Venting syringe plunger

• US 7,503,905 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2005
• Issued: 03/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ultradent Products Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Ultradent Products Incorporated
• Inventors: Bills, Dan J., Sheetz, Jared, McLean, Bruce S., Tuttle, Richard, Jessop, Neil
• Primary Examiner(s): Sirmons; Kevin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anderson; Michael J
• Application Number:
  US11/242,255
• Publication Number:
  US 20070078392A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,261 Days
• Field of Search: 604/218, 604/187, 604/181, 604/60, 604/219, 604 82- 89, 604/191, 604/122, 604/208, 604221-224, 604/232, 433/90, 366/267
• US Class Current: 604/122
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 5/62 Applicators, e.g. syringes or guns
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 9/0026 Syringes or guns for injecting impression material; Mixing impression material for immediate use
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 17/00593 Hand tools of the syringe type

Abstract

A venting syringe plunger assembly for use with a syringe system allows for venting of gas from the syringe system during use. The plunger assembly includes a hollow outer sleeve having an interior surface, and an inner stem having an exterior surface. At least a portion of the inner stem is disposed within the outer sleeve so as to be movable (e.g., slidable) within the outer sleeve. A venting passageway is defined between the interior surface of the outer sleeve and the exterior surface of the inner stem. The plunger assembly also includes means for selectively moving the inner stem within the outer sleeve so as to selectively open and close the venting passageway.

Claims

1. In a syringe-to-syringe mixing system that includes a first syringe loaded with a first component and a second syringe loaded with a second component, and wherein the two syringes are coupleable so that the barrel of the first is in fluid communication with the barrel of the second so as to permit mixing of the first and second components as the contents of one syringe barrel is injected into the other, at least one of the syringes comprising an improved vented plunger assembly situated within one of the syringe barrels of the syringe-to-syringe mixing system, the plunger assembly comprising:

a hollow outer sleeve which fits within the barrel of one of the syringes, the sleeve having an interior surface and means for sealing the hollow outer sleeve against an inner surface of the syringe plunger;

an inner stem disposed within the hollow outer sleeve so that the hollow outer sleeve and inner stem are operable to be alternately pushed together into the syringe barrel and withdrawn together from the barrel when used as a plunger assembly for performing a back and forth mixing action between syringe barrels of the first and second syringes, the inner stem having an exterior surface, the inner stem being movably disposed within the outer sleeve between open and closed positions;

a venting passageway being defined between the exterior surface of the inner stem and the interior surface of the hollow outer sleeve; and

means for selectively moving the inner stem within the outer sleeve to either the open or closed positions and then temporarily locking the inner stem in the selected position, so that the venting passageway will remain in the selected open or closed position irrespective of whether the plunger assembly is thereafter pushed into our pulled out of the syringe barrel in which the plunger assembly is used.

2. A vented plunger assembly as recited in claim 1, the inner stem being slidable within the hollow outer sleeve.

3. A vented plunger assembly as recited in claim 1, the means for selectively moving the inner stem within the hollow outer sleeve so as to selectively open or close the venting passageway being capable of single hand operation.

4. A vented plunger assembly as recited in claim 1, the venting passageway being in an open configuration when a distal end of the inner stem is withdrawn into the hollow outer sleeve.

5. A vented plunger assembly as recited in claim 1, the venting passageway being in an closed configuration when a distal end of the inner stem is substantially flush with a distal end of the hollow outer sleeve or withdrawn into the hollow outer sleeve.

6. A vented plunger assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the sealing means comprises a groove formed near a distal end of the hollow outer sleeve and an elastomeric seal seated within the groove.

7. A vented plunger assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the sealing means comprises a V-cup seal formed at a distal end of the hollow outer sleeve.

8. A vented plunger assembly as recited in claim 1, the means for selectively moving the inner stem within the hollow outer sleeve comprising a cam member disposed near a proximal end of the inner stem and the hollow outer sleeve, the cam member being operable to move the inner stem within the hollow outer sleeve so as to selectively open and close the venting passageway.

9. A vented plunger assembly as recited in claim 8, the cam member being disposed between a head of the inner stem and a flange of the hollow outer sleeve.

10. A vented plunger assembly as recited in claim 9, the cam member further comprising a ramped lever slidable between the head of the inner stem and the flange of the hollow outer sleeve so as to move the inner stem within the hollow outer sleeve.

11. A vented plunger assembly as recited in claim 8, the cam member being retained by the inner stem such that the inner stem passes through the cam member, the cam member being slidable in a plane that is substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the inner stem.

12. A vented plunger assembly as recited in claim 8, the cam member encapsulating at least a portion of the hollow outer sleeve and the inner stem.

13. A vented plunger assembly as recited in claim 1, the means for selectively moving the inner stem within the hollow outer sleeve comprising threads formed on the exterior surface of the inner stem and corresponding engagement grooves formed in the interior surface of the hollow outer sleeve such that rotation of the inner stem within the hollow outer sleeve longitudinally moves the inner stem within the hollow outer sleeve so as to selectively open or close the venting passageway.

14. A vented plunger assembly as recited in claim 1, the inner stem including a luer cone at a distal end that is tapered so as to have a cross-sectional diameter that decreases towards the distal end of the inner stem for selectively forming a seal with the interior surface of the hollow outer sleeve so as to selectively close the venting passageway.

15. A vented plunger assembly as recited in claim 14, the vented plunger assembly being in an open configuration when the luer cone at a distal end of the inner stem is withdrawn into the hollow outer sleeve.

16. A vented plunger assembly as recited in claim 1, the inner stem including a tapered portion at the distal end of the inner stem, the tapered portion being tapered so as to have a cross-sectional diameter that increases towards the distal end of the inner stem.

17. A vented plunger assembly as recited in claim 16, the vented plunger assembly being in an open configuration when the tapered portion at the distal end of the inner stem is extended beyond a distal end of the outer sleeve.

18. In a syringe-to-syringe mixing system that includes a first syringe loaded with a first component and a second syringe loaded with a second component, and wherein the two syringes are coupleable so that the barrel of the first is in fluid communication with the barrel of the second so as to permit mixing of the first and second components as the contents of one syringe barrel is injected into the other, at least one of the syringes comprising an improved vented plunger assembly situated within one of the syringe barrels of the syringe-to-syringe mixing system, the plunger assembly comprising:

a hollow outer sleeve which fits within the barrel of one of the syringes, the sleeve having an interior surface and a flange near a proximal end of the outer sleeve;

an inner stem disposed within the hollow outer sleeve so that the hollow outer sleeve and inner stem are operable to be alternately pushed together into the syringe barrel and withdrawn together from the barrel when performing a back and forth mixing action between syringe barrels of the first and second syringes, the inner stem having an exterior surface and a head near a proximal end of the inner stem, the inner stem being movably disposed within the outer sleeve between open and closed positions;

a venting passageway being defined between the exterior surface of the inner stem and the interior surface of the hollow outer sleeve; and

a cam member disposed between the flange of the outer sleeve and the head of the inner stem, the cam member including a ramped lever operable to move the inner stem within the hollow outer sleeve so as to selectively move the inner stem within the outer sleeve to either the open or closed position and operable to then temporarily lock the inner stem in the selected position, so that the venting passageway will remain in the selected open or closed position irrespective of whether the plunger assembly is thereafter pushed into our pulled out of the syringe barrel in which the plunger assembly is used.

19. In a syringe-to-syringe mixing system that includes a first syringe loaded with a first component and a second syringe loaded with a second component, and wherein the two syringes are coupleable so that the barrel of the first is in fluid communication with the barrel of the second so as to permit mixing of the first and second components as the contents of one syringe barrel is injected into the other, at least one of the syringes comprising an improved vented plunger assembly situated within one of the syringe barrels of the syringe-to-syringe mixing system, the plunger assembly comprising:

a hollow outer sleeve which fits within the barrel of one of the syringes, the sleeve having an interior surface;

an inner stem disposed within the hollow outer sleeve so that the hollow outer sleeve and inner stem are operable to be alternately pushed together into the syringe barrel and withdrawn together from the barrel when performing a back and forth mixing action between syringe barrels of the first and second syringes, the inner stem having an exterior surface, the inner stem being movably disposed within the outer sleeve between open and closed positions;

a venting passageway being defined between the exterior surface of the inner stem and the interior surface of the hollow outer sleeve; and

threads formed on the exterior surface and near a proximal end of the inner stem and corresponding engagement grooves formed in the interior surface and near a proximal end of the hollow outer sleeve such that rotation of the inner stem within the outer sleeve longitudinally moves the inner stem within the outer sleeve so as to selectively move the inner stem within the outer sleeve to either the open or closed position and operable to temporarily lock the inner stem in the selected position, so that the venting passageway will remain in the selected open or closed position irrespective of whether the plunger assembly is thereafter pushed into our pulled out of the syringe barrel in which the plunger assembly is used.