Front-loading medical injector and syringes, syringe interfaces, syringe adapters and syringe plungers for use therewith

• US 20040064041A1
• Filed: 05/30/2002
• Published: 04/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayer Healthcare LLC (Bayer AG)
• Original Assignee: Medrad Incorporated (Bayer AG)
• Inventors: Hack, Dennis P., Lazzaro, Frank A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,553,294 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/432
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14208 with a programmable infusion control system, characterised by the infusion program
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14546 Front-loading type injectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14566 with a replaceable reservoir for receiving a piston rod of the pump
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1458 Means for capture of the plunger flange
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/172 electrical or electronic A61M5/16804, A61M5/16831 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31515 Connection of piston with piston rod

Abstract

Embodiments of an injector, syringe, syringe interface, syringe adapter, and piston/plunger assembly for an injector (of contrast medium, for example) are described. Preferably, the syringe is adapted to engage a syringe interface mechanism such that the syringe may be connected to an injector without regard to any particular orientation of the syringe to the injector or to the piston/plunger assembly. The injector piston or drive member includes a sensing pin positioned at a forward end thereof to sense contact with the syringe plunger during advancement of the piston or drive member to contact the plunger. The piston can be advanced automatically upon connection of, for example, the syringe to the injector, or piston advance can be automated to occur after operator initiation. The injector may include or be adapted to accommodate two syringes, which for example provide for simultaneous injection of fluid into separate injection sites on a patient.

Claims

1. An injector system for injecting fluid from at least one syringe mounted thereon, the syringe having a plunger slidably disposed therein, the injector system comprising:

a housing;

at least one drive member at least partially disposed within the housing and operable to engage the plunger of the syringe;

at least one syringe retaining mechanism associated with the housing, the syringe retaining mechanism adapted to releasably engage the syringe; and

a first sensing pin positioned at a forward end of the drive member to sense contact with the syringe plunger.

2. The injector system of claim 1 wherein the first sensing pin is biased in a forward extended position and is forced rearward to impinge upon a sensor when contact with the syringe plunger is made during advancement of the drive member.

3. The injector system of claim 1, further comprising a sensing system to sense when a syringe is attached to the retaining mechanism.

4. The injector system of claim 3 wherein the sensing system further senses the syringe configuration.

5. The injector system of claim 3 wherein the drive member automatically moves forward upon connection of a syringe to the retaining mechanism to engage the syringe plunger.

6. The injector system of claim 5 wherein forward movement of the drive member is stopped upon engagement with the syringe plunger but before the plunger is moved forward.

7. The injector system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second drive member at least partially disposed within the housing and operable to engage a plunger of second syringe;

a second syringe retaining mechanism associated with the housing, the second syringe retaining mechanism adapted to releasably engage the second syringe; and

a second sensing pin positioned at a forward end of the second drive member to sense contact with the second syringe plunger.

8. The injector system of claim 7, further comprising

a source of a first injection fluid in fluid connection with the first syringe;

and

a source of a second injection fluid in fluid connection with the second syringe.

9. The injector system of claim, further comprising a first control unit positioned outside of a scan room in which an injection procedure takes place and a second control unit positioned inside the scan room.

10. The injector system of claim 9 wherein an injection protocol for control of the injection procedure is entered at the first control unit which comprises a protocol edit lock function activatable by the operator once injection protocol has been set, a change in injection protocol after activation thereof being associated with deactivating the lock function, the second control unit comprising an indicator of the state of the lock function.

11. The injector system of claim 9 wherein the second control unit comprises an indicator of whether an injection protocol set with the first control unit has been changed

12. The injector system of claim 9 wherein the injector has a mode of operation in which the first fluid is injected from the first syringe and the second fluid is simultaneously injected from the second syringe into a single injection site.

13. The injector system of claim 9 wherein the injector has three modes of operation comprising (1) sequential injection of the first fluid from the first syringe and of the second fluid from the second syringe into a single injection site;

(2) simultaneous injection of the first fluid from the first syringe and the second fluid from the second syringe into a single injection site; and

(3) simultaneous injection of the first fluid from the first syringe and the second fluid from the second syringe into two different injection sites.

14. A method of injecting fluids into a patient to a region of interest within the patient, the method comprising:

injecting a first fluid into a first injection site on the patient suitable to transport the first fluid to the region of interest; and

injecting a second fluid into a second injection site on the patient suitable to transport the second fluid to the region of interest.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the first fluid and the second fluid are the same.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the first fluid and the second fluid are a contrast medium suitable to enhance an image in a medical scanning procedure.

17. An injector for injecting fluid from at least one syringe mounted thereon, the syringe having a plunger slidably disposed therein, the injector comprising:

a housing;

at least one drive member at least partially disposed within the housing and operable to engage the plunger of the syringe;

at least one syringe retaining mechanism associated with the housing, the syringe retaining mechanism adapted to releasably engage the syringe;

a first control unit positioned in a control room, the first control unit including a protocol edit lock function activatable by the operator once injection protocol has been set, a change in injection protocol after activation thereof being associated with deactivating the lock function; and

a second control unit positioned in a scan room, the second control unit comprising an indicator of the state of the lock function.

18. An injector for injecting fluid from at least one syringe mounted thereon, the syringe having a plunger slidably disposed therein, the injector comprising:

a housing;

at least one drive member at least partially disposed within the housing and operable to engage the plunger of the syringe;

at least one syringe retaining mechanism associated with the housing, the syringe retaining mechanism adapted to releasably engage the syringe;

a first control unit positioned in a control room, the first control unit enabling setting of an injection protocol; and

a second control unit positioned in a scan room, the second control unit comprising an indicator of whether the injection protocol set with the first control unit has been changed.