SYRINGE FOR USE WITH INJECTORS AND METHODS OF MANUFACTURING SYRINGES AND OTHER DEVICES

• US 20080033367A1
• Filed: 08/03/2007
• Published: 02/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayer Healthcare LLC (Bayer AG)
• Original Assignee: Medrad Incorporated (Bayer AG)
• Inventors: Rhinehart, Edward J., Haury, John A., Belcher, Samuel L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,740,792 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/187
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2207/10 Device therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/007 for contrast media
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14546 Front-loading type injectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14566 with a replaceable reservoir for receiving a piston rod of the pump
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3129 Syringe barrels A61M5/3205 and A61M5/50 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 11/08 Injection moulding
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 11/10 Extrusion moulding
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 11/14 characterised by structure or composition
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/0715 the preform having one end closed
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/072 having variable wall thickness
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/073 having variable diameter
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/0762 Conical
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/0767 the shape allowing stacking or nesting
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/077 characterised by the neck
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/0776 not containing threads
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/078 characterised by the bottom
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/3008 at neck portion
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/3012 at flange portion
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/3016 at body portion
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/302 at bottom portion
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/3026 : having two or more components
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/3028 : having three or more components
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/3032 : having components being injected
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/3034 : having two or more components being injected
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/3036 : having three or more components being injected
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/3042 : having two or more components being extruded
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/3044 : having three or more components being extruded
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/04 : Extrusion blow-moulding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/06 : Injection blow-moulding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/071 : Preforms or parisons characterised by their configuration, e.g. geometry, dimensions or physical properties
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/12 : Stretching rods
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/22 : using multilayered preforms or parisons
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/086 : EVOH, i.e. ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/12 : PP, i.e. polypropylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2025/00 : Use of polymers of vinyl-aromatic compounds or derivatives thereof as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2027/08 : PVDC, i.e. polyvinylidene chloride
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2067/00 : Use of polyesters or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2077/00 : Use of PA, i.e. polyamides, e.g. polyesteramides or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/7544 : Injection needles, syringes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1352 : Polymer or resin containing [i.e., natural or synthetic]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1379 : Contains vapor or gas barrier, polymer derived from vinyl chloride or vinylidene chloride, or polymer containing a vinyl alcohol unit

Abstract

A syringe for use in a pressurized injection of a fluid includes a syringe barrel including a polymeric material having undergone expansion via blow molding. An inner diameter of the syringe barrel can, for example, be sufficiently constant (over at least a portion of the axial length of the syringe) that a plunger slidably positioned within the syringe barrel and in generally sealing contact with an inner wall of the syringe barrel can be used within the syringe barrel to generate a pressure of at least 1 psi within the syringe barrel. In several embodiment, the inner diameter of the syringe barrel is sufficiently constant to generate a pressure of at least 100 psi, at least 300 psi, or even at least 500 psi within the syringe barrel. A method of forming a syringe includes the steps of: injection molding at least one polymeric material to form a preform; placing the preform into an blow mold die; and expanding at least a portion of the preform while heating the preform within the die to form a barrel of the syringe. The syringes can be formed to withstand relatively high pressures as described above. The at least one polymeric material can, for example, be polyethyleneterephthalate, cyclic olefin polymer, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyvinylidene chloride, polyethylene napthalate and/or nylon.

Claims

1. A syringe for use in a pressurized injection of a fluid, comprising:

a syringe barrel comprising a polymeric material having undergone expansion via blow molding.

2. The syringe of claim 1 wherein an inner diameter of the syringe wall does not vary by greater than 0.01 in.

3. The syringe of claim 2 wherein an inner diameter of the syringe wall does not vary by greater than 0.007 in.

4. The syringe of claim 2 wherein an inner diameter of the syringe wall does not vary by greater than 0.004 in.

5. The syringe of claim 1 wherein the polymeric material has undergone biaxial orientation via injection stretch blow molding.

6. The syringe of claim 1 wherein the polymeric material of the syringe comprises at least one of polyethyleneterephthalate, cyclic olefin polymer, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyvinylidene chloride, polyethylene napthalate or nylon.

7. The syringe of claim 1 wherein an injected molded perform of the syringe comprises a first layer of a first polymeric material and at least a second layer of a second polymeric material, different from the first polymeric material.

8. The syringe of claim 9 wherein at least one of the first polymeric material and the second polymeric material comprises at least one of polyethyleneterephthalate, cyclic olefin polymer, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyvinylidene chloride, polyethylene napthalate or nylon.

9. The syringe of claim 1 wherein the syringe barrel can withstand pressures of at least 1200 psi.

10. The syringe of claim 1 wherein a wall of the syringe barrel is less than 0.07 inches in thickness.

11. The syringe of claim 1 wherein a wall of the syringe barrel is less than 0.05 inches in thickness.

12. A method of forming a syringe;

comprising;

injection molding at least one polymeric material to form a preform;

placing the preform into a blow mold die; and

expanding at least a portion of the preform within the die to form a barrel of the syringe.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising heating the at least a portion of the preform to be expanded before placing the preform into the blow mold die.

14. The method of claim 12 comprising heating the at least a portion of the preform during expansion within the die.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising a heat setting process.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein injection molding the preform comprises forming a retention mechanism on adjacent a proximal end of the syringe adapted to connect the syringe to a powered injector;

the retention mechanism comprising at least one flange.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the retention mechanism is not substantially altered during the expansion of the preform.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein injection molding the preform comprises forming a connector adjacent a distal end of the preform.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the connector is not substantially altered during expansion of the preform.

20. The method of claim 12 wherein expanding at least a portion of the preform comprises forcing of a gas within the preform and axial extension of an extension rod within the preform.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein injection molding the preform comprises forming a syringe outlet section at a distal end of the preform, the preform comprising a passage between a barrel section thereof and the syringe outlet section, the extension rod forming a seal with the passage during expansion of the preform.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein injection molding the preform comprises forming a connector adjacent the distal end of the preform.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the connector is not substantially altered during expansion of the preform.

24. The method of claim 12 wherein the at least one polymeric material comprises polyethyleneterephthalate, cyclic olefin polymer, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyvinylidene chloride, polyethylene napthalate or nylon.

25. The method of claim 21 wherein a removable closure is formed on a distal end of the outlet section during injection molding.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the closure is removably connected to the outlet section via a wall section of reduced thickness.

27. A method of forming a syringe for use with an injector comprising:

injection molding a polymeric material to form a removable closure integrally with an outlet section of the syringe.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the removable closure is formed during injection molding of a preform for the syringe which is subsequently blow molded to from the syringe.

29. The method of claim 29 wherein the closure is removably connected to the outlet section via a wall section of reduced thickness.