Implant system

• US 4,451,254 A
• Filed: 03/15/1982
• Issued: 05/29/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/1982
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Eli Lilly and Company
• Original Assignee: Eli Lilly and Company
• Inventors: Dinius, Harold B., Huizenga, John R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Truluck, Dalton L.
• Application Number:
  US06/358,459
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: 604/60-64, 604/241, 221/198, 221/232, 221/279, 206/535, 206/536
• US Class Current: 604/62
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 37/0069 Devices for implanting pellets, e.g. markers or solid medicaments for introducing of radioactive sources for interstitial radiation therapy, i.e. brachytherapy A61N5/1027

Abstract

Implants may be placed in animals in the field with a system including an implanter and cartridge-like container for a plurality of implants. The cartridge is transparent and encloses a plurality of enlongated implants arranged side-to-side, transverse to the central axis of the cartridge. The implants may be moved manually along the central axis of the cartridge toward one end and stopped in alignment parallel with the end of the cartridge and with one implant aligned with a pair of openings in the cartridge, one at each end of the implant. The implanter carries a sharpened tubular needle and a plunger, slidable along an axis aligned with the central axis of the tubular needle. The implanter has an opening into which the cartridge may be fitted and retained. The implanter and cartridge have interfitting surfaces to position the cartridge with its pair of openings lying upon the central axis of the hollow needle and to retain the cartridge in the implanter so that the plunger may be passed repeatedly through the pair of openings in the cartridge and move the implants, one after the other, through the sharpened tubular needle into the animals. The implants are protected from contamination until implantation.

Claims

1. Apparatus for inserting elongated cylindrical implants in animals, comprising

an elongated implanter body having forward and rearward portions and defining a central bore, an elongated slot between such bore and an outer surface of the body and a transverse cartridge-receiving opening in the forward portion of the body and intersecting such bore,

an implant tube having a sharpened forward end and means to mount such tube to the forward end of the body in alignment with said central bore,

a plunger including an elongated rod slidable in the central bore between a rearward position in which its forward end is behind the cartridge-receiving opening and a forward position in which it extends into the implant tube to expel an implant therefrom, said plunger having a web extending through said slot and supporting a thumb-engageable surface outside said body for engagement by the thumb of an operator for moving the plunger between its two positions,

a cartridge removably mounted in said cartridge-receiving opening and containing a plurality of implants in side-by-side relationship and parallel to said central bore, and means for moving said implants successively into alignment with said central bore of the body for movement by the plunger forwardly through the implant tube,

means adjacent the rear of the slot for engaging said web to retain the plunger in a retracted position behind an implant moved from said cartridge into alignment with said bore,

one of said implanter body and said plunger web having a laterally extending tooth surface thereon and the other having a tooth-engaging surface thereon to interengage such tooth surface intermediate the travel of the plunger to impede the movement of the plunger at an intermediate position in which its forward end lies within the implant tube and spaced rearward of its sharpened forward end a distance approximately equal to the length of an implant so as to position an implant substantially at such forward end of the tube for delivery therefrom, said interengaging tooth and tooth-engaging surfaces being disengageable and said plunger being movable beyond said intermediate point by thumb pressure on said thumb-engageable surface to expel such implant from the tube into an animal when the tube has been inserted through the skin of the animal.

2. Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said cartridge includes a row of detents spaced equally by a distance equal to the thickness of an implant, and said cartridge has an implant pusher for advancing the implants therein to the central bore and such pusher includes a ratchet tooth to engage the detents and impede the movement of the implant pusher at intervals equal to the thickness of an implant and to retain the implant pusher against movement by gravity.

3. Apparatus for inserting elongated cylindrical implants in animals, comprising

an implanter body having forward and rearward portions and forming a central bore, an elongated central slot between such bore and an outer surface of the body, and a lateral cartridge-receiving opening in the forward portion of the body and intersecting such bore,

an implant tube having a sharpened forward end and means to mount such tube in the forward end of the body in alignment with said central bore,

a plunger including an elongated rod slidable in the central bore between a rearward position in which its forward end is behind the cartridge-receiving opening and a forward position in which it extends into the implant tube to expel an implant therefrom, said plunger having a web extending through said slot and supporting a surface outside said body for engagement by the thumb of an operator for moving the plunger between its two positions,

a cartridge removably mounted in said cartridge-receiving opening and containing a plurality of implants in side-by-side relationship and parallel to said cental bore, and means for moving said implants successively into alignment with said central bore of the body for movement by the plunger forwardly through the implant tube,

the implanter body including tabs extending into the central slot adjacent its rear and its mid-point, and said plunger web including ratchet teeth as surfaces to interengage said tabs and impede the travel of and hold the plunger, said rear tabs retaining the plunger in a retracted position behind an implant moved into alignment with said bore, and said mid-point tabs being operative to impede the movement of the plunger at an intermediate position in which its forward end lies within the implant tube and spaced rearward of its sharpened forward end a distance approximately equal to the length of an implant so as to position an implant substantially at such forward end of the tube for delivery therefrom, said plunger being movable beyond said intermediate point by thumb pressure on said surface to expel such implant from the tube into an animal when the tube has been inserted through the skin of the animal, and wherein:

the cartridge includes a plurality of detents spaced equally in a row a distance equal to the thickness of an implant, and said cartridge has an implant pusher for advancing the implants therein to the central bore and such pusher includes ratchet teeth to engage the detents and impede the advancement and retraction of the implant pusher at intervals of movement equal to the thickness of an implant and to retain the implant pusher against movement by gravity,

the forward and rearward sides of said cartridge have openings aligned with the central bore and each such side includes a projecting tab adjacent the aligned openings, and the implanter body includes a detent at each side of the cartridge-receiving opening into which the projecting side tabs of the cartridge extend when the cartridge is in position in the implanter body, and the implanter body has a boss opposite such opening upon which said one end of the cartridge seats when in position in the implanter body.

4. Apparatus for inserting an implant into an animal, comprising:

an implanter body having a forward portion and a rearward portion and forming a central bore, an elongated slot between an outer surface of the body and the central bore, a transverse rectangular opening in the forward portion of the body between the central bore and the outer surface of the body,

a tube having a sharpened forward end and means to mount such tube in the forward end of the body in alignment with the central bore of the implanter body, and

a plunger, including an elongated rod and a transversely extending web, slidably carried in the implanter body, the forward end of the elongated rod extending through the hollow tube and its forward end when the plunger slides forwardly within the implanter body,

a cartridge containing a plurality of implants and fitted within the rectangular opening of the implanter body, said cartridge including a rectangular tray-like portion and a slotted top and an implant pusher between the tray-like portion and top with an outwardly projecting button extending through the slotted top to permit movement of the pusher, said pusher including a pointer, and said cartridge including a sequence of numbers related to the number of implants within the cartridge, the tray-like portion forming two sides having aligned openings larger than the cross-sectional area of the implants, and wherein

the implanter body includes tabs extending into the central slot adjacent its rear and its mid-point and said plunger web includes ratchet teeth as surfaces to engage said tabs and impede the travel of, and hold, the plunger,

the cartridge tray-like portion includes a plurality of detents spaced equally in a row a distance equal to the thickness of an implant, and said implant pusher includes a ratchet tooth to engage the detents and impede the advancement and retraction of the implant pusher at intervals of movement equal to the thickness of an implant and to retain the implant pusher against movement by gravity, the sides of said cartridge tray-like portion each include a projecting tab adjacent the aligned openings and the implanter body includes a detent at each side of the rectangular opening into which the projecting side tabs of the cartridge extend when the cartridge is in position in the implanter body, and the implanter body has a boss opposite its rectangular opening upon which the end of the cartridge seats when in position in the implanter body.

5. An implanter, comprising

a body having a forward portion and a rearward portion and forming a central bore, an elongated slot between an outer surface of the body and the central bore, a transverse rectangular opening adjacent the forward portion of the body between the central bore and the outer surface of the body,

a tube having a sharpened end and means to mount such tube at the forward end of the body in alignment with its central bore,

a cartridge removably mounted in said transverse opening and containing a plurality of rod-like implants, and means for moving said implants successively into said bore from movement through said tube,

a plunger, including an elongated rod slidably carried in the central bore of the implanter body and a web on said rod extending through said elongated slot and having a thumb-engageable surface outside of the implanter body, the central bore guiding the forward end of the elongated rod along an axis through said sharpened tube when the plunger slides forwardly within the implanter body, the forward end of the elongated rod lying rearwardly of the rectangular opening of the implanter body when the plunger slides rearwardly within the implanter body,

said plunger web having laterally extending engagement surfaces thereon, and the implanter body having surfaces at the side of and adjacent the rear of its elongated slot for engaging said web surfaces to retain the plunger with the forward end of its rod lying rearwardly of the rectangular opening and having surfaces at a mid-point of its elongated slot for engaging said web surfaces to impede the travel of the plunger and hold the plunger with the forward portion of the elongated rod within and spaced rearwardly of the forward end of the hollow tube a distance about equal to the length of the implant.

6. An implant container, comprising:

a cartridge containing a plurality of implants, said cartridge including a rectangular tray-like portion and a slotted top and an implant pusher between the tray-like portion and top with an outwardly projecting button extending through the slotted top to permit movement of the pusher,

the cartridge tray-like portion including a plurality of detents spaced equally in a row a distance equal to the thickness of an implant, and the implant pusher including ratchet teeth to engage the detents and impede the advancement and retraction of the implant pusher at intervals of movement equal to the thickness of an implant and to retain the implant pusher against movement by gravity,

said pusher including a pointer and said cartridge including a sequence of numbers related to the number of implants within the cartridge, the tray-like portion forming two sides having aligned openings larger than the cross-sectional area of the implants,

the sides of said cartridge tray-like portion each including a projecting tab adjacent the aligned openings.

7. A container for implants, comprising:

a cartridge containing a plurality of implants, said cartridge including a rectangular tray-like portion and a slotted top and an implant pusher between the tray-like portion and top with an outwardly projecting button extending through the slotted top to permit movement of the pusher, said pusher including a surface forming a pointer and said cartridge including a sequence of numbers related to the number of implants within the cartridge, the tray-like portion forming two sides having aligned openings larger than the cross-sectional area of the implants, a tape covering the slot through which the projecting portion of the pusher moves, and means on the pusher for splitting said tape as the pusher is moved to push the implants.

8. The container of claim 7 wherein said cartridge has an end wall against which the implants move as they are advanced by the plunger, and said openings are positioned to be in alignment with an implant lying against such wall, with the addition of break-away tab means normally closing said aligned side openings but manually removable to expose the openings for movement of the implants from the cartridges.

9. A container for implants, comprising:

a cartridge containing a plurality of implants, said cartridge including a rectangular tray-like portion and a slotted top and an inplant pusher between the tray-like portion and top with an outwardly projecting button extending through the slotted top to permit movement of the pusher, said pusher including a surface forming a pointer and said cartridge including a sequence of numbers related to the number of implants within the cartridge, the tray-like portion forming two sides having aligned openings larger than the cross-sectional area of the implants, said tray-like portion including a plurality of detents spaced equally in a row a distance equal to the thickness of an implant, and said implant pusher including ratchet teeth to engage the detents for impeding the movement of the pusher.

10. An implant cartridge, comprising

a generally rectangular container containing a series of elongated cylindrical implants in side-by-side relationship,

a pusher movable against the series for moving the implants transversely of themselves to feed the same to an administration position,

a corresponding row of detents on the container extending in the direction of movement, with the detents spaced from each other a distance equal to the thickness of an implant,

the pusher having one or more teeth which engage the detents and impede the advancement of the pusher at intervals of movement corresponding to the thickness of an implant,

and manually operable means for moving the pusher to successive positions of impedment for feeding the implants successively to the administration position.

11. An implant cartridge for supplying a series of cylindrical implants to an implanter, comprising

a generally rectangular container having bottom and side walls and an end wall for containing a series of cylindrical implants in side-by-side relation between the side walls and parallel with the end wall, a top wall for retaining the implants in the containers, a pusher for moving the implants successively against the end wall,

said side walls having openings adjacent the end wall in alignment with an implant positioned against said end wall and of sufficient size to pass such implant and a rod-like plunger advanced against the implant to move it lengthwise out of the cartridge, said top wall having an inwardly open slot interconnected with said openings in the side walls to clear a web on such plunger,

and manually removable tab means detachably fixed to said cartridge and including end tabs for normally closing said side wall openings and a panel connected between said end tabs for normally closing said slot, so as to retain the implants and protect them from contamination.

12. A cartridge as in claim 11 in combination with an implanter comprising a body defining a central bore and an elongated slot opening upward from the bore, said body also having a side opening for the reception of the cartridge in a position in which an implant lying against the end wall of the cartridge is aligned with said bore and said slot connecting the cartridge side openings is disposed to open upward to said elongated body slot, and a plunger in said implanter and comprising an elongated rod movable axially of said bore to carry the implant from against said cartridge end wall out of the cartridge, said plunger having an operating portion connected to the rod by a web which rides in said elongated body slot, the cartridge slot being adapted to clear such web for movement across at least part of the width of the cartridge.