Portable hand-held power assister device

• US 5,269,762 A
• Filed: 04/21/1992
• Issued: 12/14/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GE Healthcare As (GE Healthcare Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sterling Winthrop, Inc. (GlaxoSmithKline PLC)
• Inventors: Armbruster, Randy E., Affolter, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Hirsch, Paul J.
• Application Number:
  US07/871,879
• Time in Patent Office: 602 Days
• Field of Search: 604/155, 604/154, 604/150, 604/131, 604/152, 604/143, 604/147, 604/136, 604/137
• US Class Current: 604/155
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/20 Automatic syringes, e.g. with automatically actuated piston rod, with automatic needle injection, filling automatically A61M5/142 , A61M5/46 take precedence; hypodermic projectiles F42B12/54

Abstract

A hand-held power injection device is provided for injecting liquid, such as contrast media, into the vascular system of a mammal. The device comprises a pistol-shaped housing which encloses a battery-powdered D. C. motor for constant-rate delivery of liquid from a syringe.

Claims

1. A hand-held power injection device for injecting contrast media into the vascular system of a mammal said device comprising:

a pistol-shaped casing to provide for ease of handling, said casing having a main tubular body portion and a handle portion integral therewith to house and support component parts therein;

a syringe receiving means in said tubular body portion;

a syringe engaging said tubular body portion and containing a piston therein having a male coupling means;

a motor capable of generating angular motion, located in said tubular body portion;

rechargeable batteries located in said handle portion for energizing said motor;

a lead screw, having a female coupling means to mate with said male coupling means of said syringe, said lead screw rotatably coupled with said motor by gear means which convert angular motion to linear motion;

limit switches connected to said lead screw and motor to automatically stop said lead screw when it is in the initial or completely extended position; and

a trigger switch connected to said motor and said batteries to control movement of said lead screw coupled to said piston to inject contrast media into the vascular system of a mammal.

2. A hand-held power injection device for delivering liquid media to a patient comprising:

a pistol-shaped casing to provide for ease of handling, said casing comprising a main tubular body portion having a distal end and a proximal end and a handle portion integral therewith at the proximal end thereof to house and support component parts therein;

a syringe removably coupled to said distal end of said main tubular body portion of said pistol-shaped casing; and

a trigger switch in said handle portion of said pistol-shaped casing;

said pistol-shaped casing containing drive means which comprises;

a battery powered motor to generate angular rotation;

a lead screw rotatably coupled with said motor by gear means to convert angular rotation to linear motion, said lead screw having at one end thereof a female coupling means;

a first limit switch connected to said lead screw and said motor to automatically disengage said motor and prevent further forward driving of the lead screw when the lead screw is at its completely extended position;

a second limit switch connected to said lead screw and motor to automatically disengage said motor and to prevent further reverse driving of the lead screw when the lead screw is at its initial position;

said syringe comprises;

a syringe barrel having a leur connector at one end thereof for receiving a catheter and a flange at the other end thereof for drop-load engaging said tubular body portion of said casing and a piston slideably positioned in said syringe barrel having a male coupling means to engage said female coupling means of said lead screw;

said trigger switch connected to said motor and said battery having forward, reverse and off positions to control movement of said lead screw coupled to said piston to inject liquid media into a patient.

3. The hand-held power injection device of claim 2 wherein said liquid media contains an imaging agent.

4. The hand-held power injection device of claim 3 wherein said imaging agent is for angiographic examination of a mammal.

5. The hand-held power injection device of claim 3 wherein said imaging agent is for urographic examination of a mammal.

6. A method of delivering a liquid medium into the vascular system of a mammal using a power injection device comprising:

a pistol-shaped casing to provide for ease of handling, said casing comprising a main tubular body portion having a distal end and a proximal end and a handle portion integral therewith at the proximal end thereof to house and support component parts therein;

a syringe removably coupled to said distal end of said main tubular body portion of said pistol-shaped casing; and

a trigger switch in said handle portion of said pistol-shaped casing;

said pistol-shaped casing containing drive means which comprises;

a battery powered motor to generate angular rotation;

a lead screw rotatably coupled with said motor by gear means to convert angular rotation to linear motion, said lead screw having at one end thereof a female coupling means;

a first limit switch connected to said lead screw and said motor to automatically disengage said motor and prevent further forward driving of the lead screw when the lead screw is at its completely extended position;

a second limit switch connected to said lead screw and motor to automatically disengage said motor and prevent further reverse driving of the lead screw when the lead screw is at its initial position;

said syringe comprises;

a syringe barrel having a leur connector at one end thereof for receiving a catheter and a flange at the other end thereof for drop-load engaging said tubular body portion of said casing and a piston slideably positioned in said syringe barrel having a male coupling means to engage said female coupling means of said lead screw;

said trigger switch connected to said motor and said battery having forward, reverse and off positions to control movement of said lead screw coupled to said piston to inject liquid media into a patient;

said method comprises the steps of;

(a) syphoning said liquid medium into said syringe through a tubing means attached to said leur connector at one end thereof and placing said tubing means into said liquid medium at the opposite end thereof and activating the trigger switch at its reverse position to retract said piston into its engagement position;

(b) replacing said tubing means with a catheter;

(c) inserting said catheter into the vascular system of said mmammal;

(d) pressing said trigger switch at its forward position to deliver said liquid medium into said mammal at a constant rate of delivery.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said liquid medium comprises an imaging contrast agent.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said imaging contrast agent is for angiographic examination of said mammal.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein said imaging agent is for urographic examination of said mammal.