Venting syringe plunger

• US 20070078392A1
• Filed: 10/03/2005
• Published: 04/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ultradent Products Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Ultradent Products Incorporated
• Inventors: Sheetz, Jared, Tuttle, Richard, Jessop, Neil, McLean, Bruce, Bills, Dan
• Granted Patent: US 7,503,905 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/122
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 5/62 Applicators, e.g. syringes or guns
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 9/0026 Syringes or guns for injecting impression material; Mixing impression material for immediate use
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 17/00593 Hand tools of the syringe type

Abstract

A venting syringe plunger assembly for use with a syringe system allows for venting of gas from the syringe system during use. The plunger assembly includes a hollow outer sleeve having an interior surface, and an inner stem having an exterior surface. At least a portion of the inner stem is disposed within the outer sleeve so as to be movable (e.g., slidable) within the outer sleeve. A venting passageway is defined between the interior surface of the outer sleeve and the exterior surface of the inner stem. The plunger assembly also includes means for selectively moving the inner stem within the outer sleeve so as to selectively open and close the venting passageway.

Claims

1. A vented plunger assembly for use with a syringe system comprising:

a hollow outer sleeve having an interior surface;

an inner stem having an exterior surface, the inner stem being movably disposed within the outer sleeve between open and closed positions;

a venting passageway being defined between the exterior surface of the inner stem and the interior surface of the hollow outer sleeve; and

means for selectively moving the inner stem within the outer sleeve so as to selectively open and close the venting passageway.

2. A vented plunger assembly as recited in claim 1, the inner stem being slidable within the outer sleeve.

3. A vented plunger assembly as recited in claim 1, the means for selectively moving the inner stem within the outer sleeve so as to selectively open or close the venting passageway being capable of single hand operation.

4. A vented plunger assembly as recited in claim 1, the venting passageway being in an open configuration when a distal end of the inner stem is withdrawn into the outer sleeve.

5. A vented plunger assembly as recited in claim 1, the venting passageway being in an closed configuration when a distal end of the inner stem is substantially flush with a distal end of the outer sleeve or withdrawn into the outer sleeve.

6. A vented plunger assembly as recited in claim 1, the outer sleeve further including sealing means for sealing the outer sleeve of the plunger assembly against an inner surface of a syringe barrel.

7. A vented plunger assembly as recited in claim 6, wherein the sealing means comprises a groove formed near a distal end of the outer sleeve and an elastomeric seal seated within the groove.

8. A vented plunger assembly as recited in claim 6, wherein the sealing means comprises a V-cup seal formed at a distal end of the outer sleeve.

9. A vented plunger assembly as recited in claim 1, the means for selectively moving the inner stem within the outer sleeve comprising a cam member disposed near a proximal end of the inner stem and the outer sleeve, the cam member being operable to move the inner stem within the outer sleeve so as to selectively open and close the venting passageway.

10. A vented plunger assembly as recited in claim 9, the cam member being disposed between a head of the inner stem and a flange of the outer sleeve.

11. A vented plunger assembly as recited in claim 10, the cam member further comprising a ramped lever slidable between the head of the inner stem and the flange of the outer sleeve so as to move the inner stem within the outer sleeve.

12. A vented plunger assembly as recited in claim 9, the cam member being retained by the inner stem such that the inner stem passes through the cam member, the cam member being slidable in a plane that is substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the inner stem.

13. A vented plunger assembly as recited in claim 9, the cam member encapsulating at least a portion of the outer sleeve and the inner stem.

14. A vented plunger assembly as recited in claim 1, the means for selectively moving the inner stem within the outer sleeve comprising threads formed on the exterior surface of the inner stem and corresponding engagement grooves formed in the interior surface of the outer sleeve such that rotation of the inner stem within the outer sleeve longitudinally moves the inner stem within the outer sleeve so as to selectively open or close the venting passageway.

15. A vented plunger assembly as recited in claim 1, the inner stem including a luer cone at a distal end that is tapered so as to have a cross-sectional diameter that decreases towards the distal end of the inner stem for selectively forming a seal with the interior surface of the outer sleeve so as to selectively close the venting passageway.

16. A vented plunger assembly as recited in claim 15, the vented plunger assembly being in an open configuration when the luer core at a distal end of the inner stem is withdrawn into the outer sleeve.

17. A vented plunger assembly as recited in claim 1, the inner stem including a tapered portion at the distal end of the inner stem, the tapered portion being tapered so as to have a cross-sectional diameter that increases towards the distal end of the inner stem.

18. A vented plunger assembly as recited in claim 17, the vented plunger assembly being in an open configuration when the tapered portion at the distal end of the inner stem is extended beyond a distal end of the outer sleeve.

19. A syringe system comprising:

a vented plunger assembly as recited in claim 1;

and

a syringe barrel,

the vented plunger assembly being movably disposed within the syringe barrel.

20. A syringe-to-syringe mixing system comprising:

a first syringe including a first syringe barrel and a first plunger slidably disposed within the first syringe barrel, the first syringe barrel being configured to hold a first component;

a second syringe including a second syringe barrel and a second plunger slidably disposed within the second syringe barrel, the second syringe barrel being configured to hold a second component, the second syringe being coupleable to the first syringe; and

wherein at least one of the first or second plungers comprises a vented plunger assembly as recited in claim 1.

21. A syringe-to-syringe mixing system as recited in claim 20, wherein each of the first and second plungers comprises a vented plunger assembly.

24. A method of using a syringe-to-syringe mixing system including at least one vented plunger assembly comprising:

providing a syringe-to-syringe mixing system as recited in claim 20;

using the first and second plungers to pass first and second components between the first and second syringes so as to mix the first and second components together; and

opening the venting passageway of the vented plunger assembly so as to allow a gas contained within the mixing system to be vented.

22. A vented plunger assembly for use with a syringe system comprising:

a hollow outer sleeve having an interior surface and a flange near a proximal end of the outer sleeve;

an inner stem having an exterior surface and a head near a proximal end of the inner stem, the inner stem being movably disposed within the outer sleeve between open and closed positions;

a venting passageway being defined between the exterior surface of the inner stem and the interior surface of the hollow outer sleeve; and

a cam member disposed between the flange of the outer sleeve and the head of the inner stem, the cam member including a ramped lever operable to move the inner stem within the outer sleeve so as to selectively open and close the venting passageway.

23. A vented plunger assembly for use with a syringe system comprising:

a hollow outer sleeve having an interior surface;

an inner stem having an exterior surface, the inner stem being movably disposed within the outer sleeve between open and closed positions;

a venting passageway being defined between the exterior surface of the inner stem and the interior surface of the hollow outer sleeve; and

threads formed on the exterior surface and near a proximal end of the inner stem and corresponding engagement grooves formed in the interior surface and near a proximal end of the outer sleeve such that rotation of the inner stem within the outer sleeve longitudinally moves the inner stem within the outer sleeve so as to selectively open and close the venting passageway.