Syringe pump and the like for delivering medication

• US 4,976,696 A
• Filed: 06/16/1989
• Issued: 12/11/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fresenius AG (Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA)
• Original Assignee: Becton, Dickinson & Co
• Inventors: Sanderson, George, Strowe, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosenbaum, C. Fred
• Assistant Examiner(s): Daley, Kathleen A.
• Application Number:
  US07/368,114
• Time in Patent Office: 543 Days
• Field of Search: 604/154, 604/155, 604/31, 604/131, 604/67, 604/50, 128/DIG. 1, 128/DIG. 12, 128/DIG. 13, 200/523, 200/302.1, 200/302.2, 200/166, 200/245
• US Class Current: 604/154
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14573 with a replaceable reservoir for quick connection/disconnection with a driving system
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1456 with a replaceable reservoir comprising a piston rod to be moved into the reservoir, e.g. the piston rod is part of the removable reservoir
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1458 Means for capture of the plunger flange
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/12 Pressure infusion

Abstract

A syringe pump comprises a housing and a retainer mounted thereon for receiving a syringe. The syringe to be received is of the type including a barrel for holding liquid medication and a plunger movably positioned in the barrel for expelling the liquid medication therefrom. A driver is movably mounted on the housing for engagement with the plunger and for pushing the plunger into the barrel to thereby force the liquid medication out of the barrel. A control mechanism within the housing regulates the movement of the driver against the plunger. This thereby regulates delivery of the liquid medication from the barrel. Depressible actuation buttons or switches are mounted on the housing for manual access by a user. These switches are associated with the control mechanism to permit the user to select one or more functions under which the control mechanism is to operate. The actuation switches include an electrically conductive material positioned to contact the control mechanism when depressed by the user. This depression causes an electrical energization or de-energization of the control mechanism for the operation of the selected function.

Claims

1. A syringe pump comprising:

a housing having an elongate slot therethrough;

a retainer mounted on said housing for receiving therein a syringe of the type including a barrel for holding liquid medication and a plunger movably positioned in the barrel for expelling the liquid medication therefrom;

a driver movably mounted on said housing and being movable with respect to said slot, said driver positioned for engagement with said plunger for pushing said plunger into the barrel to thereby force the liquid medication out of the barrel;

protection means attached to the driver, covering said slot and movable with respect to the slot to facilitate movement of the driver with respect to the slot and to move with the driver thereby providing constant protection of the slot so that foreign materials may be prevented from entering the housing through the slot;

control means for regulating the movement of the driver against the plunger to thereby regulate delivery of the liquid medication from the barrel; and

actuation means on the housing for permitting a user to select one or more functions under which the control means is to operate.

2. The pump of claim 1 wherein said protection means is a pair of flexible bands, one band attached to the driver and protectively extending over the slot in one direction, and the other band attached to the driver and protectively extending over the slot in the other direction.

3. A syringe pump comprising:

a housing;

a retainer mounted on said housing and movable relative thereto for receiving therein different size syringes each of the type including a barrel for holding liquid medication and a plunger movably positioned in the barrel for expelling the liquid medication therefrom, said retainer including first electrical contact means which are position-variable with respect to the housing depending upon the size of each syringe received in the retainer;

a driver movably mounted on said housing for engagement with said plunger and for pushing said plunger into the barrel to thereby force the liquid medication out of the barrel;

control means within said housing for regulating the movement of the driver against the plunger to thereby regulate delivery of the liquid medication from the barrel;

second electrical contact means within said housing positioned to be contacted by the first electrical contact means of said retainer for producing an electrical signal representative of the size of the syringe received in the retainer, said signal being receivable by the control means so that movement of the driver is related to the size of the syringe received in the retainer; and

actuation means on the housing for permitting a user to select one or more functions under which the control means is to operate.

4. The pump of claim 3 wherein said first electrical contact means includes a plurality of tabs and said second electrical contact means includes a plurality of strips arranged so that one or more different strips are contacted by the tabs for different sizes of syringes received in the retainer.

5. The pump of claim 4 wherein the control means includes memory storage means for identifying the electrical signal received from said electrical contact means as representative of a syringe of one of a series of sizes pre-programmed into said storage means.

6. The pump of claim 4 wherein said control means includes a printed circuit board positioned within said housing, wherein said electrical strips are included on said circuit board.

7. The pump of claim 4 wherein the retainer includes a manually operative clamp of such size and shape to grasp different diameter barrels of the syringe.

8. The pump of claim 7 wherein said clamp has said tabs mounted thereon, said clamp being slidably mounted on said housing for linear movement with respect thereto, said tabs being so arranged to contact one or more different electrical strips on said printed circuit board depending upon the linear position of said clamp which is changeable according to the size syringe barrel held by said clamp.

9. A syringe pump comprising:

a housing having a raised elongate bearing surface on an outside portion thereof;

a retainer mounted on said housing for receiving therein a syringe of the type including a barrel for holding liquid medication and a plunger movably positioned in the barrel for expelling the liquid medication therefrom, said retainer including first electrical contact means which are position-variable with respect to the housing depending upon the size of the syringe received in the retainer;

a driver movably mounted on said housing and in sliding contact with said raised bearing surface, said driver positioned for engagement with said plunger and said raised bearing surface for pushing said plunger into the barrel to thereby force the liquid medication out of the barrel;

control means within said housing for regulating the movement of the driver against the plunger to thereby regulate delivery of the liquid medication from the barrel;

second electrical contact means within said housing positioned to be contacted by the first electrical contact means of said retainer for producing an electrical signal representative of the size of the syringe received in the retainer, said signal being receivable by the control means so that movement of the driver is related to the size of the syringe received in the retainer; and

depressible actuation means mounted on said housing for manual access by a user and associated with said control means to permit the user to select one or more functions under which said control means is to operate, said actuation means including an electrically conductive material positioned to contact an actuation element associated with said control means when the actuation means is depressed by the user to electrically energize or de-energize the control means for operation of the selected function.