shown) that the syringe 102 is fully seated within the
injector 108.
[0047] Removal of the syringe 102 from the injector 108 upon the
completion of an injection procedure requires that the syringe 102
be rotated, as described below. This operation is illustrated in
and described by reference to FIGS. 8A-8D.
[0048] With reference to FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B, the rotation of the
syringe 102 causes rotation of the syringe release gear 136 via the
engagement between the engagement section 130 of the syringe
engagement flange 124 and the plurality of teeth 132 of the syringe
release gear 136 as shown in FIG. 6. This rotation, in turn, causes
rotation of the syringe release cam pins 164 along the slots 166
provided in the latch members 154 of the syringe latch 148 as shown
in FIG. 8C. The latch members 154 of the syringe latch 148 are
thereby forced into the open position.
[0049] As also shown in FIG. 8C, the rotation of the syringe
release gear 136 also rotates the plunger release tube 168 about
the piston 122 since the plunger release tube 168 is coupled to the
syringe release gear 136 as described hereinabove. The rotation of
the plunger release tube 168 about the piston 122 causes a cam
action at a release cam surface 170 (see FIGS. 1 and 5) causing an
axial extension of the plunger release tube 168 towards the
syringe-receiving opening 134 of the front plate 106. The axial
extension of the plunger release tube 168 forces the at least one
flex leg 118 of the plunger 116 to flex open to release the
piston/plunger interface 122.
[0050] At this point, a user can remove the syringe 102 from the
housing of the injector 108. Once the syringe 102 is removed, the
syringe release gear 136 returns to original position allowing the
syringe latch 148 to return to the closed position and the plunger
release tube 168 to drop down as shown in FIG. 8D.
[0051] While the syringe latch 148 discussed hereinabove includes
two latch members, this is not to be construed as limiting the
disclosure as any suitable number of latch members may be utilized.
For instance, with reference to FIGS. 9-14, the injector may be
embodied as a dual syringe injector system 200 that includes a pair
of syringes 202a, 202b and an injector 204. As shown in FIGS. 10
and 11, the injector 204 utilizes a syringe latch 206a, 206b for
each of the syringes 202a, 202b that includes three latch members
208 for engaging the syringe 202a, 202b within the injector 204. In
addition, rather than having the latch members 208 connected to a
body member as with the syringe latch 148 discussed hereinabove,
each of the latch members 208 is independent and utilizes a spring
return 210 (see FIG. 14).
[0052] More specifically, with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14, a
syringe 202a, 202b for use with injector 204 includes a body 212
comprising a rearward end 214 and a forward end 216; a plunger (not
shown) movably disposed within the body 212; and at least one
syringe drive paw 218 positioned toward the rearward end 214 of the
body 212. Desirably, the syringe 202a, 202b includes a pair of
syringe drive paws 218 at the rearward end 214 of the body 212
located 180.degree. apart. The syringe 202a, 202b also includes a
syringe engagement flange 220 positioned toward the rearward end
214 of the body 212 and extending around a circumference of the
body 212.
[0053] The injector 204 includes a pair of syringe latches 206a,
206b mounted to a front side of the front plate thereof. Each of
the syringe latches 206a, 206b comprises a plurality of latch
members 208 extending toward a center of the syringe-receiving
opening 222 and configured to move from a closed position to an
open position when a force is applied thereto and from the open
position to the closed position when the force is removed
therefrom. The syringe engagement flange 220 pushes against the
plurality of latch members 208 of the syringe latch 206a, 206b to
open the syringe latch 206a, 206b as axial rearward motion is
applied to the syringe 202a, 202b relative to the syringe latch
206a, 206b and the plurality of latch members 208 return to the
closed position to retain the syringe 202a, 202b within the opening
222 of the injector 204 when the syringe 202a, 202b is fully seated
within the injector 204.
[0054] The syringe 202a, 202b may be disengaged from the injector
204 after completion of an injection procedure by rotating the
syringe 202a, 202b. This causes rotation of a syringe release gear
224 via the engagement between the syringe drive paws 218 and a
plurality of teeth of the syringe release gear 224. The rotation of
the syringe release gear 224 activates the spring returns 210,
which force the latch members 208 of the syringe latch 206a, 206b
into the open position, thereby allowing a user to remove the
syringe 202a, 202b from the injector 204.
[0055] While specific embodiments of the device of the present
disclosure have been described in detail, it will be appreciated by
those skilled in the art that various modifications and
alternatives to those details could be developed in light of the
overall teachings of the disclosure. Accordingly, the particular
arrangements disclosed are meant to be illustrative only and not
limiting as to the scope of the device of the present disclosure
which is to be given the full breadth of the claims appended and
any and all equivalents thereof.
* * * * *