Quick release plunger

• US 10,286,152 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2017
• Issued: 05/14/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayer Healthcare LLC (Bayer AG)
• Original Assignee: Bayer Healthcare LLC (Bayer AG)
• Inventors: Cowan, Kevin P., Rhinehart, Edward J., Trocki, Mark, Tucker, Barry L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mendez, Manuel A
• Application Number:
  US15/687,641
• Publication Number:
  US 20180008780A1
• Time in Patent Office: 624 Days
• Field of Search: 604110, 604218, 604228, 604187, 604233, 604229, 604225
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/31521 Pistons with a forward extending skirt at their front end
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/315 Pistons; Piston-rods; Guiding, blocking or restricting the movement of the rod or piston; Appliances on the rod for facilitating dosing ; Dosing mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31511 Piston or piston-rod constructions, e.g. connection of piston with piston-rod A61M5/5066 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31513 Piston constructions to improve sealing or sliding
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31515 Connection of piston with piston rod
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/5066 Means for preventing re-use by disconnection of piston and piston-rod

Abstract

A syringe system and components thereof are disclosed. The system may include a syringe body having a hollow lumen, a proximal open end, and a distal end. The syringe body may be configured to house a fluid therein. The syringe system may further include a plunger positioned in the hollow lumen of the syringe body, forming a seal with an inner wall of the syringe body. The plunger may include a removable piston having a shaft extending from the distal end towards the proximal open end, a stopper removably connected to a distal portion of the shaft, and at least one coupler attached to the distal portion of the shaft. The stopper may be configured to slidably move within the hollow lumen to facilitate movement of the fluid within the syringe body. The coupler may be configured to facilitate removal and attachment of the stopper from the piston.

Claims

1. A stopper within a body of a syringe to facilitate movement of fluid within the syringe, the stopper comprising:

a base detachably affixed into an opening in a proximal end of the stopper; and

two capture members, the two capture members arranged opposite one another on a proximal surface of the base and extending rearwardly from the proximal surface of the base, each of the two capture members comprising a beveled edge;

wherein the beveled edge is configured to interact with a piston of a fluid injection apparatus and wherein the two capture members are radially outwardly deflected upon rotation of the stopper relative to the piston to facilitate removal of the stopper from the piston, and

wherein the stopper is configured for slidable movement within the body of the syringe and forms a fluid tight seal with an inner wall of the body of the syringe.

2. The stopper according to claim 1, wherein each of the two capture members comprise an inwardly facing shoulder.

3. The stopper according to claim 2, wherein the two capture members extend rearwardly from the base by an amount sufficient to releasably capture and retain a tapered flange on the piston.

4. The stopper according to claim 3, wherein the inwardly facing shoulder of each of the two capture members are configured to engage a circumferential groove proximal to the tapered flange on the piston.

5. The stopper according to claim 4, wherein the two capture members are formed from a flexible material such that each of the capture members flexes radially outward when contacted by a taper of the tapered flange and subsequently snap back to an original position after passing the tapered flange to engage the circumferential groove.

6. The stopper according to claim 4, wherein the stopper is configured to resist disconnection from the piston upon rearward movement of the piston.

7. The stopper according to claim 4, wherein upon rearward movement of the piston radially outward movement of the two capture members is prevented.

8. The stopper according to claim 7, wherein a bending movement of each of the two capture members created by a rearward movement of the piston causes the two capture members to deflect radially inward.

9. The stopper according to claim 2, wherein the two capture members further comprise one or more extensions extending proximally from the inwardly facing shoulder.

10. The stopper according to claim 1, wherein the base comprises one or more helical threads to detachably affix the base to the opening in the proximal end of the stopper.

11. The stopper according to claim 3, wherein upon rotation of the stopper relative to the piston, the beveled edge is configured to be pushed radially outward such that the inwardly facing shoulders of the two capture members are disengaged from the tapered flange.

12. The stopper according to claim 1, wherein the stopper comprises a cylindrical body and is configured to substantially fill at least a portion of a conical shaped distal end of the syringe.

13. A plunger apparatus comprising:

a stopper removably configured to slidably move within a hollow lumen of a syringe to facilitate movement of fluid within the syringe, the stopper comprising;

a base detachably affixed into an opening in a proximal end of the stopper; and

two capture members arranged opposite one another on a proximal surface of the base and extending rearwardly from the proximal surface of the base, the two capture members each comprising a beveled edge and an inwardly facing shoulder,

wherein the beveled edge is configured to interact with a piston of a fluid injection apparatus and wherein the two capture members are radially outwardly deflected upon rotation of the stopper relative to the piston to facilitate removal of the stopper from the piston.

14. The plunger apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a coupler for connection to a distal portion of the piston, wherein the coupler comprises a substantially circumferential groove and is configured to facilitate removable attachment of the stopper to the piston and wherein the inwardly facing shoulders of the two capture members are configured for releasably engaging the circumferential groove.

15. The plunger apparatus of claim 14, wherein the coupler is fixedly attached to the distal portion of the piston.

16. The plunger apparatus of claim 14, wherein the two capture members are configured to move radially outward as a radial distance of the circumferential groove increases upon rotation of the stopper relative to the piston, allowing the piston to be detached from the stopper.

17. The plunger apparatus of claim 14, wherein the coupler comprises a tapered flange extending distally from the circumferential groove, wherein the tapered flange is configured to removably secure the coupler to the stopper by locking with the two capture members of the stopper.

18. The plunger apparatus of claim 13, wherein each of the two capture members is constructed of a flexible material such that each of the two capture members flex outwardly when contacted by a tapered flange and subsequently snap back to an original position after passing the tapered flange to engage a circumferential groove on the piston.

19. The plunger apparatus of claim 13, wherein the two capture members protrude rearwardly beyond a rear surface of the base by an amount sufficient to capture and retain a tapered flange on the piston to resist disconnection of the stopper from the piston.