Liquid injection system with cylinder adapter holding cylinder flange of liquid syringe with pair of movable holders

• US 20040249276A1
• Filed: 05/28/2004
• Published: 12/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nemoto Kyorindo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nemoto Kyorindo Company Limited
• Inventors: Nemoto, Shigeru, Tano, Nobuhisa
• Granted Patent: US 7,182,751 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/432
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/007 for contrast media
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14546 Front-loading type injectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1456 with a replaceable reservoir comprising a piston rod to be moved into the reservoir, e.g. the piston rod is part of the removable reservoir
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/01 Motorized syringe

Abstract

A cylinder adapter holds a cylinder flange of a liquid syringe with movable holders that are selectively openable and closable. The cylinder adapter can reliably hold the liquid syringe.

Claims

1. A liquid injection system comprising:

liquid syringes in various sizes and/or shapes each having a hollow cylinder with a cylinder flange disposed on the outer circumferential edge of an end thereof and a piston slidably inserted in said cylinder though a cylinder opening defined in the opposite end of said cylinder;

at least one size and/or shape of cylinder adapter for receiving the cylinder of at least one of said liquid syringes which is placed from above into the cylinder adapter; and

a liquid injector for separately holding the cylinder of the liquid syringe received with said cylinder adapter and the piston thereof, said liquid injector having a syringe actuating mechanism for moving said cylinder and said piston relatively to each other in longitudinal axial directions thereof;

said cylinder adapter comprising;

an adapter body having a recess for receiving said cylinder which is removably placed from above into the adapter body;

a pair of laterally spaced movable holders having arcuate grooves defined in inner edges thereof for disengageably receiving said cylinder flange of said liquid syringe which extends in the longitudinal axial directions; and

holder pivot support mechanisms by which said movable holders are pivotally supported for vertical angular movement between an open position in which said movable holders are open upwardly for allowing said cylinder flange to be inserted into said grooves, and a closed position in which said cylinder flange is retained at opposite sides thereof in said grooves.

2. A liquid injection system according to claim 1, wherein said cylinder adapter has a holder holding mechanism for holding said movable members in at least said closed position.

3. A liquid injection system according to claim 2, wherein said holder holding mechanism comprises a plurality of members disposed on upper ends of said movable holders for mutually disengageable engagement with each other.

4. A liquid injection system according to claim 2, wherein said cylinder adapter has a holder biasing mechanism for normally biasing said movable holders to said open position.

5. A liquid injection system according to claim 1, wherein said cylinder adapter has a stationary holder having an arcuate groove defined in an upper surface thereof for disengageably receiving a lower portion of said cylinder flange, said movable holders each being disposed on each side of said stationary holder.

6. A liquid injection system according to claim 1, wherein said movable holders have respective lower ends positioned downwardly of axes of said holder pivot support mechanisms when said movable holders are held in said closed position.

7. A liquid injection system according to claim 1, wherein said movable holders have manually operable members disposed respectively on upper ends thereof.

8. A liquid injection system according to claim 1, wherein said adapter body, said movable holders, and said holder pivot support mechanisms are made of a nonmagnetic material.

9. A liquid injection system according to claim 1, wherein said liquid injector is arranged to allow said cylinder adapter to be installed thereon when said movable holders are held in said closed position, and to prevent said cylinder adapter from being installed thereon when said movable holders are held in said open position.

10. A liquid injection system according to claim 1, wherein said liquid injector comprises:

closed-position detecting means for detecting when said movable holders of the cylinder adapter installed in the liquid injector are held in said closed position.

11. A liquid injection system according to claim 10, wherein said liquid injector comprises:

a syringe actuating mechanism for sliding said piston; and

control means for controlling said syringe actuating mechanism so as to be inoperable if said closed-position detecting means does not detect when said movable holders are held in said closed position.

12. A liquid injection system according to claim 1, wherein said liquid injector comprises:

a recess for receiving a liquid syringe having a maximum size which is directly placed therein or a liquid syringe having a size other than said maximum size which is placed therein with said cylinder adapter; and

a flange holding mechanism disposed rearwardly of said recess for removably holding the cylinder flange of said liquid syringe having the maximum size;

said cylinder adapter having an adapter flange removable held by said flange holding mechanism.

13. A liquid injection system according to claim 1, wherein said liquid injector comprises:

an adapter holding mechanism for securing said cylinder adapter which is removably mounted on the liquid injector.

14. A liquid injection system according to claim 13, wherein said cylinder adapter has a connector lug projecting from a lower surface thereof, said connector lug having a connector hole defined therein which is open in at least one of the longitudinal axial directions, and wherein said adapter holding mechanism comprises:

a connector member for removably engaging in said connector hole of said cylinder adapter; and

a member support mechanism for supporting said connector member for movement in the longitudinal axial directions.

15. A cylinder adapter for use in the liquid injection system according to claim 1 comprising:

an adapter body having a recess for receiving said cylinder which is removably placed from above into the adapter body;

a pair of laterally spaced movable holders having arcuate grooves defined in inner edges thereof for disengageably receiving said cylinder flange of said liquid syringe which extends in the longitudinal axial directions; and

holder pivot support mechanisms by which said movable holders are pivotally supported for vertical angular movement between an open position in which said movable holders are open upwardly for allowing said cylinder flange to be inserted into said grooves, and a closed position in which said cylinder flange is retained at opposite sides thereof in said grooves.

16. A liquid injector for use in the liquid injection system according to claim 9, wherein said liquid injector is arranged to allow said cylinder adapter to be installed thereon when said movable holders are held in said closed position, and to prevent said cylinder adapter from being installed thereon when said movable holders are held in said open position.

17. A liquid injector for use in the liquid injection system according to claim 10 comprises:

closed-position detecting means for detecting when said movable holders of the cylinder adapter installed in the liquid injector are held in said closed position.