Front-loading medical injector and syringe for use therewith

• US 5,795,333 A
• Filed: 01/19/1995
• Issued: 08/18/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bayer Medical Care Inc. (Bayer AG)
• Original Assignee: Medrad Incorporated (Bayer AG)
• Inventors: Reilly, David M., Gelblum, Eugene A., Havrilla, Joseph B., Kazousky, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Rimell, Sam
• Application Number:
  US08/375,431
• Time in Patent Office: 1,307 Days
• Field of Search: 604/131, 604/134, 604/180, 604/183, 604/151, 604/152, 604/218, 604/227, 604/228, 604/154, 128/655
• US Class Current: 604/154
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14553 comprising a pressure jacket
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/581 by audible feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/582 by tactile feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/583 by visual feedback
• 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: Y10S 128/01 Motorized syringe

Abstract

A front-loading syringe which comprises a movable plunger for injecting liquid contrast media, is rotatably mountable on a front wall of an injector housing with an interference fit and in sealed relationship with respect thereto, with or without a pressure jacket, by a first-quick release mechanism. At the same time, the plunger is connected to an injector drive mechanism by a second readily releasable mechanism. During the mounting operation, a sensor reads injection information from an indicator device on the syringe and feeds it to an injector control. An audible-and-tactile indicating mechanism also is activated when the syringe is essentially in the desired mounted position. The syringe may include reinforcing ribs which also function as volumetric gradations, and liquid media presence-or-absence indicating dots which appear circular against a liquid media background and oval-shaped against an air background. An injection end of the syringe comprises an injector portion of reduced diameter inside a screw-threaded attachment portion of larger diameter, and may include loop-shaped reinforcing handle portions.

Claims

1. Apparatus for injecting liquid media, comprising:

a front-loading syringe for holding a liquid medium and including a plunger;

an infector housing having a front wall;

drive means movable through said front wall for controlling the movement of said plunger in said syringe;

a tubular pressure jacket having a rearward end mounted on said front wall of said housing and a forward open end for receiving said syringe therethrough for connection of the syringe plunger to said drive means;

first retaining means mounted on an inside surface of said pressure jacket adjacent the forward open end thereof; and

second retaining means engageable with said first retaining means said first and second retaining means coacting to retain said syringe inside said tubular pressure jacket;

wherein said first retaining means includes a plurality of arcuate flanges formed on said tubular pressure jacket and defining slots therebetween, said second retaining means including a plurality of flanges adaptable to be inserted through said slots, said flanges of said second retaining means forming an interference fit with said flanges of said first retaining means when said second retaining means is rotated with respect to said tubular jacket.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said syringe has a body, said second retaining means formed on said body.

3. Apparatus for injecting liquid media, comprising:

a front-loading syringe for holding a liquid medium and including a plunger;

an injector housing having a front wall;

drive means movable through said housing front wall for controlling the movement of said plunger in said syringe;

a tubular pressure jacket having a rearward end mounted on said front wall and a forward open end for receiving said syringe therethrough for connection of the syringe plunger to said drive means;

first retaining means mounted on an inside surface of said pressure jacket and second retaining means associated with said syringe, said second retaining means having at least one projection, said first retaining means defining at least one hole for receiving said projection, said first and second retaining means coacting to retain said syringe inside said pressure jacket when said projection of said second retaining means is inserted into said hole of said first retaining means and when said second retaining means is rotated a predetermined distance with respect to said first retaining means;

wherein said second retaining means comprises a plurality of said projections, said first retaining means comprising a plurality of said holes.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said at least one projection comprises an arcuate flange, said at least one hole comprising a slot for receiving said flange.