Syringe assist for infusion pump

• US 20080021396A1
• Filed: 10/28/2005
• Published: 01/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Curlin Medical (Moog Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Curlin Medical (Moog Incorporated)
• Inventors: Momeni, Ahmad, Grey, Charles
• Granted Patent: US 7,632,249 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/154
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8281 spring operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14232 Roller pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1454 spring-actuated, e.g. by a clockwork
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14566 with a replaceable reservoir for receiving a piston rod of the pump

Abstract

A syringe assist device for preventing vacuum stall in an infusion pump which extracts fluid medication from a conventional syringe. The syringe assist device is a plunger housed within a front case and a back case, both of which include a section for holding the infusion pump, and a chamber for compressively retaining a syringe. The plunger is comprised of a cocker, a cradle, and a base member. The cocker and cradle are each configured to enable a sliding relationship with the base member. Additionally, the cocker and cradle are configured to enable a sliding relationship with each other. The cocker and cradle are compressively retained by a spring spanning therebetween. The cocker includes a locking member which cooperates with a wedge type locking member defined by the back case to prevent movement along the base member. The cradle includes a syringe barrel compression member which imparts a compressive force upon the syringe. In its unlocked position, the cocker and the cradle slide against the base member in unison, while in its locked position, only the cradle slides against the base member, thereby enabling a unidirectional compressive force upon the syringe. By this compressive force, the vacuum created within the syringe during infusion is eliminated, thereby eliminating vacuum stall.

Claims

1. A syringe assist system for preventing vacuum stall within an infusion pump cooperating with a tube assembly which forms a fluid connection between a syringe and a patient, said syringe defined by a barrel portion filled with fluid medication, a syringe plunger with a handle attached thereto inserted within said barrel portion, comprising:

a lock box for housing said infusion pump;

a plunger housed within said lock box which selectively imparts a compressive force upon said syringe and said syringe plunger to overcome said vacuum stall resulting from said infusion pump extracting fluid from said syringe; and

a handle mating groove formed on said lock box for securing said handle of said syringe.

2. The syringe assist system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said plunger includes a cocker, a cradle, and a base member.

3. The syringe assist system as set forth in claim 2, wherein said base member is defined by a pair of opposed lateral sides, a pair of opposed longitudinal sides, a housing attachment side, and an inner surface, and said base member further defining a pair of opposed mating members extending along and partially inwardly from said respective longitudinal sides.

4. The syringe assist system as set forth in claim 2, wherein said cocker and said cradle each define a cocker/cradle mating groove for enabling an interlocking sliding relationship between said cocker and said cradle and collectively define a cocker and cradle structure.

5. The syringe assist system as set forth in claim 2, wherein said cocker further includes a cocker locking member attached thereto cooperating with a wedge locking member extruded from said lock box to selectively prevent movement thereof along said base member.

6. The syringe assist system as set forth in claim 2, wherein said cradle further includes a syringe barrel compression member attached thereto for imparting a compressive force upon said syringe.

7. The syringe assist system as set forth in claim 2, wherein said cocker and said cradle each define an opposed pair of base member mating grooves for cooperating with said mating members and enabling an interlocking sliding relationship between said cocker and said base member, and between said cradle and said base member.

8. The syringe assist system as set forth in claim 4, wherein said cocker and said cradle are compressively retained by a spring spanning from said cocker to said cradle.

9. The syringe assist system as set forth in claim 8, wherein said cocker further defines a spring retention member for securing said spring to said cocker.

10. The syringe assist system as set forth in claim 8, wherein said cradle further defines a spring retention member for securing said spring to said cradle.

11. The syringe assist system as set forth in claim 8, wherein said spring has sufficient compressive force to overcome said vacuum stall created within said syringe through withdrawing fluid therefrom.

12. The syringe assist system as set forth in claim 5, wherein said cocker locking member further includes a flexible cocker locking tab formed thereupon for catching said wedge locking member.

13. A syringe assist plunger for imparting a compressive force upon a syringe cooperating with an infusion pump, comprising:

a cocker having a cocker elongate cradle mating section, a cocker base member mating section disposed thereunder, and a cocker locking member extending generally outwardly from said cradle mating section;

a cradle having a cradle elongate cocker mating section and a cradle elongate base member mating section disposed thereunder, and a syringe barrel compression member extending outwardly from said cradle mating section; and

a base member having a pair of opposed longitudinal sides and a pair of opposed lateral sides, and a pair of cocker/cradle mating members extending along respective ones of opposed longitudinal sides.

14. The syringe assist plunger as set forth in claim 13, wherein said cocker base member mating section is a pair of opposed base mating grooves in a sliding relationship with said pair of cocker/cradle mating member of said base member.

15. The syringe assist plunger as set forth in claim 13, wherein said cradle base member mating section is a pair of opposed elongate base mating grooves in a sliding relationship with said pair of cocker/cradle mating member of said base member.

16. The syringe assist plunger as set forth in claim 13, wherein said cradle elongate cocker mating section is a pair of opposed cocker mating grooves, and said cocker elongate cradle mating section is a pair of opposed cradle mating members, said pair of opposed cradle mating members in a sliding relation with said pair of cocker mating grooves.

17. The syringe assist plunger as set forth in claim 13, wherein said cocker includes a spring retention member defined by an elongate cylindrical section having an upper end attached to said cocker, and a lower end having a tapered cone section.

18. The syringe assist plunger as set forth in claim 13, wherein said cradle includes a spring retention member defined by an elongate cylindrical section having an upper end attached to said cradle, and a lower end having a tapered cone section.

19. The syringe assist plunger as set forth in claim 13, wherein said cocker locking member is braced by an integral locking member support to limit the twisting thereof.

20. The syringe assist plunger as set forth in claim 13, wherein said syringe compression member is braced to said cradle by an integral chamfered reinforcement members to limit bending thereof.

21. A lock box for an infusion pump using syringes, comprising:

a front case defining an infusion pump holding section, a syringe retaining chamber, and a security lock retaining hole;

a back case in a hinged relationship with said front case and defining an infusion pump holding section, a syringe retaining chamber further defining a syringe handle mating groove and a wedge locking member, and a security lock latching slot;

a plunger for compressively retaining said syringe, said plunger attached to said syringe retaining chamber on said back case and cooperating with said edge locking member; and

a security lock attached to said front case through said security lock retaining hole and cooperating with said security lock latching slot.

22. The lock box as set forth in claim 21, further comprising a loop hardware attached to said back case for hanging said lock box.

23. The lock box as set forth in claim 21, further comprising a post attachment member attached to said back case for attaching to a post structure.

24. The lock box as set forth in claim 21, wherein said front case further defines an access opening providing user access to function keys on said infusion pump.

25. The lock box as set forth in claim 21, wherein said back case defines a plurality of access ports for infusion pump outlets.