QUICK RELEASE PLUNGER

• US 20140094749A1
• Filed: 03/10/2013
• Published: 04/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayer Healthcare LLC (Bayer AG)
• Original Assignee: Medrad Incorporated (Bayer AG)
• Inventors: TROCKI, Mark, COWAN, Kevin P., RHINEHART, Edward J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,174,003 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/93.01
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/31521 Pistons with a forward extending skirt at their front end
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/315 Pistons; Piston-rods; Guiding, blocking or restricting the movement of the rod or piston; Appliances on the rod for facilitating dosing ; Dosing mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31511 Piston or piston-rod constructions, e.g. connection of piston with piston-rod A61M5/5066 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31513 Piston constructions to improve sealing or sliding
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31515 Connection of piston with piston rod
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/5066 Means for preventing re-use by disconnection of piston and piston-rod

Abstract

A syringe system and components thereof are disclosed. The system may include a syringe body having a hollow lumen, a proximal open end, and a distal end. The syringe body may be configured to house a fluid therein. The syringe system may further include a plunger positioned in the hollow lumen of the syringe body, forming a seal with an inner wall of the syringe body. The plunger may include a removable piston having a shaft extending from the distal end towards the proximal open end, a stopper removably connected to a distal portion of the shaft, and at least one coupler attached to the distal portion of the shaft. The stopper may be configured to slidably move within the hollow lumen to facilitate movement of the fluid within the syringe body. The coupler may be configured to facilitate removal and attachment of the stopper from the piston.

Claims

1. A syringe system comprising:

a syringe body comprising a hollow lumen, a proximal open end, and a distal end, the syringe body being configured to house a fluid therein; and

a plunger positioned in the hollow lumen of the syringe body, forming a seal with an inner wall of the syringe body, the plunger comprising;

a removable piston having a shaft extending from the distal end towards the proximal open end,

a stopper removably connected to a distal portion of the shaft, the stopper configured to slidably move within the hollow lumen to facilitate movement of the fluid within the syringe body, and

at least one coupler at the distal portion of the shaft, wherein the coupler is configured to facilitate removal and attachment of the stopper from the piston.

2. The syringe system of claim 1, wherein the stopper comprises a cylindrical body and a conical protrusion tip, the protrusion tip sized and configured to substantially fill at least a portion of the distal end of the syringe body.

4. The syringe system of claim 1, wherein the coupler includes one or more fastening mechanisms configured to attach the coupler to the shaft.

5. The syringe system of claim 1, wherein the coupler comprises a substantially circumferential groove having a plurality of extensions extending radially from the groove, wherein the extensions are configured to facilitate removable attachment of the stopper to the piston.

6. The syringe system of claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of extensions includes one or more notches on one or more sides of each extension on an outermost portion of each extension, wherein each of the one or more notches has a cross-sectional shape that is square shaped, rectangular, triangular, circular, or elliptical.

7. The syringe system of claim 5, wherein the coupler comprises a tapered flange extending distally from the groove, wherein the tapered flange is configured to removably secure the coupler to the stopper by locking with one or more capture members located on the stopper.

8. The syringe system of claim 7, wherein the stopper comprises a base having the one or more capture members protruding rearwardly beyond a rear surface of the base by an amount sufficient to capture and retain the tapered flange to effectively resist disconnection of the stopper from the piston.

9. The syringe system of claim 8, wherein the base comprises one or more helical threads configured to screw into the stopper.

10. The syringe system of claim 9, wherein the one or more capture members may be configured to move radially outward from the base as a radial distance of the groove increases when the piston is twisted about an axis, allowing the piston to be detached from the stopper.

11. The syringe system of claim 1, wherein the coupler is an angled flange attached to the distal portion of the shaft via a hinge, wherein the angled flange is configured to engage with one or more threads disposed on an inner wall of the stopper upon a twisting movement of the piston, causing the stopper to attach to the piston.

12. The syringe system of claim 1, wherein the piston further comprises indicia for indicating a volume of the fluid disposed out of or collected into the syringe.

25. The syringe of claim 1, wherein the coupler is fixedly attached to the shaft.

26. The syringe system of claim 8, wherein the one or more capture members is constructed of a flexible material such that the one or more capture members flex outwardly when contacted by the tapered flange and subsequently snap back to an original position after passing the tapered flange to engage the circumferential groove.

27. The syringe system of claim 8, wherein the one or more capture members comprises at least one inwardly facing shoulder configured for engaging the circumferential groove.

28. The syringe system of claim 27, wherein the one or more capture members further comprises at least one extension extending proximally beyond the at least one inwardly facing shoulder.

3. (canceled)

13. A plunger apparatus that can be at least partially removed from a syringe, the plunger apparatus comprising:

a removable piston having a shaft extending from a distal end of the syringe towards a proximal open end of the syringe;

a stopper removably connected to a distal portion of the shaft, the stopper configured to slidably move within a hollow lumen of the syringe to facilitate movement of fluid within the syringe; and

at least one coupler at the distal portion of the shaft, wherein the coupler is configured to facilitate removal and attachment of the stopper from the piston.

15. The plunger apparatus of claim 13, wherein the coupler includes one or more fastening mechanisms configured to attach the coupler to the shaft.

16. The plunger apparatus of claim 13, wherein the coupler comprises a substantially circumferential groove having a plurality of extensions extending radially from the groove, wherein the extensions are configured to facilitate removable attachment of the stopper to the piston.

17. The plunger apparatus of claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of extensions includes one or more notches on one or more sides of each extension on an outermost portion of each extension, wherein each of the one or more notches has a cross-sectional shape that is square shaped, rectangular, triangular, circular, or elliptical.

18. The plunger apparatus of claim 16, wherein the coupler comprises a tapered flange extending distally from the groove, wherein the tapered flange is configured to removably secure the coupler to the stopper by locking with one or more capture members located on the stopper.

19. The plunger apparatus of claim 18, wherein the stopper comprises a base having the one or more capture members protruding rearwardly beyond a rear surface of the base by an amount sufficient to capture and retain the tapered flange to effectively resist disconnection of the stopper from the piston.

20. The plunger apparatus of claim 19, wherein the base comprises one or more helical threads configured to screw into the stopper.

21. The plunger apparatus of claim 19, wherein the one or more capture members may be configured to move radially outward from the base as a radial distance of the groove increases when the piston is twisted about an axis, allowing the piston to be detached from the stopper.

22. The plunger apparatus of claim 13, wherein the coupler is an angled flange attached to the distal portion of the shaft via a hinge, wherein the angled flange is configured to engage with one or more threads disposed on an inner wall of the stopper upon a twisting movement of the piston, causing the stopper to attach to the piston.

23. The plunger apparatus of claim 13, wherein the piston further comprises indicia for indicating a volume of the fluid disposed out of or collected into the syringe.

29. The plunger apparatus of claim 13, wherein the coupler is fixedly attached to the shaft.

30. The plunger apparatus of claim 22, wherein the one or more capture members is constructed of a flexible material such that the one or more capture members flex outwardly when contacted by the tapered flange and subsequently snap back to an original position after passing the tapered flange to engage the circumferential groove.

31. The plunger apparatus of claim 22, wherein the one or more capture members comprises at least one inwardly facing shoulder configured for engaging the circumferential groove.

32. The plunger apparatus of claim 31, wherein the one or more capture members further comprises at least one extension extending proximally beyond the at least one inwardly facing shoulder.

14. (canceled)

24. A hydraulically-activated plunger in a fluid delivery system, the plunger comprising:

a first syringe comprising a first diameter, a proximal end, a distal end having an aperture, and a hollow lumen configured to house a fluid therein;

a stopper configured to slidably move within the hollow lumen to facilitate movement of the fluid within the hollow lumen;

an internal piston having a distal end and a proximal end, wherein the distal end is removably attached to the stopper and configured to move the stopper within the hollow lumen of the first syringe, and wherein the proximal end is fluidly attached to a second syringe having a proximally positioned tip and a second diameter that is smaller than the first diameter;

a third syringe having a distally positioned tip and a third diameter that is smaller than the first diameter, wherein the distally positioned tip of the third syringe is in fluid communication with the proximally positioned tip of the second syringe; and

an external piston fluidly connected to the third syringe, wherein the external piston comprises a plunger,

wherein the second syringe and the third syringe each contain an incompressible fluid sealed therein.