Syringe insertion system

• US 6,939,330 B1
• Filed: 12/12/2002
• Issued: 09/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Medsolve Limited
• Original Assignee: Medsolve Limited
• Inventors: Field, Jeffrey F., Marano-Ford, April, McConnell-Montalvo, Susan
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Anhtuan T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, CATHERINE SERKE
• Application Number:
  US10/319,419
• Time in Patent Office: 999 Days
• Field of Search: 604/40, 604/117, 604/130, 604/156, 604/157, 604/164.08, 604/164.12, 604/187, 604/192, 604/232, 604/95.01, 604/95.02, 604/134, 604/136, 604/181, 604/218, 604194-198, 604/263, 128/919
• US Class Current: 604/197
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/201 having one piercing end
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2051 having tap means, e.g. tap means activated by sliding
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2055 having gripping means
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2065 having aligning and guiding means
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2096 Combination of a vial and a syringe for transferring or mixing their contents
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/326 Fully automatic sleeve extension, i.e. in which triggering of the sleeve does not require a deliberate action by the user
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3287 Accessories for bringing the needle into the body; Automatic needle insertion A61M5/20, A61M5/31525 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/46 having means for controlling depth of insertion
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/919 Syringe, means to protect user

Abstract

An inserter having a housing, a syringe carriage slidably mounted within the housing and a syringe socket defined within the syringe carriage. The syringe carriage is able to assume a cocked position and an extended position with the latter being the position for injection. A spring biases the syringe carriage to the extended position and a latch selectively retains the syringe carriage in the cocked position.

Claims

1. An inserter for a syringe having a barrel, a plunger slidable in and extending from one end of the barrel and a needle at the other end of the barrel, comprising

a housing including a main bore and at least a first terminal end;

a syringe carriage movably mounted within the main bore between a cocked position distal the first terminal end and an extended position proximal the first terminal end and including a syringe socket for selectively retaining the barrel;

an insertion spring biasing the carriage toward the extended position;

a latch selectively retaining the carriage in the cocked position;

a movably mounted needle guard at the first terminal end, the movably mounted needle guard being slidably mounted to the syringe carriage and including a safety spring operatively connected between the syringe carriage and the needle guard biasing the needle guard to extend from the syringe carriage proximal the first terminal end.

2. The inserter of claim 1

the housing defining a port at the first terminal end sized to receive an access cap of a standard syringe vial.

3. The inserter of claim 2, the port presenting the access cap to receive the needle of a syringe in the syringe socket with the syringe carriage in the cocked position.

4. The inserter of claim 2 further comprising

a movably mounted needle guard at the first terminal end.

5. The inserter of claim 4, the movably mounted needle guard being slidably mounted to the syringe carriage and including a safety spring operatively between the syringe carriage and the needle guard biasing the needle guard to extend from the syringe carriage proximal the first terminal end.

6. An inserter for a syringe having a barrel, a plunger slidable in and extending from one end of the barrel and a needle at the other end of the barrel, comprising

a housing including a main bore and at least a first terminal end;

a syringe carriage movably mounted within the main bore between a cocked position distal the first terminal end and an extended position proximal the first terminal end and including a syringe socket for selectively retaining the barrel;

an insertion spring biasing the carriage toward the extended position;

a latch selectively retaining the carriage in the cocked position, the latch being movably mounted relative to the housing at the first terminal end of the housing between a latched position extending from the housing and an unlatched position retracted toward the housing.

7. The inserter of claim 6, the syringe carriage further including a plunger access opening to the syringe socket proximal a second terminal end of the at least first terminal end of the housing and two pivotal clips each having a flange extendable into the plunger access opening to retain the barrel and a lever to actuate the flange.

8. The inserter of claim 6 further comprising

a movably mounted needle guard at the first terminal end.

9. The inserter of claim 8, the movably mounted needle guard being slidably mounted to the syringe carriage and including a safety spring operatively between the syringe carriage and the needle guard biasing the needle guard to extend from the syringe carriage proximal the first terminal end.

10. An inserter for a syringe having a barrel, a finger grip flange on the barrel, a plunger slidable in and extending from one end of the barrel, a needle at the other end of the barrel, a needle retraction mechanism operatively engageable with the needle, comprising

a housing including a main bore, a first terminal end and a second terminal end;

a syringe carriage movably mounted within the main bore between a cocked position distal the first terminal end and an extended position proximal the first terminal end and including a syringe socket for selectively retaining the barrel and a plunger access opening to the syringe socket proximal the second terminal end providing access for forceful extension of the plunger to the end of the barrel, the plunger access opening being outwardly of the main bore in both the cocked position and the extended position;

an insertion spring biasing the carriage toward the extended position;

a latch selectively retaining the carriage in the cocked position, the latch being operatively between the housing and the syringe carriage and movably mounted relative to the housing at the end of the main bore proximal the first terminal end between a latched position extending from the housing and an unlatched position retracted toward the housing.

11. The inserter of claim 10, the syringe carriage further including a first flange extending into the socket at the plunger access opening.

12. The inserter of claim 11, the syringe carriage further including a second flange extending into the socket, the first and second flanges being spaced to closely capture the finger grip flange.

13. The inserter of claim 10, the housing defining a port at the first terminal end sized to receive an access cap of a standard syringe vial.

14. The inserter of claim 13, the port presenting the access cap to receive the needle of a syringe in the syringe socket with the syringe carriage in the cocked position.

15. The inserter of claim 10, the syringe carriage further including two pivotal clips each having a barrel retention flange extendable into the plunger access opening to retain the finger grip flange and a lever to actuate the flange.

16. The inserter of claim 15, the clips further having a living hinge integral with the syringe carriage.