Dual Syringe Injector System

• US 20090264831A1
• Filed: 04/21/2008
• Published: 10/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Vascular, Inc. (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Vascular, Inc. (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Thompson, Dustin, Macaulay, Patrick
• Granted Patent: US 7,959,612 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/191
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00491 Surgical glue applicators surgical adhesives A61L24/00; two-component delivery syringes A61M5/19
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00495 for two-component glue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00685 Archimedes screw
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2925 Pistol grips
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/16827 controlling delivery of multiple fluids, e.g. sequencing, mixing or via separate flow-paths infusion of multiple fluids without using a controller A61M5/1407
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/19 having more than one chamber , e.g. including a manifold coupling two parallelly aligned syringes through separate channels to a common discharge assembly surgical glue applicators A61B17/00491
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31511 Piston or piston-rod constructions, e.g. connection of piston with piston-rod A61M5/5066 takes precedence

Abstract

Devices and methods for simultaneous injection or delivery of two or more substances from separate syringes. The syringes are loaded into a device that has a handle and a screw driven mechanism for simultaneously depressing the plungers of the syringes. The user grasps the handle and positions the device. Thereafter, the screw mechanism is used to simultaneously advance the plungers of the syringes thereby simultaneously expelling the substances from the syringes.

Claims

1. A device for simultaneously delivering substances from a plurality of syringes that have plungers and barrels, said device comprising:

a handle;

a syringe barrel supporting structure attached to the handle and constructed to support the barrels of at least first and second syringes;

a syringe plunger driving assembly engageable with the plungers of said at least first and second syringes; and

a screw mechanism useable to advance the syringe plunger driving assembly in a distal direction, thereby causing the syringe plungers to expel substances from the syringes.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein the handle comprises a grip portion sized to be grasped by a single human hand.

3. A device according to claim 1 wherein the syringe barrel supporting structure comprises at least first and second syringe barrel supporting cradles at spaced-apart locations.

4. A device according to claim 1 wherein the syringe plunger driving assembly comprises:

a yoke assembly having an upper member and a lower member with syringe plunger receiving cavities formed there between;

at least one of said upper and lower members being moveable between a) an open position wherein the plungers of the syringes may be inserted into the plunger receiving cavities and b) a closed position wherein the plungers of the syringes will be retained within the plunger receiving cavities.

5. A device according to claim 1 wherein the screw mechanism comprises a rotatable shaft having threads formed thereon and a correspondingly threaded region on the syringe plunger driving assembly which engages the threads on the shaft such that when the shaft is rotated in a first direction it will cause the syringe plunger driving assembly to advance in a direction that causes expulsion of substances from the syringes.

6. A device according to claim 5 wherein a knob is attached to the proximal end of the shaft and is useable to facilitate rotation of the shaft.

7. A device according to claim 1 wherein the syringe plunger driving assembly comprises:

a yoke assembly having an upper member and a lower member, at least one of said upper and lower members being moveable between an open position and a closed position;

a cylindrical shaft receiving bore formed in said yoke assembly, one semi-cylindrical portion of that bore being formed in the upper member and an opposite semi-cylindrical portion of that bore being formed in the lower member;

wherein the semi-cylindrical portion of the bore formed in the upper member is threaded so as to engage the threads on the shaft when the yoke assembly is in the closed position and an opposite semi-cylindrical portion of the bore formed in the lower member is substantially smooth and devoid of threads.

8. A device according to claim 7 wherein, while the yoke assembly is in its open position, the yoke assembly may be retracted to a proximally retracted position causing the shaft to slide through the non-threaded portion of the shaft receiving bore formed in the lower member.

9. A device according to claim 7 wherein the upper and lower members additionally have opposing portions of syringe plunger receiving cavities formed therein such that when the yoke assembly is in an open position the plungers of the syringes may be inserted into the plunger receiving cavities and when the yoke assembly is thereafter transitioned to its closed position the plungers of the syringes will be retained within the plunger receiving cavities.

10. A device according to claim 1 further comprising a screw mechanism engaging apparatus that allows the screw mechanism to move in a direction that causes the syringe plungers to advance in the distal direction but does not allow the screw mechanism to move in a direction that would cause the syringe plungers to retract in the proximal direction.

11. A device according to claim 6 further comprising a ratchet mechanism comprising a toothed gearwheel that rotates along with the shaft and a pawl that rides on the toothed gearwheel.

12. A device according to claim 11 wherein the ratchet mechanism is constructed to incrementally deliver metered volumes of the substances.

13. A device according to claim 11 wherein the ratchet mechanism is constructed to allow the shaft to rotate in a direction that causes the syringe plungers to advance in the distal direction but to deter rotation of the shaft in the opposite direction.

14. A device according to claim 1 constructed for use with first and second syringes of the same size.

15. A device according to claim 1 constructed for use with first and second syringes of differing size.

16. A system comprising a device according to claim 1 in combination with first and second syringes.

17. A system according to claim 16 wherein the first and second syringes are pre-filled with substances.

18. A system according to claim 17 wherein the first syringe is prefilled with a platelet-containing substance and the second syringe is filled with a thrombin-containing substance.

19. A system according to claim 18 wherein the platelet containing substance comprises platelet rich plasma or autologous platelet rich plasma.

20. A system according to claim 19 wherein the thrombin containing substance comprises thrombin solution.

21. A system according to claim 19 wherein the syringes are sized to deliver the platelet-containing substance and the thrombin containing substance in a ratio of approximately 10 parts platelet containing substance to 1 part thrombin containing substance.

22. A method for simultaneous delivery of first and second substances, said method comprising the steps of:

(A) providing a device that comprises;

a handle;

a syringe barrel supporting structure attached to the handle and constructed to support the barrels of first and second syringes;

a syringe plunger driving assembly engageable with the plungers of the first and second syringes and a screw mechanism useable to advance the syringe plunger driving assembly in a distal direction;

(B) providing a first syringe having a barrel, a plunger and a quantity of the first substance within the barrel;

(C) providing a second syringe having a barrel, a plunger and a quantity of the second substance within the barrel;

(D) loading a first syringe and second syringes into the device such that the barrel supporting structure supports the barrels of the first and second syringes and the plunger driving assembly engages the plungers of the first and second syringes;

(E) grasping the handle and positioning the device; and

(E) using the screw mechanism to simultaneously advance the syringe plunger driving assembly in a distal direction, thereby causing the syringe plungers to simultaneously expel the first and second substances from the first and second syringes.

23. A method according to claim 22 wherein the device provided in Step A further comprises a manifold that is attachable to the syringes and a delivery cannula that is attachable to the manifold and wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

attaching the manifold to the syringes; and

attaching the delivery cannula to the manifold.

24. A method according to claim 23 wherein the delivery cannula comprises a needle and wherein positioning the device in Step E of the method comprises inserting the needle into tissue.

25. A method according to claim 34 wherein the needle is inserted into myocardial tissue.

26. A method according to claim 35 wherein the first substance contains platelets and the second substance contains thrombin and wherein the platelets and thrombin combine either within the device or in situ after exiting the needle to form platelet gel.

27. A method according to claim 36 wherein the first substance comprises platelet rich plasma and the second substance comprises thrombin solution and wherein the syringes are sized to deliver approximately 10 parts of platelet rich plasma per 1 part thrombin solution.