Apparatus and method for providing a suspended agent

• US 6,387,077 B1
• Filed: 10/13/2000
• Issued: 05/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mallinckrodt Incorporated (Mallinckrodt plc)
• Original Assignee: Mallinckrodt Incorporated (Mallinckrodt plc)
• Inventors: Klibanov, Alexander Lazarevich, Hagen, Ronald Walter, Boyce, Mark Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Walberg, Teresa
• Assistant Examiner(s): DAHBOUR, HENRY
• Application Number:
  US09/687,323
• Time in Patent Office: 578 Days
• Field of Search: 604/181, 604/154, 604/155, 604/208, 604/209, 604/211, 222/309, 222/311, 128/DIG.1, 128/DIG.12, 128/DIG.13
• US Class Current: 604/181
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/007 for contrast media
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1454 spring-actuated, e.g. by a clockwork
• 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 5/16827 controlling delivery of multiple fluids, e.g. sequencing, mixing or via separate flow-paths infusion of multiple fluids without using a controller A61M5/1407
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 29/10 with receptacles rotated about two different axes, e.g. receptacles having planetary motion
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 29/62 without bars, i.e. without mixing elements; characterised by the shape or cross section of the receptacle, e.g. of Y-, Z-, S- or X- shape; with cylindrical receptacles rotating about an axis at an angle to their longitudinal axis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/01 Motorized syringe

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for maintaining the suspension of an agent suspended in a suspending medium in which a container holding the agent is revolved about an axis to create and maintain the suspension and the agent is selectively provided from the container. The agent may be selectively provided from the container while the container is simultaneously or intermittently revolved in a planetary orbit about an axis of rotation generally parallel to an axis of the container for maintaining the suspension. Alternatively, the container may be rotated about its longitudinal axis by a source of rotation to create and maintain the suspension while the agent is provided from the container due to a force imparted by the source of rotation.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing a suspended agent from a container having an actuator for providing the suspended agent from the container, comprising:

a rotary drive assembly having an axis, said rotary drive assembly operably connected to the container for rotating the container about said axis of the rotary drive; and

an actuator drive assembly operably connected to the rotary drive assembly for transferring a force from said rotary drive assembly to the actuator of the container sufficient to operate the actuator as the container is rotated.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a connector for conveying the suspended agent from the container to a patient.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said rotary drive assembly comprises:

a holder attached to the container; and

a motor operably coupled to said holder for rotation of the container about said axis concurrently with rotation of said holder.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said holder extends radially outward from the container and the container rotates in a planetary orbit about said axis.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising a threaded spindle having a first portion that is operably connected to said motor and a second portion that is connected to said holder, said spindle having a longitudinal axis and being configured to rotate about the longitudinal axis of the spindle.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said actuator drive assembly comprises a coupling member mounted on said threaded spindle, said coupling member adapted to operate the actuator of the container.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the actuator drive assembly further comprises a clutch assembly adapted to releasably engage said coupling member with said threaded spindle for selectively exerting a dispensing force to operate the actuator.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said actuator drive assembly comprises a clutch assembly positionable to selectively exert a force to operate the actuator.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a switch for de-energizing the rotary drive assembly and the actuator drive assembly.

10. An apparatus for maintaining an agent in suspension, wherein the agent is held in a container having an axis and an actuator, the apparatus comprising:

means for rotating the container about the axis, said rotating means selectively providing a dispensing force; and

means for providing the suspended agent from the container and operably connected to said rotating means, wherein said providing means is coverable of transferring the dispensing force from the rotating means to the actuator.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the providing means delivers the suspended agent from the container while the container is rotated by the rotating means.

12. An apparatus for maintaining an agent contained in a syringe in suspension the syringe having an axis and comprising a barrel holding the agent and a plunger mounted in the barrel, comprising:

a threaded spindle having an axis;

a rotary motor operably connected to said threaded spindle for rotating said spindle about one of the axis of the syringe or the axis of the spindle;

a holder having a first portion attached to the syringe and a second portion extending away from the syringe to attach to the threaded spindle; and

a force-exerting member mounted on said spindle, said force-exerting member configured to selectively exert a force upon the plunger sufficient to advance the plunger during rotation of the syringe for providing agent from the syringe while the agent is maintained in suspension.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising a clutch assembly adapted to selectively engage said force-exerting member with said spindle.

14. An apparatus for maintaining an agent contained in a container in suspension, wherein the container has an actuator operable for providing the agent from the container, the apparatus comprising:

a housing for the container having a cylindrical wall and an axis;

an inner member positioned within the interior of said cylindrical wall and configured to receive and hold the container, said inner member adapted to rotatably move about said axis of said housing; and

a motor operably coupled to said inner member for rotation of the inner member, wherein said inner member is operably coupled to the actuator of the container for providing the agent from the container and the agent in the container is maintained in suspension by the rotation of the inner member.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said cylindrical wall of said housing has a threaded interior portion and said inner member includes a threaded peripheral portion for engaging said threaded interior portion of said cylindrical wall, wherein said engagement between the threaded portions permits rotation of said inner member relative to the axis of the housing.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said inner member has a first flange extending radially outward from a surface of said inner member, said first flange adapted to engage said cylindrical wall of said housing for rotatable motion.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said wall has a threaded interior portion and said first flange includes a threaded peripheral portion for engaging said threaded interior portion of said cylindrical wall of said housing.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said housing includes at least one open end and a cover removably mounted to said open end.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said cover having an opening to permit attachment of a connector to the container.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the connector has a first portion held stationary by said cover coupled in a fluid-tight manner to a second rotatable portion attached for rotation to the container.

21. A method for maintaining an agent in suspension, wherein the agent is in a container having an actuator and a container axis, said method comprising;

rotating the container about an axis of rotation sufficient to suspend the agent; and

delivering the agent from the container by exerting a force upon the actuator sufficient to operate the actuator as the container is rotating to maintain the agent in suspension.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the rotating and the delivering occur simultaneously.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the rotating occurs before the delivering.

24. The method of claim 21 further comprising interrupting the delivering and maintaining the rotating.

25. The method of claim 21 wherein the rotating comprises rotating the container in a planetary orbit about the axis of rotation.

26. The method of claim 21 wherein the container axis and the axis of rotation are collinear.

27. The method of claim 21 further comprising, before the step of rotating, prefilling the container with the agent.

28. The method of claim 21 further comprising a container and an agent in a suspending medium within the container.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the agent is a contrast agent.

30. The method of claim 28 wherein the container is a syringe.