SPRING DRIVEN ADJUSTABLE ORAL SYRINGE

• US 20090177156A1
• Filed: 01/07/2009
• Published: 07/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MacLean
• Original Assignee: Rebecca Maclean
• Inventors: MacLean, Rebecca
• Granted Patent: US 8,062,254 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/135
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/583 by visual feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3148 Means for causing or aiding aspiration or plunger retraction
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3155 by rotational movement of dose setting member, e.g. during setting or filling of a syringe
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31553 without axial movement of dose setting member
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein generally describe a medication delivery system. The medication delivery system includes a barrel, a plunger assembly, a dosage selection device, and a force producing element. The plunger assembly is disposed within the barrel. The force producing element can force the plunger assembly from the barrel. The user can select one or two or more dosages with a dosage selection device. The user selects the dosage; then the medication delivery system delivers the same dosage repeatedly. Further, with the force producing element, the user need only depress the plunger assembly into the barrel and does not need to extract the plunger assembly. This allows the user to use only one hand with the medication delivery system.

Claims

1. A syringe, the syringe comprising:

a barrel assembly, the barrel assembly comprising;

a barrel having a distal end and a proximal end, a nozzle formed on the distal end of the barrel;

a barrel cap attached to the barrel at the proximal end of the barrel;

a plunger assembly at least partially disposed within the barrel, the plunger assembly comprising;

a shaft having two or more lengthwise ribs and two or more radial ribs, each radial rib disposed between two or more of the lengthwise ribs, wherein each radial rib is disposed lengthwise on the shaft to provide a predetermined volume in the barrel when the radial rib contacts the barrel cap;

a plunger attached to the distal end of the shaft; and

a plunger cap attached to the proximal end of the shaft.

2. The syringe as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a force producing element, the force producing element producing a force on the plunger cap.

3. The syringe as defined in claim 2, wherein the force producing element is disposed between the plunger cap and the barrel cap and the force producing element producing a second force on the barrel cap.

4. The syringe as defined in claim 3, wherein the force producing element is a spring.

5. The syringe as defined in claim 1, wherein the barrel cap includes a detent.

6. The syringe as defined in claim 5, wherein the radial rib contacts the detent.

7. The syringe as defined in claim 1, wherein the barrel includes a window.

8. The syringe as defined in claim 7, wherein indicia of a dosage amount is printed onto the shaft and the dosage amount is viewed through the window.

9. The syringe as defined in claim 8, wherein the indicia includes a written dosage amount.

10. The syringe as defined in claim 9, wherein the indicia is a bar of a predetermined size printed lengthwise along the shaft.

11. The syringe as defined in claim 9, wherein at least one of the indicia is color coded.

12. The syringe as defined in claim 11, wherein a first color is indicative of a first dosage amount and a second color is indicative of a second dosage amount.

13. The syringe as defined in claim 1, wherein the plunger assembly is rotatable within the barrel, and the predetermined volume is selectable by rotating the plunger assembly such that one of the radial ribs aligns with a detent on the barrel cap.

14. The syringe as defined in claim 12, wherein each lengthwise rib includes an indent, the indent allowing the detent of the barrel cap to pass through a lengthwise rib when the plunger assembly is rotated within the barrel.

15. The syringe as defined in claim 9, wherein the barrel cap including a flange allowing a user to hold the syringe with one hand.

17. The method as defined in claim 14, wherein inserting the plunger assembly includes pushing a plunger cap toward the barrel assembly to compress the force producing element.

18. The method as defined in claim 14, wherein compressing the plunger assembly includes compressing the plunger assembly into the barrel assembly until an indention is in line with the detent.

16. A method for delivering a dose of medication, the method comprising:

compressing the plunger assembly into the barrel assembly;

rotating a plunger assembly within a barrel assembly to view visual indicia of the dosage;

inserting the barrel assembly into a medication;

releasing the plunger assembly such that a force producing element produces a force on the plunger assembly;

the force producing element extracting the plunger assembly from the barrel assembly until a radial rib contacts a detent on a barrel cap assembly; and

siphoning medication into the barrel assembly as the plunger assembly is extracted.

19. The method as defined in claim 16, wherein rotating the plunger assembly includes rotating two or more lengthwise ribs within the barrel assembly by rotating the detent by at least one indention.

20. A method for assembling a syringe device, the method comprising:

forming a barrel, the barrel having a nozzle formed at a distal end;

forming a shaft, the shaft having two or more lengthwise ribs formed from a proximal end to a distal end of the shaft, the shaft having two or more radial ribs formed between two or more of the lengthwise ribs, each radial rib formed to provide a volume in the barrel assembly when the syringe siphons medication;

forming a plunger;

forming a barrel cap;

forming a plunger cap;

forming a spring;

attaching the plunger to the distal end of the shaft;

inserting the plunger and shaft into the barrel;

attaching the barrel cap to the proximal end of the barrel, wherein the shaft protrudes through the barrel cap;

placing the spring over the proximal end of the shaft; and

attaching the plunger cap to the proximal end of the shaft, the plunger cap securing the spring between the plunger cap and the barrel cap.