Single-Dose Syringe Driver

• US 20070233004A1
• Filed: 03/29/2006
• Published: 10/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The General Hospital Corporation (Mass General Brigham, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The General Hospital Corporation (Mass General Brigham, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sims, Nathaniel, Wollowitz, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,867,197 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/152
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6045 having complementary physical shapes for indexing or registration purposes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/10 Tube connectors; Tube couplings A61M39/02 takes precedence; connecting needles to syringes or hubs A61M5/34; connecting catheter tubes to hubs A61M25/0014
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1454 spring-actuated, e.g. by a clockwork
• 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

Abstract

Various methods and devices for driving fluid from a syringe are provided. In one exemplary embodiment, a syringe driver is provided having a frame that is adapted to seat a syringe, a driver that is slidably disposed within the frame and that is adapted to seat a plunger of a syringe, and a puller that is slidably disposed within the frame and that has a latch formed thereon for mating to an engagement element on the frame. The device can also include a force-delivery element, such as a constant force spring, that is coupled to and extends between the driver and the puller. In use, the puller is movable between a first position, in which the force-delivery element is in a resting position, and a second position, in which the latch on the puller mates to the engagement element on the frame to expand the force-delivery element thereby causing the force-delivery element to pull the driver and drive a plunger into a barrel of a syringe seated within the frame to deliver fluid from the syringe to a patient at a constant rate.

Claims

1. A syringe driver, comprising:

a frame adapted to seat a syringe;

a driver slidably disposed within the frame and adapted to seat a plunger of a syringe;

a puller slidably disposed within the frame and having a latch formed thereon and adapted to mate to an engagement element on the frame; and

a force-delivery element coupled to and extending between the driver and the puller;

wherein the puller is movable between a first position, in which the force-delivery element is in a resting position, and a second position, in which the latch on the puller mates to the engagement element on the frame to expand the force-delivery element thereby causing the force-delivery element to pull the driver and drive a plunger into a barrel of a syringe seated within the frame.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the driver is slidably disposed within a proximal portion of the frame, and the puller is slidably disposed within a distal portion of the frame.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the latch is formed on a distal end of the puller, and the engagement element is formed on a distal end of the frame.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the puller includes at least one handle formed thereon for slidably moving the puller to mate the latch to the engagement element.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the latch and engagement element are releasably matable, and wherein depression of the at least one handle is adapted to release the latch from the engagement element.

6. The device of claim 4, wherein the at least one handle comprises opposed handles extending from opposed sides of the puller and through opposed slots formed in the frame.

7. The device of claim 2, wherein the frame includes rails formed thereon for slidably retaining the driver within the frame.

8. The device of claim 2, wherein the frame includes a housing that at least partially surrounds the puller to retain the puller within the frame.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the force-delivery element is adapted to force the puller into contact with the housing to generate friction between the puller and the housing when the puller is in the first position.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the driver includes a first engagement surface formed thereon and the puller includes a second, complementary engagement surface formed thereon, the force-delivery element being adapted to cause the first engagement surface on the driver to act against the second engagement surface on the puller to force the puller into contact with the housing to generate a friction between the housing and the puller when the puller is in the first position.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the first and second engagement surfaces are complementary ramp elements.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the driver includes a cavity formed therein and adapted to capture a flange formed on a proximal end of a plunger of a syringe.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the force-delivery element comprises a constant force spring having a portion wound around and mated to a hub formed within the driver.

14. The device of claim 1, further comprising a connecting element formed on a distal end of the frame adapted to connect a syringe to the frame.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the connecting element comprises a protrusion that is adapted to extend into at least a portion of a luer fitting for mating to a distal end of a barrel of syringe and to couple the syringe to a fluid conduit.

16. The device of claim 15, further comprising a detachable luer fitting at least partially disposed within the connecting element.

17. The driver of claim 1, wherein the device is adapted to interchangeably receive a plurality of syringes having different sizes.

32. The device of claim 16, further comprising a fluid conduit that is mated to the luer fitting.

18. A system for driving fluid, comprising:

a syringe comprising a barrel and a plunger slidably disposed in the barrel;

a frame having proximal and distal ends, the distal end of the frame being adapted to couple to a distal end of the barrel of the syringe;

a driver slidably disposed within the frame and adapted to retain a proximal end of the plunger; and

a puller slidably disposed within the frame and movable between a first position, in which the puller is positioned adjacent to the driver, and a second position, in which the puller is coupled to a distal end of the frame and a force is applied to the driver to move the driver distally and thereby force the plunger into the barrel of the syringe.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising a force-delivery element extending between the puller and the driver, and wherein the force-delivery element is in a resting position when the puller is in the first position, and the force-delivery element is actuated to apply a force to the driver when the puller is in the second position.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the puller has a latch formed thereon adapted to mate to an engagement element formed on the frame.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising handle portions located on the puller adapted to facilitate releasable engagement of the latch with the engagement element.

22. The system of claim 18, further comprising a connecting element formed on the distal end of the frame adapted to couple the barrel of the syringe to the frame.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the syringe includes a luer fitting removably mated to a distal end of the barrel, the luer fitting having a socket formed therein for removably receiving a protrusion formed on the connecting element.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the socket is non-threaded.

33. The system of claim 23, further comprising a fluid conduit that is mated to the luer fitting.

25. A system for driving fluid, comprising:

a syringe having a barrel, a plunger slidably disposed in the barrel, and a luer fitting coupled to a distal end of the barrel for mating the barrel to a fluid conduit; and

a frame having proximal and distal ends, the proximal end adapted to retain the plunger and the distal end having a connecting element formed thereon adapted to couple to the barrel of the syringe, the connecting element including a protrusion configured to extend into a non-threaded socket formed in the luer fitting to removably mate the barrel to the frame.

34. The system of claim 25, further comprising a fluid conduit mated to the luer fitting and adapted to extend from the luer fitting to a patient.

26. A method for driving fluid, comprising:

engaging a syringe between a driver slidably positioned within a frame and a connecting element formed on a distal end of the frame; and

sliding a puller toward a distal end of the frame to mate the puller to the frame, the puller actuating a force-delivery element coupled to and extending between the puller and the driver;

whereby the force-delivery element moves the driver distally to drive a plunger into a barrel of the syringe and thereby drive fluid out of the syringe.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the puller includes a latch formed thereon that mates to an engagement element formed on a distal end of the frame.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein sliding the puller comprises sliding opposed handles formed on the puller distally within opposed slots formed in the housing.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising depressing the opposed handles to release the latch from the engagement element.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the force-delivery element comprises a constant force spring that pulls the driver distally.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein engaging the syringe comprises positioning a flange formed on a proximal end of a plunger of the syringe in a cavity formed in the driver, and positioning a luer fitting coupled to a distal end of the syringe within a protrusion formed on the connecting element.

35. The method of claim 26, wherein the fluid is driven from the barrel of the syringe through a fluid conduit coupled to a distal end of the barrel.