Adapter and syringe for front-loading medical fluid injector

• US 6,533,758 B1
• Filed: 08/25/2000
• Issued: 03/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Liebel-Flarsheim Company (Mallinckrodt plc)
• Original Assignee: Liebel-Flarsheim Company (Mallinckrodt plc)
• Inventors: Staats, Peter F., Battiato, Dane J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes, Michael J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thissell, Jeremy
• Application Number:
  US09/648,268
• Time in Patent Office: 935 Days
• Field of Search: 604/181, 604/187, 604/218, 604/227, 604/228, 604/229, 604/154, 604/155, 604/131, 604/232, 604/110, 604/151, 604/152, 604/533, 604/534, 604/535, 604/536, 604/905
• US Class Current: 604/152
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/007 for contrast media
• 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 604/905 Aseptic connectors or couplings, e.g. frangible, piercable

Abstract

Adapters for use with an angiographic injector. A face plate adapter includes a channel for receiving a rearward end of a syringe. First and second mounting flanges on the adapter overlay a portion of the channel, to cooperate with mounting flanges on a rearward end of the syringe, so that the syringe mounting flanges may be inserted between the adapter mounting flanges, and then rotated in the channel behind the adapter mounting flanges, to thereby lock the syringe to the adapter. The adapter further includes one or more locking pins, which in a locked position extend across the channel, to block the syringe from rotating in the channel and thereby prevent a syringe from being dismounted from the adapter. A collar incorporated in the adapter interacts with a drive ram of the injector to move the locking pins into their locked position whenever the ram is forward of a rearwardmost position. A ram tip adapter includes a movable member having a connector for engaging a connector on a rearward face of a plunger, and a cam surface for interacting with the face plate adapter. The interaction between the cam surface and the face plate adapter causes the connector of the movable member to move to an engaging position in which the connector engages with the connecting structure of the syringe, only when the ram is forward of its rearwardmost position.

Claims

1. An adapter assembly for an injector of the type having an injector housing and a drive ram extendible from the injector housing for moving a plunger within a syringe, comprising:

a housing,

a channel in said housing for receiving a rearward end of a syringe,

a mount on the housing in a portion of said channel, said mount cooperable with mounting structure on a rearward end of a syringe, so that a syringe may be inserted into and rotated in the channel, to thereby lock a syringe to the adapter assembly,

one or more locking pins on a collar, said collar positioned within an aperture of said housing in communication with said channel, said one or more pins being movable between a locked position in which said one or more pins extend across said channel, to block mounting structure of a syringe from rotating in said channel and thereby prevent a syringe from being mounted to or dismounted from the adapter assembly, and an unlocked position in which said one or more pins do not extend across said channel and do not block mounting structure of a syringe from rotating in said channel, and

a cap incorporated in said aperture, said cap moving said collar and said one or more locking pins between said locked and unlocked positions,

said cap moving said one or more locking pins into their locked position whenever a ram of an injector within said adapter is in a predetermined position.

2. The adapter assembly of claim 1, wherein said mount on said housing comprises first and second mounting flanges on the housing which overlay a portion of the channel, to cooperate with mounting flanges on a rearward end of a syringe, so that mounting flanges may be inserted between the adapter mounting flanges, and then rotated in the channel behind the adapter mounting flanges, to thereby lock a syringe to the adapter.

3. The adapter assembly of claim 1, wherein

said aperture is sized for a ram of an injector, and

said collar is positioned adjacent to said aperture for engaging a ram when the ram is withdrawn to a rearwardmost position.

4. The adapter assembly of claim 1, wherein

said aperture is sized for a ram of an injector, and

said collar is positioned adjacent said aperture for mechanically interacting with a ram of an injector to cause said one or more locking pins to move between said locked and unlocked positions.

5. The adapter assembly of claim 4, wherein said collar includes a central hole for placement over a tip of a ram, so that a ram passing through said aperture moves said collar when the ram moves into or out of a rearwardmost position.

6. The adapter assembly of claim 5, wherein said one or more locking pins are integral with said collar, and extend from said collar through said housing and, in their locked position, extend into said channel.

7. The adapter assembly of claim 1, further comprising a resilient element mounted on said cap for generating a force tending to push said one or more locking pins into said locked position.

8. The adapter assembly of claim 1, wherein

said aperture is sized for a ram of an injector, and

said collar is positioned adjacent said aperture for mechanically interacting with the ram of an injector when the ram is withdrawn from a syringe, whereby said collar engages the ram and moves said one or more locking pins to said unlocked position when the ram is moved to a rearwardmost position.

9. The adapter assembly of claim 8, further comprising a ram tip extender, said extender including extender cam surfaces for engaging said collar to move said one or more locking pins to said unlocked position when a ram is moved to a rearwardmost position.