TIME-INDICATING SYRINGE MIXING DEVICES AND RELATED METHODS FOR STORING AND DISPENSING TWO-PART DENTAL COMPOSITIONS

• US 20070255204A1
• Filed: 04/17/2007
• Published: 11/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ultradent Products Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Ultradent Products Incorporated
• Inventors: Fischer, Dan E., McLean, Bruce S., Jessop, Neil
• Application Number:
  US11/736,457
• Publication Number:
  US 20070255204A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/90
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 5/62 Applicators, e.g. syringes or guns
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 5/68 Mixing dental material components for immediate application to a site to be restored, e.g. a tooth cavity
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 9/0026 Syringes or guns for injecting impression material; Mixing impression material for immediate use
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6063 Optical identification systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31511 Piston or piston-rod constructions, e.g. connection of piston with piston-rod A61M5/5066 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 25/082 the partition being in the form of a plug or the like which is removed by increasing or decreasing the pressure within the container B65D81/3211 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 77/0486 the inner container being coaxially disposed within the outer container B65D81/3876 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/0005 Containers or packages provided with a piston or with a movable bottom or partition having approximately the same section as the container B65D83/0072 takes precedence

Abstract

Time-indicating syringe mixing systems for mixing, storing, and dispensing a two-part dental composition that becomes less stable upon mixing including a first plunger comprising an elongate stem and a plug at a distal end of the elongate stem, a hollow first chamber configured to contain a first component, a hollow second chamber configured to contain a second component, and means for indicating a recorded date when a first component initially contained within the hollow first chamber is mixed with a second component initially contained within the hollow second chamber. The inventive syringe mixing systems may be configured as syringe-in-syringe systems and/or syringe-to-syringe systems.

Claims

1. A time-indicating mixing, storing and dispensing system for use with a two-part dental composition that, when mixed together, yields a time-sensitive dental composition, the system comprising:

a first plunger comprising an elongate stem and a plug at a distal end of the elongate stem;

a hollow first chamber for containing a first component, the first chamber being defined by an interior surface of a wall, the hollow first chamber being adapted to receive the first plunger therein in slidable engagement;

a hollow second chamber for containing a second component, the second chamber being adjacent to and initially separated from the first chamber such that first and second components are initially separate from each other;

means for indicating a recorded date when a first component initially contained within the hollow first chamber is mixed with a second component initially contained within the hollow second chamber.

2. A time-indicating mixing, storing and dispensing system as recited in claim 1, wherein the means for indicating a recorded date is disposed on the first plunger.

3. A time-indicating mixing, storing and dispensing system as recited in claim 2, wherein the means for indicating a recorded date is disposed near a proximal end of the first plunger.

4. A time-indicating mixing, storing and dispensing system as recited in claim 1, wherein the means for indicating a recorded date comprises a roughened label surface disposed on a surface of a system component on which can be recorded a date.

5. A time-indicating mixing, storing and dispensing system as recited in claim 4, wherein the system component on which the roughened label surface is disposed comprises the first plunger.

6. A time-indicating mixing, storing and dispensing system as recited in claim 4, wherein the system component on which the roughened label surface is disposed comprises a syringe barrel.

7. A time-indicating mixing, storing and dispensing system as recited in claim 1, wherein the means for indicating a recorded date comprises a laminated writing label surface disposed on a surface of a system component on which can be recorded a date.

8. A time-indicating mixing, storing and dispensing system as recited in claim 7, wherein the system component on which the laminated writing label surface is disposed comprises the first plunger.

9. A time-indicating mixing, storing and dispensing system as recited in claim 7, wherein the system component on which the laminated writing label surface is disposed comprises a syringe barrel.

10. A time-indicating mixing, storing and dispensing system as recited in claim 1, wherein the means for indicating a recorded date comprises a plurality of removable plugs or knock-outs such that a practitioner can selectively remove one or more of the plurality of plugs or knock-outs so as to indicate a recorded date.

11. A time-indicating mixing, storing and dispensing system as recited in claim 10, wherein the first plunger comprises a proximally disposed head on which is disposed a first plurality of removable plugs or knock-outs and the hollow second chamber comprises a syringe barrel having a flange disposed at a proximal end, the flange having disposed thereon a second plurality of removable plugs or knock-outs.

12. A time-indicating mixing, storing and dispensing system as recited in claim 1, further comprising separation means for initially separating a first component within the hollow first chamber from a second component within the hollow second chamber.

13. A time-indicating mixing, storing and dispensing system as recited in claim 12, wherein the separation means comprises a rupturable membrane.

14. A time-indicating mixing, storing and dispensing system as recited in claim 12, wherein the separation means comprises a valve.

36. A method of mixing, storing and dispensing a time-sensitive composition formed by mixing together a two-part dental composition, the method comprising:

providing a time-indicating mixing, storing and dispensing system as recited in claim 1;

recording an expiration date or a mixing date when a first component initially contained within the hollow first chamber is mixed with a second component initially contained within the hollow second chamber on a surface of a system component; and

pressing the elongate stem of the first plunger into the hollow first chamber so as to cause the first component within the hollow first chamber to be mixed with the second component within the hollow second chamber.

15. A time-indicating mixing, storing and dispensing system for use with a two-part dental composition that, when mixed together, yield a time-sensitive dental composition, the system comprising:

a first plunger comprising an elongate stem and a sealing plug at a distal end of the elongate stem;

a hollow second plunger configured to contain therein a first component, the first plunger being slidably disposed within the hollow second plunger during use;

a syringe barrel configured to contain therein a second component, the hollow second plunger being slidably disposed within the syringe barrel during use; and

means for indicating a recorded date when a first component initially contained within the hollow second plunger is mixed with a second component initially contained within the syringe barrel.

16. A time-indicating mixing, storing and dispensing system as recited in claim 15, further comprising means for protecting the recorded date from damage or alteration.

17. A time-indicating mixing, storing and dispensing system as recited in claim 16, wherein the means for indicating a recorded date is disposed near a proximal end of the elongate stem and the means for protecting the recorded date from damage or alteration comprises a transparent or translucent portion of the hollow second plunger that covers the recorded date on the elongate stem once the first plunger is inserted into the hollow second plunger.

18. A time-indicating mixing, storing and dispensing system as recited in claim 17, further comprising a locking mechanism for preventing, or at least inhibiting, the first plunger from being withdrawn from the hollow second plunger once fully inserted into the hollow second plunger.

19. A time-indicating mixing, storing and dispensing system as recited in claim 15, wherein the means for indicating a recorded date comprises a roughened label surface disposed on a surface of a system component on which can be recorded a date.

20. A time-indicating mixing, storing and dispensing system as recited in claim 19, wherein the system component on which the roughened label surface is disposed comprises the first plunger.

21. A time-indicating mixing, storing and dispensing system as recited in claim 19, wherein the system component on which the roughened label surface is disposed comprises the syringe barrel.

22. A time-indicating mixing, storing and dispensing system as recited in claim 19, wherein the system component on which the roughened label surface is disposed comprises the hollow second plunger.

23. A time-indicating mixing, storing and dispensing system as recited in claim 15, wherein the means for indicating a recorded date comprises a laminated writing label surface disposed on a surface of a system component on which can be recorded a date.

24. A time-indicating mixing, storing and dispensing system as recited in claim 23, wherein the system component on which the laminated writing label surface is disposed comprises the first plunger.

25. A time-indicating mixing, storing and dispensing system as recited in claim 23, wherein the system component on which the laminated writing label surface is disposed comprises the syringe barrel.

26. A time-indicating mixing, storing and dispensing system as recited in claim 23, wherein the system component on which the laminated writing label surface is disposed comprises the hollow second plunger.

27. A time-indicating mixing, storing and dispensing system as recited in claim 15, wherein the means for indicating a recorded date comprises a plurality of removable plugs or knock-outs such that a practitioner can selectively remove one or more of the plurality of plugs or knock-outs so as to indicate a recorded date.

28. A time-indicating mixing, storing and dispensing system for use with a two-part dental composition that, when mixed together, yield a time-sensitive dental composition, the system comprising:

a first plunger comprising an elongate stem and a sealing plug at a distal end of the elongate stem;

a first syringe barrel configured to contain therein a first component, the first plunger being slidably disposed within the first syringe barrel during use;

a second plunger comprising an elongate stem and a sealing plug at a distal end of the elongate stem;

a second syringe barrel configured to contain therein a second component, the second plunger being slidably disposed within the second syringe barrel during use and the second syringe barrel being coupleable to the first syringe barrel; and

means for indicating a recorded date when a first component initially contained within the first syringe barrel is mixed with a second component initially contained within the second syringe barrel.

29. A time-indicating mixing, storing and dispensing system as recited in claim 28, wherein the means for indicating a recorded date comprises a roughened label surface disposed on a surface of a system component on which can be recorded a date.

30. A time-indicating mixing, storing and dispensing system as recited in claim 29, wherein the system component on which the roughened label surface is disposed comprises the first plunger.

31. A time-indicating mixing, storing and dispensing system as recited in claim 29, wherein the system component on which the roughened label surface is disposed comprises the first syringe barrel.

32. A time-indicating mixing, storing and dispensing system as recited in claim 28, wherein the means for indicating a recorded date comprises a laminated writing label surface disposed on a surface of a system component on which can be recorded a date.

33. A time-indicating mixing, storing and dispensing system as recited in claim 32, wherein the system component on which the laminated writing label surface is disposed comprises the first plunger.

34. A time-indicating mixing, storing and dispensing system as recited in claim 32, wherein the system component on which the laminated writing label surface is disposed comprises the first syringe barrel.

35. A time-indicating mixing, storing and dispensing system as recited in claim 28, wherein the means for indicating a recorded date comprises a plurality of removable plugs or knock-outs such that a practitioner can selectively remove one or more of the plurality of plugs or knock-outs so as to indicate a recorded date.