SYRINGE WITH ALIGNMENT FLANGE AND EXPANSION SECTION WITH REDUCED WALL THICKNESS

• US 20090182274A1
• Filed: 03/23/2009
• Published: 07/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayer Healthcare LLC (Bayer AG)
• Original Assignee: Medrad Incorporated (Bayer AG)
• Inventors: Haury, John A., Spohn, Michael A., Grubic, Herbert M., Schriver, Ralph H., Joyce, Thomas P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,172,796 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/111
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/2437 by clamping means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/587 Lighting arrangements
• 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

Abstract

A syringe includes a cylindrical body having a distal end and a proximal end, an injection section at the distal end and an expansion section at the proximal end, the injection section and the expansion section being connected by a cylindrical center section of relatively uniform outer diameter. The injection section includes a conical portion and an injection neck, the conical portion including an alignment flange extending outward from at least a portion of the conical portion. The syringe further includes a plunger movably received in the body and having a coupling end with a pair of flexible coupling members defining a slot therebetween for engaging a drive piston of an injector, the slot being substantially aligned with the alignment flange such that the alignment flange provides an indication of the orientation of the slot, the plunger seated for storage in the expansion section. A syringe has a reduced wall thickness at the expansion section such that an inner diameter of the expansion section is larger than the inner diameter of the center section for allowing the expansion section to expand under radial outward force exerted by the plunger.

Claims

1. A syringe, comprising:

a cylindrical main body, a conical portion connected to the main body, and a discharge outlet connected to the conical portion;

a plunger movably disposed within at least a portion of the main body; and

an alignment flange disposed on and extending outward from at least a portion of the conical portion, the alignment flange defining a hollow area therein.

2. The syringe of claim 1, wherein the plunger has a coupling end comprising a pair of coupling members defining a slot therebetween, the slot substantially aligned with the alignment flange such that the alignment flange provides an indication of the orientation of the slot.

3. The syringe of claim 2, wherein the coupling members comprise flexible coupling members.

4. The syringe of claim 1, wherein the conical portion further comprises a light-sensitive fluid dot as an optical aid.

5. The syringe of claim 1, wherein the alignment flange extends outward sufficiently from the conical portion to be grasped by a user of the syringe and used as a handle for manipulating the syringe.

6. A syringe, comprising:

a body having a distal end and a proximal end, the body comprising an injection section at the distal end and an expansion section at the proximal end, the injection section and the expansion section connected by a center section of relatively uniform outer diameter; and

a plunger movably received in the body and seated for storage in the expansion section; and

wherein a wall thickness of the body narrows to a reduced wall thickness at the expansion section such that an inner diameter of the expansion section is larger than the inner diameter of the center section allowing the expansion section to expand under radial outward force exerted by the plunger.

7. The syringe of claim 6, wherein the reduced wall thickness allows the expansion section to expand to an outer diameter no greater than approximately the outer diameter of the center section when the plunger is seated in the expansion section.

8. The syringe of claim 6, wherein the body is made of a deformable material permitting the expansion section to expand to an outer diameter no greater than approximately the outer diameter of the center section when the plunger is seated in the expansion section.

9. The syringe of claim 6, wherein an outer surface of the body is tapered or stepped inward toward a central axis of the body and an inner surface of the body is tapered or stepped outward away from the central axis of the body to form the reduced wall thickness.

10. The syringe of claim 6, wherein at least one of an outer surface of the body is tapered or stepped inward toward a central axis of the body and an inner surface of the body is tapered or stepped outward away from the central axis of the body to form the reduced wall thickness.

11. The syringe of claim 6, wherein the injection section comprises a conical portion and an injection neck, and wherein the conical portion comprises an alignment flange extending outward from at least a portion of the conical portion, the alignment flange defining a hollow area therein.

12. The syringe of claim 11, wherein the plunger has a coupling end comprising a pair of coupling members defining a slot therebetween.

13. The syringe of claim 12, wherein the slot defined between the coupling members is substantially aligned with the alignment flange such that the alignment flange provides an indication of the orientation of the slot.

14. The syringe of claim 12, wherein the coupling members comprise flexible coupling members.

15. The syringe of claim 11, wherein the conical portion further comprises a light-sensitive fluid dot as an optical aid.

16. A syringe, comprising:

a cylindrical body having a distal end and a proximal end, the body comprising an injection section at the distal end and an expansion section at the proximal end, the injection section and expansion section connected by a cylindrical center section of relatively uniform outer diameter, the injection section comprising a conical portion and an injection neck, the conical portion comprising an alignment flange extending outward from at least a portion of the conical portion;

a plunger movably received in the body and having a coupling end with a pair of flexible coupling members defining a slot therebetween for engaging a drive piston of an injector, the slot substantially aligned with the alignment flange such that the alignment flange provides an indication of the orientation of the slot, the plunger seated for storage in the expansion section;

wherein a wall thickness of the body narrows to a reduced wall thickness at the expansion section such that an inner diameter of the expansion section is larger than the inner diameter of the center section for allowing the expansion section to expand under radial outward force exerted by the plunger.

17. The syringe of claim 16, wherein the reduced wall thickness allows the expansion section to expand to an outer diameter no greater than approximately the outer diameter of the center section under the radial outward force exerted by the plunger.

18. The syringe of claim 16, wherein the body is made of a deformable material permitting the expansion section to expand to an outer diameter no greater than approximately the outer diameter of the center section under the radial outward force exerted by the plunger.

19. The syringe of claim 16, wherein an outer surface of the body is tapered or stepped inward toward a central axis of the body and an inner surface of the body is tapered or stepped outward away from the central axis of the body to form the reduced wall thickness.

20. The syringe of claim 16, wherein the alignment flange extends outward sufficiently from the conical portion to be grasped by a user of the syringe and used as a handle for manipulating the syringe.