Syringe drive system
First Claim
1. A method for powered dispensing of fluid from a medical syringe comprising the steps of:
- (a) selecting a syringe having a partially closed distal end through which fluid is dispensed, an open proximal end and a cylindrical barrel therebetween, said barrel further comprising lateral extensions which extend radially outward at the proximal end;
(b) providing a plunger piston for said syringe, said piston comprising a plunger on the end to be distally disposed which is sized and shaped to compressibly occlude the barrel when disposed therein, a collet-button on the end to be proximally disposed and a stem therebetween which comprises a shaft which further comprises a plurality of spirally oriented grooves along the length thereof, the collet-button having a hollow core with an internal surface having annular a spiral thread disposed therein, the thread of which cooperatively operates with grooves disposed on the shaft in a screw-nut relationship, and a proximally facing structure for interfacing with a radially impelled driver component;
(c) providing a syringe driver comprising;
(i) a driver housing which is securely affixable to said barrel;
(ii) a motor disposed within said housing to be in line with said barrel when affixed to said housing, said motor having sufficient torque to displace the piston to dispense fluid from said syringe;
(iii) a drive shaft for rotationally displacing a driver component affixed to said motor;
(iv) the driver component comprising a driver part and drive shaft interface to the drive shaft by which drive torque from said motor only rotationally actuates said driver part, said driver part comprising a connecting interface which couples to said structure to said collet-button when in contact therewith to transfer torque from said motor therethrough;
(v) an energy storage device disposed between said motor and said driver part such that displacement of the driver part toward said motor stores energy in the energy storage device;
(vi) a source of power for said motor;
(vii) on-off switch control for connecting and disconnecting the power source to and from said motor, respectively;
(viii) a sensor which determines when displacement of the driver part toward the motor reaches a predetermined site and a predetermined amount of energy is, therefore, stored in said energy storage device;
(d) displacing said plunger piston into said syringe;
(e) introducing fluid into said syringe barrel;
(f) affixing the syringe driver to the syringe such that the connecting interface of the driver component engages the collet-button structure;
(g) applying power to the motor via the on-off control;
(h) thereby, rotating and linearly displacing said collet-button to store energy in said energy storage device;
(i) displacing the plunger piston distally by force of release of energy from the energy storage device to thereby dispense fluid from the syringe.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A syringe driver or pump system based upon a syringe stem and associated assembly having a spiral threaded pattern along the outer surface of the stem, a collet-button which is displaceable along the stem assembly (as a nut is displaced along a bolt) and a spring. All are disposed to provide a cam action, translating rotary activity of the collet-button, which tends to be displaced to compress the spring when rotated, to linear displacement as the force of energy is released from the spring when compressed. Thus, force available for driving effluent fluid flow from the syringe is limited by the energy available from the spring, rather than force and energy which might be directly applied to otherwise displace the syringe stem assembly and collet-button. A digitally activated syringe driver and an electrical motor activated driver is disclosed. A number of electronic control systems for the motor are also disclosed.
107 Citations
51 Claims
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1. A method for powered dispensing of fluid from a medical syringe comprising the steps of:
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(a) selecting a syringe having a partially closed distal end through which fluid is dispensed, an open proximal end and a cylindrical barrel therebetween, said barrel further comprising lateral extensions which extend radially outward at the proximal end;
(b) providing a plunger piston for said syringe, said piston comprising a plunger on the end to be distally disposed which is sized and shaped to compressibly occlude the barrel when disposed therein, a collet-button on the end to be proximally disposed and a stem therebetween which comprises a shaft which further comprises a plurality of spirally oriented grooves along the length thereof, the collet-button having a hollow core with an internal surface having annular a spiral thread disposed therein, the thread of which cooperatively operates with grooves disposed on the shaft in a screw-nut relationship, and a proximally facing structure for interfacing with a radially impelled driver component;
(c) providing a syringe driver comprising;
(i) a driver housing which is securely affixable to said barrel;
(ii) a motor disposed within said housing to be in line with said barrel when affixed to said housing, said motor having sufficient torque to displace the piston to dispense fluid from said syringe;
(iii) a drive shaft for rotationally displacing a driver component affixed to said motor;
(iv) the driver component comprising a driver part and drive shaft interface to the drive shaft by which drive torque from said motor only rotationally actuates said driver part, said driver part comprising a connecting interface which couples to said structure to said collet-button when in contact therewith to transfer torque from said motor therethrough;
(v) an energy storage device disposed between said motor and said driver part such that displacement of the driver part toward said motor stores energy in the energy storage device;
(vi) a source of power for said motor;
(vii) on-off switch control for connecting and disconnecting the power source to and from said motor, respectively;
(viii) a sensor which determines when displacement of the driver part toward the motor reaches a predetermined site and a predetermined amount of energy is, therefore, stored in said energy storage device;
(d) displacing said plunger piston into said syringe;
(e) introducing fluid into said syringe barrel;
(f) affixing the syringe driver to the syringe such that the connecting interface of the driver component engages the collet-button structure;
(g) applying power to the motor via the on-off control;
(h) thereby, rotating and linearly displacing said collet-button to store energy in said energy storage device;
(i) displacing the plunger piston distally by force of release of energy from the energy storage device to thereby dispense fluid from the syringe. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A syringe driver system comprising:
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a syringe comprising a hollow cylindrical barrel which is open at a proximal end and partially closed at a distal end through which fluid flows, said barrel further comprising extensions which outwardly extend laterally at the proximal end thereof;
a piston comprising a plunger which is compressibly and occludably disposed in said barrel and which is thereby used to displace fluid within the barrel;
said piston further comprising stem apparatus which is securely affixed to said plunger and which extends proximally therefrom;
said stem apparatus comprising an elongated stem, having a plurality of external spirally oriented grooves disposed along the length thereof, and a collet-button releasibly affixable to the proximal end of the stem;
said collet-button comprising a hollow core, said core comprising an internal, nut-like spiral screw thread which is sized and pitched for facile, angular displacement along the grooves of said stem to linearly displace the collet-button relative to the stem;
said collet-button further comprising a proximally facing structure for interfacing with a radially impelled driver component;
a syringe driver comprising;
a driver housing which is securely affixable to said barrel;
a motor disposed within said housing in line with said barrel when affixed to said housing, said motor having sufficient torque to displace the piston to dispense fluid from said syringe;
a drive shaft for only rotationally displacing a driver component affixed to said motor;
the driver component comprising a driver part and drive shaft interface to the drive shaft by which drive torque from said motor rotationally displaces said driver part, said driver part comprising a connecting interface which couples to said collet-button facing structure to transfer torque from said motor to said collet-button when in contact therewith;
an energy storage device disposed between said motor and said driver part such that displacement of the driver part toward said motor stores energy in the energy storage device;
a source of power for said motor;
on-off control for connecting and disconnecting power from said motor;
a sensor which determines when displacement of the driver part toward the motor has reached a predetermined site and a predetermined amount of energy has been stored in said energy storage device. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A driver system for a medical syringe comprising:
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a housing which comprises parts whereby the housing is securely, but releasibly affixed to the medical syringe;
a drive motor disposed within the housing in line with the long axis of the syringe, said drive motor comprising sufficient torque to displace a stem of the medical syringe to thereby dispense fluid from the syringe;
a power source for said motor;
a cam interface between the motor and the syringe stem, said interface disposed to transform rotational displacement of the motor to a linear displacement in a direction opposite to direction of fluid flow from the syringe;
an energy storage device disposed to store energy received from the linear displacement and, thereby, provide an oppositely directed force to responsively dispense fluid from the syringe, said energy storage device having limited energy storage and energy responsive capacity to thereby limit the force which is ultimately provided to dispense the fluid from the syringe. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A syringe driver system comprising:
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a syringe comprising a hollow cylindrical barrel which is open at a proximal end and partially closed at a distal end through which fluid flows;
a piston comprising a plunger which is compressibly and occludably disposed in said barrel and which is thereby used to displace fluid within the barrel;
said piston further comprising stem apparatus which is securely affixed to said plunger and which extends proximally therefrom;
said stem apparatus comprising an elongated stem, having a plurality of spirally oriented grooves disposed along the length thereof, and a collet-button releasibly affixable to the proximal end of the stem;
said collet-button comprising a hollow core, said core comprising an internal, nut-like screw thread which is sized and pitched for facile, angular displacement along the grooves of said stem to linearly displace the collet-button relative to the stem. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
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Specification