Spring driven adjustable oral syringe

• US 8,062,254 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2009
• Issued: 11/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MacLean
• Original Assignee: MacLean
• Inventors: MacLean, Rebecca
• Primary Examiner(s): Lucchesi; Nicholas
• Assistant Examiner(s): FLICK, JASON E
• Application Number:
  US12/350,001
• Publication Number:
  US 20090177156A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,049 Days
• Field of Search: 604/135
• US Class Current: 604/135
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/583 by visual feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3148 Means for causing or aiding aspiration or plunger retraction
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3155 by rotational movement of dose setting member, e.g. during setting or filling of a syringe
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31553 without axial movement of dose setting member
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein generally describe a medication delivery system. The medication delivery system includes a barrel, a plunger assembly, a dosage selection device, and a force producing element. The plunger assembly is disposed within the barrel. The force producing element can force the plunger assembly from the barrel. The user can select one or two or more dosages with a dosage selection device. The user selects the dosage; then the medication delivery system delivers the same dosage repeatedly. Further, with the force producing element, the user need only depress the plunger assembly into the barrel and does not need to extract the plunger assembly. This allows the user to use only one hand with the medication delivery system.

Claims

1. A syringe, the syringe comprising:

a barrel assembly, the barrel assembly comprising;

a barrel having a distal end and a proximal end, a nozzle formed on the distal end of the barrel;

a barrel cap attached to the barrel at the proximal end of the barrel;

a plunger assembly at least partially disposed within the barrel, the plunger assembly comprising;

a shaft comprising;

two or more lengthwise ribs, each lengthwise ribs disposed along a circumference of the shaft, the lengthwise ribs defining one or more portions of the circumference; and

two or more radial fibs, each radial rib disposed between two or more of the lengthwise ribs, the radial ribs;

disposed in at least one portion of the circumference but not extending along a full circumference of the shaft; and

disposed lengthwise on the shaft between a distal and proximal ends of the shaft to provide a predetermined volume in the barrel when the radial rib contacts the barrel cap;

a plunger attached to the distal end of the shaft; and

a plunger cap attached to the proximal end of the shaft.

2. The syringe as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a force producing element, the force producing element producing a force on the plunger cap.

3. The syringe as defined in claim 2, wherein the force producing element is disposed between the plunger cap and the barrel cap and the force producing element producing a second force on the barrel cap.

4. The syringe as defined in claim 3, wherein the force producing element is a spring.

5. The syringe as defined in claim 1, wherein the barrel cap includes a detent.

6. The syringe as defined in claim 5, at least one of the radial ribs contacts the detent.

7. The syringe as defined in claim 1, wherein the barrel includes a window.

8. The syringe as defined in claim 7, wherein indicia of a dosage amount amount is printed onto the shaft and the dosage amount is viewed through the window.

9. The syringe as defined in claim 8, wherein the indicia includes a written dosage amount.

10. The syringe as defined in claim 9, wherein the indicia is a bar of a predetermined size printed lengthwise along the shaft.

11. The syringe as defined in claim 9, wherein at least one of the indicia is color coded.

12. The syringe as defined in claim 11, wherein a first color is indicative of a first dosage amount and a second color is indicative of a second dosage amount.

13. The syringe as defined in claim 1, wherein the plunger assembly is rotatable within the barrel, and the predetermined volume is selectable by rotating the plunger assembly such that one of the radial ribs aligns with a detent on the barrel cap.

14. The syringe as defined in claim 12, wherein each lengthwise rib includes an indent, the indent allowing the detent of the barrel cap to pass through a lengthwise rib when the plunger assembly is rotated within the barrel.

15. The syringe as defined in claim 9, wherein the barrel cap including a flange allowing a user to hold the syringe with one hand.

16. A syringe, the syringe comprising:

a barrel assembly, the barrel assembly comprising;

a barrel having a distal end and a proximal end, a nozzle formed on the distal end of the barrel;

a barrel cap attached to the barrel at the proximal end of the barrel, the barrel cap including;

an opening formed in an interior portion of the barrel cap;

a detent formed in the opening at a proximal end of the barrel cap;

a plunger assembly at least partially disposed within the barrel, the plunger assembly comprising;

a shaft having two or more lengthwise ribs and two or more radial fibs, each radial rib disposed between two or more of the lengthwise ribs and between two or more of the lengthwise ribs at a location on the shaft to provide a predetermined volume in the barrel when the radial rib contacts the barrel cap;

a plunger attached to the distal end of the shaft;

a plunger cap attached to the proximal end of the shaft;

the plunger having a first position, in the barrel, where the plunger contacts at least a portion of the distal end of the barrel;

the plunger having a second position, in the barrel, where a first radial rib contacts the detent, the second position providing a first volume in the barrel; and

the plunger having a third position, in the barrel, where a second radial rib contacts the detent, the third position providing a second volume in the barrel.